Archive for the ‘1 Peter 2’ Tag
Above: Icon of the Ministry of the Apostles
Image in the Public Domain
The Divine Mandate for Social Justice
MAY 7, 2023
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According to the Inter-Lutheran Commission on Worship (ILCW) Lectionary (1973), as contained in the Lutheran Book of Worship (1978) and Lutheran Worship (1982)
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Acts 17:1-15
Psalm 33:1-11 (LBW) or Psalm 146 (LW)
1 Peter 2:4-10
John 14:1-12
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O God, form the minds of your faithful people into a single will.
Make us love what you command and desire what you promise,
that, amid, all the changes of this world,
our hearts may be fixed where true joy is found;
through your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and forever. Amen.
—Lutheran Book of Worship (1978), 22
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O God, you make the minds of your faithful to be of one will;
therefore grant to your people that they may love what you command
and desire what you promise,
that among the manifold changes of this age our hearts
may ever be fixed where true joys are to be found;
through Jesus Christ, your Son, our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and forever. Amen.
—Lutheran Worship (1982), 53
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…the people who have been turning the whole world upside down have come here now….
–Acts 17:6b, The Revised New Jerusalem Bible (2019)
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One need not be evil to favor maintaining the status quo, even when it is exploitative and for overturning. Good, morally defensible change can cause disorientation and discomfort, even among conventionally pious people. The terms “revolutionary,” “liberal,” “conservative,” and “reactionary” are inherently relative to the center, the definition of which varies according to time and place. These four labels are, in the abstract, morally neutral. In circumstances, however, they are not. Being conservative, for example, may be right or wrong, depending on what one hopes to conserve. And, if one is not a revolutionary in certain circumstances, one is morally defective.
The Reverend Doctor Martin Luther King, Jr., called for a
moral revolution of values
on April 4, 1967, when he finally unambiguously and unapologetically opposed the Vietnam War. That address, which he delivered at the Riverside Church, Manhattan, proved to be extremely controversial, mainly because of King’s position on the Vietnam War. That controversy obscured much of the rest of the contents of the speech. (King was correct to oppose the Vietnam War, by the way.) The other content of that speech remains prophetic and germane. The call for a society that values people more than property, for example, has not come to fruition, sadly.
Sometimes “turning the world upside down” is really turning it right side up, as in Psalm 146 and the Beatitudes. Giving justice to the oppressed, feeding the hungry, caring for the strangers, sustaining the orphan and the widow, and frustrating the way of the wicked are examples of turning the world right side up, not upside down. You, O reader, and I live in an upside-down world.
This is theologically orthodox. False theological orthodoxy mistakes social justice for heresy and bolsters social injustice. However, the Law of Moses, the Hebrew prophets, and the teachings of Jesus of Nazareth are consistent in holding that social injustice is a divine mandate.
So be it.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
APRIL 21, 2022 COMMON ERA
THURSDAY IN EASTER WEEK
THE FEAST OF SAINT ROMAN ADAME ROSALES, MEXICAN ROMAN CATHOLIC PRIEST AND MARTYR, 1927
THE FEAST OF SAINT CONRAD OF PARZHAM, CAPUCHIN FRIAR
THE FEAST OF DAVID BRAINERD, AMERICAN CONGREGATIONALIST THEN PRESBYTERIAN MISSIONARY AND MINISTER
THE FEAST OF GEORGE B. CAIRD, ENGLISH CONGREGATIONALIST THEN UNITED REFORMED MINISTER, BIBLICAL SCHOLAR, AND HYMN WRITER AND TRANSLATOR
THE FEAST OF GEORGIA HARKNESS, U.S. METHODIST MINISTER, THEOLOGIAN, ETHICIST, AND HYMN WRITER
THE FEAST OF SAINT SIMON BARSABAE, BISHOP; AND HIS COMPANIONS, MARTYRS, 341
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Link to the corresponding post at BLOGA THEOLOGICA
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Above: Good Shepherd
Image in the Public Domain
Hesed
APRIL 30, 2023
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According to the Inter-Lutheran Commission on Worship (ILCW) Lectionary (1973), as contained in the Lutheran Book of Worship (1978) and Lutheran Worship (1982)
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Acts 6:1-9; 7:2a, 51-60
Psalm 23
1 Peter 2:19-25
John 10:1-10
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God of all power,
you called from death our Lord Jesus Christ,
the great shepherd of the sheep.
Send us as shepherds to rescue the lost,
to heal the injured,
and to feed one another with knowledge and understanding;
through your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and forever. Amen.
OR
Almighty God,
you show the light of your truth to those in darkness,
to lead them into the way of righteousness.
Give strength to all who are joined in the family of the Church,
so that they will resolutely reject what erodes their faith
and firmly follow what faith requires;
through your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and forever. Amen.
—Lutheran Book of Worship (1978), 22
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Almighty God, merciful Father,
since you have wakened from death the Shepherd of your sheep,
grant us your Holy Spirit that we may know the voice of our Shepherd
and follow him that sin and death may never pluck us out of your hand;
through Jesus Christ, our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and forever. Amen.
—Lutheran Worship (1982), 52
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The lectionary wisely omits 1 Peter 2:18:
Slaves, accept the authority of your masters with all deference, not only those who are kind and gentle but also those who are harsh.
—The New Revised Standard Version (1989)
I realize that the First Epistle of Peter dates to a time and comes from a cultural setting in which the Church was young, small, and not influential. Nevertheless, I reject any defense that these circumstances excused not denouncing the indefensible.
This is Good Shepherd Sunday. “Good Shepherd” is a metaphor originally applied to YHWH (Psalm 23; Ezekiel 34) then to Jesus. Instead of going over shepherds again, I choose to focus on competing translations of one line in Psalm 23. Divine goodness and mercy may either pursue or attend/accompany one. Enemies cannot catch up. After leading many lectionary discussions and comparing translations of Psalms, I have become accustomed to competing, feasible translations of text and lines. I do not know if I should prefer divine goodness and mercy pursuing me or walking beside me. Perhaps that does not matter. Either way, the metaphor provides comfort.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
APRIL 20, 2022 COMMON ERA
WEDNESDAY IN EASTER WEEK
THE FEAST OF JOHANNES BUGENHAGEN, GERMAN LUTHERAN THEOLOGIAN, MINISTER, MINISTER, LITURGIST, AND “PASTOR OF THE REFORMATION”
THE FEAST OF SAINTS AMATOR OF AUXERRE AND GERMANUS OF AUXERRE, ROMAN CATHOLIC BISHOPS; SAINT MAMERTINUS OF AUXERRE, ROMAN CATHOLIC ABBOT; AND SAINT MARCIAN OF AUXERRE, ROMAN CATHOLIC MONK
THE FEAST OF CHRISTIAN X, KING OF DENMARK AND ICELAND; AND HAAKON VII, KING OF NORWAY
THE FEAST OF MARION MACDONALD KELLERAN, EPISCOPAL SEMINARY PROFESSOR AND LAY LEADER
THE FEAST OF ROBERT SEYMOUR BRIDGES, ANGLICAN HYMN WRITER AND HYMN TRANSLATOR
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Link to the corresponding post at BLOGA THEOLOGICA
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Above: The Sanhedrin
Image in the Public Domain
The Light of Christ, Part III
APRIL 30, 2023
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The Collect:
Blessed Lord, who caused all holy Scriptures to be written for our learning:
Grant us so to hear them, read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest them,
that we may embrace and ever hold fast the blessed hope of life,
which you have given us in our Savior Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns
with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
—The Book of Common Prayer (1979), page 236
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The Assigned Readings:
Acts 4:1-22
Psalm 23
1 Peter 2:11-25
Matthew 13:44-52
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One can find examples of God smiting evildoers in the Bible. The fate of the evil in Matthew 13 falls into a side category, one in which angels smite evildoers–at the end, on the day of judgment. Until then, as in Psalm 23, God simply outclasses and overpowers the wicked, who cannot keep up, much of the time. The wicked cease to pursue the righteous; divine goodness and mercy pursue or accompany the righteous, depending on the translation one considers authoritative.
Although I am reluctant to label members of the Sanhedrin evil, I side with Sts. John and Simon Peter in the confrontation with that council. I also rejoice that the Sanhedrin, for all its authority, lacked the power to prevent the Apostles from preaching. I thank God that the Sanhedrin could not keep up with God and part of the public.
May we be on God’s side. May we heed the advice of 1 Peter 2:12 and behave honorably always, to the glory of God. Human authority is not always worthy of respect and obedience, and slavery (in all its forms) is always wrong, so I agree with part of the reading from 1 Peter 2, a text some have used to justify chattel slavery and submitting to the Third Reich. The politics of early, persecuted Christianity aside, sometimes one must oppose human authority in order to live faithfully, in accordance with the divine commandments. Those figures of authority cannot keep up with God either, and the call to live as one should–to manifest the light of Christ–is timeless.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
MAY 31, 2018 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF THE VISITATION OF MARY TO ELIZABETH
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https://blogatheologica.wordpress.com/2018/05/31/the-light-of-christ-part-v/
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Above: St. Peter, by Dirck van Baburen
Image in the Public Domain
A Faithful Response, Part VII
APRIL 23, 2023
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The Collect:
Blessed Lord, who caused all holy Scriptures to be written for our learning:
Grant us so to hear them, read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest them,
that we may embrace and ever hold fast the blessed hope of life,
which you have given us in our Savior Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns
with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
—The Book of Common Prayer (1979), page 236
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The Assigned Readings:
Acts 3:1-10
Psalm 116:1-4, 12-19
1 Peter 2:1-10
Matthew 13:24-35
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The theme of the power of God unites the assigned readings for this Sunday.
The Kingdom of God/Heaven, we read, is like a field of wheat with weeds growing up in it also. We mere mortals should refrain from weeding the field, for unless we show that restraint, we will remove some wheat also.
The Kingdom of God/Heaven–in the Gospel of Matthew, God’s earthly, apocalyptic reign–has small, even invisible beginnings yet grows large and resists any human attempts to control it. The Kingdom of God/Heaven and the Kingdom of Earth will remain in tension until the former supplants the latter.
By the power of God people can obtain salvation, healing, and status as a kingdom of priests. By the power of God people receive grace. With grace comes responsibility to serve as vehicles of grace to others.
I think of the man born lame (Acts 3:1-10) and wonder about the rest of his story. The narrative moves in a different direction, following the Apostles he encountered that important day. I conclude that the man, beaten down by the circumstances of his life, probably did not expect much, but that he received far more than he anticipated in his wildest dreams. I wonder how that man spent the rest of his life. I like to think that he devoted it to the glory of God.
Your story, O reader, might be less dramatic than his. Mine is. Yet we have the same mandate he did–to respond to God faithfully. We mere mortals can never repay divine mercy, but we can serve God.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
MAY 31, 2018 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF THE VISITATION OF MARY TO ELIZABETH
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https://blogatheologica.wordpress.com/2018/05/31/a-faithful-response-part-viii/
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Above: Moses on Mount Sinai, by Jean-Leon Gerome
Image in the Public Domain
Epiphanies of God
FEBRUARY 29, 2024
MARCH 1-2, 2024
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The Collect:
Holy God, through your Son you have called us to live faithfully and act courageously.
Keep us steadfast in your covenant of grace,
and teach us the wisdom that comes only through Jesus Christ,
our Savior and Lord, who lives and reigns with you
and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.
–Evangelical Lutheran Worship (2006), page 28
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The Assigned Readings:
Exodus 19:1-9a (Thursday)
Exodus 19:9b-15 (Friday)
Exodus 19:16-25 (Saturday)
Psalm 19 (All Days)
1 Peter 2:4-10 (Thursday)
Acts 7:30-40 (Friday)
Mark 9:2-8 (Saturday)
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The law of the LORD inspires reverence and is pure;
it stands firm for ever,
the judgements of the LORD are true;
they form a good code of justice.
–Psalm 19:10, The Psalms Introduced and Newly Translated for Today’s Readers, Harry Mowvley (1989)
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We are always in the presence of God.
Where can I go from your spirit?
Or where can I flee from your presence?
If I climb up to heaven, you are there;
if I make the grave my bed, you are there also.
If I take the wings of the morning
and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea,
Even there your hand shall lead me,
your right hand hold me fast.
–Psalm 139:6-9, Common Worship: Daily Prayer (2005)
Nevertheless, sometimes the presence of God becomes evident in an unusually spectacular way. How one ought to respond to those occasions is one topic in the assigned readings for these three days.
1 Peter 2 and Exodus 19 bring up the point of the faithful people of God having the responsibility to be a light to the nations. First, however, the faithful people must become that light. This was originally the call of the Jews, who retain that call as well as their status as the Chosen People. Far be it from me to give short shrift to the Jews, my elder siblings in faith! I, a Gentile, belong to the branch which God grafted onto their tree.
But how should one respond to a spectacular manifestation of the presence of God? Those details, I suppose, are culturally specific, as is much of the Law of Moses. Moses removed his sandals in the presence of the burning bush. At Mt. Sinai the people were to wash their clothing, abstain from sexual relations for three days, and avoid touching the mountain. There was a case of fatal holiness, a repeated motif in the Hebrew Scriptures. People were supposed to maintain a safe distance from God. As for sexual activity, it would cause ritual impurity (see Leviticus 15:18) in the Law of Moses, which they were about to receive. And, in the words of scholar Brevard S. Childs:
The holy God of the covenant demands as preparation a separation from those things which are normally permitted and good in themselves. The giving of the covenant is different from an ordinary event of everyday life. Israel is, therefore, to be prepared by a special act of preparation.
—The Book of Exodus: A Critical Theological Commentary (Philadelphia, PA: Westminster Press, 1974), page 369
As for women and the Law of Moses, I cannot help but notice that the code reflects a negative view of gynaecology. May such sexism become increasingly rare in today’s world.
One pious yet misguided response to a spectacular manifestation of the presence of God is to seek to institutionalize it. That was just one error St. Simon Peter committed at the Transfiguration, the description of which I understand as being more poetic than literally accurate. (Could any description do the event justice?) Another error was that the three proposed booths would be the same size; one should have been larger than the others.
Although we dwell in the presence of God and might even be aware of that reality most of the time, we still need moments when we experience it in unusual and spectacular ways. Mundane blessings are wonderful and numerous, but sometimes we need another variety of blessing and a reminder of the presence of God. I have had some of them, although they were substantially toned down compared to the Transfiguration, the burning bush, and the giving of the Law of Moses. They were, however, out of the ordinary for me. Thus I remember them more vividly than I do the myriads of mundane blessings and encounters with God. These unusual epiphanies have edified me spiritually at the right times. They have also called me to continue on my spiritual walk with God through easy and difficult times. That journey is one for the glory of God and the benefit of others–perhaps including you, O reader.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
DECEMBER 10, 2014 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF SAINT JOHN ROBERTS, ROMAN CATHOLIC PRIEST AND MARTYR
THE FEAST OF HOWELL ELVET LEWIS, WELSH CONGREGATIONALIST CLERGYMAN AND POET
THE FEAST OF KARL BARTH, SWISS REFORMED THEOLOGIAN
THE FEAST OF THOMAS MERTON, ROMAN CATHOLIC PRIEST AND MONK
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https://blogatheologica.wordpress.com/2014/12/11/epiphanies-of-god/
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Above: A Germane Source Card from My Collection of Research Note Cards
Image Source = Kenneth Randolph Taylor
Liberating Grace
APRIL 27 AND 28, 2023
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The Collect:
O God our shepherd, you know your sheep by name
and lead us to safety through the valleys of death.
Guide us by your voice, that we may walk in certainty and security
to the joyous feast prepared in your house,
through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and forever. Amen.
–Evangelical Lutheran Worship (2006), page 33
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The Assigned Readings:
Exodus 2:15b-25 (19th Day)
Exodus 3:16-22; 4:18-20 (20th Day)
Psalm 23 (Both Days)
1 Peter 2:9-12 (19th Day)
1 Peter 2:13-17 (20th Day)
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You spread a table before me in the presence of those who trouble me;
you have anointed my head with oil,
and my cup is running over.
–Psalm 23:5, Book of Common Worship (1993)
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Names have power, or so many people believed in the time of Moses. To know someone’s name was usually to have some power over that person, hence God provides more of a description than a name–and a vague one at that–in response to the query of Moses. The transliterated Hebrew text reads:
Ehyeh-Asher-Ehyeh,
which is how TANAKH: The Holy Scriptures (1985) renders it. The germane footnote in the that translation says:
Meaning of Heb. uncertain; variously translated: “I Am That I Am”; “I Am Who I Am”; “I Will Be What I Will Be”; etc.
The relevant note in The Jewish Study Bible (2004) begins:
God’s proper name, disclosed in the next verse, is YHVH (spelled “yod-heh-vav-heh” in Heb.; in ancient times the “vav” was pronounced “w”). But here God first tells Moses its meaning: Ehyeh-Asher-Ehyeh, probably best translated as “I Will Be What I Will Be,” meaning “My nature will become evident from My actions.”
–page 111
“Ehyeh,” or “I Will Be,” is not a name that says much. It denies opportunities to attempt to have power over God and preserves mystery while indicating how to learn about God.
Volume I (1994) of The New Interpreter’s Bible informs me that the name YHVH/YHWH derives from the Hebrew verb meaning “to be,” so:
This God is named as the power to create, the one who causes to be. This God is the one who will be present in faithful ways to make possible what is not otherwise possible. This God is the very power of newness that will make available new life for Israel outside the deathliness of Egypt.
–page 714
The politics of Exodus 2 and 3 is that of liberation of the oppressed from their oppressors. God, these texts tell us, will free the Hebrews from the tyranny of the Pharaoh. Yet I read difficult politics–that of submission to authority, regardless of its moral nature–in 1 Peter 2:13-17. The next pericope is more chilling, for it tells slaves to obey their masters. There have been different forms of slavery over the course of time, of course, but I propose that this, for the point I am making today, is a distinction without a difference; no form of human slavery is morally acceptable. 1 Peter comes from a time when many Christians were attempting to prove that they did not constitute a threat to the Roman Empire, which had executed the founder of their religion via crucifixion. And many Christians thought that Jesus might return soon, so social reform or revolution was not a priority for some.
The relationship of Christians to civil authority has long been a challenging one, especially in Lutheran theology. And the arch-conservative (racist and reactionary, really) Presbyterian Journal, which helped to give birth to the Presbyterian Church in America (PCA) denomination in December 1973, spent much of the 1940s through the 1960s lambasting civil rights efforts and activists and quoting the Bible to justify Jim Crow laws. (I have examined original copies of the publication and possess the notes to prove the statement I just made.) The Journal writers, who called Martin Luther King, Jr., a Communist even after he had died, did not approve of his opposition to the Vietnam War either. They, in fact, criticized in very strong terms even conscientious objectors and all forms of civil disobedience, claiming them to be contrary to Christianity. The beating of this drum continued into the 1970s. In the 30 October 1974 issue, on pages 11 and 16, Editor G. Aiken Taylor commended and reprinted words by one Joan B. Finneran, whom he called
an elect lady of Simpsonville, MD.
Finneran wrote that the Bible commands us to obey earthly authority, for God establishes governments. Therefore:
When a Herod or a Hitler comes into power, we must thereby assume this is the Lord’s plan; He will use even such as these to put His total plan into effect for the good of His people here on earth.
God is in control, Finneran wrote, even if we, in our ignorance, do not understand divine plans. And we Americans ought to vote carefully and to pray for our elected officials–and obey them, of course. Finneran’s message, cloaked in details of Reformed theology,was one of submission to authority–even genocidal tyrants. That fact overrides any technically correct parts of her case in my mind.
I reject Finneran’s message, for, if one cannot disobey the Third Reich righteously, which regime can one oppose properly? Even the very conservative Reformed Presbyterian Church of North America understood the limits of obedience to human authority well in 1896, when the Synod passed a resolution condemning the Ottoman Empire for its massacres of Armenians and declaring that the Sultan’s regime had lost its moral right to govern.
I must, in all fairness and accuracy, point out that the Presbyterian Church in America has (subsequent to 1974) approved of civil disobedience in some cases and (in 2004) approved a pastoral letter condemning racism.
The Old Testament reveals the character of God mostly by recounting what God has done. God has, among other things, freed people. The central theme of the Bible is liberation to follow God. Our patterns of behavior reveal our character. Do we even try to follow God? Do we even attempt to aid those who suffer? Do we even care about the oppressed? Good intentions are positive, of course; they are preferable to bad ones. Yet we need grace to succeed. That, fortunately, is plentiful from God, who makes life itself and new life free from tyranny possible.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
DECEMBER 16, 2013 COMMON ERA
THE SIXTEENTH DAY OF ADVENT, YEAR A
THE FEAST OF GUSTAF AULEN, SWEDISH LUTHERAN THEOLOGIAN
THE FEAST OF SAINT ADELAIDE, HOLY ROMAN EMPRESS
THE FEAST OF MARIANNE WILLIAMS, ANGLICAN MISSIONARY
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http://blogatheologica.wordpress.com/2014/01/20/liberating-grace/
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Above: Sarah
Image in the Public Domain
Grace and Obligations
APRIL 24 and 25, 2023
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The Collect:
O God, your Son makes himself known to all his disciples in the breaking of bread.
Open the eyes of our faith, that we may see him in his redeeming work,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and forever. Amen.
–Evangelical Lutheran Worship (2006), page 33
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The Assigned Readings:
Genesis 18:1-14 (16th Day)
Proverbs 8:32-9:6 (17th Day)
Psalm 134 (Both Days)
1 Peter 1:23-25 (16th Day)
1 Peter 2:1-3 (17th Day)
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Behold now, bless the LORD, all you servants of the LORD,
you that stand by night in the house of the LORD.
Lift up your hands in the holy place and bless the LORD;
the LORD who made heaven and earth bless you out of Zion.
–Psalm 134, Book of Common Worship (1993)
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In my corner of Christianity, that is Anglicanism-Lutheranism, spiritual regeneration, the topic of 1 Peter 1:22-2:3, is bound up with baptism, especially the hearing of the language of the baptismal rite. In other words, baptism is more about what God is doing than about what we are doing. Yet, as I know well, other interpretations of spiritual regeneration exist in Christianity. According to some of them, I am not regenerate, despite my baptism, confirmation and two reaffirmations of faith, each of the last three in the presence of a bishop in Apostolic Succession from Jesus. Anyone who says I am not regenerate is mistaken on that point.
I like the God-centered theology of baptism, for we humans do not occupy the center of theology; God does. So baptism says more about grace (therefore God) than about us, and divine promises are rock-solid ones. This latter point holds true even under the most unlikely circumstances, such as the pregnancy of Sarah. And grace requires much of us, for it is free yet not cheap. We must, to quote assigned readings for these days,
Lay aside immaturity, and live,
and walk in the way of insight.
–Proverbs 9:6, The New Revised Standard Version: Catholic Edition (1993)
and rid ourselves
of all spite, deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and carping criticism.
—The New Jerusalem Bible (1985)
We must respond favorably to God in Christ, laying aside judgmental attitudes and embracing mercy.
I have not achieved all of these goals. Fortunately, my power, which is woefully inadequate to do that, is not at issue anyway. No, I have come as far as I have by grace. My desire to move in a positive direction has been good, of course, yet I interpret its existence as evidence of grace. I wonder how far grace will carry me next. And I am curious about how far it will continue to carry others, especially those I know and will know.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
DECEMBER 15, 2013 COMMON ERA
THE FIFTEENTH DAY OF ADVENT: THE THIRD SUNDAY OF ADVENT, YEAR A
THE FEAST OF THOMAS BENSON POLLOCK, ANGLICAN PRIEST AND HYMN WRITER
THE FEAST OF WILLIAM PROXMIRE, UNITED STATES SENATOR
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http://blogatheologica.wordpress.com/2014/01/20/grace-and-obligations-2/
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“Do not let your hearts be troubled….”–Jesus
MAY 7, 2023
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Acts 7:55-60 (New Revised Standard Version):
Filled with the Holy Spirit, Stephen gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God and Jesus standing at the right hand of God.
Look,
he said,
I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God!
But they covered their ears, and with a loud shout all rushed together against him. Then they dragged him out of the city and began to stone him; and the witnesses laid their coats at the feet of a young man named Saul. While they were stoning Stephen, he prayed,
Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.
Then he knelt down and cried out in a loud voice,
Lord, do not hold this sin against them.
When he had said this, he died.
Psalm 31:1-5, 15-16 (New Revised Standard Version):
In you, O LORD, I seek refuge;
so not let me ever be put to shame;
in your righteousness deliver me.
Incline your ear to me;
rescue me speedily.
Be a rock of refuge for me,
a strong fortress to save me.
You are indeed my rock and my fortress;
for your name’s sake lead me and guide me,
take me out of the net that is hidden for me,
for you are my refuge.
Into your hand I commit my spirit;
you have redeemed me, O LORD, faithful God.
My times are in your hand;
deliver me from the hand of my enemies and persecutors.
Let your face shine upon your servant;
save me in your steadfast love.
1 Peter 2:2-10 (New Revised Standard Version):
Rid yourselves, therefore, of all malice, and all guile, insincerity, envy, and all slander. Like newborn infants, long for the pure, spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow into salvation–if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good.
Come to him, a living stone, though rejected by mortals yet chosen and precious in God’s sight, and like living stones, be yourselves built into a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. For it stands in scripture:
See, I am laying in Zion a stone,
a cornerstone chosen and precious;
and whoever believes in him will not be put to shame.
To you then who believe, he is precious; but for those who do not believe,
The stone that the builders rejected
has become the head of the corner,
and
A stone that makes them stumble,
and a rock that makes them fall.
They stumble because they disobey the word, as they were destined to do.
But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s own people, in order that you may proclaim the mighty acts of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.
Once you were not a people,
but now you are God’s people;
once you had not received mercy,
but now you have received mercy.
John 14:1-14 (New Revised Standard Version):
Jesus said,
Do not let your hearts be troubled. Believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father’s house there are many dwelling places. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, so that where I am, there you may be also. And you know the way to the place where I am going.
Thomas said to him,
Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?
Jesus said to him,
I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you know me, you will know my Father also. From now on you do know him and have seen him.
Philip said to him,
Lord, show us the Father, and we will be satisfied.
Jesus said to him,
Have I been with you all this time, Philip, and you still do not know me? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on my own; but the Father who dwells in me does his works. Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; but if you do not, then believe me because of the works themselves. Very truly, I tell you, the one who believes in me will also do the works that I do and, in fact, will do greater works than these, because I am going to the Father. I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If in my name you ask me for anything, I will do it.
The Collect:
Almighty God, whom truly to know is everlasting life: Grant us so perfectly to know your Son Jesus Christ to be the way, the truth, and the life, that we may steadfastly follow his steps in the way that leads to eternal life; through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
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The Authorized Version of the Bible translates “dwelling places” from John 14:2 as “mansions.” This is a poor translation, for, depending on the scholar one consults, the reference in Greek can have three possible meanings:
1. There are “many rooms” (as the New International Version renders the text). The location of one’s room in the afterlife depends on one’s life: good for good and evil for evil. Some Jewish literature of the time contained this idea.
2. There is a series of roadside rooms where a traveler sleeps overnight before rising the next morning and going on his or her way. So there are stages of one’s spiritual journey, even in Heaven.
3. There are many rooms in God’s house, with plenty of room for everybody.
I like #2. But who knows, really? The main idea we should remember that Jesus is central to this afterlife.
Let us remember, too, “Do not let your hearts be troubled.” Given the literary context within the Johannine Gospel, Jesus had many reasons to be troubled. And yet he said, “Do not let your hearts be troubled.” And Paul the Apostle endured his share of difficulties after become a Christian and evangelist. Yet the epistles he wrote and dictated reflect a deep and abiding faith, great determination, and moments of frustration and pique, but not a greatly troubled heart.
I was a student at Valdosta State University and a member of Christ Episcopal Church, Valdosta, Georgia, from 1993 to 1996. One day I attended the funeral for Deacon Stella Clark’s son. I arrived at the church just before the funeral, for I chose not to skip a class meeting. The church was full, so I had to sit in the Parish Hall and listen to the service on a speaker. I recall Stella reading the Gospel, which began “Do not let your hearts be troubled…,” her voice breaking. That was great faith indeed. During that service she administered communion, the bread of life, to me.
Life contains the good and the bad, the joyous and the excruciating, and all degrees in the middle. Through it all we are not alone, no matter how much we feel that way. Experience has taught me that grace is most noticeable when the need for it is greatest. So I carry meaningful memories related to traumatic times. I rejoice in the great joy during those troubled times and thank God for the spiritual growth which has flowed from them, but take no delight in those times themselves. And I have learned more deeply the truth of “Do not let your hearts be troubled….” This is a lesson one can learn only by living.
KRT
Published originally at SUNDRY THOUGHTS OF KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR on June 20, 2010
Above: Logo of the Moravian Church
Jesus: Shepherd and Lamb
APRIL 30, 2023
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Acts 2:42-47 (New Revised Standard Version):
Those who had been baptized devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers.
Awe came upon everyone, because many wonders and signs were being done by the apostles. All who believed were together and had all things in common; they would sell their possessions and goods and distribute the proceeds to all, as any had need. Day by day, as they spent much time together in the temple, they broke bread at home and ate their food with glad and generous hearts, praising God and having the goodwill of all the people. And day by day the Lord added to their number those who were being saved.
Psalm 23 (New Revised Standard Version):
The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.
He makes me to lie down in green pastures;
he leads me beside still waters;
he restores my soul.
He leads me in right paths
for his name’s sake.
Even though I walk through the darkest valley,
I fear no evil;
for you are with me;
your rod and your staff–
they comfort me.
You prepare a table before me
in the presence of my enemies;
you anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
all the days of my life,
and I shall dwell in the house of the LORD
my whole life long.
1 Peter 2:19-25 (New Revised Standard Version):
It is a credit to you if, being aware of God, you endure pain while suffering unjustly. If you endure when you are beaten for doing wrong, what credit is that? But if you endure when you do right and suffer for it, you have God’s approval. For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you should follow in his steps.
He committed no sin,
and no deceit was found in his mouth.
When he was abused, he did not return abuse; when he suffered, he did not threaten; but he entrusted himself to the one who judges justly. He himself bore our sins in the body on the cross, so that, free from sins, we might live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed. For you were going astray like sheep, but now you have returned to the guardian of your souls.
John 10:1-10 (New Revised Standard Version):
Jesus said,
Very truly, I tell you, anyone who does not enter the sheepfold by the gate but climbs in by another way is a thief and a bandit. The one who enters by the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep hear his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has brought out all his own, he goes ahead of them, and the sheep follow him because they know his voice. They will not follow a stranger, but they will run from him because they do not know the voice of strangers.
Jesus used this figure of speech with them, but they did not understand what he was saying to them.
So again Jesus said to them,
Very truly, I tell you, I am the gate for the sheep. All who came before me are thieves and bandits; but the sheep did not listen to them. I am the gate. Whoever enters by me will be saved, and will come in and go out and find pasture. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.
The Collect:
O God, whose Son Jesus is the good shepherd of your people: Grant that when we hear his voice we may know him who calls us each by name, and follow where he leads; who, with you and the Holy Spirit, lives and reigns, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
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A shepherd is a shepherd only if there are sheep to guard and lead.
The imagery of sheep and shepherds runs throughout the Old and New Testaments. Various groups of people–royal subjects, people in front of Jesus, et cetera–filled the role of sheep, depending on the text in question. Depending on the passage of Scripture one considers, the shepherd was God, a king, or Jesus. And some shepherds neglected their flocks. Jesus, we read, is the Good Shepherd. And he is, indeed.
We, as sheep, need a shepherd to protect us from ourselves, for we want to wander off to dangerous places. Despite what we like to think about ourselves, we are not always the brightest crayons in the box. Dealing with this issue effectively begins with recognizing the truth about ourselves and how much we need God, specifically in the form of Jesus. May we acknowledge our shepherd and follow his lead.
Yet Jesus is also the victorious and worthy sacrificial lamb. Members of the Church Triumphant wash their robes in his blood, and their robes become white. This poetic image communicates a great truth regarding atonement. So, as the logo of the Moravian Church encourages us, may we follow the lamb. Considering what he sacrificed and why he did it, we should reciprocate in love, devotion, and gratitude.
KRT
Written on June 20, 2010
LENTEN AND EASTER DEVOTIONS 
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