Epiphany 7
Preaching
Lectionary Preaching Workbook, SERIES II
for use with Common, Lutheran, and Roman Catholic Lectionaries
Comments on the Lessons
The Genesis story is a familiar one in which Joseph affirms the providence of God in sending him to Egypt to preserve his family during the famine. The 1 Samuel account tells of David's sparing his enemy, Saul's, life when he slipped into Saul's camp by night. The longer reading from 1 Corinthians is preferred since it includes the beginning of the argument with its question about how the dead are raised. The conclusion is given in verse 50. There is virtual consensus on the Lucan passage.
Commentary
Genesis 45:3-11, 15 (C)
Genesis 45:3-8a (L)
Verses 7-8 give the central thrust of the Joseph story: events in Joseph's life were directed by God, not humans. God graciously brings good out of evil. In this case, the brothers of Joseph unwittingly carried out God's will in selling him into slavery. And God acted through Joseph to preserve life: "And now do not be distressed, or angry with yourselves, because you sold me here; for God sent me before you to preserve life," says Joseph. (v. 5) While the brothers anticipated revenge on Joseph's part for selling him into slavery, he acts graciously. His behavior exemplifies the Golden Rule and Jesus' teaching in the Sermon on the Plain, recorded in Luke, regarding doing good to one's enemies.
We have not had a hint until this moment in the story that Joseph knew he was a part of God's purpose. So the revelation breaks in as news to the whole family. While the earlier narrative was shaped in a secular way, this news that God was at work in it all is an abrupt revelation. Notice how this speech redefines the situation for all parties concerned. The guilty fear of the brothers is superseded, and the grief of Jacob their father is resolved. For many long years Jacob had grieved unnecessarily. What appeared to be death (Joseph's disappearance) is the way to life for all the family. And the revengeful cunning of Joseph, the successful brother, is now also superseded. He doesn't need to triumph over his family. So the guilt of the brothers, the grief of Jacob their father, and the revenge of Joseph are used as the means of disclosing the hidden will of God. The past is over and done. The whole family is brought to a new moment. Until now, Joseph and his family had been viewing life as if seeing the wrong side of a huge tapestry without any apparent pattern. But now, in this moment of revelation, they view life as the right side of the tapestry, and see the divine pattern which was being woven through the events of their lives.
God works so that there may be survivors (v. 7) or a remnant which are an assurance of a future against great odds. God wills life for his people, and through this narrative we see how the promise to Abraham and those after him was being fulfilled through human events. And in verse 8 we learn that the empire was also involved, as Joseph was "a father to Pharaoh." The central word here is "ruler" in verse 8, as Joseph announces that God has made him ruler over all the land of Egypt. This makes Joseph a "ruler-lord-father" over family and empire! And all of it is the work of God. Notice how the secular history of Israel is the very context in which the God of Israel works out his purpose.
Another aspect of the story is that God is free. God is at work for his purpose in history in spite of, through, and over against every human effort to thwart his plan for preserving his people. This goes against all humanism, which sees only human efforts and decisions shaping history. (Christianity and History by Butterfield is a classic study of this issue.) This Joseph story shows us that it is in the arena of human choice that God's saving work is done.
Joseph's self-disclosure in verses 5-8 is a great faith affirmation. It is significant that, in this interaction of God and human beings, neither the freedom of the creature nor the gracious sovereignty of God is canceled. They are not in conflict. But neither are they to be equated. The story declares that God's purpose is finally sovereign, and that God can create a real newness, a "Genesis" as the word means in Hebrew. This sovereign quality enables the family of Joseph to begin again. History is not a cycle of human errors. This narrative shows us that God is utterly gracious, and that God's purpose is hidden and mysterious. God's purposes are worked out in concrete history through identifiable persons. While the ways of God are subdued and invisible in this story, they are nevertheless decisive.
Dr. William Stevenson, a noted Scottish minister, shared with this writer the conviction that the older he became the more convinced he was of the providence of God. He had been told this himself by an older Scottish minister. Story is the proper mode of this faith in the providence of God, for it never lingers to explain, but only recites and retells the wonder found in the telling. Biblical faith moves on as it affirms God's working, where we might seek to explain and analyze. So in our time, as we reflect on God's working, we may linger to relish and discern the wonder of it all, but never to explain it.
1 Samuel 26:2, 7-9, 12-13, 22-23 (RC)
It appears that this narrative of David and Saul makes use of the same material as found in 22:19--24:22. There are a number of parallels, but also some remarkable differences in the two stories. The material in each was associated with different localities. The narrative here stands between the story of Abigail, which reveals David's position to be relatively secure, and David's move to the territory of the Philistines. The thrust of this "sandwich" chapter is that David remains constantly exposed to Saul's pursuit, and therefore in the greatest danger to his life. The actions of Saul going into a cave alone, or sinking into a deep sleep along with his men, are particularly dispensations of the Lord to save David by a miracle. These events may be compared to the Joseph story of our Genesis reading, since God acts decisively in both to effect his will for Israel. We see that David cannot rely on his attitude toward Saul to make a permanent impression and lead, perhaps, to a reconciliation. The conclusion of this narrative makes that clear.
This chapter 26 is important in the general framework for another reason. As it happened before, David, who is at a disadvantage both militarily and politically, comes out on top by God's guidance. Saul's very life is given into David's hand. Our narrative shows that David emerges as the moral victon here, and as the one to whom God will grant even more success later. Saul himself recognizes this here, although not expressly as he does in chapter 24.
The Ziphites live in tradition as the notorious betrayers of David, and for this reason are mentioned by name. The event happens in their neighborhood. Notice that in verses 2-4 it becomes clear that this is the same story as is found in 23:19ff. But unlike the meeting of David and Saul in chapter 24, this one does not take place by chance. David discovers the site of Saul's camp and deliberately goes there by night. Abishai, who goes with him, is his nephew, but has no opportunity of assisting David's action. It is the Lord himself who makes sure no one wakes up by making all Saul's camp fall into a stupefying sleep. Notice that the role of Abishai is that of David's tempter, and he plays the same role as do David's men in chapter 24.
The spear standing stuck in the ground by Saul is a constant reminder of his rank. This is the weapon Abishai would like to use to kill Saul. He tells David that God has given his enemy Saul into his hand, and asks permission of David to pin Saul to the earth with one stroke of the spear. But David rejects the proposal. He reminds Abishai that Saul is the Lord's anointed, and that God alone must determine Saul's death. David took the spear and the jar of water from Saul's head and they went away. No one in the camp saw or heard their actions because of the deep sleep.
In verses 22-23 we read that David called out to Saul and offered to return his spear if Saul would send one of his young men to fetch it. David reminds Saul that "The Lord rewards every man for his righteousness and his faithfulness; for the Lord gave you into my hand today, and I would not put forth my hand against the Lord's anointed." (v. 23) While the chapter concludes with the impression that David and Saul are reconciled, the opening words of chapter 27 indicate that David does not trust Saul: "And David said in his heart, 'I shall now perish one day by the hand of Saul ...' " (27:1) In verse 21 Saul has taken the blame for the conflict on himself, and in doing so he expresses the view of both the compiler of the narrative and of the reader. Through the tradition Saul is described as a man of sanguine temperament. While Saul's words are certainly not false subjectively, his temporary emotion does not last. The main thrust of this story is that the events of the night have assured David once again that he will be safe under the protection of the Lord in the future as in the past. When Saul and David part at the end of this narrative, they never see each other again. David departs for a foreign country as we see in the next chapter. Saul stresses that David's future will be successful as he says to David: "Blessed be you, my son David! You will do many things and will succeed in them." (v. 25)
1 Corinthians 15:35-38, 42-50 (C)
1 Corinthians 15:35-38a, 42-50 (L)
1 Corinthians 15:45-49 (RC)
Our passage is part of a larger section, verses 35-58, which deals with the nature of the resurrection. The Greeks could affirm the immortality of the soul (the soul does not die), but had difficulty with the idea of the raising of the body. Paul makes the point here that there are many different kinds of "bodies," and that the resurrection body will be a new body which will neither be perishable, nor physical. God will provide this resurrection body.
"But some one will ask, 'How are the dead raised? With what kind of body do they come?' " (v. 35) is probably a rhetorical device rather than an actual question asked of Paul. Paul uses literary devices borrowed from the style called the "diatribe." Notice that the argument now moves a stage beyond where it was in verse 12. There the question was whether or not there is resurrection of the dead. Here it is assumed that the possibility of resurrection is admitted, and the question now is in what way resurrection will take place. To be specific: What kind of body do the resurrected have? There were Jews such as the Sadducees who denied the resurrection. The rabbis speculated at length on the nature of the resurrection body. And some Jews in the time of the New Testament were greatly influenced by Greek thoughts of immortality, even as present day Western thinking is similarly influenced. Now, if the Corinthians were completely Greek in their thinking, it is difficult to understand their asking this kind of question. They might have asked, "How are dead bodies raised?" or even, "Why does the immortal soul even need a perishable body?" The Greeks thought of the soul as being imprisoned in the body and released at death. They would not be likely to ask, "With what kind of body?" But this is peculiarly part of Paul's argument. The argument that follows is what the Jews would call "haggadah," or speculation. Paul's argument is divided into three subsections, which reflect the analogy Paul uses:
1. Verses 35-39 - terrestrial creatures
2. Verses 40-41 - super-terrestrial creatures
3. Verses 45-49 - Adam (Note that verses 42-44 form a transition in Paul's argument.)
Examining the sections, we find that in verses 35-39, Paul makes two points: (a) the life-through-death principle seems to be built into the order of creation itself; (b) living creatures are given the kind of flesh appropriate to each creature.
Note Paul's pedagogical method of moving from terrestrial, living creatures to speculations on the existence of resurrected human beings. He moves from the concrete and experienced to the unknown. Paul refers to living creatures first as body and then as flesh, but uses them as synonyms. The point he makes is that there are a great variety in God's creation of earthly beings. He lists a number of these.
In verses 40-41 Paul deals with the super-terrestrial creatures, which not only differ from terrestrial ones, but from one another.
In verses 42-44 Paul says that it is also this way with the resurrection of the dead. He sets up a series of four contrasts between the body which is sown (in birth) and the body which is raised:
Body Sown
Body Raised
1. Perishable
1. Imperishable
2. Dishonor
2. Glory
3. Weakness
3. Power
4. Physical body
4. Spiritual body
In regard to the sowing of seed, Paul makes the point that while a body and seed are put into the ground, something entirely different comes out of it. However, strictly speaking, the seed does
not die if the power of germination remains. But Paul is not describing a natural process in regard to the body. He did not declare that the resurrected body grew out of the sown body by some natural development. Rather, God would raise the dead by his miraculous power. God gives a body which he has chosen. Paul emphasizes the radical difference between what is sown and what is raised, by the analogy.
"Sown" refers to the unique place of humans and their status in the created order. They are sown at birth.
In verses 45-49 Adam is contrasted with Christ, the second man who is from heaven. Human beings bear the image of the man of dust (Genesis 2:7) but they shall also bear the image of the man of heaven, Christ. Those already in Christ bear this image, although not visibly.
Paul saw the resurrection of the dead not as a restoration of human beings, but as an act of creation. Paul declares that God will create a spirit-body which has already been done for Jesus, just as at creation he made a life-body for the first Adam. While Adam's life-body was alive from having had life breathed into it by God the Creator, Christ's risen body was life-giving because he was Spirit. In Christ humans know a life which produces not death but more life.
While humans bear the image of the man of dust, they shall bear the image of the man of heaven. The future tense is critical here, since the future image is not yet the mode of human existence. Christ alone has this. So human existence is marked by an ambiguous "already" and "not yet," or having as if not having. "Image" is a term borrowed from Genesis 1, and may refer primarily to God's revelation of himself.
In verse 50 Paul declares in the strongest way possible that the kingdom of God involves a totally different kind of existence than that of flesh and blood. Paul in this statement indicates that belief in the resurrection is not to be confused with the revivification of the body that is buried. (And this would also eliminate belief in reincarnation, since each person is unique and is given a resurrection body, rather than recycled in another person's body later.)
Luke 6:27-38
This section contains the promises and principles of the kingdom of God. It presents a two-pronged attack on reciprocity as a governing principle in human relationships: (1) people should not return evil for evil, but instead should respond in the way in which they want to be treated (non-violence for violence), and (2) people must not restrict their good deeds to those who have been good to them, or who are able to be good in return. Generosity is the thrust of this teaching. As God shows good will to all, and gives abundantly to the disciples, so they should give to others. A life lived by reciprocity of giving to those who are able and willing to give in return is too restrictive to express the love commanded by Jesus. So the radical call of Jesus is to respond not in kind but out of kind. But how? The law of human nature is self-preservation. Only the powerful presence of God himself can empower a person to respond supernaturally to others. Only a Pentecost experience can make Jesus' words reality in human relationships. Otherwise they remain only an ideal.
There are four thought units in this section of verses 27-38: (1) verses 27-28, (2) verses 29-31, (3) verses 32-36, and (4) verses 37-38. These are designed to short circuit the pattern of reciprocity in human relations among the disciples. The first two units belong together in describing love in terms of nonviolence, which goes directly counter to the command to the members of the Qumran community, who are told to "hate all the sons of darkness." Further on in Luke's Gospel, the lawyer sums up the Old Testament in terms of love: "And he answered, 'You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself.' " (10:27) Jesus tells him, "You have answered right; do this, and you will live." (v. 28)
In verses 27-28 Jesus commands the disciples to love their enemies. This has been called one of the unique teachings of Jesus. Matthew records this saying: "You have heard that it was said, 'You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you ..." (Matthew 5:43-44) Love is set forth as the basic imperative for all who would enter the kingdom. The essential nature of this love is its "grace-ious" character. It is outgoing, not possessive, a divine love which is characteristic of the sons of the Most High. (v. 35) This principle of love of enemies was an integral part of the early church's teaching for Christian living, as indicated by Romans 12:14-21 and 1 Peter 2:18-25. The effect of Christian love in a person is in direct proportion to his or her practice of it as Jesus indicates in verses 37ff. There is a principle of justice in the midst of grace. The amount of grace one shows is the amount one receives, now and in the judgment to come.
In verses 29-31 we have four examples of what it would mean not to return evil for evil, concluded with the golden rule in verse 31. The four examples are:
1. To him who strikes you on the cheek, offer the other also.
2. From him who takes away your coat, do not withold even your shirt.
3. Give to every one who begs from you.
4. Of him who takes away your goods, do not ask them again.
In these instances we find Jesus' use of "focal instance," which provides a useful general rule when confined to its literal sense. But the specificity is designed to so shock the hearer with an extreme command so radically different from the ordinary behavior of people, that it leads the hearer to think beyond the literal meaning of the words, and to reflect on the whole pattern of human behavior which dominates life. Thus the specific command is not a rule to be followed mechanically, but is intended to stimulate the imagination to draw out implications for life in general. For example, love of the enemy means not returning evil for evil, and thus short circuiting the cycle of revenge based on hate. Instead, a creative response of nonviolence is commanded. Gandhi and Martin Luther King, Jr. made extensive use of this approach in changing social relationships within India and the United States.
The Golden Rule stated in verse 31 is not distinctively Christian, but Luke uses it here to say that one's response to evil should be motivated by how one wants to be treated, not by the way one is in fact treated. To act as one wants to be treated short circuits the cycle of revenge which says "An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth."
The last two units, verses 32-36 and 37-38, belong together, as they describe love in terms of generosity. The thrust of these verses is: Do not show good will only to reciprocate or just to those who canin fact reciprocate.
In the Hellenistic world of that time the ground rules between a giver and receiver of gifts were as follows: (1) A person showed some kindness to another, either in act or gift. In so doing the giver expected a repayment, and so the gift was viewed as a loan which one would surely get back. (2) The fact that one expected a reciprocal gift influenced one's choice of the person to give some benevolence to. (3) One therefore would not help the poor, but rather the well-to-do, since one could expect an expression of gratitude and gift from the latter, but not from the former. (4) The expression of gratitude from the receiver of the gift to the giver thus placed a valid claim for further benefits on the original giver.
Notice that verses 32-34 asks three questions:
1. If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you?
2. If you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you?
3. If you lend to those from whom you hope to receive, what credit is that to you?
Then in verse 35 Jesus says in effect, "But habitually love your enemies, habitually do good, and habitually lend expecting nothing in return." Luke uses present imperatives to convey the thrust of Jesus' teaching. Notice how this principle transcends the reciprocity noted above. True generosity and divine love means being kind to the ungrateful and the selfish. "Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful." (v. 36)
The last unit, verses 37-38, gives four examples of showing kindness even to the undeserving. It concludes with motivation for such behavior: "the measure you give will be the measure you get back." (v. 38b) The act of denying mercy or forgiveness to others short circuits God's mercy and forgiveness to us. (Matthew 18:23-35; 2 Corinthians 9:6-15) The four examples of showing kindness are:
1. "Judge not, and you will not be judged;'
2. "condemn not, and you will not be condemned;"
3. "forgive, and you will be forgiven"
4. "give, and it will be given to you; good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put in your lap."
Note that the judging which is disallowed here is the censorious attitude of the Pharisees and others toward the worldly and morally lax. Judgment in the sense of condemnation is God's prerogative. However, admonition, moral discrimination, and the pronouncement of God's judgment upon evil is required of followers of Christ. (Acts 13:44ff; Romans 1:32; 1 Corinthians 5:11ff)
Notice that the last member of the series noted earlier forms an extended climax in 6:35, 38.
Theological Reflections
Both the Genesis 45 and 1 Samuel 26 readings reveal God working out his purpose in human affairs. God uses Joseph's brothers and their acts of selling him into slavery to preserve the whole family years later when a famine occurs. Joseph could tell his brothers, "So it was not you who sent me here, but God. (45:8) David tells Saul, his enemy, that although the Lord gave him into his hand, he would not put forth his hand against God's anointed. David was able to steal Saul's spear and jar of water during the night because a deep sleep from the Lord had fallen upon the whole army camp. The 1 Corinthians reading asks to describe, by use of analogy, the kind of body which the dead will be given in the resurrection. Paul makes the point that it will be a body as God has chosen, and declares that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God. Those raised from the dead will bear the image of the man of heaven. The passage from the Sermon on the Plain is a two-pronged attack on reciprocity as a governing principle in human relationships. Only a Pentecost experience can make Jesus' teachings become reality in human relationships, for otherwise they remain only an ideal. The command to love means breaking the cycle of returning evil for evil, and instead treating other people as one wants to be treated; people should be generous toward others, and not restrict their giving to those who can give in return.
Homiletical Moves
Genesis 45:3-11, 15 (C)
Genesis 45:3-8a (L)
God Acts to Preserve a Remnant
1. Joseph's brothers sold him into slavery in Egypt out of jealousy
2. When Joseph reveals himself to his brothers they are dismayed with fear of his revenge
3. Joseph assures them that it was God, not they, who sent him to Egypt in order to preserve a remnant
4. Joseph kisses his brothers, and they are reconciled
5. God's hand is guiding the affairs of human history, although his working may be veiled from us
6. Trust in God's providential care of your life and guidance of human affairs, knowing that "in everything God works for good with those who love him, who are called according to his purpose" (Romans 8:28)
1 Samuel 26:2, 7-9, 12-13, 22-23 (RC)
David Takes Saul's Spear and Jar of Water by Night
1. Saul and his army seek to find and kill David
2. God makes a deep sleep fall on Saul's camp, which allows David and Abishai to enter the camp and take Saul's spear and jar
3. Abishai tempts David to let him kill Saul with one blOw of the spear, but David refuses to strike the Lord's anointed
4. David affirms that the Lord rewards every person for his or her righteousness and faithfulness
5. Therefore, be faithful to God, and live in right relationship with God and others through obedience to Christ
1 Corinthians 15:35-38, 42-50 (C)
1 Corinthians 15:35-38a, 42-50 (L)
1 Corinthians 15:45-49 (RC)
God Gives a Body He Has Chosen to Those Raised from the Dead
1. Even as there are many different kinds of terrestrial and celestial bodies, so there is a resurrection body different from the physical body
2. The first man, Adam, was from the earth, a man of dust, but the second man (Jesus) is from heaven and is a life-giving Spirit
3. Through faith in Christ we shall bear the image of the man of heaven when raised from the dead
4. Therefore, trust in Christ, the man from heaven, and receive life from him now and in the kingdom of God
This Preacher's Preference
Luke 6:27-38
Short Circuiting the Cycles of Revenge and Selfishness
1. Jesus commands us to love our enemies, and so break the cycle of revenge and hatred which is destructive of life
2. Jesus commands us to love, do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return, and to thus become sons (and daughters) of the Most High, and in doing so breaking the cycle of selfishness
3. Jesus commands us to be merciful, even as God our Father is merciful
4. Jesus declares that we should give generously to others, knowing that the measure we give will be the measure we get back!
Hymn for Epiphany 7: If Thou But Trust in God to Guide Thee
Prayer
Gracious God, who has providentially led us in the past and who has promised to be our God in the future, grant us a greater measure of faith, that we may follow your guidance in our daily living. Although the decisions may be difficult, may we trust you to guide us. Forgive us when we have hated our enemies and selfishly given only to those who can give to us in return. Give us the courage and love to break the cycles of revenge and selfishness. May we so love and live now that we will be sons and daughters of the Most High. And may we so trust in Christ, the man from heaven, who is a life-giving Spirit, that we may bear the image of the man of heaven in the New Age. Amen
The Genesis story is a familiar one in which Joseph affirms the providence of God in sending him to Egypt to preserve his family during the famine. The 1 Samuel account tells of David's sparing his enemy, Saul's, life when he slipped into Saul's camp by night. The longer reading from 1 Corinthians is preferred since it includes the beginning of the argument with its question about how the dead are raised. The conclusion is given in verse 50. There is virtual consensus on the Lucan passage.
Commentary
Genesis 45:3-11, 15 (C)
Genesis 45:3-8a (L)
Verses 7-8 give the central thrust of the Joseph story: events in Joseph's life were directed by God, not humans. God graciously brings good out of evil. In this case, the brothers of Joseph unwittingly carried out God's will in selling him into slavery. And God acted through Joseph to preserve life: "And now do not be distressed, or angry with yourselves, because you sold me here; for God sent me before you to preserve life," says Joseph. (v. 5) While the brothers anticipated revenge on Joseph's part for selling him into slavery, he acts graciously. His behavior exemplifies the Golden Rule and Jesus' teaching in the Sermon on the Plain, recorded in Luke, regarding doing good to one's enemies.
We have not had a hint until this moment in the story that Joseph knew he was a part of God's purpose. So the revelation breaks in as news to the whole family. While the earlier narrative was shaped in a secular way, this news that God was at work in it all is an abrupt revelation. Notice how this speech redefines the situation for all parties concerned. The guilty fear of the brothers is superseded, and the grief of Jacob their father is resolved. For many long years Jacob had grieved unnecessarily. What appeared to be death (Joseph's disappearance) is the way to life for all the family. And the revengeful cunning of Joseph, the successful brother, is now also superseded. He doesn't need to triumph over his family. So the guilt of the brothers, the grief of Jacob their father, and the revenge of Joseph are used as the means of disclosing the hidden will of God. The past is over and done. The whole family is brought to a new moment. Until now, Joseph and his family had been viewing life as if seeing the wrong side of a huge tapestry without any apparent pattern. But now, in this moment of revelation, they view life as the right side of the tapestry, and see the divine pattern which was being woven through the events of their lives.
God works so that there may be survivors (v. 7) or a remnant which are an assurance of a future against great odds. God wills life for his people, and through this narrative we see how the promise to Abraham and those after him was being fulfilled through human events. And in verse 8 we learn that the empire was also involved, as Joseph was "a father to Pharaoh." The central word here is "ruler" in verse 8, as Joseph announces that God has made him ruler over all the land of Egypt. This makes Joseph a "ruler-lord-father" over family and empire! And all of it is the work of God. Notice how the secular history of Israel is the very context in which the God of Israel works out his purpose.
Another aspect of the story is that God is free. God is at work for his purpose in history in spite of, through, and over against every human effort to thwart his plan for preserving his people. This goes against all humanism, which sees only human efforts and decisions shaping history. (Christianity and History by Butterfield is a classic study of this issue.) This Joseph story shows us that it is in the arena of human choice that God's saving work is done.
Joseph's self-disclosure in verses 5-8 is a great faith affirmation. It is significant that, in this interaction of God and human beings, neither the freedom of the creature nor the gracious sovereignty of God is canceled. They are not in conflict. But neither are they to be equated. The story declares that God's purpose is finally sovereign, and that God can create a real newness, a "Genesis" as the word means in Hebrew. This sovereign quality enables the family of Joseph to begin again. History is not a cycle of human errors. This narrative shows us that God is utterly gracious, and that God's purpose is hidden and mysterious. God's purposes are worked out in concrete history through identifiable persons. While the ways of God are subdued and invisible in this story, they are nevertheless decisive.
Dr. William Stevenson, a noted Scottish minister, shared with this writer the conviction that the older he became the more convinced he was of the providence of God. He had been told this himself by an older Scottish minister. Story is the proper mode of this faith in the providence of God, for it never lingers to explain, but only recites and retells the wonder found in the telling. Biblical faith moves on as it affirms God's working, where we might seek to explain and analyze. So in our time, as we reflect on God's working, we may linger to relish and discern the wonder of it all, but never to explain it.
1 Samuel 26:2, 7-9, 12-13, 22-23 (RC)
It appears that this narrative of David and Saul makes use of the same material as found in 22:19--24:22. There are a number of parallels, but also some remarkable differences in the two stories. The material in each was associated with different localities. The narrative here stands between the story of Abigail, which reveals David's position to be relatively secure, and David's move to the territory of the Philistines. The thrust of this "sandwich" chapter is that David remains constantly exposed to Saul's pursuit, and therefore in the greatest danger to his life. The actions of Saul going into a cave alone, or sinking into a deep sleep along with his men, are particularly dispensations of the Lord to save David by a miracle. These events may be compared to the Joseph story of our Genesis reading, since God acts decisively in both to effect his will for Israel. We see that David cannot rely on his attitude toward Saul to make a permanent impression and lead, perhaps, to a reconciliation. The conclusion of this narrative makes that clear.
This chapter 26 is important in the general framework for another reason. As it happened before, David, who is at a disadvantage both militarily and politically, comes out on top by God's guidance. Saul's very life is given into David's hand. Our narrative shows that David emerges as the moral victon here, and as the one to whom God will grant even more success later. Saul himself recognizes this here, although not expressly as he does in chapter 24.
The Ziphites live in tradition as the notorious betrayers of David, and for this reason are mentioned by name. The event happens in their neighborhood. Notice that in verses 2-4 it becomes clear that this is the same story as is found in 23:19ff. But unlike the meeting of David and Saul in chapter 24, this one does not take place by chance. David discovers the site of Saul's camp and deliberately goes there by night. Abishai, who goes with him, is his nephew, but has no opportunity of assisting David's action. It is the Lord himself who makes sure no one wakes up by making all Saul's camp fall into a stupefying sleep. Notice that the role of Abishai is that of David's tempter, and he plays the same role as do David's men in chapter 24.
The spear standing stuck in the ground by Saul is a constant reminder of his rank. This is the weapon Abishai would like to use to kill Saul. He tells David that God has given his enemy Saul into his hand, and asks permission of David to pin Saul to the earth with one stroke of the spear. But David rejects the proposal. He reminds Abishai that Saul is the Lord's anointed, and that God alone must determine Saul's death. David took the spear and the jar of water from Saul's head and they went away. No one in the camp saw or heard their actions because of the deep sleep.
In verses 22-23 we read that David called out to Saul and offered to return his spear if Saul would send one of his young men to fetch it. David reminds Saul that "The Lord rewards every man for his righteousness and his faithfulness; for the Lord gave you into my hand today, and I would not put forth my hand against the Lord's anointed." (v. 23) While the chapter concludes with the impression that David and Saul are reconciled, the opening words of chapter 27 indicate that David does not trust Saul: "And David said in his heart, 'I shall now perish one day by the hand of Saul ...' " (27:1) In verse 21 Saul has taken the blame for the conflict on himself, and in doing so he expresses the view of both the compiler of the narrative and of the reader. Through the tradition Saul is described as a man of sanguine temperament. While Saul's words are certainly not false subjectively, his temporary emotion does not last. The main thrust of this story is that the events of the night have assured David once again that he will be safe under the protection of the Lord in the future as in the past. When Saul and David part at the end of this narrative, they never see each other again. David departs for a foreign country as we see in the next chapter. Saul stresses that David's future will be successful as he says to David: "Blessed be you, my son David! You will do many things and will succeed in them." (v. 25)
1 Corinthians 15:35-38, 42-50 (C)
1 Corinthians 15:35-38a, 42-50 (L)
1 Corinthians 15:45-49 (RC)
Our passage is part of a larger section, verses 35-58, which deals with the nature of the resurrection. The Greeks could affirm the immortality of the soul (the soul does not die), but had difficulty with the idea of the raising of the body. Paul makes the point here that there are many different kinds of "bodies," and that the resurrection body will be a new body which will neither be perishable, nor physical. God will provide this resurrection body.
"But some one will ask, 'How are the dead raised? With what kind of body do they come?' " (v. 35) is probably a rhetorical device rather than an actual question asked of Paul. Paul uses literary devices borrowed from the style called the "diatribe." Notice that the argument now moves a stage beyond where it was in verse 12. There the question was whether or not there is resurrection of the dead. Here it is assumed that the possibility of resurrection is admitted, and the question now is in what way resurrection will take place. To be specific: What kind of body do the resurrected have? There were Jews such as the Sadducees who denied the resurrection. The rabbis speculated at length on the nature of the resurrection body. And some Jews in the time of the New Testament were greatly influenced by Greek thoughts of immortality, even as present day Western thinking is similarly influenced. Now, if the Corinthians were completely Greek in their thinking, it is difficult to understand their asking this kind of question. They might have asked, "How are dead bodies raised?" or even, "Why does the immortal soul even need a perishable body?" The Greeks thought of the soul as being imprisoned in the body and released at death. They would not be likely to ask, "With what kind of body?" But this is peculiarly part of Paul's argument. The argument that follows is what the Jews would call "haggadah," or speculation. Paul's argument is divided into three subsections, which reflect the analogy Paul uses:
1. Verses 35-39 - terrestrial creatures
2. Verses 40-41 - super-terrestrial creatures
3. Verses 45-49 - Adam (Note that verses 42-44 form a transition in Paul's argument.)
Examining the sections, we find that in verses 35-39, Paul makes two points: (a) the life-through-death principle seems to be built into the order of creation itself; (b) living creatures are given the kind of flesh appropriate to each creature.
Note Paul's pedagogical method of moving from terrestrial, living creatures to speculations on the existence of resurrected human beings. He moves from the concrete and experienced to the unknown. Paul refers to living creatures first as body and then as flesh, but uses them as synonyms. The point he makes is that there are a great variety in God's creation of earthly beings. He lists a number of these.
In verses 40-41 Paul deals with the super-terrestrial creatures, which not only differ from terrestrial ones, but from one another.
In verses 42-44 Paul says that it is also this way with the resurrection of the dead. He sets up a series of four contrasts between the body which is sown (in birth) and the body which is raised:
Body Sown
Body Raised
1. Perishable
1. Imperishable
2. Dishonor
2. Glory
3. Weakness
3. Power
4. Physical body
4. Spiritual body
In regard to the sowing of seed, Paul makes the point that while a body and seed are put into the ground, something entirely different comes out of it. However, strictly speaking, the seed does
not die if the power of germination remains. But Paul is not describing a natural process in regard to the body. He did not declare that the resurrected body grew out of the sown body by some natural development. Rather, God would raise the dead by his miraculous power. God gives a body which he has chosen. Paul emphasizes the radical difference between what is sown and what is raised, by the analogy.
"Sown" refers to the unique place of humans and their status in the created order. They are sown at birth.
In verses 45-49 Adam is contrasted with Christ, the second man who is from heaven. Human beings bear the image of the man of dust (Genesis 2:7) but they shall also bear the image of the man of heaven, Christ. Those already in Christ bear this image, although not visibly.
Paul saw the resurrection of the dead not as a restoration of human beings, but as an act of creation. Paul declares that God will create a spirit-body which has already been done for Jesus, just as at creation he made a life-body for the first Adam. While Adam's life-body was alive from having had life breathed into it by God the Creator, Christ's risen body was life-giving because he was Spirit. In Christ humans know a life which produces not death but more life.
While humans bear the image of the man of dust, they shall bear the image of the man of heaven. The future tense is critical here, since the future image is not yet the mode of human existence. Christ alone has this. So human existence is marked by an ambiguous "already" and "not yet," or having as if not having. "Image" is a term borrowed from Genesis 1, and may refer primarily to God's revelation of himself.
In verse 50 Paul declares in the strongest way possible that the kingdom of God involves a totally different kind of existence than that of flesh and blood. Paul in this statement indicates that belief in the resurrection is not to be confused with the revivification of the body that is buried. (And this would also eliminate belief in reincarnation, since each person is unique and is given a resurrection body, rather than recycled in another person's body later.)
Luke 6:27-38
This section contains the promises and principles of the kingdom of God. It presents a two-pronged attack on reciprocity as a governing principle in human relationships: (1) people should not return evil for evil, but instead should respond in the way in which they want to be treated (non-violence for violence), and (2) people must not restrict their good deeds to those who have been good to them, or who are able to be good in return. Generosity is the thrust of this teaching. As God shows good will to all, and gives abundantly to the disciples, so they should give to others. A life lived by reciprocity of giving to those who are able and willing to give in return is too restrictive to express the love commanded by Jesus. So the radical call of Jesus is to respond not in kind but out of kind. But how? The law of human nature is self-preservation. Only the powerful presence of God himself can empower a person to respond supernaturally to others. Only a Pentecost experience can make Jesus' words reality in human relationships. Otherwise they remain only an ideal.
There are four thought units in this section of verses 27-38: (1) verses 27-28, (2) verses 29-31, (3) verses 32-36, and (4) verses 37-38. These are designed to short circuit the pattern of reciprocity in human relations among the disciples. The first two units belong together in describing love in terms of nonviolence, which goes directly counter to the command to the members of the Qumran community, who are told to "hate all the sons of darkness." Further on in Luke's Gospel, the lawyer sums up the Old Testament in terms of love: "And he answered, 'You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself.' " (10:27) Jesus tells him, "You have answered right; do this, and you will live." (v. 28)
In verses 27-28 Jesus commands the disciples to love their enemies. This has been called one of the unique teachings of Jesus. Matthew records this saying: "You have heard that it was said, 'You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you ..." (Matthew 5:43-44) Love is set forth as the basic imperative for all who would enter the kingdom. The essential nature of this love is its "grace-ious" character. It is outgoing, not possessive, a divine love which is characteristic of the sons of the Most High. (v. 35) This principle of love of enemies was an integral part of the early church's teaching for Christian living, as indicated by Romans 12:14-21 and 1 Peter 2:18-25. The effect of Christian love in a person is in direct proportion to his or her practice of it as Jesus indicates in verses 37ff. There is a principle of justice in the midst of grace. The amount of grace one shows is the amount one receives, now and in the judgment to come.
In verses 29-31 we have four examples of what it would mean not to return evil for evil, concluded with the golden rule in verse 31. The four examples are:
1. To him who strikes you on the cheek, offer the other also.
2. From him who takes away your coat, do not withold even your shirt.
3. Give to every one who begs from you.
4. Of him who takes away your goods, do not ask them again.
In these instances we find Jesus' use of "focal instance," which provides a useful general rule when confined to its literal sense. But the specificity is designed to so shock the hearer with an extreme command so radically different from the ordinary behavior of people, that it leads the hearer to think beyond the literal meaning of the words, and to reflect on the whole pattern of human behavior which dominates life. Thus the specific command is not a rule to be followed mechanically, but is intended to stimulate the imagination to draw out implications for life in general. For example, love of the enemy means not returning evil for evil, and thus short circuiting the cycle of revenge based on hate. Instead, a creative response of nonviolence is commanded. Gandhi and Martin Luther King, Jr. made extensive use of this approach in changing social relationships within India and the United States.
The Golden Rule stated in verse 31 is not distinctively Christian, but Luke uses it here to say that one's response to evil should be motivated by how one wants to be treated, not by the way one is in fact treated. To act as one wants to be treated short circuits the cycle of revenge which says "An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth."
The last two units, verses 32-36 and 37-38, belong together, as they describe love in terms of generosity. The thrust of these verses is: Do not show good will only to reciprocate or just to those who canin fact reciprocate.
In the Hellenistic world of that time the ground rules between a giver and receiver of gifts were as follows: (1) A person showed some kindness to another, either in act or gift. In so doing the giver expected a repayment, and so the gift was viewed as a loan which one would surely get back. (2) The fact that one expected a reciprocal gift influenced one's choice of the person to give some benevolence to. (3) One therefore would not help the poor, but rather the well-to-do, since one could expect an expression of gratitude and gift from the latter, but not from the former. (4) The expression of gratitude from the receiver of the gift to the giver thus placed a valid claim for further benefits on the original giver.
Notice that verses 32-34 asks three questions:
1. If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you?
2. If you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you?
3. If you lend to those from whom you hope to receive, what credit is that to you?
Then in verse 35 Jesus says in effect, "But habitually love your enemies, habitually do good, and habitually lend expecting nothing in return." Luke uses present imperatives to convey the thrust of Jesus' teaching. Notice how this principle transcends the reciprocity noted above. True generosity and divine love means being kind to the ungrateful and the selfish. "Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful." (v. 36)
The last unit, verses 37-38, gives four examples of showing kindness even to the undeserving. It concludes with motivation for such behavior: "the measure you give will be the measure you get back." (v. 38b) The act of denying mercy or forgiveness to others short circuits God's mercy and forgiveness to us. (Matthew 18:23-35; 2 Corinthians 9:6-15) The four examples of showing kindness are:
1. "Judge not, and you will not be judged;'
2. "condemn not, and you will not be condemned;"
3. "forgive, and you will be forgiven"
4. "give, and it will be given to you; good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put in your lap."
Note that the judging which is disallowed here is the censorious attitude of the Pharisees and others toward the worldly and morally lax. Judgment in the sense of condemnation is God's prerogative. However, admonition, moral discrimination, and the pronouncement of God's judgment upon evil is required of followers of Christ. (Acts 13:44ff; Romans 1:32; 1 Corinthians 5:11ff)
Notice that the last member of the series noted earlier forms an extended climax in 6:35, 38.
Theological Reflections
Both the Genesis 45 and 1 Samuel 26 readings reveal God working out his purpose in human affairs. God uses Joseph's brothers and their acts of selling him into slavery to preserve the whole family years later when a famine occurs. Joseph could tell his brothers, "So it was not you who sent me here, but God. (45:8) David tells Saul, his enemy, that although the Lord gave him into his hand, he would not put forth his hand against God's anointed. David was able to steal Saul's spear and jar of water during the night because a deep sleep from the Lord had fallen upon the whole army camp. The 1 Corinthians reading asks to describe, by use of analogy, the kind of body which the dead will be given in the resurrection. Paul makes the point that it will be a body as God has chosen, and declares that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God. Those raised from the dead will bear the image of the man of heaven. The passage from the Sermon on the Plain is a two-pronged attack on reciprocity as a governing principle in human relationships. Only a Pentecost experience can make Jesus' teachings become reality in human relationships, for otherwise they remain only an ideal. The command to love means breaking the cycle of returning evil for evil, and instead treating other people as one wants to be treated; people should be generous toward others, and not restrict their giving to those who can give in return.
Homiletical Moves
Genesis 45:3-11, 15 (C)
Genesis 45:3-8a (L)
God Acts to Preserve a Remnant
1. Joseph's brothers sold him into slavery in Egypt out of jealousy
2. When Joseph reveals himself to his brothers they are dismayed with fear of his revenge
3. Joseph assures them that it was God, not they, who sent him to Egypt in order to preserve a remnant
4. Joseph kisses his brothers, and they are reconciled
5. God's hand is guiding the affairs of human history, although his working may be veiled from us
6. Trust in God's providential care of your life and guidance of human affairs, knowing that "in everything God works for good with those who love him, who are called according to his purpose" (Romans 8:28)
1 Samuel 26:2, 7-9, 12-13, 22-23 (RC)
David Takes Saul's Spear and Jar of Water by Night
1. Saul and his army seek to find and kill David
2. God makes a deep sleep fall on Saul's camp, which allows David and Abishai to enter the camp and take Saul's spear and jar
3. Abishai tempts David to let him kill Saul with one blOw of the spear, but David refuses to strike the Lord's anointed
4. David affirms that the Lord rewards every person for his or her righteousness and faithfulness
5. Therefore, be faithful to God, and live in right relationship with God and others through obedience to Christ
1 Corinthians 15:35-38, 42-50 (C)
1 Corinthians 15:35-38a, 42-50 (L)
1 Corinthians 15:45-49 (RC)
God Gives a Body He Has Chosen to Those Raised from the Dead
1. Even as there are many different kinds of terrestrial and celestial bodies, so there is a resurrection body different from the physical body
2. The first man, Adam, was from the earth, a man of dust, but the second man (Jesus) is from heaven and is a life-giving Spirit
3. Through faith in Christ we shall bear the image of the man of heaven when raised from the dead
4. Therefore, trust in Christ, the man from heaven, and receive life from him now and in the kingdom of God
This Preacher's Preference
Luke 6:27-38
Short Circuiting the Cycles of Revenge and Selfishness
1. Jesus commands us to love our enemies, and so break the cycle of revenge and hatred which is destructive of life
2. Jesus commands us to love, do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return, and to thus become sons (and daughters) of the Most High, and in doing so breaking the cycle of selfishness
3. Jesus commands us to be merciful, even as God our Father is merciful
4. Jesus declares that we should give generously to others, knowing that the measure we give will be the measure we get back!
Hymn for Epiphany 7: If Thou But Trust in God to Guide Thee
Prayer
Gracious God, who has providentially led us in the past and who has promised to be our God in the future, grant us a greater measure of faith, that we may follow your guidance in our daily living. Although the decisions may be difficult, may we trust you to guide us. Forgive us when we have hated our enemies and selfishly given only to those who can give to us in return. Give us the courage and love to break the cycles of revenge and selfishness. May we so love and live now that we will be sons and daughters of the Most High. And may we so trust in Christ, the man from heaven, who is a life-giving Spirit, that we may bear the image of the man of heaven in the New Age. Amen
