Ordinary Time

Dec 11 2024

Scripture Study for

The Book of Ecclesiastes is an extended, sometimes agonized, exploration of the meaning of life, or—to be more exact—the question of whether there is a meaning to life. One fact that most troubles the author is the observation that very often those who do not work hard prosper, while those who do work hard do not. No one, no matter how hard they work, can be assured that their labor will pay off. This seems unjust, and the author questions whether there is in fact any justice built into God’s design of the world. If there isn’t, then what’s the point of trying? At least from the limited human perspective, everything is therefore “vanity,” a word that means “nothing,” “vapor,” or “pointless.”

Last week Paul noted that the Colossians had been buried and raised with Christ in baptism (2:12). The baptized now live a new life in Christ, having become part of his “body.” This life is “hidden,” in the sense that on the outside nothing about them has changed; this new life is only seen through the eyes of faith. It is nevertheless very real and is lived in and with Christ, who is associated with divine, not earthly, things. Those earthly aspects of the human person are opposed to God’s will and do not reflect the divine new life enjoyed by the baptized. This is the old self, who has died. The new self, the true self, lies hidden in Christ. Nevertheless, this new self must make itself known by how it acts in the world, transcending earthly divisions among humans.

Jesus’ response to the request that he intervene in a dispute between brothers has an edge to it. The address “friend” is, paradoxically, not particularly friendly and signals some disapproval, as does the refusal to intervene. Jesus will not be party to a dispute motivated at least partly by greed. The parable of the rich man illustrates the devastating spiritual impact that such greed can have. The language and decision of the man point to a single-minded self-centeredness regarding his good fortune: my harvest, my barns, my grain. He does not even seem to consider the possibility of sharing his overabundant harvest with those who are less fortunate. His enjoyment of and even obsession with his “goods” blind him to others. When his life is taken away from him, not only do the needy not profit from his abundance, but neither does he. Both his material goods and his spiritual welfare are lost because he was poor in what matters most to God.

Dec 11 2024

Be Bold and Persistent

How are we to pray? A couple of canines come to mind. Example one: first dog. I have a friend who got a whippet-mixed dog from a shelter. The dog became a gentle companion, but when she first arrived at my friend’s house, her eyes stayed down, her tail curled between her legs, and she backed away from human contact. The Greek word aidos describes that kind of bashfulness: keep your eyes down, know your place, and don’t bother people. Example two: second dog. I have another friend who got a golden retriever from a dog trainer when he was year-old pup. This dog is the most beloved of dogs. He looks you in the eye and persistently nudges his head into your hands. He expects your loving attention.

The Greek word anaideia describes that kind of shameless persistence. It means importunity: don’t be bashful! Don’t back off! Go ahead and disturb me! It is the opposite of the downcast eyes of dog number one, the negation of aidos. That word anaideia is only used once in the New Testament, here in Luke, when Jesus describes the shameless persistence of asking for bread from a neighbor in the middle of the night.

How are we to approach the living God? With anaideia!

In the first reading, God could have said to Abraham, “Shut up, man, you’re bothering me!” Abraham was pestering. He kept begging God to be merciful. How dare he speak to the Most High that way? Did he know his place? He did. But God was willing to be bothered.

How did Jesus name the Unspeakable Name? Father, Abba, my Daddy. For the Jews of his day, that was bold. That was brash. That was too intimate. But he expected the loving attention of the Most Holy One. He persisted in nudging God’s hand. Did he know his place? He did. He was the Beloved Son of the ever-loving Father.

Consider/Discuss

When you go to pray, what dog are you? Are you bashful and keep your eyes down, unsure of the response that you’ll get? Jesus teaches us to pray with perseverance: go to your heavenly Father, keep on pestering, keep on asking, keep on seeking, and keep on knocking. Be brash. Be bold. Expect to be loved, expect to be heard, persistently nudge your head into God’s caring hands. Are you dog number one or dog number two when it comes to approaching God in prayer?
Sometimes we may not feel worthy enough to pray. Or we feel that we are not being heard. Or we don’t get what we want. That may tempt us to give up on prayer, even give up on God. Yet at the same time, God has been called the hound of heaven who is even more relentless in pursuing us. Jesus never gives up on us. How have you experienced the Holy Spirit moving within you to encourage you, to urge you, and to implore you, to plead with you to keep trying, to keep praying?

Living and Praying with the Word

Um, you know, Lord, we don’t want to be too cocky. We don’t want to bother you. We don’t want to be presumptuous. Sometimes, we just want to put our tail between our legs and back away from you. But you tell us, “Be bold!” You tell us, “Come! Come to me; come and bother me!” Help us to be trusting like Abraham, so familiar in your friendship that we are not afraid to pester you for mercy. Do we know our place? We do. You have made us your beloved sons and daughters. Praise to you, God Most High!

Dec 11 2024

Scripture Study for

The negotiation between Abraham and God comes after last week’s scene in which God announces that Sarah will soon bear a son. As Abraham is seeing the visitors on their way, God decides to tell Abraham that judgment is about to be visited on Sodom and Gomorrah, because God has “singled him out that he may direct his children and his household in the future to keep the way of the Lord by doing what is just and right” (18:19). It seems God wants to see how Abraham will respond: with a concern for “what is just and right” or with a relish for divine punishment? Abraham passes with flying colors by showing that he understands the need for the divine response to sin, but he also is concerned (as God is) only to punish as a last resort. Unfortunately, in this case not even a handful of righteous people can be found in the towns.

Just before the beginning of this passage from Colossians, Paul has informed his audience that they have been “circumcised with a circumcision not administered by hand, by stripping off the carnal body, with the circumcision of Christ” (2:11). Circumcision, of course, is the removal of flesh, and for Jews signifies membership in the covenantal relationship with God. By being baptized, Christians receive the equivalent of circumcision by being incorporated into Christ by dying and rising with him. They also have their “flesh” removed, flesh being one of Paul’s favored terms for the aspect of the human person opposed to God’s will. Employing a different metaphor, Paul notes that before they were baptized into Christ, the Colossians were liable to condemnation because of their sins, signified by a “bond” (or charge) against them. This charge has been wiped out in Christ, in whose body it was nailed to the cross.

When Jesus’ disciples ask him to teach them to pray “as John taught his disciples,” they are probably referring to specific prayers he taught them (as opposed to a “method”). Jesus teaches his disciples his own prayer, which is notable for its brevity, simplicity, and directness. The petition that God’s name be “hallowed” is a prayer that all people will revere God’s name and person. Subjection to the final test refers to a period of severe trial, either eschatological or simply persecution of the sort Jesus warns about regularly. In either case, the prayer is for perseverance in time of trial. The following sayings of Jesus highlight the need for perseverance in prayer also, as God’s ways are rarely clear. God is, however, always faithful and will bestow what we need, including especially the Holy Spirit, the gift of God’s own self.

Dec 11 2024

Being Present to the Presence

One of my favorite things to do is to cook for people. This morning, my sourdough starter needed to be replenished. So I added flour and water and let it bubble. And then I made biscuits. Hot biscuits fresh out of the oven, soaked with a little butter, a little honey. Oh, the bread of life!

Does that make me a “Martha”? In today’s story, Mary does what the men in Jesus’ day usually do: sit and listen to the Teacher. And Jesus approves.

Because I like to cook for people, does that make me somehow less than a “Mary”? Does that make the expression of love through serving food—as women have traditionally done—something lower in the world of discipleship? Is a woman worth more when she takes on the role of a man? Is that what Jesus is saying here?

At this point, I hope you’re resisting and shouting, “No, no, no . . . he didn’t mean that at all! It was Martha’s overwhelming anxiety about the serving that he was admonishing her for.”

The people of Israel valued hospitality. In Genesis, Abraham hustled to get the milk to feed the angels while Sarah made the rolls. In return, the divine beings promised them a son. Luke’s Gospel says that Martha welcomed Jesus. She created a hospitable stopping spot for him. He who was the Bread of Life undoubtedly liked fresh bread hot from the oven. A good meal brings people together.

What matters most, what Mary got right, is to be present to Presence; whatever we do, wherever we are, we are never to depart from Jesus’ Presence, always “sitting at his feet.” We can cook with Jesus, dance with the Holy Spirit, and garden with the peace of God in our hearts. Jesus asks us to sit close in the midst of all that we do.

Biscuits, anyone?

Consider/Discuss

In contemporary American culture, both men and women enjoy cooking for others. (My son makes really good pie.) We don’t have to squeeze people into stereotypes. How can we move beyond cultural expectations to be hospitable to all of the gifts and all of the varieties of people that God has made?
At 8 a.m., I made biscuits. At 10 a.m., I prayed and wrote the first draft of this reflection. At 12 p.m., I looked at reviews of portable-compound miter-saw-stands for my woodshop in the garage. God was equally with me in all those activities. Was I equally aware of that? How can you and I learn to practice the Presence of God in all things, no matter what we are doing? What does it mean to be “present to Presence” even when we are not at church or during scheduled prayer times?

Living and Praying with the Word

Oh, Lord, help us! You challenged the assumptions of your day by letting Mary sit at your feet. You admonished Martha so that she might grow in holiness, away from anxiety and fear. You treated each person as worthy of dignity and respect. The psalmist tells us that when we do justice, we will live in your presence. Show us where we are being unjust; open our hearts so that we walk hospitably and do not tread on others. We want to live in your Presence! Thank you for always opening your arms to welcome us, O Bread of Life.

Dec 11 2024

Scripture Study for

This week’s Genesis narrative contains two notable elements. The first has to do with the hospitality that Abraham and Sarah show to the three visitors. Since it will become clear soon enough that two of these visitors are angels and the third is the Lord himself, the elderly couple find themselves “entertaining angels” without even knowing it (Hebrews 13:2). Hospitality was a serious social expectation in ancient Israel, and the couple exemplify this virtue even toward God. The second notable element is the announcement that, at long last, the divine promise to give a child to the elderly and infertile couple is to be fulfilled. Often in the most mysterious ways, and under the most unlikely conditions, God is faithful in bringing forth life.

Paul’s comment that he is making up in his own sufferings “what is lacking in the afflictions of Christ” seems, at first glance, to suggest that Christ’s redemptive suffering was somehow insufficient. This, of course, is not what Paul means. The Colossians are part of the Gentile mission, in which the gospel is spread throughout the known world. Paul has suffered much in his work of preaching the gospel, an extension of the work of Christ, as he has labored to bring “to completion . . . the word of God.” In this context, the “afflictions of Christ” appear to mean the suffering experienced as one continues Christ’s mission. Paul’s work has been to reveal the hidden mystery to the Gentiles, the mystery of what God is doing for the whole cosmos in and through Christ.

In this scene from Luke’s Gospel, Mary’s posture is that of a disciple, which would have normally—according to the social expectations of the time—been limited to males. Mary’s action, therefore, violates a social boundary, which is not particularly surprising in the Gospels in general, and certainly not in Luke’s Gospel, which pays such positive attention to women. It is perhaps because of the social incongruity and potential controversy of Mary’s position that Jesus assures her that “the better part” will not be taken away from her. The scene takes place immediately after last week’s story of the good Samaritan, in which Jesus illustrated what it means to love one’s neighbor. This scene complements that one, in that Mary illustrates what it means to love the Lord with all one’s heart, by sitting devotedly and attentively at the feet of Christ.