Gospel Reading for November 12, 2023

This detail of the foolish virgins from a stained glass window in St Giles’ church Oxford was photographed by Fr. Lawrence Lew, O.P.

START WITH SCRIPTURE:
Matthew 25:1-13
CLICK HERE TO READ SCRIPTURE ON BIBLEGATEWAY.COM

OBSERVE:

This is an eschatological passage, which means that it relates to last things.  Jesus is warning the disciples that they are to be ready for the coming of the end of the age because they will not know exactly when that will be.

The wedding feast is a common Biblical image for the end of the age and coming of the kingdom of God.

A little familiarity with weddings in the Jewish world of the first century can make these details come to life. It was the custom for the bridegroom to go and build a house for himself and his bride following the betrothal.  And when the father determined that the house was acceptable, he granted the son permission to go and gather his bride and bring her back for the feast.  This usually happened at night with a festive procession through the town, with torches and singing.  So, the virgins waiting for the coming of the bridegroom at night, at an unknown time, is not at all far-fetched.  There were no synchronized watches in those days!

But the real issue here is being prepared for the unknown time of arrival.  The five wise virgins had brought supplemental oil in case the bridegroom was tardy — the five foolish did not.

Those who are prepared are welcomed in to the brightly lit home for the wedding feast — the unprepared are shut out in the dark.

Jesus makes his message clear:

Watch therefore, for you don’t know the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man is coming.

APPLY:  

This may seem harsh to our modern ears — why couldn’t the five wise virgins share some oil? Isn’t that the Christian thing to do? And why didn’t the bridegroom just relax and let the foolish virgins in?

From our perspective, it all seems unreasonable — but Jesus is making one simple point.  Watch.  Be prepared.  You never know what will happen and when the Lord will come.

RESPOND: 

I do not know when Jesus will return, but I am deeply aware that he has promised to do so.  My job, if I am to be wise, is to be ready — to turn to him in faith, to tell others to do the same.  If I am to take the interpretation of the parable to the next level, then I need to warn the foolish folks around me to be ready — buy oil, so to speak — by focusing on their faith.

Our Lord, I confess I feel inadequately prepared for your coming sometimes — but I do know that you are with me, whatever a day might bring.  Help me to face the future with anticipation that you will meet me there.  Amen. 

PHOTOS:
“Foolish Virgins” by Fr. Lawrence Lew, O.P. is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs license.

Epistle Reading for November 12, 2023

START WITH SCRIPTURE:
1 Thessalonians 4:13-18
CLICK HERE TO READ SCRIPTURE ON BIBLEGATEWAY.COM

OBSERVE:

Paul is writing to first generation Christians who are virtually clueless about the Christian Gospel and the promises of everlasting life.  This is no time for subtlety, and Paul tries to be as direct as he can be.

His answer to the problem of grief in the face of death is equally direct — he wishes to inform the Thessalonians that death has been ‘defanged.’  He doesn’t want them to grieve like those in Roman culture who have no clear path to life beyond death.

The Christian hope, Paul teaches, is grounded in the saving acts of Jesus Christ — his death and resurrection. He doesn’t teach here that people are inherently immortal.  Rather, he teaches that those who believe will be raised with Jesus on the last day, when Christ returns.

And Paul is especially emphatic that those who have already died will precede those who are still living.  Some call this phenomenon the rapture, although that term isn’t found anywhere in Scripture.  The concept envisions that there will be a kind of gathering in the sky of the resurrected. However, this ‘flight’ will only be a transitional experience on the way to life with the Lord forever.

Time and space don’t permit an in-depth analysis of the doctrine of resurrection and eternal life revealed in Scripture.  Nor does Paul offer much more to the Thessalonians here. As with so many aspects of heaven and eternity, all they are offered is a glimpse.

What is vital to remember here is that his claim is grounded in history — Jesus died and was raised, and promises the same to those who have their hope in him.

APPLY:  

If you want to start a terrific argument, start talking about eschatology (the study of the end of the world).  Some will argue that biblical eschatology is absolutely literal, and others will say that it is all poetry, and still others will say it’s not to be taken seriously at all.

What we lose sight of is its purpose — to comfort those who are grieving and doubtful by giving them a vision of the coming age.  If we get distracted about details — are you pre-tribulation or post-tribulation, premillennial or postmillennial, and what do all of the biblical prophecies mean today — we lose sight of the simple truth of the Gospel.

That simple truth is that our hope of resurrection — in whatever form that will come — is grounded in the historical claims of the resurrection of Jesus.  Outside of him there is no hope.

But if we place our hope in him, we will be raised to eternal life.  That’s really the bottom line.

RESPOND: 

I really don’t know much about eschatology and apocalypticism beyond what I’ve read in Scripture and in a few books of theology.  I tend to shy away from it because I take seriously what Jesus says in Matthew 24:36:

But no one knows of that day and hour, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but my Father only.

It’s not that I want to be ignorant, it’s that I think the what, when, where, and how are not ultimately up to me.  Sufficient for me to know the WHY — that Jesus died and was raised.  And because he has been raised, those who trust him will be raised also.

Lord, I see loss all around me, every day.  But your Word promises that what is lost will be restored in the resurrection, when the end of the age has come.  Living with that knowledge enables me to live with the reality that everything around me is temporary, except for a relationship with you.  Strengthen that relationship.  Amen.  

PHOTOS:
“1 Thessalonians 4:17” by Sapphire Dream Photography is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 2.0 Generic license.

Psalm Reading for November 12, 2023

“…that the generation to come might know….that they might set their hope in God, and not forget God’s deeds, but keep his commandments…” (Psalm 78:6-7 World English Bible)

START WITH SCRIPTURE:
Psalm 78:1-7
CLICK HERE TO READ SCRIPTURE ON BIBLEGATEWAY.COM

OBSERVE:

This Psalm extols the importance of passing on the sacred stories and the commandments from one generation to the next.

The Psalmist declares that he will bring out into the open the great truths that have been hidden in the past.  This is the process of tradition — he has heard these things from his ancestors, and now relates them to the next generation.

There are two parts to his teaching. The first is to lift up the mighty acts of Yahweh.  These would no doubt include the stories of the Patriarchs, of the Exodus and the miracles in the wilderness of Sinai.

The second division of the teaching pertains to the demands on the people — the statutes, laws and commandments.

This process anticipates nurturing not only the children of this generation in the faith, but also children yet unborn.

There is a central goal in this process — to form the faith of each successive generation.  And this is the simple goal:

 that they might set their hope in God,
and not forget God’s deeds,
but keep his commandments.

The goal of relating the history of God’s people is to create a faithful relationship with God, remember the great stories of the work of God, and keep God’s commands.

APPLY:  

It has been said that “the church is always just one generation away from extinction.”  I take that to mean that the church must continue the important task of transmitting the faith from one generation to the next.

As others have said, no one is born a Christian.  The faith must be formed in each of us by discipleship.

This is the responsibility of pastors, Sunday School teachers, youth directors, to be sure. And of course parents are charged with this awesome duty.  But in my church, every church member also takes a vow every time a child is baptized in the church to “proclaim the good news and live according to the example of Christ… (that these children) may be true disciples who walk in the way that leads to life.”

Passing on the faith is an act of the entire Christian community.

And in this Psalm, we see that the faith that we pass on includes a trusting relationship with God, knowing God’s mighty deeds and praising him, and living the moral life that is shaped by God’s commands.

RESPOND: 

I am responsible for passing on the faith into which I have been baptized as effectively as I possibly can, not only to my own biological family but in my family of faith, the church.  Therefore I must nurture my own relationship with God; study his Word that I might remember his mighty deeds and praise him for his works; and allow his commands to shape my moral life.  As I do this, I may both show and tell others what my own life of faith is like.

Our Lord, you have revealed yourself to us in such a personal way — not only through your mighty acts as recorded in Scripture, but also through the still, quiet voice of your Spirit.  Draw me closer to you so that I may draw others closer to you as well.  Amen. 

PHOTOS:
Andrew Moon uploaded this photo for public access on Pexels.com. It is licensed under a Creative Commons Zero (CC0) license.

Old Testament for November 12, 2023

START WITH SCRIPTURE:
Joshua 24:1-3a, 14-25
CLICK HERE TO READ SCRIPTURE ON BIBLEGATEWAY.COM

OBSERVE:

This passage is the culmination of the conquest of Canaan by the Israelites.  This is a time of consolidation and control for the tribes who now inhabit the land. Now, the aging Joshua challenges Israel to commitment.

He gathers the people at Shechem in the hill country where their ancestor Abraham had been given the promise that this land would belong to his offspring, and built an altar there to commemorate that moment (Genesis 12:6-7).  It is also a place rich with stories of their tribal patriarchs.  Place matters in the Bible.

Joshua begins by rehearsing the history that they all know — how God delivered them from slavery in Egypt, and guided them to this land, and gave them the power to conquer the native peoples who were there.

But the bottom line is his challenge to them — either choose to serve the gods of the Chaldeans that their forefathers served in the days before Abraham; or choose to serve the gods of the Egyptians; or serve Yahweh, the God of Israel.  There was to be no “both/and” about this. Their faith was not to be “pluralistic.”

Joshua himself is very clearly self-differentiated.  He knows who he is and whom he serves — Yahweh.  But he also makes it clear to the Israelites that it is impossible for them to serve God half-heartedly.  It is either all or nothing.  If they start out serving God and turn away, the results will be disastrous for them.

Like Abraham, who built an altar for worship, Joshua also creates a symbol of remembrance — the stone that will serve as a remembrance to them that they have made a commitment this day.

APPLY:  

We live in a pluralistic age of diversity.  Some might even say we are among the most syncretistic cultures in history — choosing a little from this worldview, a little from that religion, a little from another culture.  We use words like karma, namaste, jihad without even thinking about their religious implications.

Surely it can’t be such a bad thing to learn from other religions, right?

There is a half-truth here. How can we possibly understand the world view of others if we don’t engage them in conversation? And how can we possibly hope to have influence if we don’t listen?

The catch comes when we begin to realize that we must make a choice.  All paths do not lead to truth.  In fact, many belief systems are absolutely in conflict with one another.

So, it is imperative that we be confronted with the claims of the Biblical God.  These are claims that are grounded in history, and reveal a God who has entered into time and even become one of us, as the New Testament reveals.  That is either true or it is not.

Ironically, Joshua appears to be one of the worst possible evangelists, or salesmen, for his faith.  He warns the Israelites that they can’t live up to God’s demands. After all, Yahweh is holy and jealous and there will be serious consequences if they turn away.  Not much of an “open mind” I daresay!

I believe this passage reminds us of something that is absolutely vital to the survival of the nation, the church, and the family — we are the sum of our commitments.  If we say we believe in God, but we worship other “gods” such as materialism, success, pleasure, we will find ourselves looking to those things for meaning, security and the good life rather than to God.  And if our commitment to God is weakened, as when we disregard our vows of church membership, what about our vows to country, or our marriage vows?

Choose this day whom you will serve!

RESPOND: 

This classic passage reminds me again that I am the sum of my commitments.  If I am committed to the God revealed in the Bible, then I am committed to the pattern of life revealed in that same Bible.  And that means that there are certain things I will do — and certain things that I won’t.

As Bob Dylan’s song, written soon after his conversion to Christianity, tells us:

You gotta serve somebody.

Lord, you set before me life and death, and the choice between them is clear.  Choosing you is the way to life.  I am also aware that I am incapable of following your ways without your help.  I thank you that you have chosen me, and I choose to follow you — only give me the grace and strength to do what you command.  Amen.

PHOTOS:
“Joshua 24:15” uses the following photo:
“Two Tracks” by MorrisCountyNJ is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 2.0 Generic license.

Gospel Reading for November 12, 2017

This detail of the foolish virgins from a stained glass window in St Giles’ church Oxford was photographed by Fr. Lawrence Lew, O.P.

START WITH SCRIPTURE:

Matthew 25:1-13
CLICK HERE TO READ SCRIPTURE ON BIBLEGATEWAY.COM

OBSERVE:

This is an eschatological passage, which means that it relates to last things.  Jesus is warning the disciples that they are to be ready for the coming of the end of the age because they will not know exactly when that will be.

The wedding feast is a common Biblical image for the end of the age and coming of the kingdom of God.

A little familiarity with weddings in the Jewish world of the first century can make these details come to life. It was the custom for the bridegroom to go and build a house for himself and his bride following the betrothal.  And when the father determined that the house was acceptable, he granted the son permission to go and gather his bride and bring her back for the feast.  This usually happened at night with a festive procession through the town, with torches and singing.  So, the virgins waiting for the coming of the bridegroom at night, at an unknown time, is not at all far-fetched.  There were no synchronized watches in those days!

But the real issue here is being prepared for the unknown time of arrival.  The five wise virgins had brought supplemental oil in case the bridegroom was tardy — the five foolish did not.

Those who are prepared are welcomed in to the brightly lit home for the wedding feast — the unprepared are shut out in the dark.

Jesus makes his message clear:

Watch therefore, for you don’t know the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man is coming.

APPLY:  

This may seem harsh to our modern ears – why couldn’t the five wise virgins share some oil? Isn’t that the Christian thing to do? And why didn’t the bridegroom just relax and let the foolish virgins in?

From our perspective, it all seems unreasonable – but Jesus is making one simple point.  Watch.  Be prepared.  You never know what will happen and when the Lord will come.

RESPOND: 

I do not know when Jesus will return, but I am deeply aware that he has promised to do so.  My job, if I am to be wise, is to be ready – to turn to him in faith, to tell others to do the same.  If I am to take the interpretation of the parable to the next level, then I need to warn the foolish folks around me to be ready – buy oil, so to speak, by focusing on their faith.

Our Lord, I confess I feel inadequately prepared for your coming sometimes — but I do know that you are with me, whatever a day might bring.  Help me to face the future with anticipation that you will meet me there.  Amen. 

PHOTOS:
“Foolish Virgins” by Fr. Lawrence Lew, O.P. is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs license.

Epistle Reading for November 12, 2017

START WITH SCRIPTURE:

1 Thessalonians 4:13-18
CLICK HERE TO READ SCRIPTURE ON BIBLEGATEWAY.COM

OBSERVE:

Paul is writing to first generation Christians who are virtually clueless about the Christian Gospel and the promises of everlasting life.  This is no time for subtlety, and Paul tries to be as direct as he can be.

His answer to the problem of grief in the face of death is equally direct — he wishes to inform the Thessalonians  that death has been ‘defanged.’  He doesn’t want them to grieve like those in Roman culture who have no clear path to life beyond death.

The Christian hope, Paul teaches, is grounded in the saving acts of Jesus Christ – his death and resurrection. He doesn’t teach here that people are inherently immortal.  Rather, he teaches that those who believe will be raised with Jesus on the last day, when Christ returns.

And Paul is especially emphatic that those who have already died will precede those who are still living.  Some call this phenomenon the rapture, although that term isn’t found anywhere in Scripture.  The concept envisions that there will be a kind of gathering in the sky of the resurrected. However, this ‘flight’ will only be a transitional experience on the way to life with the Lord forever.

Time and space don’t permit an in-depth analysis of the doctrine of resurrection and eternal life revealed in scripture.  Nor does Paul offer much more to the Thessalonians here. As with so many aspects of heaven and eternity, all they are offered is a glimpse.

What is vital to remember here is that his claim is grounded in history — Jesus died and was raised, and promises the same to those who have their hope in him.

APPLY:  

If you want to start a terrific argument, start talking about eschatology – the study of the end of the world.  Some will argue that biblical eschatology is absolutely literal, and others will say that it is all poetry, and still others will say it’s not to be taken seriously at all.

What we lose sight of is its purpose — to comfort those who are grieving and doubtful by giving them a vision of the coming age.  If we get distracted about details — are you pre-tribulation or post-tribulation, pre-millenial or post-millenial, and what do all of the biblical prophecies mean today – we lose sight of the simple truth of the Gospel.

That simple truth is that our hope of resurrection – in whatever form that will come – is grounded in the historical claims of the resurrection of Jesus.  Outside of him there is no hope.

But if we place our hope in him, we will be raised to eternal life.  That’s really the bottom line.

RESPOND: 

I really don’t know much about eschatology and apocalypticism beyond what I’ve read in scripture and in a few books of theology.  I tend to shy away from it because I take seriously what Jesus says in Matthew 24:36:

But no one knows of that day and hour, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but my Father only.

It’s not that I want to be ignorant, it’s that I think the what, when, where, and how are not ultimately up to me.  Sufficient for me to know the WHY – that Jesus died and was raised.  And because he has been raised, those who trust him will be raised also.

Lord,  I see loss all around me, every day.  But your Word promises that what is lost will be restored in the resurrection, when the end of the age has come.  Living with that knowledge enables me to live with the reality that everything around me is temporary, except for a relationship with you.  Strengthen that relationship.  Amen.  

PHOTOS:
“1 Thessalonians 4:17” by Sapphire Dream Photography is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 2.0 Generic license.

Psalm Reading for November 12, 2017

 

“…that the generation to come might know….that they might set their hope in God, and not forget God’s deeds, but keep his commandments…” (Psalm 78:6-7 World English Bible)

START WITH SCRIPTURE:

Psalm 78:1-7
CLICK HERE TO READ SCRIPTURE ON BIBLEGATEWAY.COM

OBSERVE:

This Psalm extols the importance of passing on the sacred stories and the commandments from one generation to the next.

The Psalmist declares that he will bring out into the open the great truths that have been hidden in the past.  This is the process of tradition – he has heard these things from his ancestors, and now relates them to the next generation.

There are two parts to his teaching: the first is to lift up the mighty acts of Yahweh.  These would no doubt include the stories of the Patriarchs, of the Exodus and the miracles in the wilderness of Sinai.

The second division of the teaching pertains to the demands on the people — the statutes, laws and commandments.

This process anticipates nurturing not only the children of this generation in the faith, but also children yet unborn.

There is a central goal in this process: to form the faith of each successive generation.  And this is the simple goal:

 that they might set their hope in God,
and not forget God’s deeds,
but keep his commandments.

The goal of relating the history of God’s people is to create a faithful relationship with God, remember the great stories of the work of God, and keep God’s commands.

APPLY:  

It has been said that “the church is always just one generation away from extinction.”  I take that to mean that the church must continue the important task of transmitting the faith from one generation to the next.

As others have said, no one is born a Christian.  The faith must be formed in each of us by discipleship.

This is the responsibility of pastors, Sunday School teachers, youth directors, to be sure. And of course parents are charged with this awesome duty.  But in my church, every church member also takes a vow every time a child is baptized in the church to “proclaim the good news and live according to the example of Christ . . . (that these children) may be true disciples who walk in the way that leads to life.”

Passing on the faith is an act of the entire Christian community.

And in this Psalm, we see that the faith that we pass on includes a trusting relationship with God, knowing God’s mighty deeds and praising him, and living the moral life that is shaped by God’s commands.

RESPOND: 

I am responsible for passing on the faith into which I have been baptized as effectively as I possibly can, not only to my own biological family but in my family of faith, the church.  Therefore I must nurture my own relationship with God; study his Word that I might remember his mighty deeds and praise him for his works; and allow his commands to shape my moral life.  As I do this, I may both show and tell others what my own life of faith is like.

Our Lord, you have revealed yourself to us in such a personal way – not only through your might acts as recorded in Scripture, but also through the still, quiet voice of your Spirit.  Draw me closer to you so that I may draw others closer to you as well.  Amen. 

PHOTOS:
Andrew Moon uploaded this photo for public access on Pexels.com. It is licensed under a Creative Commons Zero (CC0) license.

Old Testament for Nov. 12, 2017

START WITH SCRIPTURE:

Joshua 24:1-3a, 14-25
CLICK HERE TO READ SCRIPTURE ON BIBLEGATEWAY.COM

OBSERVE:

This passage is the culmination of the conquest of Canaan by the Israelites.  This is a time of consolidation and control for the tribes who now inhabit the land. Now, the aging Joshua challenges Israel to commitment.

He gathers the people at Shechem in the hill country where their ancestor Abraham had been given the promise that this land would belong to his offspring, and built an altar there to commemorate that moment (Genesis 12:6-7).  It is also a place rich with stories of  their tribal patriarchs.  Place matters in the Bible.

Joshua begins by rehearsing the history that they all know – how God delivered them from slavery in Egypt, and guided them to this land, and gave them the power to conquer the native peoples who were there.

But the bottom line is his challenge to them — either choose to serve the gods of the Chaldeans that their forefathers served in the days before Abraham; or choose to serve the gods of the Egyptians; or serve Yahweh, the God of Israel.  There was to be no “both/and” about this. Their faith was not to be “pluralistic.”

Joshua himself is very clearly self-differentiated.  He knows who he is and whom he serves — Yahweh.  But he also makes it clear to the Israelites that it is impossible for them to serve God half-heartedly.  It is either all or nothing.  If they start out serving God and turn away, the results will be disastrous for them.

Like Abraham, who built an altar for worship, Joshua also creates a symbol of remembrance — the stone that will serve as a remembrance to them that they have made a commitment this day.

APPLY:  

We live in a pluralistic age of diversity.  Some might even say we are among the most syncretistic cultures in history, choosing a little from this world-view, a little from that religion, a little from another culture.  We use words like karma, namaste, jihad without even thinking about their religious implications.

Surely it can’t be such a bad thing to learn from other religions, right?

There is a half-truth here. How can we possibly understand the world view of others if we don’t engage them in conversation? And how can we possibly hope to have influence if we don’t listen?

The catch comes when we begin to realize that we must make a choice.  All paths do not lead to truth.  In fact, many belief systems are absolutely in conflict with one another.

So, it is imperative that we be confronted with the claims of the Biblical God.  These are claims that are grounded in history, and reveal a God who has entered into time and even become one of us, as the New Testament reveals.  That is either true or it is not.

Ironically, Joshua appears to be one of the worst possible evangelists, or salesmen, for his faith.  He warns the Israelites that they can’t live up to God’s demands. After all, Yahweh  is holy and jealous and there will be serious consequences if they turn away.  Not much of an “open mind” I daresay!

I believe this passage reminds us of something that is absolutely vital to the survival of the nation, the church, and the family — we are the sum of our commitments.  If we say we believe in God, but we worship other “gods” such as materialism, success, pleasure, we will find ourselves looking to those things for meaning, security and the good life rather than to God.  And if our commitment to God is weakened, as when we disregard our vows of church membership, what about our vows to country, or our marriage vows?

Choose this day whom you will serve!

RESPOND: 

This classic passage reminds me again that I am the sum of my commitments.  If I am committed to the God revealed in the Bible, then I am committed to the pattern of life revealed in that same Bible.  And that means that there are certain things I will do – and certain things that I won’t.

As Bob Dylan’s song, written soon after his conversion to Christianity, tells us:

You gotta serve somebody.

Lord, you set before me life and death, and the choice between them is clear.  Choosing you is the way to life.  I am also aware that I am incapable of following your ways without your help.  I thank you that you have chosen me, and I choose to follow you – only give me the grace and strength to do what you command.  Amen.

PHOTOS:
“Choose your side” by Elias Guerra is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license.