PROPER 24
Worship
Scripture Notes
For use with Common, Lutheran and Roman Catholic Lectionaries
Through the use of these texts we are guided to perceive God in universal terms, as the One who has total power over everything from "light to darkness," from "blessing to disaster" (Isaiah 45:7), as the One to whom, therefore, we are to give up and to give back everything (Matthew 22:21). The world powers in any period, whether they are Cyrus, leader of the Medes and Persians whose armies were conquering nation after nation in their path (Isaiah 45:1-5), or a Caesar who ruled over the vast stretches of the Roman Empire (Matthew 22:17-21), are by comparison to God no more than God's appointees. These rulers are successful only because of what God is doing in their behalf. God does these things at times even though these rulers do not themselves know Yahweh (Isaiah 45:1-7) nor the Father of Jesus (Matthew 22:15-21) as God. God is in control of everything. These great rulers, on the other hand, can control only certain limited aspects of our lives. Therefore, to Caesar, who makes heavy demands on us, we are to give the little tokens, the little coins that are stamped with the likeness of Caesar's face. To God, however, we are to give everything, our entire lives.
The texts chosen for this occasion, therefore, are stewardship texts in the deepest sense of the word, highly appropriate for us as we move during the late fall season into stewardship and thanksgiving emphases. In these texts we see that stewardship is not something that we have to do: stewardship is something that we do because we want to do it. Ruth in the Ruth 1:1-19a text is an excellent example of this. She does not have to return to Bethlehem with Naomi. She returns with Naomi because she wants to do this. Her stewardship is a model. Even though she is not an Israelite, she goes with Naomi to make Naomi's God (Yahweh) her God. This type of stewardship, this total giving of one’s self to God is the primary unifying factor in these texts. This will become apparent if we base the message next Sunday not merely on the Matthew 22 text, but on all of the texts, or at least on Isaiah 45:1-7, Ruth 1:1-19a, Psalm 96, and Matthew 22:15-22. This theme is present also in 1 Thessalonians 1:1-10, especially in Paul's statement that the followers of Jesus in Thessalonica "belong to God the Father and to the Lord Jesus Christ."
Lutheran: Isaiah 45:1-7
Roman Catholic: Isaiah 45:1-6
Isaiah 45:1-7 is another expression of the significant transition in the thinking of the Israelites after they had lost their nation and with it the means by which to practice their "civil religion." In their civil religion (Yahwism) Yahweh had been perceived to be "the God of the nation Israel." Beyond the geographical boundaries of Israel there were other people who had their own perceptions of Deity described by other names in other languages. In Israel, however, Yahweh alone was to be recognized.
After 586 B.C.E., the religious situation of the Israelites was vastly altered, along with their political situation. Their leaders, most of whom had been taken by force to Babylon, were under heavy pressure to break their relationship with Yahweh entirely - since there was no longer a nation within which Yahweh could be worshiped - and to worship Marduk, the God of the Babylonians, along with the conquering Babylonians. It is highly probable that the majority of the Israelites who were taken to Babylon did accept Marduk as God and became Babylonians. However, a few, a remnant of the remnant, as they called themselves, took the other option that was open to them. They perceived (by divine inspiration) that Yahweh, the God of the nation Israel, was actually Yahweh, the Lord of all creation, the One who chose Cyrus, appointed Cyrus to conquer nations, opened the gates of walled cities so that Cyrus could conquer his enemies easily, leveled mountains and hills for the convenience of the armies of Cyrus, gave to Cyrus treasures from secret places, and appointed Cyrus to help Yahweh's servant Israel, and gave to Cyrus great honor, even though Cyrus did not even recognize that Yahweh is God over the entire world (Isaiah 45:1-5). They claimed that Yahweh created light as well as darkness and brings blessings as well as disaster (Isaiah 45:7). They made this commitment to Yahweh because they wanted to do this, not because they had to do so.
Lutheran: Psalm 96
Roman Catholic: Psalm 96:1-5, 7-10
This psalm also marks the transition to a universal concept of Yahweh. Yahweh is now proclaimed as the judge of all people, not merely of the Israelites. Yahweh also provides marvelous works among all people, reigns among all nations. Therefore, Yahweh's praises and glory shall be acclaimed among all nations, wherever Yahweh's people are scattered.
We also, as we grow in faith and in experience, are encouraged as we study this psalm to expand our perception of God to the point at which we consider God to be the One who alone is God over us, God not only for us but for others as well.
Common:
Ruth 1:1-19a
As mentioned above, the young Moabitess Ruth in Ruth 1:1-19a is an excellent example of stewardship as something that we do not because we have to do it in order to avoid punishment or in order to gain a reward but because we want to do it. The key verses of this text are, of course, 1:16-18. Not only was Ruth in this story willing to accept Yahweh, the God of her mother-in-law Naomi, as her God. Ruth also is presented as perceiving God in universal terms. She is said to have come to know Yahweh within the family of Naomi even while they lived in Moab. In 1:17, Ruth calls upon Yahweh in affirming her loyalty to Naomi. For her, Yahweh is Lord and God of all.
Common:
Psalm 146
This psalm of praise to Yahweh affirms what is written in the book of Ruth. Yahweh is said to give food to the hungry, to watch over sojourners, and to uphold the widow. In the Ruth account, Yahweh watches over two widows. Ruth's commitment in Ruth 1:16-18 is articulated in Psalm 146:2, a lifelong commitment to praise Yahweh. Ruth's experiences after she comes to Bethlehem are an illustration of Psalm 146:5. She becomes happy and blessed as one whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in Yahweh, Creator of everything and God of everyone for all times.
Common:
1 Thessalonians 1:1-10
Lutheran: 1 Thessalonians 1:1-5a
Roman Catholic: 1 Thessalonians 1:1-5
In this text, Paul gives thanks to God that the Thessalonians have turned from idols to serve God, the living and true God. Paul perceives God as Father of all and acclaims Jesus as the Christ raised from the dead, our Lord. For Paul, God as Father is to be thanked constantly, and our hope for the present and for the future is to be in Jesus Christ as Lord, not in Caesar. Jesus Christ as Lord delivers us from the wrath that is to come when good will confront evil and prevail over it.
Common:
Matthew 22:15-22
Lutheran, Roman Catholic: Matthew 22:15-21
Within the context of the texts selected for next Sunday, our emphasis on the Matthew 22 text will be on the wisdom logion of Jesus in 22:21, "Give back, therefore, to Caesar the coin that has the likeness of Caesar's face on it, and give up to God the things that belong to God, that is, you, the coins, and even Caesar himself. All belong to God, whether they realize it or not." This is all implied in this logion.
The literary setting for this tremendous logion of Jesus detracts from the logion much of its impact in all three Synoptic Gospel texts. The literary setting causes the hearer to think, "Look how clever our champion is! See how evil are the Pharisees!" The literary setting of this pericope and of those that follow it in a series of controversy dialogues in Matthew 22:15-46 and parallels detracts from the message of the Jesus logion because of the anti-Jewish polemic that was so important to many of the followers of Jesus during the time when the Synoptic Gospels were put into written form. At the end of the twentieth century, we should not emphasize the identity of the people who were in direct religious competition with the followers of Jesus during the period 50-95 C.E., particularly in view of what has happened since that time to Jews in "Christian" lands. Instead, we should emphasize the great stewardship message of the Jesus logion in this text, a message applicable then, now, and always. "The coin belongs to Caesar, but we belong to God!"
The texts chosen for this occasion, therefore, are stewardship texts in the deepest sense of the word, highly appropriate for us as we move during the late fall season into stewardship and thanksgiving emphases. In these texts we see that stewardship is not something that we have to do: stewardship is something that we do because we want to do it. Ruth in the Ruth 1:1-19a text is an excellent example of this. She does not have to return to Bethlehem with Naomi. She returns with Naomi because she wants to do this. Her stewardship is a model. Even though she is not an Israelite, she goes with Naomi to make Naomi's God (Yahweh) her God. This type of stewardship, this total giving of one’s self to God is the primary unifying factor in these texts. This will become apparent if we base the message next Sunday not merely on the Matthew 22 text, but on all of the texts, or at least on Isaiah 45:1-7, Ruth 1:1-19a, Psalm 96, and Matthew 22:15-22. This theme is present also in 1 Thessalonians 1:1-10, especially in Paul's statement that the followers of Jesus in Thessalonica "belong to God the Father and to the Lord Jesus Christ."
Lutheran: Isaiah 45:1-7
Roman Catholic: Isaiah 45:1-6
Isaiah 45:1-7 is another expression of the significant transition in the thinking of the Israelites after they had lost their nation and with it the means by which to practice their "civil religion." In their civil religion (Yahwism) Yahweh had been perceived to be "the God of the nation Israel." Beyond the geographical boundaries of Israel there were other people who had their own perceptions of Deity described by other names in other languages. In Israel, however, Yahweh alone was to be recognized.
After 586 B.C.E., the religious situation of the Israelites was vastly altered, along with their political situation. Their leaders, most of whom had been taken by force to Babylon, were under heavy pressure to break their relationship with Yahweh entirely - since there was no longer a nation within which Yahweh could be worshiped - and to worship Marduk, the God of the Babylonians, along with the conquering Babylonians. It is highly probable that the majority of the Israelites who were taken to Babylon did accept Marduk as God and became Babylonians. However, a few, a remnant of the remnant, as they called themselves, took the other option that was open to them. They perceived (by divine inspiration) that Yahweh, the God of the nation Israel, was actually Yahweh, the Lord of all creation, the One who chose Cyrus, appointed Cyrus to conquer nations, opened the gates of walled cities so that Cyrus could conquer his enemies easily, leveled mountains and hills for the convenience of the armies of Cyrus, gave to Cyrus treasures from secret places, and appointed Cyrus to help Yahweh's servant Israel, and gave to Cyrus great honor, even though Cyrus did not even recognize that Yahweh is God over the entire world (Isaiah 45:1-5). They claimed that Yahweh created light as well as darkness and brings blessings as well as disaster (Isaiah 45:7). They made this commitment to Yahweh because they wanted to do this, not because they had to do so.
Lutheran: Psalm 96
Roman Catholic: Psalm 96:1-5, 7-10
This psalm also marks the transition to a universal concept of Yahweh. Yahweh is now proclaimed as the judge of all people, not merely of the Israelites. Yahweh also provides marvelous works among all people, reigns among all nations. Therefore, Yahweh's praises and glory shall be acclaimed among all nations, wherever Yahweh's people are scattered.
We also, as we grow in faith and in experience, are encouraged as we study this psalm to expand our perception of God to the point at which we consider God to be the One who alone is God over us, God not only for us but for others as well.
Common:
Ruth 1:1-19a
As mentioned above, the young Moabitess Ruth in Ruth 1:1-19a is an excellent example of stewardship as something that we do not because we have to do it in order to avoid punishment or in order to gain a reward but because we want to do it. The key verses of this text are, of course, 1:16-18. Not only was Ruth in this story willing to accept Yahweh, the God of her mother-in-law Naomi, as her God. Ruth also is presented as perceiving God in universal terms. She is said to have come to know Yahweh within the family of Naomi even while they lived in Moab. In 1:17, Ruth calls upon Yahweh in affirming her loyalty to Naomi. For her, Yahweh is Lord and God of all.
Common:
Psalm 146
This psalm of praise to Yahweh affirms what is written in the book of Ruth. Yahweh is said to give food to the hungry, to watch over sojourners, and to uphold the widow. In the Ruth account, Yahweh watches over two widows. Ruth's commitment in Ruth 1:16-18 is articulated in Psalm 146:2, a lifelong commitment to praise Yahweh. Ruth's experiences after she comes to Bethlehem are an illustration of Psalm 146:5. She becomes happy and blessed as one whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in Yahweh, Creator of everything and God of everyone for all times.
Common:
1 Thessalonians 1:1-10
Lutheran: 1 Thessalonians 1:1-5a
Roman Catholic: 1 Thessalonians 1:1-5
In this text, Paul gives thanks to God that the Thessalonians have turned from idols to serve God, the living and true God. Paul perceives God as Father of all and acclaims Jesus as the Christ raised from the dead, our Lord. For Paul, God as Father is to be thanked constantly, and our hope for the present and for the future is to be in Jesus Christ as Lord, not in Caesar. Jesus Christ as Lord delivers us from the wrath that is to come when good will confront evil and prevail over it.
Common:
Matthew 22:15-22
Lutheran, Roman Catholic: Matthew 22:15-21
Within the context of the texts selected for next Sunday, our emphasis on the Matthew 22 text will be on the wisdom logion of Jesus in 22:21, "Give back, therefore, to Caesar the coin that has the likeness of Caesar's face on it, and give up to God the things that belong to God, that is, you, the coins, and even Caesar himself. All belong to God, whether they realize it or not." This is all implied in this logion.
The literary setting for this tremendous logion of Jesus detracts from the logion much of its impact in all three Synoptic Gospel texts. The literary setting causes the hearer to think, "Look how clever our champion is! See how evil are the Pharisees!" The literary setting of this pericope and of those that follow it in a series of controversy dialogues in Matthew 22:15-46 and parallels detracts from the message of the Jesus logion because of the anti-Jewish polemic that was so important to many of the followers of Jesus during the time when the Synoptic Gospels were put into written form. At the end of the twentieth century, we should not emphasize the identity of the people who were in direct religious competition with the followers of Jesus during the period 50-95 C.E., particularly in view of what has happened since that time to Jews in "Christian" lands. Instead, we should emphasize the great stewardship message of the Jesus logion in this text, a message applicable then, now, and always. "The coin belongs to Caesar, but we belong to God!"
