Proper 17
Devotional
Streams of Living Water
Lectionary Devotional for Cycle B
Object:
Song Of Solomon 2:8-13
Arise, my love, my fair one, and come away; for now the winter is past, the rain is over and gone.
-- Song Of Solomon 2:10b-11
The Song of Solomon is a love song that celebrates the gift of love. It is rich poetry that evokes in us the power of love. It is like the rush of delight with the first sign of spring. When we come into the presence of the one that we love, a power wells up within us almost involuntarily. While Christians have allegorized the book as a reflection of God's love for Israel or Christ's love for the church, one needs to approach it first as a celebration of the gift of love of one person for another. We deny its power if we do not first recognize its celebration of the power of love. It is a reminder of that most basic need within us to love and be loved by another. Like any powerful gift, love can, and often is, used superficially or destructively. We continually see the power of love used in a superficial manner in order to sell products. Sadly, we see the hunger for love cause people to act in ways that destroy their careers, reputation, and often even a family that they value.
Yet, love is also the core gift of life. The scriptures do not shy away from recognizing the physical nature of the expression of love. Especially in this poem, it is very explicit. Love is so rooted in the core of our being that it demands physical as well as emotional expression. Life yearns for touch and a desire to be embraced. Love also allows us to recognize our need to both surrender to and be surrendered to. Our bodies are so designed as to find fulfillment in that surrender that allows us to be completely vulnerable to another. It is here that we discover this poem's connection with God. In our human yearning to find someone with whom we can safely surrender, we discover our deeper longing to surrender to God and to love and be loved.
Psalm 45:1-2, 6-9
Your royal scepter is a scepter of equity; you love righteousness and hate wickedness.
-- Psalm 45:6b-7a
This psalm was apparently intended as a poem to be read at a king's wedding. If we only read it in that light, it might have little other than historical interest for us. For Christians, however, we proclaim Christ as our Lord and king. Therefore the celebration of the king at his wedding can speak to us of Christ's marriage to his bride, the church. When the psalmist proclaims that "grace is poured upon your lip; therefore God has blessed you forever" (v. 2), we are aware of the grace of Christ who speaks words of love and forgiveness even to his enemies.
We are drawn to Luke's recording of the words of Jesus on the cross: "Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing" (Luke 23:34). As we continue with the verses that are indicated for us, we hear, "Your throne, O God, endures forever and ever" (v. 6), and we are reminded of the eternity of Christ's rule. In the same manner that Christians saw in the words of Isaiah 9:6-7 reflections of Christ as king, so we are led to see Christ in the psalmist words: "Your royal scepter is a scepter of equity; you love righteousness and hate wickedness." We hear the echo of the church's praise in the words "from ivory palaces stringed instruments make you glad ..." (v. 8). The church as the bride of Christ is dressed to honor Christ even as the bride of the king is dressed in the gold of Ophir. What we are reminded of in the psalm is the necessity of celebrating Christ as the husband of the church and appearing before our Lord in a manner that does him honor.
James 1:17-27
If any think they are religious, and do not bridle their tongues but deceive their hearts, their religion is worthless.
-- James 1:26
The letter of James stands as a challenge to any Christian who, having been saved by grace, does not then allow his or her life to be transformed into a life of generosity and love. James will not allow Christians to be casual about the grace by which they are saved. It should result in fruits of the Spirit if it is to be a testimony of gratitude to what God has done for them. "Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to care for orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world" (v. 27). In fact, James would go so far as to suggest that "every generous act of giving, with every perfect gift, is from above ..." (v. 17). God's intention, according to James, is to make us "a kind of firstfruits of his creatures" (v. 18). James did not deny that salvation was by grace alone, but he was clear that it should then result in a changed life. "But be doers of the word, and not merely hearers who deceive themselves. For if any are hearers of the word and not doers, they are like those who look at themselves in a mirror, for they look at themselves and, on going away, immediately forget what they were like" (vv. 22-24).
It would be like a Christian who experiences the grace of God moving in his or her life but then forgets that graciousness in his or her relationship with others. Such Christians would be denying themselves the blessing of their salvation. James' instruction to the church is to remember that having received the grace of Christ, we then experience the continued blessing of Christ when we "look into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and persevere, being not hearers who forget but doers who act -- they will be blessed in their doing" (v. 25).
Mark 7:1-8, 14-15, 21-23
This people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me; in vain do they worship me, teaching human precepts as doctrines.
-- Mark 7:6b-7
Throughout its entire history, the church has wrestled with the discrepancy between outward acts and inward spirit. The church has often accused the Jewish faith of being a religion of law while the church was founded on grace. The prophet Jeremiah proclaimed that God would create a new covenant that would be based not on external laws but an inner transformation of the heart (Jeremiah 31:33). Christians frequently saw Jesus' establishment of the church as the creation of the new covenant or New Testament. We even use that term to refer to the scriptures that we added to the Bible. Yet immediately, as we can see in this earliest of gospels, the church had to be reminded of the same problem of external behavior versus inner transformation.
Rituals and traditions can do much to nurture us in the framework of the faith. Yet, many people grow satisfied with these externals and forget that they are only the outer framework for an inner transformation that is necessary. "For it is from within, from the human heart, that evil intentions come: fornication, theft, murder, adultery, avarice, wickedness, deceit, licentiousness, envy, slander, pride, folly" (vv. 21-22). When the church fails to recognize the essential nature of this inner transformation, it often settles for the repression of outward appearances of sin. Then, when the church least expects it, the outward manifestation of such evil bursts forth in a scandal that shames the church and therefore mocks Christ. The confession of sins is a critical part of the community of faith's worship experience. Here is an opportunity for us to face honestly our own inner sins and seek a cleansing that enables us to live together without shame.
Arise, my love, my fair one, and come away; for now the winter is past, the rain is over and gone.
-- Song Of Solomon 2:10b-11
The Song of Solomon is a love song that celebrates the gift of love. It is rich poetry that evokes in us the power of love. It is like the rush of delight with the first sign of spring. When we come into the presence of the one that we love, a power wells up within us almost involuntarily. While Christians have allegorized the book as a reflection of God's love for Israel or Christ's love for the church, one needs to approach it first as a celebration of the gift of love of one person for another. We deny its power if we do not first recognize its celebration of the power of love. It is a reminder of that most basic need within us to love and be loved by another. Like any powerful gift, love can, and often is, used superficially or destructively. We continually see the power of love used in a superficial manner in order to sell products. Sadly, we see the hunger for love cause people to act in ways that destroy their careers, reputation, and often even a family that they value.
Yet, love is also the core gift of life. The scriptures do not shy away from recognizing the physical nature of the expression of love. Especially in this poem, it is very explicit. Love is so rooted in the core of our being that it demands physical as well as emotional expression. Life yearns for touch and a desire to be embraced. Love also allows us to recognize our need to both surrender to and be surrendered to. Our bodies are so designed as to find fulfillment in that surrender that allows us to be completely vulnerable to another. It is here that we discover this poem's connection with God. In our human yearning to find someone with whom we can safely surrender, we discover our deeper longing to surrender to God and to love and be loved.
Psalm 45:1-2, 6-9
Your royal scepter is a scepter of equity; you love righteousness and hate wickedness.
-- Psalm 45:6b-7a
This psalm was apparently intended as a poem to be read at a king's wedding. If we only read it in that light, it might have little other than historical interest for us. For Christians, however, we proclaim Christ as our Lord and king. Therefore the celebration of the king at his wedding can speak to us of Christ's marriage to his bride, the church. When the psalmist proclaims that "grace is poured upon your lip; therefore God has blessed you forever" (v. 2), we are aware of the grace of Christ who speaks words of love and forgiveness even to his enemies.
We are drawn to Luke's recording of the words of Jesus on the cross: "Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing" (Luke 23:34). As we continue with the verses that are indicated for us, we hear, "Your throne, O God, endures forever and ever" (v. 6), and we are reminded of the eternity of Christ's rule. In the same manner that Christians saw in the words of Isaiah 9:6-7 reflections of Christ as king, so we are led to see Christ in the psalmist words: "Your royal scepter is a scepter of equity; you love righteousness and hate wickedness." We hear the echo of the church's praise in the words "from ivory palaces stringed instruments make you glad ..." (v. 8). The church as the bride of Christ is dressed to honor Christ even as the bride of the king is dressed in the gold of Ophir. What we are reminded of in the psalm is the necessity of celebrating Christ as the husband of the church and appearing before our Lord in a manner that does him honor.
James 1:17-27
If any think they are religious, and do not bridle their tongues but deceive their hearts, their religion is worthless.
-- James 1:26
The letter of James stands as a challenge to any Christian who, having been saved by grace, does not then allow his or her life to be transformed into a life of generosity and love. James will not allow Christians to be casual about the grace by which they are saved. It should result in fruits of the Spirit if it is to be a testimony of gratitude to what God has done for them. "Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to care for orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world" (v. 27). In fact, James would go so far as to suggest that "every generous act of giving, with every perfect gift, is from above ..." (v. 17). God's intention, according to James, is to make us "a kind of firstfruits of his creatures" (v. 18). James did not deny that salvation was by grace alone, but he was clear that it should then result in a changed life. "But be doers of the word, and not merely hearers who deceive themselves. For if any are hearers of the word and not doers, they are like those who look at themselves in a mirror, for they look at themselves and, on going away, immediately forget what they were like" (vv. 22-24).
It would be like a Christian who experiences the grace of God moving in his or her life but then forgets that graciousness in his or her relationship with others. Such Christians would be denying themselves the blessing of their salvation. James' instruction to the church is to remember that having received the grace of Christ, we then experience the continued blessing of Christ when we "look into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and persevere, being not hearers who forget but doers who act -- they will be blessed in their doing" (v. 25).
Mark 7:1-8, 14-15, 21-23
This people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me; in vain do they worship me, teaching human precepts as doctrines.
-- Mark 7:6b-7
Throughout its entire history, the church has wrestled with the discrepancy between outward acts and inward spirit. The church has often accused the Jewish faith of being a religion of law while the church was founded on grace. The prophet Jeremiah proclaimed that God would create a new covenant that would be based not on external laws but an inner transformation of the heart (Jeremiah 31:33). Christians frequently saw Jesus' establishment of the church as the creation of the new covenant or New Testament. We even use that term to refer to the scriptures that we added to the Bible. Yet immediately, as we can see in this earliest of gospels, the church had to be reminded of the same problem of external behavior versus inner transformation.
Rituals and traditions can do much to nurture us in the framework of the faith. Yet, many people grow satisfied with these externals and forget that they are only the outer framework for an inner transformation that is necessary. "For it is from within, from the human heart, that evil intentions come: fornication, theft, murder, adultery, avarice, wickedness, deceit, licentiousness, envy, slander, pride, folly" (vv. 21-22). When the church fails to recognize the essential nature of this inner transformation, it often settles for the repression of outward appearances of sin. Then, when the church least expects it, the outward manifestation of such evil bursts forth in a scandal that shames the church and therefore mocks Christ. The confession of sins is a critical part of the community of faith's worship experience. Here is an opportunity for us to face honestly our own inner sins and seek a cleansing that enables us to live together without shame.
