Archive for the ‘Economic Justice’ Tag
Above: Icon of Habakkuk
Image in the Public Domain
Private and Public Morality
FEBRUARY 21, 2021
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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:
Habakkuk 1:1-4; 2:2-14
Psalm 91:1-2, 9-16
Titus 1:1-16
Luke 18:31-43
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Three ideas intertwine to the point of becoming inseparable in these assigned readings: trusting God, having good public morality, and having good private morality. Responsibility is both individual and collective. Leaders receive particular attention in the readings from Habakkuk and Titus. Injustice–social, economic injustice, to be precise–is rife while corrupt rulers pile up what is not properly theirs. Furthermore, for a bishop (in the case of the reading from Titus) to teach properly, the home life cannot contradict spoken orthodoxy.
The Law of Moses forbids exploitation. This teaching informs Judeo-Christian orthodox morality all the way from both Testaments to current times. Yet many professing, conventionally devout Jews and Christians somehow justify exploitation. Fortunately, many other Jews and Christians condemn exploitation in words and deeds. Their witness is consistent with the Law, the prophets, and Jesus.
Jesus died at the hands of an unjust system of a violent empire. It dominated with fear and intimidation. Jesus, however, exposed that empire for what it was by being better than it was.
Can we see that? Can we also see the link between public and private morality, as well as the connection between them and trusting in God?
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
MARCH 23, 2020 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF SAINTS GREGORY THE ILLUMINATOR AND ISAAC THE GREAT, PATRIARCHS OF ARMENIA
THE FEAST OF MEISTER ECKHART, ROMAN CATHOLIC THEOLOGIAN AND MYSTIC
THE FEAST OF SAINT METODEJ DOMINICK TRCKA, ROMAN CATHOLIC PRIEST AND MARTYR, 1959
THE FEAST OF SAINT VICTORIAN OF HADRUMETUM, MARTYR AT CARTHAGE, 484
THE FEAST OF SAINT WALTER OF PONTOISE, FRENCH ROMAN CATHOLIC ABBOT AND ECCLESIASTICAL REFORMER
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https://blogatheologica.wordpress.com/2020/03/23/private-and-public-morality/
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Above: St. Stephen, by Luis de Morales
Image in the Public Domain
Imaginary Righteousness
APRIL 14, 2024
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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 7:48-60
Psalm 4
2 Peter 1:13-21
Mark 12:1-12
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Many of those who persecuted St. Paul the Apostle and who were complicit in the executions of Jesus and St. Stephen imagined themselves to be acting out of righteousness. St. Paul, as Saul of Tarsus, had zealously martyred Christians and been present for the stoning of St. Stephen.
To read the assigned lessons and imagine that they have nothing to do with us, who have not martyred or persecuted anyone, would be convenient, would it not? Yet we are guilty of, at a minimum, of consenting to the inhumane treatment of others–perhaps prisoners, immigrants, employees in deathtrap factories, et cetera. We think we own the planet, but we are merely tenants. Many of those who peacefully oppose injustice risk martyrdom or incarceration.
The minimal extent to which we are complicit is the degree to which we are invested in socio-economic-political structures that rely on and perpetuate violence and exploitation. Yet we imagine ourselves to be righteous.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
JUNE 27, 2019 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF CORNELIUS HILL, ONEIDA CHIEF AND EPISCOPAL PRIEST
THE FEAST OF HUGH THOMSON KERR, SR., U.S. PRESBYTERIAN MINISTER AND LITURGIST; AND HIS SON, HUGH THOMSON KERR, JR., U.S. PRESBYTERIAN MINISTER, SCHOLAR, AND THEOLOGIAN
THE FEAST OF JAMES MOFFATT, SCOTTISH PRESBYTERIAN MINISTER, SCHOLAR, AND BIBLE TRANSLATOR
THE FEAST OF SAINT JOHN THE GEORGIAN, ABBOT; AND SAINTS EUTHYMIUS OF ATHOS AND GEORGE OF THE BLACK MOUNTAIN, ABBOTS AND TRANSLATORS
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https://blogatheologica.wordpress.com/2019/06/27/imaginary-righteousness/
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Above: Parable of the Workers in the Vineyard, by Rembrandt van Rijn
Image in the Public Domain
A Faithful Response, Part VIII
MAY 7, 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 4:23-37
Psalm 31:1-9, 15-16
1 Peter 3:8-22
Matthew 20:1-16
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The Parable of the Laborers in the Vineyard (Matthew 20:1-16) tells of the generosity of God. The social setting is poverty created by rampant economic exploitation–in this case, depriving people of land, therefore depriving them of economic security. The economics of the Kingdom of God/Heaven–in tension with human systems–the Roman Empire, in particular–are morally superior.
Trusting in God can be difficult during the best of times, given human sins and frailties. Therefore trusting in God in precarious circumstances–such as persecution and/or systematic economic exploitation–can certainly prove to be challenging. Yet, when faith communities do so and, acting on trust in God, take care of their members’ needs, grace is tangibly present.
Dare we have much trust in 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-ix/
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Above: Mephibosheth Before David
Image in the Public Domain
Hesed
APRIL 28, 2024
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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:
2 Samuel 9:1-13a
Psalm 68:17-20
Revelation 19:1-10
Mark 8:1-10
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The reading from 2 Samuel 9 contains a wonderful Hebrew word, hesed, which can mean “faith” or “kindness.” For example, in 9:1 we read,
David inquired, “Is there anyone still left in the House of Saul with whom I can keep faith for the sake of Jonathan?”
—TANAKH: The Holy Scriptures (1985)
The New Revised Standard Version (1989) uses the other translation:
David asked, “Is there anyone left of the House of Saul to whom I may show kindness for Jonathan’s sake?”
Kindness is not always a simple matter. Treating Mephibosheth, the self-described “dead dog” and crippled son of Jonathan with mercy and prestige is easy enough. Furthermore, the miracle (the Feeding of the 4000) in Mark 8 is an example of extravagant and unambiguous kindness. But what about the contents of the other readings?
Babylon (the Roman Empire) has fallen in Revelation 18. The regime based on violence, oppression, and economic exploitation is no more. Those who benefited from relationships to the empire mourn its passing. We read of rejoicing in Heaven in Revelation 19. But what about the innocent victims of the fall of the empire? Might they also mourn the passing of the empire?
In Psalm 68 (a liturgy for a festival celebration in the Temple), taken in full, we read of God’s judgment and mercy. Yes, divine hesed is present, but so is God crushing the heads of his enemies (verse 21). As I have written repeatedly, good news for the oppressed is frequently catastrophic news for the unrepentant oppressors. Perhaps the enemies whose heads God crushes were harming the widows and orphans mentioned in verse 5.
There is more than enough divine hesed to go around, but each of us has the individual responsibility to practice hesed toward each other also. Furthermore, we have the collective responsibility to practice hesed institutionally, including as nation-states.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
JUNE 14, 2017 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF SAINT METHODIUS I OF CONSTANTINOPLE, PATRIARCH
THE FEAST OF DOROTHY FRANCES BLOMFIELD GURNEY, ENGLISH POET AND HYMN WRITER
THE FEAST OF HANS ADOLF BRORSON, DANISH LUTHERAN BISHOP, HYMN WRITER, AND HYMN TRANSLATOR
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https://blogatheologica.wordpress.com/2017/06/14/hesed/
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Above: The Good Shepherd
Image in the Public Domain
Good and Bad Shepherds
APRIL 21, 2024
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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:
Ezekiel 34:25-31
Psalm 28
1 Timothy 4:6-16
Luke 15:4-10
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On the Revised Common Lectionary the Fourth Sunday of Easter is Good Shepherd Sunday. David Ackerman’s Beyond the Lectionary (2013) continues this custom.
Shepherd is a sufficiently common metaphor for monarch in the Hebrew Bible that serious students should not be surprised to encounter it. In Ezekiel 34 the bad shepherds are Kings of Judah who have ignored the Law of Moses, practiced and condemned idolatry, presided over economic exploitation, and generally harmed the people. Toward the end of the lifespan of the Kingdom of Judah some of the last kings are about to experience the just desserts the author of Psalm 28 sought for his enemies.
In contrast to the bad shepherds of Ezekiel 34 we find Jesus in Luke 15 and St. Timothy in 1 Timothy 4. Pastors are shepherds too, after all, and sound teaching matters greatly. In the temporal context of 1 Timothy 4, when certain doctrines we Christians of today take for granted were developing and others did not exist yet, the definition of sound teaching depended more on oral tradition than it does today–on written sources and established creeds. Some of the particulars of 1 Timothy are culturally specific, but one can identify timeless principles behind those examples. As for Jesus, he is the good shepherd who seeks everyone, although not all lost sheep will repent.
May leaders seek and effect the best interests of the people, by grace. These might be political, institutional, or religious leaders, but all of them are shepherds. May they be good shepherds. Whenever any are bad shepherds, may they repent and become good shepherds. If, however, they insist on being bad shepherds, may good shepherds replace them.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
JUNE 13, 2017 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF CHRISTIAN DAVID JAESCHKE, GERMAN MORAVIAN ORGANIST AND COMPOSER; AND HIS GRANDSON, HENRI MARC HERMANN VOLDEMAR VOULLAIRE, MORAVIAN COMPOSER AND MINISTER
THE FEAST OF MILTON SMITH LITTLEFIELD, JR., U.S. PRESBYTERIAN AND CONGREGATIONALIST MINISTER, HYMN WRITER, AND HYMNAL EDITOR
THE FEAST OF WILLIAM CULLEN BRYANT, U.S. POET, JOURNALIST, AND HYMN WRITER
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https://blogatheologica.wordpress.com/2017/06/13/good-and-bad-shepherds-2/
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Above: Amos
Image in the Public Domain
Love, the Fulfillment of the Law of Moses
FEBRUARY 18, 2024
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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:
Amos 2:4-8, 13-16
Psalm 25:16-18
Galatians 5:2-12
Matthew 23:27-36
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The author of Psalm 25 was an observant Jew contending with enemies who disapproved of his piety. He trusted in God, to whom he appealed for help.
That piety was sorely lacking in the Kingdoms of Israel and Judah. (Aside: I recommend reading all of Amos 2, for doing so makes the designated passages thereof more meaningful than they are otherwise.) That lack of piety, made manifest in ritual offenses and violations of human dignity (including the infamous selling of the poor for a poor of sandals in 2:6) YHWH was most displeased. Dire consequences ensued.
Although Amos supported the Law of Moses, the attitude of St. Paul the Apostle in Galatians was different. For St. Paul requiring a Gentile convert to Christianity to become a Jew first was wrong. The apostle had written earlier in that epistle that the Law of Moses was like a disciplinarian or house servant who performed his or her work until the arrival of Christ (Chapter 3:23f):
The distinction between circumcised and uncircumcised is irrelevant in Christ. What counts is faith that expresses itself in love, because love is the fulfillment of the Law (5:14; Romans 13:8-10).
—The New Interpreter’s Study Bible (2003), page 2087
That love was absent from the attitudes and actions of certain scribes and Pharisees in Matthew 23:27-36.
In all fairness I feel obligated to defend the motivations of the Judaizers, of whom St. Paul was critical. Although I am grateful for St. Paul and his work, from which I, as a Gentile, benefit, I acknowledge the pious motives of the Judaizers, defenders of tradition, as they understood it. I think of them as pious folk who took to heart passages such as Amos 2 and Psalm 25. Nevertheless, their error, I perceive, was on of which I have been guilty: maintaining barriers God has knocked down.
We humans like boundaries, literal as well as metaphorical. They tell us who falls into what category. There are divinely established categories, I affirm, but they are not necessarily ours. Furthermore, we might not know where the differences between God’s plan and our definitions lie. This fact complicates one’s quest to lead a holy life, does it not?
I offer no easy answers regarding how to read God’s mind, for nobody cam read the divine mind. I do, however, suggest that trusting in God’s grace to treat each other selflessly and self-sacrificingly is a fine spiritual discipline, for love is the fulfillment of the Law of Moses, which contains both timeless principles and culturally specific examples thereof.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
JUNE 5, 2017 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF ANDERS CHRISTENSEN ARREBO, “THE FATHER OF DANISH POETRY”
THE FEAST OF OLE T. (SANDEN) ARNESON, U.S. NORWEGIAN LUTHERAN HYMN TRANSLATOR
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https://blogatheologica.wordpress.com/2017/06/05/love-the-fulfillment-of-the-law-of-moses/
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Above: Jeremiah, by Lorenzo Monaco
Image in the Public Domain
Idolatry and Social Justice
FEBRUARY 14, 2024
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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:
Jeremiah 7:1-5
Isaiah 29:9-10, 13-16
James 1:12-16
Matthew 6:7-13
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David Ackerman has selected a cohesive set of readings for Ash Wednesday.
In Jeremiah 7 the prophet, delivering his Temple sermon, grouped social injustice, violence, economic exploitation, idolatry, adultery, and false oaths together. Abandon these practices, Jeremiah decreed, and YHWH will return to the Temple. The prophet’s words were immediately for naught, of course; the public did not repent–turn around. A prediction of renewal of that divine-human relationship after the Babylonian Exile came in Isaiah 29, after the condemnation of a skewed view of that relationship, one in which one mistakes the potter for the clay.
The author of Matthew and James reminded their audiences that God does not tempt anyone. Those writers also encouraged repentance before God.
I do not know anyone who opposes the idea of social justice. I do, however, know people who understand that concept differently. Invariably, somebody, acting in the name of social justice will commit social justice and probably be oblivious to that fact. We humans do, after all, have social and personal moral blinders. I like that Jeremiah 7 defines social justice in concrete terms. Nevertheless, even those standards are subject to disagreement regarding how best to avoid committing them. So, of course, someone will invariably support an economically exploitative policy while genuinely opposing economic exploitation.
May God deliver us from being either oblivious to the demand for social justice, defined as how we treat each other–individually and collectively–or from our blind spots regarding how best to effect social justice. May God also deliver us from all forms of idolatry, such as those that stand between us and social justice.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
JUNE 5, 2017 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF ANDERS CHRISTENSEN ARREBO, “THE FATHER OF DANISH POETRY”
THE FEAST OF OLE T. (SANDEN) ARNESON, U.S. NORWEGIAN LUTHERAN HYMN TRANSLATOR
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https://blogatheologica.wordpress.com/2017/06/05/idolatry-and-social-justice/
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Above: Figs
Image in the Public Domain
And Pour Contempt On All My Pride
MAY 21, 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:
Jeremiah 9:23-24; 24:1-10
Psalm 115
Mark 11:27-33 and 12:35-37 or Luke 20:1-8 and 20:41-47 or John 21:20-25
2 Corinthians 10:1-17
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Boasting is overrated. It is a pastime for many and a profession for others, but the fact remains that hubris will go before the fall. The only proper boast is in divine grace and the merits of Jesus Christ. A vocation from God is a cause to reflect on one’s responsibility and one’s total dependence on grace, not on one’s greatness or virtues.
Part of the Law of Moses is the reality that we depend completely on God, whom we have an obligation to glorify and to whom to return in repentance whenever we stray. Nevertheless, many of us stray repeatedly and without the habit of repentance. We might, as in the case of the scribes in Mark 12 and Luke 20, engage in or condone economic injustice–in violation of the Law of Moses. More mundanely, we might question the authority of Jesus in our lives. He will win that argument ultimately, of course. We have the gift of free will; may we, by grace, refrain from abusing it often. None of us can use free will properly all the time, but we can, by grace, improve over time.
May we say, with Isaac Watts (1674-1748),
When I survey the wondrous cross
where the young Prince of Glory died,
my richest gain I count but loss,
and pour contempt on all my pride.
And, consistent with Matthew 25:31-46, may we care for the least of Christ’s brethren.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
OCTOBER 12, 2016 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF MARTIN DOBER, MORAVIAN BISHOP AND HYMN WRITER; JOHANN LEONHARD DOBER, MORAVIAN MISSIONARY AND BISHOP; AND ANNA SCHINDLER DOBER, MORAVIAN MISSIONARY AND HYMN WRITER
THE FEAST OF EDITH CAVELL, NURSE AND MARTYR
THE FEAST OF SAINT KENNETH OF SCOTLAND, ROMAN CATHOLIC MISSIONARY
THE FEAST OF SAINT NECTARIUS OF CONSTANTINOPLE, ARCHBISHOP
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https://blogatheologica.wordpress.com/2016/10/12/and-pour-contempt-on-all-my-pride/
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Above: Odd Fellows Widows’ and Orphans’ Home, Corsicana, Texas, 1910
J149681 U.S. Copyright Office
Copyright deposit; Jno. J. Johnson; 1910
Copyright claimant’s address: Ennis, Tex.
Photographer = John J. Johnson
Image Source = Library of Congress
Reproduction Number = LC-USZ62-133853
The Idol of Public Respectability
MAY 18, 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:
Proverbs 1:1-7
Psalm 119:145-176
Mark 12:35-37 or Luke 20:41-47
1 John 2:3-29
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The term “fear of God” should be “awe of God,” for the latter translation conveys the concept accurately. Certain distractions can draw our attention away from God and the awe thereof. Among these are suffering (not necessarily a distraction, per Psalm 119, yet a distraction for many), worldly appetites (also not necessarily distractions inherently, but distractions for many), and false teaching (always a distraction). The issue is idolatry. An idol is an object, teaching, philosophy, or practice that draws attention and awe away from God. Many idols for many people are not idols for many other people. If someone treats something as an idol, it is an idol for that person.
One can seem to be holy and free of idols yet be disingenuous. In the parallel readings from mark (extended) and Luke Jesus condemns those who put on airs of righteousness yet crave public respectability and devour the property of widows, in violation of the Law of Moses. The spiritual successors of the scribes Jesus condemned are numerous, unfortunately. Some of them even have their own television programs.
Public respectability is not a virtue in the Gospel of Luke:
Alas for you when the world speaks well of you! This was the way their ancestors treated the false prophets.
–Luke 6:26, The Jerusalem Bible (1966)
That saying’s companion is:
Happy are you when people hate you, drive you out, abuse you, denounce your name on account of the Son of Man. Rejoice when that day comes and dance for joy, then your reward will be great in heaven. This was the way their ancestors treated the prophets.
–Luke 6:23, The Jerusalem Bible (1966)
This is a devotion for the Feast of the Ascension. The selection of these lections seems odd, I admit, but one can make the connection. After the Ascension Jesus was no longer physically present with his Apostles. Afterward, however, the Holy Spirit descended upon them and empowered them to do much to spread the word of Jesus and to glorify God. Of the original Apostles (including St. Matthias, who replaced Judas Iscariot) only two did not die as martyrs. St. John the Evangelist suffered much for God and died of natural causes. Those Apostles (minus Judas Iscariot) did not crave and did not receive public respectability. They did, however, glorify God and change the world for the better.
May we resist the idol of public respectability and, by grace, live so as to glorify God and benefit our fellow human beings.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
OCTOBER 12, 2016 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF MARTIN DOBER, MORAVIAN BISHOP AND HYMN WRITER; JOHANN LEONHARD DOBER, MORAVIAN MISSIONARY AND BISHOP; AND ANNA SCHINDLER DOBER, MORAVIAN MISSIONARY AND HYMN WRITER
THE FEAST OF EDITH CAVELL, NURSE AND MARTYR
THE FEAST OF SAINT KENNETH OF SCOTLAND, ROMAN CATHOLIC MISSIONARY
THE FEAST OF SAINT NECTARIUS OF CONSTANTINOPLE, ARCHBISHOP
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https://blogatheologica.wordpress.com/2016/10/12/the-idol-of-public-respectability/
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Above: Tamar and Judah, by Aert de Gelder
Image in the Public Domain
Taking Difficult Passages of Scripture Seriously
APRIL 21, 2024
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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:
Genesis 38:1-30 or Ecclesiastes 5:1-20
Psalm 10
Matthew 22:23-33 or Mark 12:18-27 and Luke 20:39-40
2 Corinthians 7:2-16
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I recall that, in 1996, my father began his tenure as pastor of the Asbury United Methodist Church, north of Baxley, in Appling County, Georgia. Shortly after this I began to attend to services at St. Thomas Aquinas Episcopal Church in town, for I had been an Episcopalian for a few years. Nevertheless, I was never a stranger at Asbury Church during my father’s tenure there.
One of the adult Sunday School classes at Asbury was discussing the Book of Genesis at the pace of a chapter a week. On one Sunday morning in the summer of 1996 the leader of the group, having covered Chapter 37 the previous week, skipped over Chapter 38 to Chapter 39, with little explanation. The story of Judah, Tamar, levirate marriage (the background of the question in the readings from the Gospels), and temple prostitution was a really hot potato, so to speak. The narrative in Genesis 38 does not criticize a young, childless widow for having sexual relations with her father-in-law at a pagan temple and becoming pregnant with twins. In her situation she did what she needed to do to secure her future.
Deuteronomy 25:5-10 commands the practice of levirate marriage, for the benefit of a childless widow in a patriarchal society without a government-defined social safety net. In the case of Genesis 38 the practice, applied to a particular set of circumstances, makes many modern readers of the Bible squirm in their theological seats. This is no excuse for ignoring the chapter, of course. Whenever a portion of scripture makes one uncomfortable, one should study it more closely and, in the highest meaning of the word, critically.
The Sadducees in the parallel readings of Matthew, Mark, and Luke did not ignore levirate marriage, but they did employ it in a question meant to entrap Jesus. They did not affirm the resurrection of the dead. That is why, according to a song for children,
they were sad, you see.
For the Sadducees the emphasis on this life helped to justify the accumulation of wealth in a society in which economic injustice was ubiquitous. They, like others, failed to ensnare Jesus verbally. He was that capable.
Koheleth, writing in Ecclesiastes, noted that economic injustice and other forms of social injustice ought not to surprise anyone. After all, he mentioned, perpetrators of injustice protect each other. Nevertheless, as the author of Psalm 10 understood, those who exploited the poor (in violation of the Law of Moses) could not escape divine justice.
Just as the painful letter of St. Paul the Apostle to the Corinthian congregation led to the changing of hearts there, the study of difficult passages of scripture can lead people to learn more about the Bible, ask vital questions, think more critically about scripture, and grow spiritually. It can also change hearts and minds for the better. May we who call ourselves followers of God neither ignore nor use such passages flippantly, but take them seriously instead. Then may we act accordingly. We might even learn that we are committing or condoning social injustice, perhaps that of the economic variety.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
OCTOBER 11, 2016 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF SAINT PHILIP THE EVANGELIST, DEACON
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https://blogatheologica.wordpress.com/2016/10/11/taking-difficult-passages-of-scripture-seriously/
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LENTEN AND EASTER DEVOTIONS 
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