Proper 20
Devotional
Streams of Living Water
Lectionary Devotional for Cycle B
Object:
Proverbs 31:10-31
A capable wife who can find? She is far more precious than jewels. The heart of her husband trusts in her, and he will have no lack of gain.
-- Proverbs 31:10-11
This is one of the more famous or infamous of the writings of Proverbs. On the one hand, it paints a picture of a perfect companion. She is perfect because she tirelessly devotes herself to taking care of others. It would seem, at first, to be the clear expression of a patriarchal society in which the woman's purpose is to serve her husband, whose main duty seems to be to take "his seat among the elders of the land" (v. 23) at the city gate. Yet on closer examination, it paints a picture of a woman who has power, authority, and a strong business sense. She is clearly in charge of her household (v. 15), but she is also adept in the business world (v. 16). She demonstrates the gift of compassion (v. 20), and is the one who has the foresight to plan for the future (v. 21). On top of all of this, she demonstrates excellent parental skills (v. 28).
If one is not exhausted by this picture of the perfect wife, one can pause to reflect on how her well-rounded personality not only gains her respect within the society around her (v. 31), but also demonstrates the faithful life to which we are all called (v. 30). The negative reaction to this passage may well reflect the chauvinism of our own society. Had it been a picture of a man of faith, we might have urged it as a picture of perfection towards which we all should strive. Here is a person who cares deeply and responsibly for her family, utilizes her considerable gifts for the sake of others, and is comfortable with the gift of wisdom that God has given her. Her very life, lived to its fullest, is a praise of God.
Psalm 1
They are like trees planted by streams of water, which yield their fruit in its season, and their leaves do not wither.
-- Psalm 1:3
This psalm, which introduces the whole book of Psalms, contrasts two ways of life. The one way is what might be called the way of the independent. This person is the one who desires to be the center of his or her own universe. Such a person does not need God and is skeptical of those who do. The problem for such people is that life is too short and our place in it too insignificant to make a lasting impression by ourselves. The self-contained individual is "like chaff that wind drives away ..." (v. 4). In contrast, there are those who attach their lives to the story of the universe that is unfolding in time. This is the story that God is telling. They look to the revelation of God's truth in scripture, and they discover happiness or satisfaction in finding a way to make their contribution to this unfolding story. "... Their delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law they meditate day and night" (v. 2). Such people find their roots in something that is more substantial than a fleeting moment of time. "They are like trees planted by streams of water, which yield their fruit in its season, and their leaves do not wither" (v. 3).
A central challenge for many in our Western society is that they lack purpose in their lives. Many of the bizarre turns in people's lives are generated from people's discovery that they have achieved many of the initial goals that they set out to accomplish and that they still have very little meaning in their lives. What seemed like worthy goals are found to be too limited. They are in need of a higher purpose that makes their struggle and sacrifice worthwhile. The psalmist suggests that such purpose can be discovered only in the way of the eternal God. It is in meditating on the purposes of God that we discover our own purpose and the true meaning of our life.
James 3:13--4:3, 7-8a
But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without a trace of partiality or hypocrisy.
-- James 3:17
We live in a society that is cynical about experts and disdainful of the intellect. We are confused as to where we find truth and yet we hunger for wisdom. James suggested that there are two kinds of wisdom. He distinguished between wisdom from above and wisdom from below. We are very familiar with what he suggested is wisdom from below. It is generated by "bitter envy and selfish ambition in [our] hearts," and causes us to "be boastful and false to the truth" (v. 14). This kind of wisdom results in "disorder and wickedness of every kind" (v. 16).
At times, however, we experience what he called "wisdom from above." This wisdom is "first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without a trace of partiality or hypocrisy" (v. 17). When we experience such wisdom, we know it immediately. It does not need proof texts or credentials. It allows us to feel good about ourselves and valued by our community. We may only experience it intermittently, but in those moments we do experience God's shalom. "And a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace for those who make peace" (v. 18).
James was very clear that the source of our conflicts and tensions within the church or in the world have their origins in the "cravings that are at war within [us]" (v. 1). When you consider your own church and any disputes or tension that has arisen within it, would you agree with James that at the center of our disputes and tension is covetousness? "And you covet something and cannot obtain it; so you engage in disputes and conflicts" (v. 2). This is in contrast to a people who are "gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without a trace of partiality or hypocrisy."
James assumed that such attributes were a reflection of God and that "God yearns jealously for the Spirit that he has made to dwell in us" (v. 5). The difficulty is that it is more than a case of willpower. We demonstrate the earthly manner of self-centeredness despite our best intentions. Yet recognition of this fact is the first step toward availing ourselves of "wisdom from above." "God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble" (v. 6).
Mark 9:30-37
When he was in the house, he asked them, "What were you arguing about on the way?" But they were silent, for on the way they had argued with one another who was the greatest.
-- Mark 9:33b-34
Despite the fact that Jesus had been teaching them about the servant ministry of the church and had predicted a second time that as servant he was going to suffer arrest and death on the cross, the disciples were still caught up in the dream of success and fame. The insatiable need of the ego to be affirmed and praised has plagued the church from its very beginning. Even in this community bound together by the self-giving love of Christ, we are constantly torn apart by the competing egos of the members of the community. It is almost impossible for the church to comprehend the clear teaching of Jesus to his disciples: "Whoever wants to be first must be last of all and servant of all" (v. 35).
It is hard to comprehend the transformation that would take place in a church if every member were committed to the task of serving the other members of the church. Especially in our individualistic culture, the thought of being so devoted to the well-being of others seems to challenge our very understanding of life. Then to develop the teaching further, Jesus took a very dramatic action. "Then he took a little child and put it among them; and taking it in his arms, he said to them, 'Whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me welcomes not me but the one who sent me' " (vv. 36-37).
We tend to romanticize children in our society and therefore miss the challenge that Jesus was presenting. In that culture, the child was considered to be of only potential value. As a child he was only a burden to be cared for. He was a very vulnerable member of society. Jesus was taking this most vulnerable member of society and saying that to welcome this person in all the person's dependency was to welcome not only Jesus but also God. As a church, we cannot escape the challenge that God is present in the most vulnerable of our society. Like a drumbeat throughout scripture, the message rings forth again and again. God identifies with the most vulnerable and needy of our society. If we want to welcome God, we must reach out to them.
A capable wife who can find? She is far more precious than jewels. The heart of her husband trusts in her, and he will have no lack of gain.
-- Proverbs 31:10-11
This is one of the more famous or infamous of the writings of Proverbs. On the one hand, it paints a picture of a perfect companion. She is perfect because she tirelessly devotes herself to taking care of others. It would seem, at first, to be the clear expression of a patriarchal society in which the woman's purpose is to serve her husband, whose main duty seems to be to take "his seat among the elders of the land" (v. 23) at the city gate. Yet on closer examination, it paints a picture of a woman who has power, authority, and a strong business sense. She is clearly in charge of her household (v. 15), but she is also adept in the business world (v. 16). She demonstrates the gift of compassion (v. 20), and is the one who has the foresight to plan for the future (v. 21). On top of all of this, she demonstrates excellent parental skills (v. 28).
If one is not exhausted by this picture of the perfect wife, one can pause to reflect on how her well-rounded personality not only gains her respect within the society around her (v. 31), but also demonstrates the faithful life to which we are all called (v. 30). The negative reaction to this passage may well reflect the chauvinism of our own society. Had it been a picture of a man of faith, we might have urged it as a picture of perfection towards which we all should strive. Here is a person who cares deeply and responsibly for her family, utilizes her considerable gifts for the sake of others, and is comfortable with the gift of wisdom that God has given her. Her very life, lived to its fullest, is a praise of God.
Psalm 1
They are like trees planted by streams of water, which yield their fruit in its season, and their leaves do not wither.
-- Psalm 1:3
This psalm, which introduces the whole book of Psalms, contrasts two ways of life. The one way is what might be called the way of the independent. This person is the one who desires to be the center of his or her own universe. Such a person does not need God and is skeptical of those who do. The problem for such people is that life is too short and our place in it too insignificant to make a lasting impression by ourselves. The self-contained individual is "like chaff that wind drives away ..." (v. 4). In contrast, there are those who attach their lives to the story of the universe that is unfolding in time. This is the story that God is telling. They look to the revelation of God's truth in scripture, and they discover happiness or satisfaction in finding a way to make their contribution to this unfolding story. "... Their delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law they meditate day and night" (v. 2). Such people find their roots in something that is more substantial than a fleeting moment of time. "They are like trees planted by streams of water, which yield their fruit in its season, and their leaves do not wither" (v. 3).
A central challenge for many in our Western society is that they lack purpose in their lives. Many of the bizarre turns in people's lives are generated from people's discovery that they have achieved many of the initial goals that they set out to accomplish and that they still have very little meaning in their lives. What seemed like worthy goals are found to be too limited. They are in need of a higher purpose that makes their struggle and sacrifice worthwhile. The psalmist suggests that such purpose can be discovered only in the way of the eternal God. It is in meditating on the purposes of God that we discover our own purpose and the true meaning of our life.
James 3:13--4:3, 7-8a
But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without a trace of partiality or hypocrisy.
-- James 3:17
We live in a society that is cynical about experts and disdainful of the intellect. We are confused as to where we find truth and yet we hunger for wisdom. James suggested that there are two kinds of wisdom. He distinguished between wisdom from above and wisdom from below. We are very familiar with what he suggested is wisdom from below. It is generated by "bitter envy and selfish ambition in [our] hearts," and causes us to "be boastful and false to the truth" (v. 14). This kind of wisdom results in "disorder and wickedness of every kind" (v. 16).
At times, however, we experience what he called "wisdom from above." This wisdom is "first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without a trace of partiality or hypocrisy" (v. 17). When we experience such wisdom, we know it immediately. It does not need proof texts or credentials. It allows us to feel good about ourselves and valued by our community. We may only experience it intermittently, but in those moments we do experience God's shalom. "And a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace for those who make peace" (v. 18).
James was very clear that the source of our conflicts and tensions within the church or in the world have their origins in the "cravings that are at war within [us]" (v. 1). When you consider your own church and any disputes or tension that has arisen within it, would you agree with James that at the center of our disputes and tension is covetousness? "And you covet something and cannot obtain it; so you engage in disputes and conflicts" (v. 2). This is in contrast to a people who are "gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without a trace of partiality or hypocrisy."
James assumed that such attributes were a reflection of God and that "God yearns jealously for the Spirit that he has made to dwell in us" (v. 5). The difficulty is that it is more than a case of willpower. We demonstrate the earthly manner of self-centeredness despite our best intentions. Yet recognition of this fact is the first step toward availing ourselves of "wisdom from above." "God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble" (v. 6).
Mark 9:30-37
When he was in the house, he asked them, "What were you arguing about on the way?" But they were silent, for on the way they had argued with one another who was the greatest.
-- Mark 9:33b-34
Despite the fact that Jesus had been teaching them about the servant ministry of the church and had predicted a second time that as servant he was going to suffer arrest and death on the cross, the disciples were still caught up in the dream of success and fame. The insatiable need of the ego to be affirmed and praised has plagued the church from its very beginning. Even in this community bound together by the self-giving love of Christ, we are constantly torn apart by the competing egos of the members of the community. It is almost impossible for the church to comprehend the clear teaching of Jesus to his disciples: "Whoever wants to be first must be last of all and servant of all" (v. 35).
It is hard to comprehend the transformation that would take place in a church if every member were committed to the task of serving the other members of the church. Especially in our individualistic culture, the thought of being so devoted to the well-being of others seems to challenge our very understanding of life. Then to develop the teaching further, Jesus took a very dramatic action. "Then he took a little child and put it among them; and taking it in his arms, he said to them, 'Whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me welcomes not me but the one who sent me' " (vv. 36-37).
We tend to romanticize children in our society and therefore miss the challenge that Jesus was presenting. In that culture, the child was considered to be of only potential value. As a child he was only a burden to be cared for. He was a very vulnerable member of society. Jesus was taking this most vulnerable member of society and saying that to welcome this person in all the person's dependency was to welcome not only Jesus but also God. As a church, we cannot escape the challenge that God is present in the most vulnerable of our society. Like a drumbeat throughout scripture, the message rings forth again and again. God identifies with the most vulnerable and needy of our society. If we want to welcome God, we must reach out to them.
