PROPER 25
Worship
Scripture Notes
For use with Common, Lutheran and Roman Catholic Lectionaries
When Hans Kung in On Being a Christian reflects on the ways in which the Jesus of history depicted love, Kung makes two helpful distinctions. Kung writes that Jesus depicted love by his actions more than by his words and that Jesus advocated two different kinds of love, one kind for God and another kind for people. It is this second distinction that is the principal unifying factor in the texts selected for next Sunday. This second distinction is expressed most clearly in Matthew 22:37-40 of the Gospel selection, but without use of the other texts selected for next Sunday this distinction could quite easily be overlooked. Our message for next Sunday, regardless of what means we use to develop it and to offer it, can be particularly effective if we stress this distinction from the Jesus of history, with support from the other biblical texts in this group.
We see in these texts that we are to love God unconditionally, "with our entire heart, with our entire psyche, and with our entire mind." Only God is capable of receiving our unconditional love, only God is worthy of it, only God can handle it. God is to be loved in a way that is different from the way in which we love all people and from the way in which we love ourselves. We are to give ourselves totally to God, just as the Matthew 22:15-21 text that we used last Sunday put it with its "But you belong to God."
We cannot, however, give ourselves totally to another human being, simply because we, and that person as well, already belong to God because of a prior commitment. Also, unconditional love for another human being would be idolatrous. It would make God of that person, just as unconditional love of self would make God of self. Only God is capable of handling unconditional love. Only God is worthy of eliciting from us such love. This does not mean, however, that we should take vows of poverty, or of chastity, or of celibacy, since such vows prevent us from giving ourselves even conditionally in love to another person. Nevertheless, we can and should give ourselves as fully as possible in love to other people, as the Jesus of history did, with the same kind of love that we have for ourselves, as these texts indicate. Such giving in love, unconditionally to God and to others as we love ourselves, will make us excellent people for any community, excellent neighbors for those who live next to us, excellent husbands and wives, parents and children, employers and employees. Such giving in love will also prepare us in a beautifully active way for the Day of the Lord. With this in mind, let us look briefly at each of these texts.
Lutheran: Leviticus 19:1-2, 15-18
We have available in this Leviticus 19 "Holiness Code" an impressive collection of material that was further condensed into the Ten Commandments. This Holiness Code provides tremendous insight for us into cultic practices and ethical obligations of the Israelites at an important stage in their development. The entire chapter is pertinent to the distinction made above. Yahweh is the Lord, totally holy and to be perceived as totally holy. The people become holy through their association with Yahweh and through their obedience to Yahweh. Because Yahweh is totally just and righteous, the people are to be just and righteous in their relationships with each other. They shall love each other as they love themselves, and they shall fear Yahweh totally. They are to be totally subject to Yahweh. They cannot question or judge Yahweh. Yahweh, however, is judge over them.
Common:
Ruth 2:1-13
The relationship that Boaz has with Yahweh in this text is one in which there is total respect and love. Boaz and his reapers greet one another with total respect and love for Yahweh and with mutual respect for one another. "May Yahweh be with you!" Boaz says to his reapers, and they respond, "May Yahweh bless you!" Boaz acknowledges the loyalty that Ruth has shown to Naomi with a blessing-of-Yahweh wish, "May Yahweh, the God of Israel, reward you for what you have done!"
The relationship between Boaz and Ruth is a relationship of mutual respect and love, not only in this portion of the short story, but throughout the story, from the time of their first meeting until the story concludes with the birth of their child. There are no "romantic" declarations of unconditional love for each other that they will not be able to achieve. They simply are represented as loving each other unselfishly. The story functions, therefore, as a model for marriage not only for Israelites but also for Christians and for any other people as well.
Roman Catholic: Exodus 22:20-26
In this text also, love and devotion for Yahweh is unconditional. In fact, if any person sacrifices to any god other than to Yahweh, that person is to be utterly destroyed. Devotion to anyone other than to Yahweh is categorically prohibited.
Love for other people, even for the stranger, the widow, and the orphan, is guaranteed to be unselfish by the social and cultic laws recorded in this text. The social and cultic laws, moreover, are to be enforced directly by Yahweh. Yahweh will hear the cries of the oppressed if these laws are abrogated, and Yahweh will retaliate without mercy.
Lutheran: Psalm 1
The type of person who is said in this psalm to be blessed is the person whose "delight is in the Torah of the Lord," "who meditates on the Torah day and night." Such a person will surely love the Lord unconditionally and will love neighbors as that person loves that person's self. It is significant that such insight, derived by inspiration from Israelite experiences and incorporated into this prominent wisdom psalm, was placed at the beginning of Israel's canonical hymnbook.
Common:
Psalm 128
This beautiful, concise wisdom psalm presents the Israelite ideal situation. A man fears, loves, and respects Yahweh unconditionally, conducting himself in full accordance with Yahweh's ways. Relationships within the family are then happy and healthy. Unselfish love is shared between husband and wife, parents and children and grandchildren. There is peace in the land.
Roman Catholic: Psalm 18:2-4, 47, 51
Here also the psalmist expresses unconditional love for Yahweh. The psalmist extols Yahweh without reservations. With this unconditional relationship with Yahweh secure, human relationships are so good that the psalmist has no fear of the psalmist's enemies. Even enemies are treated with mutual respect.
Our situation is no different from the situation of the psalmist. When we have unconditional love for God, we also are safe from our enemies, at least as individuals and perhaps also collectively within our communities of faith and within our nation.
Common:
1 Thessalonians 2:1-8
For the Apostle Paul and the other prominent leaders of the early Church, to declare their unconditional love for God and with this to proclaim Jesus Christ raised from the dead as their Lord and Savior was to put themselves into a position in which they were given shameful treatment, subject to persecution, seizure, torture, and death aa the hands of the advocates of Roman Civil Religion who acclaimed unconditional love and devotion to the Roman State and to Caesar, their "Lord and Savior." These advocates of Roman Civil Religion were in powerful positions in the Roman State, and there was no protection against them for Paul and others like Paul in the early Church. Paul could not write openly about these conditions, for to do so would only further jeopardize Paul's own life and the lives of those to whom Paul was writing. Therefore, Paul could only allude to these political matters in his letters, as he did here in 1 Thessalonians 2:1-8.
The relationships that Paul had with the people to whom Paul was writing in this text were, in Paul's own words, relationships in which Paul was "tender" to them, having the kind of love that a nursing mother has for her child at her breast. This was indeed an unselfish kind of love, a caring love, the best kind of love that one human being can have for another.
Lutheran: 1 Thessalonians 1:5b-10
Roman Catholic: 1 Thessalonians 1:5-10
According to this text, Paul and Jesus Christ as Lord were imitated by the people of Thessalonica to whom Paul had written this epistle. They had turned from the "worship of idols" - as Paul put it - to serve God and to wait for God's Son from heaven who "rescues us from the coming wrath." They are praised in this text for loving God unconditionally and for following the examples of the Lord Jesus and for following Paul. Just as the Lord Jesus Christ and Paul loves them, so also they by imitation were loving the Lord Jesus and Paul. Their love was an unselfish love. It is the kind of love that we too should show in all of our human relationships.
Common:
Matthew 22:34-46
Lutheran: Matthew 22:34-40 (41-46)
Roman Catholic: Matthew 22:34-40
Study of this text within the context of the Synoptic parallels indicates rather clearly the progressive development of the text. There is every reason to think that the heart of this text (Matthew 22:37-39) was expressed by the Jesus of history during a conversation with another interested and intelligent Jew who explored with Jesus the most important elements within the Torah, as an analysis of the parallel in Mark 12:28b-34ab shows.
The Roman Catholic selection here is to be preferred over the additions in the Lutheran and the Common Lectionaries. Reading of 22:41-46 distracts from the central theme of the texts selected for this occasion. The proud portrayal of Jesus in 22:41-46 as the clever hero of his followers who outwitted the Pharisees is almost certainly a product of the Jesus tradition. The quotation of Psalm 110:1 in it shows no regard for the meaning of the verse in its Psalm 110 setting. Although Matthew 22:41-46 does reveal to us much about the followers of Jesus during the latter decades of the first century, the messages that we proclaim should as much as possible be based on the insights and proclamation of the Jesus of history, particularly in instances such as this in which the proclamation added by followers of Jesus (Matthew 22:41-46) is heavily laden with negative anti-Jewish polemic.
We see in these texts that we are to love God unconditionally, "with our entire heart, with our entire psyche, and with our entire mind." Only God is capable of receiving our unconditional love, only God is worthy of it, only God can handle it. God is to be loved in a way that is different from the way in which we love all people and from the way in which we love ourselves. We are to give ourselves totally to God, just as the Matthew 22:15-21 text that we used last Sunday put it with its "But you belong to God."
We cannot, however, give ourselves totally to another human being, simply because we, and that person as well, already belong to God because of a prior commitment. Also, unconditional love for another human being would be idolatrous. It would make God of that person, just as unconditional love of self would make God of self. Only God is capable of handling unconditional love. Only God is worthy of eliciting from us such love. This does not mean, however, that we should take vows of poverty, or of chastity, or of celibacy, since such vows prevent us from giving ourselves even conditionally in love to another person. Nevertheless, we can and should give ourselves as fully as possible in love to other people, as the Jesus of history did, with the same kind of love that we have for ourselves, as these texts indicate. Such giving in love, unconditionally to God and to others as we love ourselves, will make us excellent people for any community, excellent neighbors for those who live next to us, excellent husbands and wives, parents and children, employers and employees. Such giving in love will also prepare us in a beautifully active way for the Day of the Lord. With this in mind, let us look briefly at each of these texts.
Lutheran: Leviticus 19:1-2, 15-18
We have available in this Leviticus 19 "Holiness Code" an impressive collection of material that was further condensed into the Ten Commandments. This Holiness Code provides tremendous insight for us into cultic practices and ethical obligations of the Israelites at an important stage in their development. The entire chapter is pertinent to the distinction made above. Yahweh is the Lord, totally holy and to be perceived as totally holy. The people become holy through their association with Yahweh and through their obedience to Yahweh. Because Yahweh is totally just and righteous, the people are to be just and righteous in their relationships with each other. They shall love each other as they love themselves, and they shall fear Yahweh totally. They are to be totally subject to Yahweh. They cannot question or judge Yahweh. Yahweh, however, is judge over them.
Common:
Ruth 2:1-13
The relationship that Boaz has with Yahweh in this text is one in which there is total respect and love. Boaz and his reapers greet one another with total respect and love for Yahweh and with mutual respect for one another. "May Yahweh be with you!" Boaz says to his reapers, and they respond, "May Yahweh bless you!" Boaz acknowledges the loyalty that Ruth has shown to Naomi with a blessing-of-Yahweh wish, "May Yahweh, the God of Israel, reward you for what you have done!"
The relationship between Boaz and Ruth is a relationship of mutual respect and love, not only in this portion of the short story, but throughout the story, from the time of their first meeting until the story concludes with the birth of their child. There are no "romantic" declarations of unconditional love for each other that they will not be able to achieve. They simply are represented as loving each other unselfishly. The story functions, therefore, as a model for marriage not only for Israelites but also for Christians and for any other people as well.
Roman Catholic: Exodus 22:20-26
In this text also, love and devotion for Yahweh is unconditional. In fact, if any person sacrifices to any god other than to Yahweh, that person is to be utterly destroyed. Devotion to anyone other than to Yahweh is categorically prohibited.
Love for other people, even for the stranger, the widow, and the orphan, is guaranteed to be unselfish by the social and cultic laws recorded in this text. The social and cultic laws, moreover, are to be enforced directly by Yahweh. Yahweh will hear the cries of the oppressed if these laws are abrogated, and Yahweh will retaliate without mercy.
Lutheran: Psalm 1
The type of person who is said in this psalm to be blessed is the person whose "delight is in the Torah of the Lord," "who meditates on the Torah day and night." Such a person will surely love the Lord unconditionally and will love neighbors as that person loves that person's self. It is significant that such insight, derived by inspiration from Israelite experiences and incorporated into this prominent wisdom psalm, was placed at the beginning of Israel's canonical hymnbook.
Common:
Psalm 128
This beautiful, concise wisdom psalm presents the Israelite ideal situation. A man fears, loves, and respects Yahweh unconditionally, conducting himself in full accordance with Yahweh's ways. Relationships within the family are then happy and healthy. Unselfish love is shared between husband and wife, parents and children and grandchildren. There is peace in the land.
Roman Catholic: Psalm 18:2-4, 47, 51
Here also the psalmist expresses unconditional love for Yahweh. The psalmist extols Yahweh without reservations. With this unconditional relationship with Yahweh secure, human relationships are so good that the psalmist has no fear of the psalmist's enemies. Even enemies are treated with mutual respect.
Our situation is no different from the situation of the psalmist. When we have unconditional love for God, we also are safe from our enemies, at least as individuals and perhaps also collectively within our communities of faith and within our nation.
Common:
1 Thessalonians 2:1-8
For the Apostle Paul and the other prominent leaders of the early Church, to declare their unconditional love for God and with this to proclaim Jesus Christ raised from the dead as their Lord and Savior was to put themselves into a position in which they were given shameful treatment, subject to persecution, seizure, torture, and death aa the hands of the advocates of Roman Civil Religion who acclaimed unconditional love and devotion to the Roman State and to Caesar, their "Lord and Savior." These advocates of Roman Civil Religion were in powerful positions in the Roman State, and there was no protection against them for Paul and others like Paul in the early Church. Paul could not write openly about these conditions, for to do so would only further jeopardize Paul's own life and the lives of those to whom Paul was writing. Therefore, Paul could only allude to these political matters in his letters, as he did here in 1 Thessalonians 2:1-8.
The relationships that Paul had with the people to whom Paul was writing in this text were, in Paul's own words, relationships in which Paul was "tender" to them, having the kind of love that a nursing mother has for her child at her breast. This was indeed an unselfish kind of love, a caring love, the best kind of love that one human being can have for another.
Lutheran: 1 Thessalonians 1:5b-10
Roman Catholic: 1 Thessalonians 1:5-10
According to this text, Paul and Jesus Christ as Lord were imitated by the people of Thessalonica to whom Paul had written this epistle. They had turned from the "worship of idols" - as Paul put it - to serve God and to wait for God's Son from heaven who "rescues us from the coming wrath." They are praised in this text for loving God unconditionally and for following the examples of the Lord Jesus and for following Paul. Just as the Lord Jesus Christ and Paul loves them, so also they by imitation were loving the Lord Jesus and Paul. Their love was an unselfish love. It is the kind of love that we too should show in all of our human relationships.
Common:
Matthew 22:34-46
Lutheran: Matthew 22:34-40 (41-46)
Roman Catholic: Matthew 22:34-40
Study of this text within the context of the Synoptic parallels indicates rather clearly the progressive development of the text. There is every reason to think that the heart of this text (Matthew 22:37-39) was expressed by the Jesus of history during a conversation with another interested and intelligent Jew who explored with Jesus the most important elements within the Torah, as an analysis of the parallel in Mark 12:28b-34ab shows.
The Roman Catholic selection here is to be preferred over the additions in the Lutheran and the Common Lectionaries. Reading of 22:41-46 distracts from the central theme of the texts selected for this occasion. The proud portrayal of Jesus in 22:41-46 as the clever hero of his followers who outwitted the Pharisees is almost certainly a product of the Jesus tradition. The quotation of Psalm 110:1 in it shows no regard for the meaning of the verse in its Psalm 110 setting. Although Matthew 22:41-46 does reveal to us much about the followers of Jesus during the latter decades of the first century, the messages that we proclaim should as much as possible be based on the insights and proclamation of the Jesus of history, particularly in instances such as this in which the proclamation added by followers of Jesus (Matthew 22:41-46) is heavily laden with negative anti-Jewish polemic.
