PROPER 4
Worship
Scripture Notes
For use with Common, Lutheran and Roman Catholic Lectionaries
Perhaps the best unifying theme in these six texts is the gracious goodness of God. According to Psalm 33:12-22, Yahweh with gracious goodness looks down from heaven to deliver from death those whose hope is in Yahweh's steadfast love. The goodness of Yahweh is said in Psalm 31:19 (20) to be abundant for those who turn to Yahweh for help. With gracious goodness Yahweh calls Abram in Genesis 12:1-9 and sends him to the promised land. The divine blessing is offered in Deuteronomy 11:18-21, 26-28 to those who keep the covenant that Yahweh made with Israel. God in God's gracious goodness is said in Romans 3:21-28 to provide forgiveness by grace through the faith of Jesus. Finally, it is implied in Matthew 7:21-29 that it is by God's gracious goodness that God makes accessible the rock on which the wise can build and live. The Prayer of the Day supports this theme with its emphasis on God's will and promise.
Common:
Psalm 33:12-22
It is interesting to notice that in this portion of Psalm 33 the gracious goodness of God is seen on the personal level (33:20-22), on the level of the nation Israel (33:10-12, 16-17), and on the universal level (33:13-15, 18-19). On the personal level, we can trust in the Lord, we can wait for the Lord to act, because we can count on the gracious goodness of the Lord. That gives us hope. On the level of the nation Israel, there is comfort and security for the people within the chosenness concept. It is believed that Yahweh can disrupt the plans of the enemies of Israel. Therefore, it is foolish of the Israelites to trust in large armies, in their strength, or in war horses. On the universal level, it is proclaimed that Yahweh sees everybody, in every nation. Anyone, anywhere can be delivered from death. Yahweh is said to have made everyone, and it is believed that Yahweh can save anyone.
Because Christian exclusiveness is so pervasive among us, it is rarely that we hear the proclamation that God can, if God wishes, act with gracious goodness in behalf of anyone, anywhere, even beyond the limits of our own community of faith. This text, together with the Romans 3:21-28 text used with it, the Jonah story, and other texts such as Romans 11, provides the opportunity for us to proclaim this good news. When we do this, we should, of course, carefully distinguish this proclamation of the gracious goodness of God on the universal level from what is often called universalism. On the basis of these texts, we proclaim the good news that God can, if God wishes, act with gracious goodness toward anyone, anywhere. We are certainly not proclaiming that God will save everyone, everywhere, regardless of what they believe or do. There would be no biblical basis for that.
Lutheran: Psalm 31:1-5 (6-18) 19-24
Roman Catholic: Psalm 31:2-4, 17, 25
This psalm is actually two psalms. Psalm 31:1-8 (2-9) is one and 9-24 (10-25) the other. Each psalm is a cry for help followed by an assertion of deliverance. As indicated above, the portion of this psalm that is linked most closely to the other selections for next Sunday is 31:19 (20), for it is in this verse that Yahweh's abundant, gracious goodness is most fully acclaimed.
Common:
Genesis 12:1-9
In the context of the texts selected for use next Sunday, it was by the gracious goodness of God that the Lord God called Abram in this text to go to a new land. Abram responded affirmatively to the gracious goodness of God and was richly blessed for doing so. Certainly we are expected, like Abram, to respond affirmatively to the gracious goodness of God when God calls us. Our response is to be a response of faith.
Lutheran: Deuteronomy 11:18-21, 26-28
Roman Catholic: Deuteronomy 11:26-28
This text is a reminder to us that the gracious goodness of the Lord God is to be taken very seriously. The word of God is to be with us every moment of our lives. It is to go with us wherever we go. It is to be transmitted to our children. It can be a great blessing for us, or it can be a terrible curse for us. The gracious goodness of God is the reason for our covenant relationship with God. We are expected to respond affirmatively to that goodness and to live by faith within that covenant. That is no different for us from the way it was for ancient Israel.
Common:
Romans 3:21-28
Lutheran: Romans 3:21-25a, 27-28
Roman Catholic: Romans 3:21-25, 28
The following translation by the present writer is offered in an attempt to bring into clear focus what the Apostle Paul wrote about the gracious goodness of God to Jewish background Christians in Rome and to Gentile background Christians in Rome during the first century. The quotation will run from Romans 3:21-31.
3:21 But now the gracious goodness of God has been revealed apart from the Torah, although it is well attested by the Torah and the Prophets (the sacred Scriptures for the Jewish background followers of Jesus and to some extent for the Gentile background followers of Jesus as well), 22 the gracious goodness of God revealed through the faith in God of Jesus Christ, revealed for all who believe. For there is no difference (between people who are of Jewish background and those who are of Gentile background) 23 for all have sinned and fail to achieve the glory of God. 24 In spite of this, all may be declared righteous freely by the grace of God through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, 25 whom God has offered as a gift to be received through faith to make amends for their sins and to give meaning to his death. This is proof of the gracious goodness of God. God permitted sins that had been committed previously to be unpunished. 26 This leniency of God is proof in our time of the gracious goodness of God. Therefore, anyone who comes to God from the perspective of the faith of Jesus in God is righteous and declared to be righteous by God. 27 Where, therefore, is there any place for boasting? It is eliminated. Through what kind of Torah? Is it eliminated through the Torah of works? No! It is eliminated through the Torah of faith. 28 For we conclude that a person is declared to be righteous by God apart from the works of the Torah. 29 Is God only God for those who are of Jewish background? Is not God the God also of those who are of other ethnic groups? Yes, God is God also for those who are of other ethnic groups. 30 Since God is one, God declares righteous those who are of Jewish background from the standpoint of their background of faith and those who are of other ethnic groups through their profession of faith. 31 Are we, therefore, annulling the Torah through this use of faith? May that never occur! We are supportive of the Torah!
To us and to our way of reasoning, the gracious goodness of God will always appear to be radical, even unfair when it is extended to those whom we dislike or hate, as the story of Jonah shows us. Nevertheless, if we stand within the tradition of the writer of the Jonah story, of Jesus, Paul, Augustine, Luther, and many others, we are called to accept and to proclaim this gracious goodness of God, since the gracious goodness of God is revealed in these texts and in our lives.
Common:
Matthew 7:21-29
Lutheran: Matthew 7:(15-20) 21-29
Roman Catholic: Matthew 7:21-27
A study of this text in a synopsis of the Four Gospels gives some indication of the creative contributions of the tradition and particularly of the Matthean writers. Matthew 7:15-20 is evidence that "false prophets" were a problem for the early church. Matthew 7:21-23 shows that healing activities in Jesus' name by persons not affiliated with the members of the Synoptic communities was another problem. There is also ample evidence through comparison of the Four Gospels that the followers of Jesus put much more emphasis on Jesus and on Jesus' words than Jesus did himself. We can see that Jesus pointed to God and that his followers increasingly, as we move from Mark to Matthew to Luke to John, pointed to Jesus who had pointed to God. Also to Jesus' followers can be attributed the anti-Jewish polemic that appears in 7:15-20 and 7:28-29 in this text. The Roman Catholic reading, therefore, is to be preferred. The Common reading and especially the Lutheran reading add the anti-Jewish polemic material. By focusing our attention on the shorter Roman Catholic 7:21-27 reading, we can see more readily the implication that it is by God's gracious goodness that God makes accessible the rock on which the wise can build and live - Jesus and his words.
Common:
Psalm 33:12-22
It is interesting to notice that in this portion of Psalm 33 the gracious goodness of God is seen on the personal level (33:20-22), on the level of the nation Israel (33:10-12, 16-17), and on the universal level (33:13-15, 18-19). On the personal level, we can trust in the Lord, we can wait for the Lord to act, because we can count on the gracious goodness of the Lord. That gives us hope. On the level of the nation Israel, there is comfort and security for the people within the chosenness concept. It is believed that Yahweh can disrupt the plans of the enemies of Israel. Therefore, it is foolish of the Israelites to trust in large armies, in their strength, or in war horses. On the universal level, it is proclaimed that Yahweh sees everybody, in every nation. Anyone, anywhere can be delivered from death. Yahweh is said to have made everyone, and it is believed that Yahweh can save anyone.
Because Christian exclusiveness is so pervasive among us, it is rarely that we hear the proclamation that God can, if God wishes, act with gracious goodness in behalf of anyone, anywhere, even beyond the limits of our own community of faith. This text, together with the Romans 3:21-28 text used with it, the Jonah story, and other texts such as Romans 11, provides the opportunity for us to proclaim this good news. When we do this, we should, of course, carefully distinguish this proclamation of the gracious goodness of God on the universal level from what is often called universalism. On the basis of these texts, we proclaim the good news that God can, if God wishes, act with gracious goodness toward anyone, anywhere. We are certainly not proclaiming that God will save everyone, everywhere, regardless of what they believe or do. There would be no biblical basis for that.
Lutheran: Psalm 31:1-5 (6-18) 19-24
Roman Catholic: Psalm 31:2-4, 17, 25
This psalm is actually two psalms. Psalm 31:1-8 (2-9) is one and 9-24 (10-25) the other. Each psalm is a cry for help followed by an assertion of deliverance. As indicated above, the portion of this psalm that is linked most closely to the other selections for next Sunday is 31:19 (20), for it is in this verse that Yahweh's abundant, gracious goodness is most fully acclaimed.
Common:
Genesis 12:1-9
In the context of the texts selected for use next Sunday, it was by the gracious goodness of God that the Lord God called Abram in this text to go to a new land. Abram responded affirmatively to the gracious goodness of God and was richly blessed for doing so. Certainly we are expected, like Abram, to respond affirmatively to the gracious goodness of God when God calls us. Our response is to be a response of faith.
Lutheran: Deuteronomy 11:18-21, 26-28
Roman Catholic: Deuteronomy 11:26-28
This text is a reminder to us that the gracious goodness of the Lord God is to be taken very seriously. The word of God is to be with us every moment of our lives. It is to go with us wherever we go. It is to be transmitted to our children. It can be a great blessing for us, or it can be a terrible curse for us. The gracious goodness of God is the reason for our covenant relationship with God. We are expected to respond affirmatively to that goodness and to live by faith within that covenant. That is no different for us from the way it was for ancient Israel.
Common:
Romans 3:21-28
Lutheran: Romans 3:21-25a, 27-28
Roman Catholic: Romans 3:21-25, 28
The following translation by the present writer is offered in an attempt to bring into clear focus what the Apostle Paul wrote about the gracious goodness of God to Jewish background Christians in Rome and to Gentile background Christians in Rome during the first century. The quotation will run from Romans 3:21-31.
3:21 But now the gracious goodness of God has been revealed apart from the Torah, although it is well attested by the Torah and the Prophets (the sacred Scriptures for the Jewish background followers of Jesus and to some extent for the Gentile background followers of Jesus as well), 22 the gracious goodness of God revealed through the faith in God of Jesus Christ, revealed for all who believe. For there is no difference (between people who are of Jewish background and those who are of Gentile background) 23 for all have sinned and fail to achieve the glory of God. 24 In spite of this, all may be declared righteous freely by the grace of God through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, 25 whom God has offered as a gift to be received through faith to make amends for their sins and to give meaning to his death. This is proof of the gracious goodness of God. God permitted sins that had been committed previously to be unpunished. 26 This leniency of God is proof in our time of the gracious goodness of God. Therefore, anyone who comes to God from the perspective of the faith of Jesus in God is righteous and declared to be righteous by God. 27 Where, therefore, is there any place for boasting? It is eliminated. Through what kind of Torah? Is it eliminated through the Torah of works? No! It is eliminated through the Torah of faith. 28 For we conclude that a person is declared to be righteous by God apart from the works of the Torah. 29 Is God only God for those who are of Jewish background? Is not God the God also of those who are of other ethnic groups? Yes, God is God also for those who are of other ethnic groups. 30 Since God is one, God declares righteous those who are of Jewish background from the standpoint of their background of faith and those who are of other ethnic groups through their profession of faith. 31 Are we, therefore, annulling the Torah through this use of faith? May that never occur! We are supportive of the Torah!
To us and to our way of reasoning, the gracious goodness of God will always appear to be radical, even unfair when it is extended to those whom we dislike or hate, as the story of Jonah shows us. Nevertheless, if we stand within the tradition of the writer of the Jonah story, of Jesus, Paul, Augustine, Luther, and many others, we are called to accept and to proclaim this gracious goodness of God, since the gracious goodness of God is revealed in these texts and in our lives.
Common:
Matthew 7:21-29
Lutheran: Matthew 7:(15-20) 21-29
Roman Catholic: Matthew 7:21-27
A study of this text in a synopsis of the Four Gospels gives some indication of the creative contributions of the tradition and particularly of the Matthean writers. Matthew 7:15-20 is evidence that "false prophets" were a problem for the early church. Matthew 7:21-23 shows that healing activities in Jesus' name by persons not affiliated with the members of the Synoptic communities was another problem. There is also ample evidence through comparison of the Four Gospels that the followers of Jesus put much more emphasis on Jesus and on Jesus' words than Jesus did himself. We can see that Jesus pointed to God and that his followers increasingly, as we move from Mark to Matthew to Luke to John, pointed to Jesus who had pointed to God. Also to Jesus' followers can be attributed the anti-Jewish polemic that appears in 7:15-20 and 7:28-29 in this text. The Roman Catholic reading, therefore, is to be preferred. The Common reading and especially the Lutheran reading add the anti-Jewish polemic material. By focusing our attention on the shorter Roman Catholic 7:21-27 reading, we can see more readily the implication that it is by God's gracious goodness that God makes accessible the rock on which the wise can build and live - Jesus and his words.
