{"id":20277,"date":"2011-02-20T23:07:13","date_gmt":"2011-02-21T06:07:13","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/?p=20277"},"modified":"2011-02-20T23:08:19","modified_gmt":"2011-02-21T06:08:19","slug":"scriptural-maunderings-for-the-seventh-sunday-after-epiphany","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/2011\/02\/20\/scriptural-maunderings-for-the-seventh-sunday-after-epiphany.html","title":{"rendered":"Scriptural Maunderings for the Seventh Sunday after Epiphany"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"A<\/a>Been a while, but here’s the latest in my musings about the weekly Sunday Scripture. \u00a0I attend an Episcopalian church, and the\u00a0readings<\/a> are from the Revised Common Lectionary, Year A, NRSV translation.<\/p>\n

This week is, on the surface, a “feel good” week of Scripture. In reality, it’s one of the toughest weeks I can remember, in terms of what it calls on Christians to do.<\/p>\n

Old Testament: Leviticus 19:1-2,9-18<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

(I read this passage to the congregation this morning)<\/p>\n

The LORD spoke to Moses, saying:\u00a0Speak to all the congregation of the people of Israel and say to them: You shall be holy, for I the LORD your God am holy.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

This passage is interesting, in terms of the constant repetition of who’s speaking … not just Moses, but the LORD Himself.<\/p>\n

When you reap the harvest of your land, you shall not reap to the very edges of your field, or gather the gleanings of your harvest. You shall not strip your vineyard bare, or gather the fallen grapes of your vineyard; you shall leave them for the poor and the alien: I am the LORD your God.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

On the one hand, there’s a certain paternalism to “Well, leave the leftovers to the poor and ‘aliens'” … but, then, I listen to the words of so many ostensibly conservative and Christian politicians today, who claim the “aliens” to be either terrorists or illegals who should be hunted down and expelled. \u00a0And who see the poor as sponges and lazy and draggers-down of society as a whole.<\/p>\n

Taking up the gleanings from the harvest isn’t the path to riches, but one has the sense that The LORD would be dubbed a George Soros-loving Socialist by Glenn Beck in the current political climate.<\/p>\n

You shall not steal; you shall not deal falsely; and you shall not lie to one another. And you shall not swear falsely by my name, profaning the name of your God: I am the LORD.\u00a0You shall not defraud your neighbor; you shall not steal; and you shall not keep for yourself the wages of a laborer until morning. You shall not revile the deaf or put a stumbling block before the blind; you shall fear your God: I am the LORD.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Avoiding falsehood? Avoiding sharp deals and fraud? \u00a0How … un-American! Sounds like over-reaching regulatory power that needs to be repealed preferably, and defunded \u00a0at a minimum!<\/p>\n

Plus, all that not causing grief to the disabled? \u00a0Just a socialistic code-phrase to force businesses into unprofitable and expensive\u00a0accommodations. Positively anti-capitalist!<\/p>\n

You shall not render an unjust judgment; you shall not be partial to the poor or defer to the great: with justice you shall judge your neighbor.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

An interesting note here: justice is blind to the social status of the \u00a0person before it. \u00a0Favoring the poor per se<\/em> is no better than favoring the rich. All humanity <\/em>needs to be treated as equals for justice to prevail.<\/p>\n

You shall not go around as a slanderer among your people, and you shall not profit by the blood of your neighbor: I am the LORD.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

The Levitican view of “who is your neighbor” is narrower than what Jesus eventually preaches, and is focused mainly on fellow Israelites (the “alien” does get the occasional sop). \u00a0That said, decrying slander <\/em>in the Bible certainly seems to put some folks on shaky moral ground.<\/p>\n

You shall not hate in your heart anyone of your kin; you shall reprove your neighbor, or you will incur guilt yourself. You shall not take vengeance or bear a grudge against any of your people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the LORD.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

An interesting mixed bag. We’re called to love, not hate, our neighbor (our kin) — as opposed to seeking vengeance or bearing a grudge. \u00a0At the same time, it’s made clear that love can include reproof. \u00a0Loving someone, in this context, doesn’t mean accepting what they do as good or laudable. \u00a0Speaking the truth is valuable — if done in (actual) love.<\/p>\n

(Too many people see that as license to criticize far beyond what the bounds of love are.)<\/p>\n

[The elided passages call for keeping the Sabbath, avoiding (literal) idols, and rules about when you should eat sacrificial meat.]<\/p>\n

Epistle: 1 Corinthians 3:10-11,16-23<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

According to the grace of God given to me, like a skilled master builder I laid a foundation, and someone else is building on it. Each builder must choose with care how to build on it. For no one can lay any foundation other than the one that has been laid; that foundation is Jesus Christ.\u00a0Do you not know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in you? If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy that person. For God’s temple is holy, and you are that temple.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

I see this as affirming God’s role in the formation of each person. \u00a0While you can see the latter warning as being directed toward self-destruction (and it’s been used to criticize and punish those who led what were deemed immoral lives), it would also seem to apply to others <\/em>who seek to destroy you as an individual and a child of God.<\/p>\n

Do not deceive yourselves. If you think that you are wise in this age, you should become fools so that you may become wise. For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written,\u00a0“He catches the wise in their craftiness,”\u00a0and again,\u00a0“The Lord knows the thoughts of the wise,\u00a0that they are futile.”<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

This passage is particularly infamous for its use by anti-science religionists to defy any inconvenient scientific truth they face. \u00a0To me, though, it speaks of using the values of this world — pragmatism, self-interest, realpolitik<\/em> — as a basis \u00a0for morality. It’s not about science, it’s about being “too clever by half” and calculating ethics and morality based on personal gain in the short term.<\/p>\n

In other words, altruism and love of one’s neighbors is incredibly risky, vs. the value of taking advantage of people around you for the gain of this world. \u00a0The author of 1 Corinthians (generally accepted as Paul) would argue differently.<\/p>\n

So let no one boast about human leaders. For all things are yours, whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas or the world or life or death or the present or the future– all belong to you, and you belong to Christ, and Christ belongs to God.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

In short, when folks arguing from the position of God start to place themselves (or be placed) as the most important part of the equation, something is wrong. \u00a0There should be no proud followers of Dobson, or Warren, or Robertson, only followers of Christ — and those who find themselves hanging on those preachers’ words as pre-eminent should consider how they compare to Scripture and to the the voice of the Holy Spirit within them.<\/p>\n

[The elided portion is an odd metaphor<\/a> about building upon the holy foundation with earthly goods.]<\/p>\n

Gospel: Matthew 5:38-48<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

This is the one of the toughest passages within the New Testament, given what it calls upon Christians to do. While I’ve on occasion received complements from people for how I seem to adhere to what Jesus taught, there is far too much here where I fall short to feel at all confident, let alone proud.<\/p>\n

Jesus said, “You have heard that it was said, `An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’ But I say to you, Do not resist an evildoer. But if anyone strikes you on the right cheek, turn the other also; and if anyone wants to sue you and take your coat, give your cloak as well; and if anyone forces you to go one mile, go also the second mile.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Wow. We “believe” enough to usually recognize the flaws in a tooth-for-a-tooth stance (though it still permeates our foreign policy and judicial system — even as some claim we are a “Christian nation”). \u00a0But the idea of not resisting against those who abuse us, who hate us, who strike us, who seek to take from us, who force us into uncomfortable positions — yeesh. \u00a0That’s, at best, aspirational for most Christians. \u00a0For too many, it’s forgotten in that pragmatic world that the Epistle condemns.<\/p>\n

Give to everyone who begs from you, and do not refuse anyone who wants to borrow from you.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Again, horribly difficult. I work in a major city, and walk about downtown on my lunch hour. \u00a0I’d say I get panhandled at least every other day on average. And I never give. \u00a0Ditto for folks standing at freeway offramps. \u00a0I have all sorts of excuses — fear, preconceptions of what they’ll spend money on, the donations I give to organizations that support the local homeless and poor. \u00a0But Jesus’ words are hard to weasel around even in those circumstances, let alone as public policy.<\/p>\n

It does make one wonder, though, how those who claim to be devout Christians are so willing (even eager) to cut off public assistance for the poor, as well as characterize them as parasites and lazy and thieves from the “good” public.<\/p>\n

“You have heard that it was said, `You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be children of your Father in heaven; for he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the righteous and on the unrighteous.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

The word used here for love is agape<\/em>, which is a willed, unconditional love and caring, regardless of what may be returned. \u00a0We are called to love, to be neighbors, to care for each other, whether we feel loving at any given time (or feel lovable, for that matter).<\/p>\n

Indeed, one of the points here, it seems, beyond the direction to personal behavior, is that God loves everyone just the same. He may be unhappy with folks for their evil or unrighteousness, but He loves them, unconditionally, regardless of their character. And that includes people who don’t consider themselves unworthy of His love, as well as people who some others consider unworthy of His love.<\/p>\n

How does that apply to politics? \u00a0To how we treat people in our society? To how we treat those we don’t like, or care for, or want to support? \u00a0Jesus is clear — we must love <\/em>them, as we love ourselves. \u00a0We may disagree with or reprove them (as the Old Testament reading indicates), but our foundational, intrinsic behavior toward them, as with everyone, should be love, not hate or anger or aggression.<\/p>\n

For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet only your brothers and sisters, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same?<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Loving the folks who are lovable is easy. \u00a0Loving the folks who agree with us, or who look like us, or who behave like us, or who live near us, is easy. But Jesus’ dictate (exemplified in the Parable of the Good Samaritan) goes beyond that. \u00a0We need to love those who dislike us, who oppose us, who are unknown to us.<\/p>\n

That’s an insanely difficult command.<\/p>\n

Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.”<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Perfect, here, means whole<\/em>. \u00a0Regardless, we are called to be perfect in this way, as exemplified by the Father.<\/p>\n

But that’s impossible,<\/em> you might say. I can’t love those who hate me — who hurt me. \u00a0I can’t treat those outside my social circle with fairness and dignity and equality. \u00a0I certainly can’t give unlimited amounts to the poor, or answer every beggar, or give where it might hurt me, or my family.<\/em><\/p>\n

True.<\/p>\n

But that’s what Jesus is asking. \u00a0And making excuses, and political stances, and philosophical arguments, and pragmatic reasons, to not do so, is certainly something anyone can do (especially in Congress) … if they’re willing to confront Jesus’ words and defy them. Calling for retaliation to international slights \u00a0… cutting back on assistance to the “unworthy” poor, and to international recipients … rejecting the pain of taxes to support this … there are a zillion reasons to do these things — if you’re prepared to deny Jesus’ very clear words on the subject.<\/p>\n

As they say, if it were easy, everyone could do it.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Been a while, but here’s the latest in my musings about the weekly Sunday Scripture. \u00a0I attend an Episcopalian church, and the\u00a0readings are from the Revised Common Lectionary, Year A, NRSV translation. This week is, on the surface, a “feel good” week of Scripture. In reality, it’s one of the toughest weeks I can remember, … Continue reading “Scriptural Maunderings for the Seventh Sunday after Epiphany”<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[9,98],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-20277","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-politics-law","category-scriptural-maunderings"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":19530,"url":"https:\/\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/2010\/12\/12\/scriptural-maunderings-for-the-3rd-sunday-of-advent.html","url_meta":{"origin":20277,"position":0},"title":"Scriptural Maunderings for the 3rd Sunday of Advent","author":"***Dave","date":"Sun 12-Dec-10 11:24pm","format":false,"excerpt":"Another Sunday of readings, another Sunday of considerations ... This is a series of posts (look, ma, I have a category now!) about my reactions to the week's reading's in church. I attend an Episcopalian church, and the readings are from the Revised Common Lectionary, Year A, NRSV translation. Old\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Scriptural Maunderings"","block_context":{"text":"Scriptural Maunderings","link":"https:\/\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/category\/religion\/scriptural-maunderings"},"img":{"alt_text":"A fragment from the Dead Sea Scrolls","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/08\/dead-sea-scroll-fragment-300x261.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":19138,"url":"https:\/\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/2010\/11\/08\/scriptural-maunderings-for-all-saints-day.html","url_meta":{"origin":20277,"position":1},"title":"Scriptural Maunderings for All Saints’ Day","author":"***Dave","date":"Mon 8-Nov-10 9:47am","format":false,"excerpt":"This past Sunday we celebrated All Saints' Day (officially 1 November, but celebrated the Sunday following by us Episcopalians). \u00a0\u00a0 Some thoughts on the Scripture appointed (Revised Common Lectionary, Cycle C, NRSV translation). Old Testament: Daniel 7:1-3,15-18 Daniel has a prophetic dream about four beasts, which gets interpreted for him\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Scriptural Maunderings"","block_context":{"text":"Scriptural Maunderings","link":"https:\/\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/category\/religion\/scriptural-maunderings"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":19450,"url":"https:\/\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/2010\/12\/05\/scriptural-maunderings-for-the-2nd-sunday-of-advent.html","url_meta":{"origin":20277,"position":2},"title":"Scriptural Maunderings for the 2nd Sunday of Advent","author":"***Dave","date":"Sun 5-Dec-10 9:55pm","format":false,"excerpt":"Yet another installment looking at my own reaction to the readings we had in church (Episcopal) today. \u00a0The Lectionary is the Revised Common Lectionary, Year A, and the translation is the NRSV ... Old Testament - Isaiah 11:1-10 We're in Advent, which means Much Ado about Prophecy. \u00a0In this case,\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Scriptural Maunderings"","block_context":{"text":"Scriptural Maunderings","link":"https:\/\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/category\/religion\/scriptural-maunderings"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/12\/michael-york-john-baptist.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/12\/michael-york-john-baptist.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/12\/michael-york-john-baptist.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":20574,"url":"https:\/\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/2011\/03\/27\/spiritual-maunderings-for-the-third-sunday-in-lent.html","url_meta":{"origin":20277,"position":3},"title":"Spiritual Maunderings for the Third Sunday in Lent","author":"***Dave","date":"Sun 27-Mar-11 3:11pm","format":false,"excerpt":"An occasional delving into the Sunday Scripture at my church. I attend an Episcopalian parish, and the\u00a0readings are from the Revised Common Lectionary, Year A, NRSV translation. The theme this week is \"waters\" and God providing.\u00a0 Well, sort of. Old Testament: Exodus 17:1-7 This is the typical \"Israelites grumbling in\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Crime & Punishment"","block_context":{"text":"Crime & Punishment","link":"https:\/\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/category\/politics-law\/crime-punishment"},"img":{"alt_text":"A fragment from the Dead Sea Scrolls","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/08\/dead-sea-scroll-fragment-300x261.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":135419,"url":"https:\/\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/2017\/11\/26\/apparently-christians-think-humanity-can-define-god.html","url_meta":{"origin":20277,"position":4},"title":"Apparently some Christians think Humanity can define God","author":"***Dave","date":"Sun 26-Nov-17 11:28pm","format":false,"excerpt":"The state established Lutheran Church in Sweden has asserted that church language in the future should not use terminology that identifies God as being a particular gender. Conservative Christians go nuts over the news. To which I say, which is the greater blasphemy? A. Taking the language of Scripture, written\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "~PlusPosts"","block_context":{"text":"~PlusPosts","link":"https:\/\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/category\/blogging\/plusposts"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/unnamed.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":18427,"url":"https:\/\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/2010\/09\/06\/scriptural-maunderings-for-15-pentecost.html","url_meta":{"origin":20277,"position":5},"title":"Scriptural Maunderings for 15 Pentecost","author":"***Dave","date":"Mon 6-Sep-10 11:29am","format":false,"excerpt":"This is the second in a series of posts looking at Scripture each Sunday, as a means of exploring what it means to me. 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