October 5, Proper 22
Readings: Lamentations 1:1-6 and Lamentations 3:19-26 or Psalm 137, Habakkuk 1:1-4; 2:1-4 and Psalm 37:1-9, 2 Timothy 1:1-14, Luke 17:5-10
There is not always a clear theme linking the lectionary readings for any given week. And if someone told me this week’s readings were not chosen with a binding idea in mind, that would not surprise me. Yet sometimes unintended connections arise. This week the readings from the Old Testament all seem to reflect on suffering in some way. From the despair of exile and “affliction” in Lamentations, to the weeping for a lost home in Psalm 137, and the evil and destruction of injustice that causes Habakkuk to cry to God for relief, the scriptures for this week plead for God’s intervention. For some (like Habakkuk), hope is found in standing firm in the face of violence. But, for others (like the writer of Psalm 37), the response to suffering is to wait and trust in the Lord – at least for now.
As we turn to the Gospel passage from Luke 17 it is this trust (faith) in God which becomes generative in and of itself: “If you had faith the size of a mustard seed, you could…”. What is implied or assumed in many other parts of the Bible is made crystal clear by Jesus: Not only is waiting on God and trusting in God’s love and goodness a means of surviving through suffering. Faith in God is the very thing that will empower believers to act with divine power. At the same time, Jesus also seems frustrated by an attitude of entitlement where some of his followers presume that they are the only ones for whom or through whom God should act. We are reminded that God never acts solely for us but, rather, that faith in God must be expansive and inclusive. For when we try to limit God, we cease believing in divine goodness and inevitably begin to hurt others out of our own righteous indignation – tragically spreading the very suffering we cried out to God against in the first place.
October 12, Proper 23
Readings: Jeremiah 29:1, 4-7 and Psalm 66:1-12, 2 Kings 5:1-3, 7-15c and Psalm 111, 2 Timothy 2:8-15, Luke 17:11-19
Last week’s Old Testament readings explored faithful responses to suffering and injustice. This week, however, the mood shifts to “getting on with life”. In Jeremiah the people in exile are told to “build houses and live in them; to plant gardens and eat what they produce” and in Psalm 66 we join with the whole earth to rejoice in the great power of God – directly in the face of our enemies who “cringe” before the Lord. To be clear: The suffering and injustice have not disappeared. The people are still in exile. They still face a precarious future as great nations and empires surround them. But scripture tells us that often the response to suffering is also to fully embrace the gift of life with great joy.
The 2 Kings and the Luke readings also inform each other, again reminding the people that the healing God is never restricted to only a select group. Naaman the commander of the enemy army, and the Samaritan man (a cultural rival for many Jewish people) are both healed. Moreover, it is the outsider who most clearly and gratefully testifies to the healing power of God. And we are left with one more possibility for hope. Even in our suffering and exile, God’s grace and power is great enough to work miracles even in our enemies. May we allow our witness to Christ be as encompassing and as radical as that.
October 19, Proper 24
Readings: Jeremiah 31:27-34 and Psalm 119:97-104, Genesis 32:22-31 and Psalm 121, 2 Timothy 3:14-4:5, Luke 18:1-8
The readings from both Genesis and Luke describe ways of engaging authority (even the authority of God!) in surprising ways. It is seldom that I hear a sermon encouraging me to demand something from God. Yet, both the widow and the patriarch Jacob seem to be affirmed when they insist upon God. Of course, Jesus teaches that God is always with us in the midst of suffering and always hears the cries of those who face injustice. But the crying out is in some ways important in and of itself.
Perhaps the problem arises when we demand something from God out of selfishness or fear, or even just as a way of avoiding living faithfully. In these cases even when we might be “calling on God’s name” we are actually more like the self-focussed judge and not like the widow. Maybe if Jacob had decided what he wanted and then demanded it from God (especially power and wealth) his demands might have become blasphemous. Yet, in the end we are left in no doubt. Any cry for justice and blessing will be heard. May we wait on God with hope.
October 26, Proper 25
Readings: Joel 2:23-32 and Psalm 65, Sirach 35:12-17 or Jeremiah 14:7-10, 19-22 and Psalm 84:1-7, 2 Timothy 4:6-8, 16-18, Luke 18:9-14
The New Testament readings from Luke and 2 Timothy both ask questions about how our lives are justified. In the epistle, justification seems to come from a life of faithfulness, of “fighting the good fight” and “running the race”. In the gospel, it seems that justification seems to come only from the acknowledgement of the tax collector’s utter dependence on God in the midst of his sin. These seemingly opposed perspectives hint at the deep struggle in the church about how we are justified and then reconciled with God. Do our actions matter? If so, how, and why?
Addressing these questions is well beyond the scope of this reflection. But it is worth noting that both biblical perspectives depend on honest statement about life. Paul (or one of his followers) is truthfully describing a life lived in faith and service which is to be celebrated in glory. And the tax collector is describing honestly his own sinfulness and dependence on God – in contrast to the Pharisee who fails to recognise that anything is missing in his life. However we reconcile both our dependence on God and our commitment to faithful action, we must begin with a deep and truthful understanding of our lives.
October Lectionary Reflections are based on the Revised Common Lectionary and have been prepared by Rev. Dr Niall McKay, Educator for Lifelong Learning
