We need prophets
Commentary
As Epiphany season pertains to living the Christian life, these lessons direct us to consider a particular aspect of what the faithful do or follow -- prophecy and our need for prophetic authority or the authority of Jesus to get through life. We are called to hear the voice of Jesus and his prophets and to live prophetically ourselves in the midst of all the chaos and injustice that surround us.
Deuteronomy 18:15-20
The first lesson is part of a book produced during the sweeping religious reform under King Josiah in Judah in the last seventh century BC. The basic theme of this literature is evidenced by the meaning of the book’s title (“Second Law”). Portrayed in the form of Moses’ farewell address, it is the reaffirmation of the covenant between God and Israel.
Having warned the people of Israel to reject all forms of pagan superstition (vv. 9-14), the promise is made that God will raise up another prophet after Moses. Yahweh claims that he will put his words in the prophet’s mouth (vv. 15-18). This was in response to the promise God had made in an appearance on Mount Horeb at the giving of the Ten Commandments (5:23-31). It is said that a prophet is needed to mediate the awesome God to the people, for he is like fire that can devour. This makes us accountable for not heeding a prophet’s words or for being false prophets. Those prophets who speak without divine authorization are said to be guilty of a capital offense (vv. 19-20; cf. 13:1-5).
At least two possible sermon directions are suggested by this lesson. The first is the promise of a new prophet could be taken as a prophecy of Christ, since he is the One who mediates God to us. Or it could simply be taken as the promise that God will raise up new prophets for us to whom we should be accountable. Either way, America needs to be confronted by both of these possibilities -- both by Jesus and by prophetic leadership that can bring God’s judgment to us. For we have not fully heeded the charge that pagan worship practices be put away. Instead, we are people who have been programmed by our economic system and its demands for growing markets to seek more and more possessions which never satisfy (Alain de Botton, Status Anxiety, especially pp. 56-57, 196-197). Acquiring these new possessions has become our new god.
We can also see the how present economic realities undermine our moral sensibilities. Sociologist Richard Sennett has noted that the American economy demands flexibility, a dynamic that undermines traditional values (The Corrosion of Character). God has the authority to get our attention, by sending us leaders to offer critiques and calls for reform of the systems that lead to these insalubrious dynamics. Preachers might use this sermon to highlight God’s continuing care for us despite our waywardness.
1 Corinthians 8:1-13
In the second lesson, from one of Paul’s authentic letters written to engage doctrinal and ethical concerns in a church he had established (Acts 18:1-11), the apostle addresses the question of whether Christians may eat food consecrated to an idol. It was apparently common for Christians to hold banquets in pagan temples or to buy food sold in markets that had come from animals sacrificed in Roman temples. He urges that we deal with the question more with love than with knowledge which puffs up (vv. 1-2). Here and at other points in the letter, the apostle addresses the Corinthian belief that some of them possessed a special knowledge (much like Gnostics taught) not available to all believers (v. 17ff). Paul begins by claiming that we are truly blessed when God knows us (v. 3). (Known by God in this sense refers to being chosen or called by him [Romans 8:29-30].) The apostle extrapolates that eating such food is not problematic because there are no other gods, just the one Father from/of whom all things exist and the one Lord Jesus through whom all exist. Other gods, then, do not really exist (vv. 4-6). But not all Christians have this knowledge, the apostle adds, as some think food has been desecrated when consecrated to so-called idols (v. 7). Paul proceeds to assert that food is not a problem for our relationship with God (v. 8). He next urges that such liberty/authority not be made a stumbling block for the weak (v. 9). He does not want believers without this knowledge to be tempted (vv. 10-11). If the weak fall because of the faithful’s actions, it is a sin against Christ, Paul adds (v. 12). Thus he urges that if food offends a brother, we should not eat it (v. 13).
Sermons on this lesson are certainly an opportunity to celebrate Christian freedom, to remind ourselves that freedom is not doing whatever you want but includes responsibilities to others. This is a lesson that needs to be taught in 21st-century America, as we see so many tend to regard freedom as doing whatever makes us feel good, that what others think of us does not matter (Jean Twenge, Generation Me, pp. 23-27). This is evident in a 2016 Young America Foundation poll of college students. It seems that 61% of them wanted no government involvement in their lives, even though nearly half of those 18-34 at that time were unemployed. Freedom is letting me do my thing, even if it’s rough for you. And so this attitude prevails to this very day, and resistance remains towards government-sponsored public-works projects while one in seven 25-54-year-old men are not working, according to a 2017 Broookings Institute study. This lesson, while affirming the freedom we want in Christ, makes clear that we have a responsibility to the weaker among us. Just as Paul was a prophet in taking a stand against those who wanted to abuse their freedom, we are invited by this text to take such a prophetic stance against the abuse of freedom today. We want to make clear as preachers that freedom is not just to our benefit, but is only freedom when it is not a stumbling block for those in need.
Mark 1:21-28
The gospel reports an event at the outset of Jesus’ ministry, as he demonstrates his authority through teaching and healing. Only in Luke (4:31-37) is there a parallel account, and it closely follows the older Markan version. The general scholarly consensus about Mark being the source of the other gospels is related to the belief that it is probably based on oral traditions of the passion narrative and accounts of Jesus’ sayings (the so-called Q-source). The gospel was probably written prior to the fall of Jerusalem in 70 AD. There is no hard evidence that it is the work of Paul’s associate John Mark (Acts 12:12-25; 15:37; Colossians 4:10). Some speculate that the original audience was the church in Rome (especially Gentiles), as it presumes readers unfamiliar with Jewish customs and Palestinian geography (see 7:2-4, 31), but it also could have been written for Palestinian Christians.
The lesson is set in Capernaum (a significant town on the northwest shore of the Sea of Galilee), where Jesus was teaching in its synagogue. He reportedly astounds auditors, because he was teaching as one with authority (vv. 21-22). Astonishment in response to Jesus’ activity is a recurring theme in Mark (vv. 21, 27; 6:2; 7:37; 11:18). Mark underlines this authority further by attributing “teaching” only to Jesus, while John the Baptist and others are said to have “preached” (1:14; 3:14; 6:12).
As the account continues, a man with an unclean spirit encounters Jesus (v. 23). The man had been suffering some form of illness, implying that illness is not God’s will. The man (and the demons in him) angrily calls out Jesus’ name. (In the ancient world to know another’s name was to have power over him.) He identifies Jesus as “the holy one of God” (v. 24), an ancient title found only in the New Testament in John 6:69 as a messianic title. The point is that Jesus’ authority is even recognized by those outside faith (9:38; 15:12, 32, 39). He rebukes the spirit possessing the man to leave him alone (v. 25). This is a typical formula for ancient exorcisms. The departing spirit leaves the man with a loud cry (v. 26), indicating a real struggle between Jesus and the forces of evil. The crowd is astounded by this, noting the authority Jesus has as a teacher and his command of unclean spirits (v. 27). Jesus’ fame is said to have begun to spread (v. 28).
Sermons on this gospel lesson need to consider the question of authority. Authority has fallen on hard times in 21st- century America. A 2016 Gallup poll indicated that only 33% of Americans trust our institutions -- only 56% trusting police, 39% the medical system, 29% newspapers, and just 9% trusting Congress. Little wonder with the breakdown of authority and respect that we are more secular, as witnessed by the near tripling of the percentage of religiously unaffiliated Americans from 1990 to 2015. This is why Jesus’ loving way of exercising authority, best accepted by believing his word, is so necessary for us today. In making these points, preachers need to confront how faithless even believers in Christ can be. A 2016 Rasmussen Reports poll found that 77% believe Jesus is Son of God, but that percentage far outweighs the 20% in church on Sunday according to a 2015 Hartford Institute of Religion Research poll. Jesus has the authority to cast out evil. If we took his authority to do that seriously in our lives, we might be healed like the man in our gospel account.
All the lessons for this Sunday summon us to consider the need for a prophetic outlook, a critical perspective on social trends and pointing Americans back to Jesus, along with appeals to accept the authority of Jesus and these prophets. Life can be a lot better and America fairer for all of us if this word is heard.
Deuteronomy 18:15-20
The first lesson is part of a book produced during the sweeping religious reform under King Josiah in Judah in the last seventh century BC. The basic theme of this literature is evidenced by the meaning of the book’s title (“Second Law”). Portrayed in the form of Moses’ farewell address, it is the reaffirmation of the covenant between God and Israel.
Having warned the people of Israel to reject all forms of pagan superstition (vv. 9-14), the promise is made that God will raise up another prophet after Moses. Yahweh claims that he will put his words in the prophet’s mouth (vv. 15-18). This was in response to the promise God had made in an appearance on Mount Horeb at the giving of the Ten Commandments (5:23-31). It is said that a prophet is needed to mediate the awesome God to the people, for he is like fire that can devour. This makes us accountable for not heeding a prophet’s words or for being false prophets. Those prophets who speak without divine authorization are said to be guilty of a capital offense (vv. 19-20; cf. 13:1-5).
At least two possible sermon directions are suggested by this lesson. The first is the promise of a new prophet could be taken as a prophecy of Christ, since he is the One who mediates God to us. Or it could simply be taken as the promise that God will raise up new prophets for us to whom we should be accountable. Either way, America needs to be confronted by both of these possibilities -- both by Jesus and by prophetic leadership that can bring God’s judgment to us. For we have not fully heeded the charge that pagan worship practices be put away. Instead, we are people who have been programmed by our economic system and its demands for growing markets to seek more and more possessions which never satisfy (Alain de Botton, Status Anxiety, especially pp. 56-57, 196-197). Acquiring these new possessions has become our new god.
We can also see the how present economic realities undermine our moral sensibilities. Sociologist Richard Sennett has noted that the American economy demands flexibility, a dynamic that undermines traditional values (The Corrosion of Character). God has the authority to get our attention, by sending us leaders to offer critiques and calls for reform of the systems that lead to these insalubrious dynamics. Preachers might use this sermon to highlight God’s continuing care for us despite our waywardness.
1 Corinthians 8:1-13
In the second lesson, from one of Paul’s authentic letters written to engage doctrinal and ethical concerns in a church he had established (Acts 18:1-11), the apostle addresses the question of whether Christians may eat food consecrated to an idol. It was apparently common for Christians to hold banquets in pagan temples or to buy food sold in markets that had come from animals sacrificed in Roman temples. He urges that we deal with the question more with love than with knowledge which puffs up (vv. 1-2). Here and at other points in the letter, the apostle addresses the Corinthian belief that some of them possessed a special knowledge (much like Gnostics taught) not available to all believers (v. 17ff). Paul begins by claiming that we are truly blessed when God knows us (v. 3). (Known by God in this sense refers to being chosen or called by him [Romans 8:29-30].) The apostle extrapolates that eating such food is not problematic because there are no other gods, just the one Father from/of whom all things exist and the one Lord Jesus through whom all exist. Other gods, then, do not really exist (vv. 4-6). But not all Christians have this knowledge, the apostle adds, as some think food has been desecrated when consecrated to so-called idols (v. 7). Paul proceeds to assert that food is not a problem for our relationship with God (v. 8). He next urges that such liberty/authority not be made a stumbling block for the weak (v. 9). He does not want believers without this knowledge to be tempted (vv. 10-11). If the weak fall because of the faithful’s actions, it is a sin against Christ, Paul adds (v. 12). Thus he urges that if food offends a brother, we should not eat it (v. 13).
Sermons on this lesson are certainly an opportunity to celebrate Christian freedom, to remind ourselves that freedom is not doing whatever you want but includes responsibilities to others. This is a lesson that needs to be taught in 21st-century America, as we see so many tend to regard freedom as doing whatever makes us feel good, that what others think of us does not matter (Jean Twenge, Generation Me, pp. 23-27). This is evident in a 2016 Young America Foundation poll of college students. It seems that 61% of them wanted no government involvement in their lives, even though nearly half of those 18-34 at that time were unemployed. Freedom is letting me do my thing, even if it’s rough for you. And so this attitude prevails to this very day, and resistance remains towards government-sponsored public-works projects while one in seven 25-54-year-old men are not working, according to a 2017 Broookings Institute study. This lesson, while affirming the freedom we want in Christ, makes clear that we have a responsibility to the weaker among us. Just as Paul was a prophet in taking a stand against those who wanted to abuse their freedom, we are invited by this text to take such a prophetic stance against the abuse of freedom today. We want to make clear as preachers that freedom is not just to our benefit, but is only freedom when it is not a stumbling block for those in need.
Mark 1:21-28
The gospel reports an event at the outset of Jesus’ ministry, as he demonstrates his authority through teaching and healing. Only in Luke (4:31-37) is there a parallel account, and it closely follows the older Markan version. The general scholarly consensus about Mark being the source of the other gospels is related to the belief that it is probably based on oral traditions of the passion narrative and accounts of Jesus’ sayings (the so-called Q-source). The gospel was probably written prior to the fall of Jerusalem in 70 AD. There is no hard evidence that it is the work of Paul’s associate John Mark (Acts 12:12-25; 15:37; Colossians 4:10). Some speculate that the original audience was the church in Rome (especially Gentiles), as it presumes readers unfamiliar with Jewish customs and Palestinian geography (see 7:2-4, 31), but it also could have been written for Palestinian Christians.
The lesson is set in Capernaum (a significant town on the northwest shore of the Sea of Galilee), where Jesus was teaching in its synagogue. He reportedly astounds auditors, because he was teaching as one with authority (vv. 21-22). Astonishment in response to Jesus’ activity is a recurring theme in Mark (vv. 21, 27; 6:2; 7:37; 11:18). Mark underlines this authority further by attributing “teaching” only to Jesus, while John the Baptist and others are said to have “preached” (1:14; 3:14; 6:12).
As the account continues, a man with an unclean spirit encounters Jesus (v. 23). The man had been suffering some form of illness, implying that illness is not God’s will. The man (and the demons in him) angrily calls out Jesus’ name. (In the ancient world to know another’s name was to have power over him.) He identifies Jesus as “the holy one of God” (v. 24), an ancient title found only in the New Testament in John 6:69 as a messianic title. The point is that Jesus’ authority is even recognized by those outside faith (9:38; 15:12, 32, 39). He rebukes the spirit possessing the man to leave him alone (v. 25). This is a typical formula for ancient exorcisms. The departing spirit leaves the man with a loud cry (v. 26), indicating a real struggle between Jesus and the forces of evil. The crowd is astounded by this, noting the authority Jesus has as a teacher and his command of unclean spirits (v. 27). Jesus’ fame is said to have begun to spread (v. 28).
Sermons on this gospel lesson need to consider the question of authority. Authority has fallen on hard times in 21st- century America. A 2016 Gallup poll indicated that only 33% of Americans trust our institutions -- only 56% trusting police, 39% the medical system, 29% newspapers, and just 9% trusting Congress. Little wonder with the breakdown of authority and respect that we are more secular, as witnessed by the near tripling of the percentage of religiously unaffiliated Americans from 1990 to 2015. This is why Jesus’ loving way of exercising authority, best accepted by believing his word, is so necessary for us today. In making these points, preachers need to confront how faithless even believers in Christ can be. A 2016 Rasmussen Reports poll found that 77% believe Jesus is Son of God, but that percentage far outweighs the 20% in church on Sunday according to a 2015 Hartford Institute of Religion Research poll. Jesus has the authority to cast out evil. If we took his authority to do that seriously in our lives, we might be healed like the man in our gospel account.
All the lessons for this Sunday summon us to consider the need for a prophetic outlook, a critical perspective on social trends and pointing Americans back to Jesus, along with appeals to accept the authority of Jesus and these prophets. Life can be a lot better and America fairer for all of us if this word is heard.
