+ PENTECOST + FOURTEEN +

Lexegete ™ | Year B | Saint Mark

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Fourteenth Sunday after Pentecost

September 6, 2009 (Lectionary 23)

Complementary Series

Isaiah 35:4-7a

Psalm 146 (2)

James 2:1-10 [11-13] 14-17

Mark 7:24-37

Semicontinuous Series

Proverbs 22:1-2, 8-9, 22-23

Psalm 125 (1)

James 2:1-10 [11-13] 14-17

Mark 7:24-37

Prayer of the Day

Gracious God, throughout the ages you transform sickness into health and death into life. Open us to the power of your presence, and make us a people ready to proclaim your promises to the whole world, through Jesus Christ, our healer and Lord.

Gospel Acclamation

Alleluia. Rejoice in the | Lord always;

again I will | say, Rejoice. Alleluia. (Phil. 4:4)

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1a. Context: Mark 7:24-37

It's hard to imagine how those who believe in the literal interpretation of scripture handle the geography of this passage. The itinerary is simply an unreasonable route through that particular territory. All attempts to explain the circuitous path are inadequate. But the geography merely sets the scene for the miracle story. Jesus has been expanding his territory, taking his message further from the Sea of Galilee where it began. The message has been one of the nature of the community (the parables of the sower, the mustard seed), the mission (healings, duties of the 12, the feeding of the multitude), and the rejection of the Law (the discussion about clean and unclean, the Canaanite woman). These discussions, the healings, the mission of the 12 disciples, the Transfiguration and the exorcisms, cast about the territory as widely as possible, come before Jesus sets out for Jerusalem. On two occasions (8:31-33, 9:30-32) he has predicted the passion. The episodic nature of this section -- with parables, healings, predictions, preaching and narratives jumbled together – suggests movement and urgency. The forms are much less structured than Mark's carefully-crafted passion narrative.

1b. Text: Mark 7:24-37

ESV:

The Syrophoenician Woman's Faith

24 And from there he arose and went away to the region of Tyre and Sidon. [1] And he entered a house and did not want anyone to know, yet he could not be hidden.

25 But immediately a woman whose little daughter had an unclean spirit heard of him and came and fell down at his feet.

26 Now the woman was a Gentile, a Syrophoenician by birth. And she begged him to cast the demon out of her daughter.

27 And he said to her, “Let the children be fed first, for it is not right to take the children's bread and throw it to the dogs.”

28 But she answered him, “Yes, Lord; yet even the dogs under the table eat the children's crumbs.”

29 And he said to her, “For this statement you may go your way; the demon has left your daughter.”

30 And she went home and found the child lying in bed and the demon gone.

Jesus Heals a Deaf Man

31 Then he returned from the region of Tyre and went through Sidon to the Sea of Galilee, in the region of the Decapolis.

32 And they brought to him a man who was deaf and had a speech impediment, and they begged him to lay his hand on him.

33 And taking him aside from the crowd privately, he put his fingers into his ears, and after spitting touched his tongue.

34 And looking up to heaven, he sighed and said to him, “Ephphatha,” that is, “Be opened.”

35 And his ears were opened, his tongue was released, and he spoke plainly. 36 And Jesus [2] charged them to tell no one. But the more he charged them, the more zealously they proclaimed it.

37 And they were astonished beyond measure, saying, “He has done all things well. He even makes the deaf hear and the mute speak.”

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7:24 Some manuscripts omit and Sidon

7:36 Greek = “he”

Greek:

24Ἐκεῖθεν δὲ ἀναστὰς ἀπῆλθεν εἰς τὰ ὅρια Τύρου. καὶ εἰσελθὼν εἰς οἰκίαν οὐδένα ἤθελεν γνῶναι, καὶ οὐκ ἠδυνήθη λαθεῖν:

25ἀλλ' εὐθὺς ἀκούσασα γυνὴ περὶ αὐτοῦ, ἧς εἶχεν τὸ θυγάτριον αὐτῆς πνεῦμα ἀκάθαρτον, ἐλθοῦσα προσέπεσεν πρὸς τοὺς πόδας αὐτοῦ:

26ἡ δὲ γυνὴ ἦν Ἑλληνίς, Συροφοινίκισσα τῷ γένει: καὶ ἠρώτα αὐτὸν ἵνα τὸ δαιμόνιον ἐκβάλῃ ἐκ τῆς θυγατρὸς αὐτῆς.

27καὶ ἔλεγεν αὐτῇ, Ἄφες πρῶτον χορτασθῆναι τὰ τέκνα, οὐ γάρ ἐστιν καλὸν λαβεῖν τὸν ἄρτον τῶν τέκνων καὶ τοῖς κυναρίοις βαλεῖν.

28ἡ δὲ ἀπεκρίθη καὶ λέγει αὐτῷ, Κύριε, καὶ τὰ κυνάρια ὑποκάτω τῆς τραπέζης ἐσθίουσιν ἀπὸ τῶν ψιχίων τῶν παιδίων.

29καὶ εἶπεν αὐτῇ, Διὰ τοῦτον τὸν λόγον ὕπαγε, ἐξελήλυθεν ἐκ τῆς θυγατρός σου τὸ δαιμόνιον.

30καὶ ἀπελθοῦσα εἰς τὸν οἶκον αὐτῆς εὗρεν τὸ παιδίον βεβλημένον ἐπὶ τὴν κλίνην καὶ τὸ δαιμόνιον ἐξεληλυθός.

31Καὶ πάλιν ἐξελθὼν ἐκ τῶν ὁρίων Τύρου ἦλθεν διὰ Σιδῶνος εἰς τὴν θάλασσαν τῆς Γαλιλαίας ἀνὰ μέσον τῶν ὁρίων Δεκαπόλεως.

32καὶ φέρουσιν αὐτῷ κωφὸν καὶ μογιλάλον, καὶ παρακαλοῦσιν αὐτὸν ἵνα ἐπιθῇ αὐτῷ τὴν χεῖρα.

33καὶ ἀπολαβόμενος αὐτὸν ἀπὸ τοῦ ὄχλου κατ' ἰδίαν ἔβαλεν τοὺς δακτύλους αὐτοῦ εἰς τὰ ὦτα αὐτοῦ καὶ πτύσας ἥψατο τῆς γλώσσης αὐτοῦ,

34καὶ ἀναβλέψας εἰς τὸν οὐρανὸν ἐστέναξεν, καὶ λέγει αὐτῷ, Εφφαθα, ὅ ἐστιν, Διανοίχθητι.

35καὶ [εὐθέως] ἠνοίγησαν αὐτοῦ αἱ ἀκοαί, καὶ ἐλύθη ὁ δεσμὸς τῆς γλώσσης αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἐλάλει ὀρθῶς.

36καὶ διεστείλατο αὐτοῖς ἵνα μηδενὶ λέγωσιν: ὅσον δὲ αὐτοῖς διεστέλλετο, αὐτοὶ μᾶλλον περισσότερον ἐκήρυσσον.

37καὶ ὑπερπερισσῶς ἐξεπλήσσοντο λέγοντες, Καλῶς πάντα πεποίηκεν: καὶ τοὺς κωφοὺς ποιεῖ ἀκούειν καὶ [τοὺς] ἀλάλους λαλεῖν.

Novum Testamentum Graece, Nestle-Aland 26 ed. © 1979, Deutsche Bibelgesellschaft, Stuttgart;

The Greek New Testament, 3rd edition © 1975, United Bible Societies, London

2. Analysis: Mark 7:31-37

7:24 ὅρια Τύρου – the region of Tyre….for map and photos, see article by

Daniel Herman: http://www.dannythedigger.com/articles/tyre_sidon.html

7:27 κυναρίοις – “dogs” [occurs rarely in the New Testament (Mt. 15:27)] ;

contrast with Luke 16:21, “ κύνες ” who licked at the sores of Lazarus

7:32 "deaf" (kophos) might mean impaired hearing, the speech

impediment may have been that of one who never hears words clearly

and is therefore unable to pronounce them properly.

7:33 Taking the sufferer away from the crowd makes this a private

healing, not done for show. It is hard, therefore, to explain the

reason for the detail with which Mark tells the story.

The ritual acts of putting fingers in the man's ears and spittle on

the tongue may be merely symbolic; yet spittle was used by folk

healers and miracle workers.

7:34 "Ephphatha!" One wonders who the hearer of this

Greek-transliterated, apparently Aramaic word might be. The looking

upwards toward Heaven and sighing may have also been ritualistic acts.

7:35 The cure is apparently instantaneous. But we are not told of

the man's own response.

7:36 Commanding silence regarding the cure seems absurd, a deaf man

went away with Jesus and came back speaking; the news could hardly

not have been spoken throughout the crowd and the community. The

phrasing "the more he charged them to tell no one," suggests that

Jesus made several attempts to silence the talk of the healing. By

playing down his role as a wonder-worker, Jesus is stressing the

kingdom-oriented message.

7:37 The astonishment of the crowd at the healing, and the phrasing

"he has done all things well; he -even- makes the deaf hear and the

dumb speak," suggest that the crowd had already been impressed with

Jesus, before the miracle.

3. Strategy: Mark 7:31-37

A. The structure-movement axis of the story might provide a

homiletical base. Jesus is on the move. Someone brings the man to

him. He takes the man away, does things with him. The man speaks. The

crowd buzzes about the event. It is an action-based narrative.

Bringing afflictions, the afflictions of our sin, -to- the Lord,

letting the Lord -act-, then -telling others- is the dynamic of the believer.

Despite this action, however, there is a passiveness on the part of

the one healed. Others brought him. His response is not recorded.

Like nine of the ten lepers in Luke 17:11-19, the man may not have

even given thanks. The Word and action of the Lord is effective on

its own, not dependent upon definite or logical human validation.

B. The nature of the impediment may be a paradigm for an ailing

world. Unable to hear the Word, it is unable to speak it properly.

Or hearing it improperly -- strained through selfish desires,

heresies, or false prophets -- we are mute and unable to proclaim.

Hearing and speech are connected. Hearing the Word might even heal

the hearer, but have no effect on the community unless the event is

spoken of; unless others are amazed at the healing.

Jesus himself did not intend to proclaim this particular wonder.

Jesus is not physically present to proclaim the wonders in our lives,

and the only voice the Lord has is ours.

C. A third homiletical approach springs from reflection on what it is that stops ears and binds tongues. Why do ears not hear the cries

of the poor and needy, the calls for justice, the pleas for mercy?

Does geography or race or class stop our ears? If that is the case,

then we need to be brought to Jesus for healing. Here it is not faith

(there's no "your faith has made you whole") that affects the

healing, there is only the action of Jesus, God's desire and will

that the man be whole.

What is it that stops tongues, impedes speech? If the believer has

heard, but is unable to speak the Gospel, the believer is not yet

whole. Had Jesus cured the man's hearing, he -might- have learned to

speak distinctly; but Jesus die not leave this to chance. Clear

hearing and clear speaking came together in the encounter with

Christ.

4. Music & Worship: Mark 7:31-37

"O Son of God, in Galilee"(LBW 426) relates directly to Mark 7….

Other possibilities are:

"Lift Every Voice and Sing" LBW 562

"Lord, Speak to Us, that We May Speak" LBW 403

"Breathe on Me, Breath of God" LBW 488

"Your Hand, O Lord, in Days of Old" LBW 431

"O for a Thousand Tongues to Sing" LBW 559

"Oh, that I Had a Thousand Voices" LBW 560

Exegete: Charles Austin, ELCA (Retired)

Prior to his retirement, “Chuck” Austin resided in Teaneck, NJ, home of the Lutheran Collegiate Bible Institute, and served as Pastor of Christ Lutheran Church, Ridgefield Park, NJ 07602. Chuck writes extensively for LCA and ELCA publications, including the Lutheran, Lutheran PARTNERS, and others, as well as for The Record newspaper in NJ. He is one of the pioneers of the Ecunet and online ministry in general, having been involved in setting up online communications in the formation of the ELCA.

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Lexegete ™

© 2009 Tischrede Software

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Addenda et Corrigenda

I neglected to note that the author of LEXEGETE™ for Aug. 30th is Rev. Thomas S. Hanson of St. Mark by the Sea (ELCA) in Palm Coast, FL. Tom was the first pastor in the ELCA to respond to the very first announcement of LEXEGETE™ some twenty years ago. Thank you, Tom!

Shalom,

Dave Buehler | Editor, MacAdemia™ Software
Providence College | Rhode Island

+ Pentecost XII et XIII + Year B, 2009 +

Lexegete™ | Year B | St. Mark
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Twelfth Sunday after Pentecost

August 23, 2009 (Lectionary 21)

Complementary Series

Joshua 24:1-2a, 14-18
Psalm 34:15-22 (15)
Ephesians 6:10-20
John 6:56-69

Semicontinuous Series

1 Kings 8:[1, 6, 10-11] 22-30, 41-43
Psalm 84 (1)
Ephesians 6:10-20
John 6:56-69

Prayer of the Day
Holy God, your word feeds your people with life that is eternal. Direct our choices and preserve us in your truth, that, renouncing what is false and evil, we may live in you, through your Son, Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord.

Gospel Acclamation
Alleluia. Lord, to whom | shall we go?
You have the words of e- | ternal life. Alleluia. (John 6:68)



1a. Context: John 6:56-69 [Translation composite]


John 6:60-69 - Since the time of the Reformation, there has been a

dispute as to the content of this passage. With this passage's depreciation of the

flesh and concurrent lifting up of the Spirit, there have been scholars who, from

Zwingli on down to the current time, have argued that this passage speaks

against the real presence of Christ in the Eucharist. Others have argued that it is

impossible to hold this view in light of the very verses which precede it (John

6:53-36).


As Raymond Brown has pointed out, most scholars today agree that the

"mention of flesh in vs. 63 does not concern the eucharistic flesh of [verses] 51-

58" (Brown, p. 299). Rather, most scholars find verses 60-71 linked to verses 35-

50, with verses 51-58 being treated as parenthetical.


What then is offensive, "hard to listen to," in what Jesus is saying to his

disciples? What causes them to turn away from him? If verses 51-58 are

parenthetical to the main argument (placed editorially in this place by John), then

they are not the words to which the crowd of disciples "cannot listen." Rather, the

words which the crowd of disciples cannot bear to listen to is the claim of Jesus

that he, the Son of Man has come down from heaven (v.38; cf. Pentecost/Proper

15) for a discussion of the "Son of Man" title). But, Jesus states, if this saying is

offensive, how will they deal with his ascension (vs. 62)? Indeed, many are

offended by Jesus' claim to have come down from heaven as well as his

statement that he will return there and no longer follow him (vs. 66).





It is the Twelve who are not offended with these hard sayings of Jesus.

Indeed, as Peter confesses, "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of

eternal life." These words of eternal life come from "the Holy One of God," the

one who is the "Word made flesh," whose flesh gives us true life.




1b. Text: John 6: 56-69

ESV:


56 Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood abides in me, and I in him. 57 As the living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father, so whoever feeds on me, he also will live because of me. 58 This is the bread that came down from heaven, not like the bread [1] the fathers ate and died. Whoever feeds on this bread will live forever.” 59 Jesus [2] said these things in the synagogue, as he taught at Capernaum.

The Words of Eternal Life

60 When many of his disciples heard it, they said, “This is a hard saying; who can listen to it?” 61 But Jesus, knowing in himself that his disciples were grumbling about this, said to them, “Do you take offense at this? 62 Then what if you were to see the Son of Man ascending to where he was before? 63 It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh is no help at all. The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life. 64 But there are some of you who do not believe.” (For Jesus knew from the beginning who those were who did not believe, and who it was who would betray him.) 65 And he said, “This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless it is granted him by the Father.”

66 After this many of his disciples turned back and no longer walked with him. 67 So Jesus said to the Twelve, “Do you want to go away as well?” 68 Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life, 69 and we have believed, and have come to know, that you are the Holy One of God.”

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[1] 6:58 Greek lacks the bread

[2] 6:59 Greek He
__________________________________

© 2001 The Holy Bible, English Standard Version copyright 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

Greek:

56ὁ τρώγων μου τὴν σάρκα καὶ πίνων μου τὸ αἷμα ἐν ἐμοὶ μένει κἀγὼ ἐν αὐτῷ.
57καθὼς ἀπέστειλέν με ὁ ζῶν πατὴρ κἀγὼ ζῶ διὰ τὸν πατέρα, καὶ ὁ τρώγων με κἀκεῖνος ζήσει δι∍ ἐμέ.
58οὗτός ἐστιν ὁ ἄρτος ὁ ἐξ οὐρανοῦ καταβάς, οὐ καθὼς ἔφαγον οἱ πατέρες καὶ ἀπέθανον: ὁ τρώγων τοῦτον τὸν ἄρτον ζήσει εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα.
59Ταῦτα εἶπεν ἐν συναγωγῇ διδάσκων ἐν Καφαρναούμ.
60Πολλοὶ οὖν ἀκούσαντες ἐκ τῶν μαθητῶν αὐτοῦ εἶπαν, Σκληρός ἐστιν ὁ λόγος οὗτος: τίς δύναται αὐτοῦ ἀκούειν;
61εἰδὼς δὲ ὁ Ἰησοῦς ἐν ἑαυτῷ ὅτι γογγύζουσιν περὶ τούτου οἱ μαθηταὶ αὐτοῦ εἶπεν αὐτοῖς, Τοῦτο ὑμᾶς σκανδαλίζει;
62ἐὰν οὖν θεωρῆτε τὸν υἱὸν τοῦ ἀνθρώπου ἀναβαίνοντα ὅπου ἦν τὸ πρότερον;
63τὸ πνεῦμά ἐστιν τὸ ζῳοποιοῦν, ἡ σὰρξ οὐκ ὠφελεῖ οὐδέν: τὰ ῥήματα ἃ ἐγὼ λελάληκα ὑμῖν πνεῦμά ἐστιν καὶ ζωή ἐστιν.
64ἀλλ∍ εἰσὶν ἐξ ὑμῶν τινες οἳ οὐ πιστεύουσιν. ᾔδει γὰρ ἐξ ἀρχῆς ὁ Ἰησοῦς τίνες εἰσὶν οἱ μὴ πιστεύοντες καὶ τίς ἐστιν ὁ παραδώσων αὐτόν.
65καὶ ἔλεγεν, Διὰ τοῦτο εἴρηκα ὑμῖν ὅτι οὐδεὶς δύναται ἐλθεῖν πρός με ἐὰν μὴ ᾖ δεδομένον αὐτῷ ἐκ τοῦ πατρός.
66Ἐκ τούτου πολλοὶ [ἐκ] τῶν μαθητῶν αὐτοῦ ἀπῆλθον εἰς τὰ ὀπίσω καὶ οὐκέτι μετ∍ αὐτοῦ περιεπάτουν.
67εἶπεν οὖν ὁ Ἰησοῦς τοῖς δώδεκα, Μὴ καὶ ὑμεῖς θέλετε ὑπάγειν;
68ἀπεκρίθη αὐτῷ Σίμων Πέτρος, Κύριε, πρὸς τίνα ἀπελευσόμεθα; ῥήματα ζωῆς αἰωνίου ἔχεις, 69καὶ ἡμεῖς πεπιστεύκαμεν καὶ ἐγνώκαμεν ὅτι σὺ εἶ ὁ ἅγιος τοῦ θεοῦ.


Novum Testamentum Graece, Nestle-Aland 26th edition
© 1979, Deutsche Bibelgesellschaft, Stuttgart;

The Greek New Testament, 3rd edition
© 1975, United Bible Societies, London



2. Analysis: John 6: 56-69




vs. 61 - "hard to take" - In both Greek and English, this phrase has the


dual image of "being unbelievable" and "being offensive" to one's ears. Jesus'


claims do both for the crowd of disciples, but not the Twelve (cf., vs. 67).





vs. 63 - "The Spirit gives life" - As idiosyncratic as John's Gospel can be,


this passage shows distinctive Pauline parallels where this idea is found seven


times. Cf., 2 Cor. 3:6, 1 Cor. 15:45, among others.





vs. 64 - "Jesus knew from the beginning [who would not believe and who

would betray him]." Brown suggests that this is an editorial attempt to prevent

any misconception that Jesus had made a mistake in his selection of disciples,

even of the Twelve. The "beginning" suggested here is the beginning of his

ministry, not the beginning of time (i.e., this passage cannot be used to support

predestination). Jesus knows that many will fall away and that one will betray

him. This still fits within Jesus' plan, a plan which includes his own death,

for it is only through death and resurrection that he will return to his Father in

heaven.





vss. 67,70 - "The Twelve" - Although "the twelve" disciples and their call

are of extreme importance in the Synoptic Gospels--so much, in fact that Mark

only uses the term "disciples" when talking about the twelve (cf. Epiphany 3 for

more details)--the "twelve" are not of the same importance in John's Gospel.



Their call is not important enough to be mentioned in this Gospel. Thus, this is

the first place in John's Gospel where the "twelve" are singled out.



vs. 68 - "You have the words of eternal life" - It is clear from the entire

Gospel of John (but especially the sixth chapter) that people do not gain life on

their own, but rather that life comes through the "Word made flesh."



vs. 69 - "[you are the ] Holy One of God" - In the O.T., this phrase was one

used for those who were consecrated to God (e.g., Judges 8:7).





3. Strategy: John 6: 56-69




Someone once said that all intellectual debates are circular, the only

question being "how large is your circle?" - Is it large enough and encompassing

enough to take in all arguments? This is not only true in our day and age, but in

the time of John as well. His arguments tend to circle around one another, like an

eagle circling high above its prey.


It is not, therefore, hard for us to understand why the eagle is the symbol

of John, for John spirals through themes, metaphors, sayings and aphorisms,


constantly returning to key issues. In this passage (part of the extended

discourse in chapter six) we see key themes of the new bread of life coming from

the Word of God, Word incarnate, whose life was sacrificed so that we may have

life. The Word comes down from heaven, takes on flesh and lives among us.

That same Word is crucified and is resurrected and returns to the Father. We see

the theme of this Word of life being given to us in the flesh, so that we may

receive new life. It is only through Jesus that we have the words of eternal life.



Without him "was not anything made that was made." We, like Peter, must

confess, "Lord to whom shall we go?," for it is clear that only Jesus our Lord,

"has the words of eternal life."







4. Reference: John 6: 56-69



Brown, Raymond. The Gospel According to John. Garden City, NY:
Doubleday, 1977.





5. Music Suggestions: John 6: 56-69






"Hope of the world" (HB 472; LBW 493)

"You are the way" (HB 457; LBW 464)


"Let me be yours forever" (LBW 490)

"O Jesus, I have promised" (HB 655; LBW 503)




Exegete: George Koch, St. Paul Lutheran Church, Middletown, CT





Rev. Dr. George John Koch, Jr currently is an Interim Pastor in the Metropolitan Chicago Synod, ELCA. Previously he served as a parish pastor in Middletown, CT, campus minister at Syracuse University’s Hendricks Chapel,, director of the ELCA’s effort to educate pastors about the Science/Theology exchange. He is on Facebook, where he fosters an ongoing “Tischrede” or table talk on theology and other topics. He received his doctorate from Andover Newton Theological School, Newton Centre, MA, after completing a dissertation on Theology and Artifical Intelligence.

George’s E-mail: george.koch.jr@comcast.net














____________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________




Bartholomew, Apostle
August 24, 2009
Exodus 19:1-6
Psalm 12 (6)
1 Corinthians 12:27-31a
John 1:43-51

Prayer of the Day

Almighty and everlasting God, you gave to your apostle Bartholomew grace truly to believe and courageously to preach your word. Grant that your church may proclaim the good news to the ends of the earth, through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.

Gospel Acclamation

Alleluia. How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of the messenger who announces peace, who brings good news, who announc- | es salvation. Alleluia. (Isa. 52:7)






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Lexegete™ | Year B | St. Mark
____________________________________

Thirteenth Sunday after Pentecost

August 30, 2009 (Lectionary 22)

Complementary Series

Deuteronomy 4:1-2, 6-9
Psalm 15 (1)
James 1:17-27
Mark 7:1-8, 14-15, 21-23

Semicontinuous Series

Song of Solomon 2:8-13
Psalm 45:1-2, 6-9
James 1:17-27
Mark 7:1-8, 14-15, 21-23

Prayer of the Day

O God our strength, without you we are weak and wayward creatures. Protect us from all dangers that attack us from the outside, and cleanse us from all evil that arises from within ourselves, that we may be preserved through your Son, Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord.

Gospel Acclamation

Alleluia. God gave us birth by the | word of truth
so that we would become a kind of first fruits | of creation. Alleluia. (James 1:18)


1a. CONTEXT - Mark 7:1-8, 14-15, 21-23

By this time in the church year the questions of Marcan origin, authorship,
and audience will have been beaten to death, if they have been tackled at
all. From my study of the text and reading of the commentaries, let it
suffice to offer the following points:

1. There is a consensus that the account has its origin in Jesus' life
and ministry with editorial additions along the way, from the final
author and/or during the period of oral transmission of the story.

2. The explanation of Jewish law and customs here indicate the author
was writing to a non-Jewish or mixed Jew and Gentile audience.

3. The fact that this section was included indicates that the place of
Jewish ritual traditions was a continuing subject for discussion in the
early church.

There are three additional issues I want to mention in regard to the
context of this passage:

1. It would be well to refresh one's understanding of the question of
holiness/cleanliness versus uncleanness/defilement in Judaism, as well
as the place of the law in establishing or maintaining holiness. The Old
Testament Lesson from Deuteronomy 4 would be one entry point into such a
review. Even more to the point might be the command in Leviticus 19:2:
"Say to all the congregation of the people of Israel, You shall be holy;
for I the LORD your God am holy."


2. One often wonders why portions are omitted from a given pericope. In
this case the omitted portions are not essential to the passage, the
first one giving an additional example of the Pharisees' misordered
priorities and the second mainly repeating what Jesus has already said.
One could make the valid claim that omitting vss 17-20 lets the
disciples off the hook for their lack of understanding, but there are
other opportunities to deal with that matter, including the Johannine
text for 14 Pentecost and the Marcan texts for the 5th, 17th, 18th, and
22nd Sundays after Pentecost.

3. Finally, it would be well to keep the whole Gospel in mind when
working with this, or any, passage from Mark. One of Mark's major points
is that the place of Jesus cannot be understood until the end of the
story: the resurrection (Mark 9:9). Each passage, it seems to me, tends
to show both how Jesus was misunderstood before the resurrection and
what we need to learn or understand in the light of the resurrection.


1b. TEXT - Mark 7:1-8, 14-15, 21-23


ESV:


Traditions and Commandments

7:1 Now when the Pharisees gathered to him, with some of the scribes who had come from Jerusalem, 2 they saw that some of his disciples ate with hands that were defiled, that is, unwashed. 3 (For the Pharisees and all the Jews do not eat unless they wash [1] their hands, holding to the tradition of the elders, 4 and when they come from the marketplace, they do not eat unless they wash. [2] And there are many other traditions that they observe, such as the washing of cups and pots and copper vessels and dining couches. [3]) 5 And the Pharisees and the scribes asked him, “Why do your disciples not walk according to the tradition of the elders, but eat with defiled hands?” 6 And he said to them, “Well did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written,

“‘This people honors me with their lips,
but their heart is far from me;
7 in vain do they worship me,
teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’

8 You leave the commandment of God and hold to the tradition of men.” ….

What Defiles a Person

14 And he called the people to him again and said to them, “Hear me, all of you, and understand: 15 There is nothing outside a person that by going into him can defile him, but the things that come out of a person are what defile him.” [4] ….



21 For from within, out of the heart of man, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, 22 coveting, wickedness, deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride, foolishness. 23 All these evil things come from within, and they defile a person.”

___________________________________________

[1] 7:3 Greek unless they wash with a fist,
probably indicating a kind of ceremonial washing

[2] 7:4 Greek unless they baptize; some manuscripts unless they purify themselves

[3] 7:4 Some manuscripts omit and dining couches

[4] 7:15 Some manuscripts add verse 16: If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear

© 2001 The Holy Bible, English Standard Version copyright 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

______________________________________

Greek:

1Καὶ συνάγονται πρὸς αὐτὸν οἱ Φαρισαῖοι καί τινες τῶν γραμματέων ἐλθόντες ἀπὸ Ἱεροσολύμων 2καὶ ἰδόντες τινὰς τῶν μαθητῶν αὐτοῦ ὅτι κοιναῖς χερσίν, τοῦτ∍ ἔστιν ἀνίπτοις, ἐσθίουσιν τοὺς ἄρτους 3οἱ γὰρ Φαρισαῖοι καὶ πάντες οἱ Ἰουδαῖοι ἐὰν μὴ πυγμῇ νίψωνται τὰς χεῖρας οὐκ ἐσθίουσιν, κρατοῦντες τὴν παράδοσιν τῶν πρεσβυτέρων, 4καὶ ἀπ∍ ἀγορᾶς ἐὰν μὴ βαπτίσωνται οὐκ ἐσθίουσιν, καὶ ἄλλα πολλά ἐστιν ἃ παρέλαβον κρατεῖν, βαπτισμοὺς ποτηρίων καὶ ξεστῶν καὶ χαλκίων [καὶ κλινῶν] 5καὶ ἐπερωτῶσιν αὐτὸν οἱ Φαρισαῖοι καὶ οἱ γραμματεῖς, Διὰ τί οὐ περιπατοῦσιν οἱ μαθηταί σου κατὰ τὴν παράδοσιν τῶν πρεσβυτέρων, ἀλλὰ κοιναῖς χερσὶν ἐσθίουσιν τὸν ἄρτον; 6ὁ δὲ εἶπεν αὐτοῖς, Καλῶς ἐπροφήτευσεν Ἠσαΐας περὶ ὑμῶν τῶν ὑποκριτῶν, ὡς γέγραπται [ὅτι] Οὗτος ὁ λαὸς τοῖς χείλεσίν με τιμᾷ, ἡ δὲ καρδία αὐτῶν πόρρω ἀπέχει ἀπ∍ ἐμοῦ: 7μάτην δὲ σέβονταί με, διδάσκοντες διδασκαλίας ἐντάλματα ἀνθρώπων. 8ἀφέντες τὴν ἐντολὴν τοῦ θεοῦ κρατεῖτε τὴν παράδοσιν τῶν ἀνθρώπων.

[9Καὶ ἔλεγεν αὐτοῖς, Καλῶς ἀθετεῖτε τὴν ἐντολὴν τοῦ θεοῦ, ἵνα τὴν παράδοσιν ὑμῶν στήσητε. 10Μωϋσῆς γὰρ εἶπεν, Τίμα τὸν πατέρα σου καὶ τὴν μητέρα σου, καί, Ὁ κακολογῶν πατέρα ἢ μητέρα θανάτῳ τελευτάτω: 11ὑμεῖς δὲ λέγετε, Ἐὰν εἴπῃ ἄνθρωπος τῷ πατρὶ ἢ τῇ μητρί, Κορβᾶν, ὅ ἐστιν, Δῶρον, ὃ ἐὰν ἐξ ἐμοῦ ὠφεληθῇς, 12οὐκέτι ἀφίετε αὐτὸν οὐδὲν ποιῆσαι τῷ πατρὶ ἢ τῇ μητρί, 13ἀκυροῦντες τὸν λόγον τοῦ θεοῦ τῇ παραδόσει ὑμῶν ἧ παρεδώκατε: καὶ παρόμοια τοιαῦτα πολλὰ ποιεῖτε.]

14Καὶ προσκαλεσάμενος πάλιν τὸν ὄχλον ἔλεγεν αὐτοῖς, Ἀκούσατέ μου πάντες καὶ σύνετε. 15οὐδέν ἐστιν ἔξωθεν τοῦ ἀνθρώπου εἰσπορευόμενον εἰς αὐτὸν ὃ δύναται κοινῶσαι αὐτόν: ἀλλὰ τὰ ἐκ τοῦ ἀνθρώπου ἐκπορευόμενά ἐστιν τὰ κοινοῦντα τὸν ἄνθρωπον.

[16Καὶ 17ὅτε εἰσῆλθεν εἰς οἶκον ἀπὸ τοῦ ὄχλου, ἐπηρώτων αὐτὸν οἱ μαθηταὶ αὐτοῦ τὴν παραβολήν. 18καὶ λέγει αὐτοῖς, Οὕτως καὶ ὑμεῖς ἀσύνετοί ἐστε; οὐ νοεῖτε ὅτι πᾶν τὸ ἔξωθεν εἰσπορευόμενον εἰς τὸν ἄνθρωπον οὐ δύναται αὐτὸν κοινῶσαι, 19ὅτι οὐκ εἰσπορεύεται αὐτοῦ εἰς τὴν καρδίαν ἀλλ∍ εἰς τὴν κοιλίαν, καὶ εἰς τὸν ἀφεδρῶνα ἐκπορεύεται; καθαρίζων πάντα τὰ βρώματα. 20ἔλεγεν δὲ ὅτι Τὸ ἐκ τοῦ ἀνθρώπου ἐκπορευόμενον ἐκεῖνο κοινοῖ τὸν ἄνθρωπον: ]

21ἔσωθεν γὰρ ἐκ τῆς καρδίας τῶν ἀνθρώπων οἱ διαλογισμοὶ οἱ κακοὶ ἐκπορεύονται, πορνεῖαι, κλοπαί, φόνοι, 22μοιχεῖαι, πλεονεξίαι, πονηρίαι, δόλος, ἀσέλγεια, ὀφθαλμὸς πονηρός, βλασφημία, ὑπερηφανία, ἀφροσύνη: 23πάντα ταῦτα τὰ πονηρὰ ἔσωθεν ἐκπορεύεται καὶ κοινοῖ τὸν ἄνθρωπον.


Novum Testamentum Graece, Nestle-Aland 26th edition
© 1979, Deutsche Bibelgesellschaft, Stuttgart;

The Greek New Testament, 3rd edition
© 1975, United Bible Societies, London

2. ANALYSIS: Mark 7:1-8, 14-15, 21-23

This passage pictures the growing opposition to the ministry of Jesus which
is a recurring theme in this central section of Mark and which culminates
in the crucifixion. It presents a Jesus who will not allow fencesitters. He
teaches in direct opposition to the Scribes and Pharisees, equating what he
teaches with the commandments of God and calling that of the Pharisees
merely human fabrication.

The opening verse seems to indicate the local Pharisees found it necessary
to call in the "big guns from headquarters" to deal with the controversy
Jesus was stirring up. To our modern way of thinking it may seem they chose
a minor thing to pick on, but the oral religious tradition was no minor
matter. The original concern for ritual cleanliness had to do with contact
with things specifically labeled unclean such as dead animals or humans,
blood, bodily excretions, and the like. Touching such things meant being
excluded from the worshiping community. The oral law expanded the list to
reassure the faithful they were indeed clean by building "a hedge around
the law". The result was any contact with the outside made "hands defiled"-
or common hands-{koinais chersin}

Jesus quotes Isaiah (based on the Septuagint version of Isaiah 29:13 though
not identical) in Mark 7:6-7, then twice sharpens the charge of Isaiah by
saying that their acceptance of tradition is a rejection of God (vss 8 and 9).



The two verbs in verse 8, leave (or let go of)-{aphesin} and hold fast-
{krateite}, bring to mind the illustration told with many variations of an
African method of catching monkeys: cutting a small hole in a gourd and
filling it with nuts. The monkey holds fast the nuts and cannot escape
because it is unwilling to let go of the nuts in order to remove its hand.
After omitting the example Jesus gives in verses 9-13, the lection picks up
the narrative with Jesus calling the people (crowd-{oxlos}) to himself. The
situation seems to be that the Scribes and Pharisees have had a private
consultation with Jesus and were sent packing. Jesus remains alone to teach
the crowds the correct understanding of ritual law.

His teaching of what truly defiles us includes a list containing six plural
nouns referring to sinful acts and six singular nouns representing the
major vices.



3. STRATEGY: Mark 7:1-8, 14-15, 21-23


There are many ways to approach this text, either by itself or in combination with the other lessons for the day.


THE COMMANDMENTS OF GOD:

When Jesus lifts up the importance of obeying the
commandment of God, my mind jumps quickly to the voice from heaven at the
Transfiguration: "This is my beloved Son; listen to him." (Mark 9:7b) This
jump is really only possible after the resurrection and perhaps helps us to
understand the opposition to Jesus during his earthly ministry. Yet, it
sharpens the question for ourselves: Are we holding fast human traditions
and letting go of the commands of God?


CHRIST DEFENDS HIS DISCIPLES:

Then, there is the question of opposition to
Jesus raised in this pericope. This speaks to all Christians living in the
ambiguity of the time between the story Mark tells and the consummation of
that story in the return of Jesus Christ. The Gospel of Mark presents us
with a picture of One with such power and authority it would be crazy to
reject him, a tragedy to fail to follow him. The fact that so many do calls
our own desire to follow into question and erodes our willingness to
proclaim his name. How will we respond to the challenge of opposition? What
will sustain us when questions and doubts come our way?



HEART TROUBLE:

Isaiah talks about honoring God with our lips, not with our
heart. How might we honor God with both lips and heart? (cf Romans 10:9)


HABITS OF THE HEART:


What place do traditions have in our lives and in our congregations? The late tyrant Saddam Hussein of Iraq charged both the U. S. and Saudi Arabia with betraying their own traditions (Christian and Islamic) by threatening him with war. Without trying to suggest who is misusing tradition (and knowing that the Persian Gulf Crisis is old news by the time we preach on these lessons!) we would do well to recognize that the misuse of traditions is a danger in any age. How can we avoid being/becoming like the scribes and Pharisees?


WHERE'S GOOD NEWS? :

A direct connection between this lesson and our own
(and congregation's) understanding of the place of law and gospel in our
Christian life might be helpful.


Any of the above suggestions might benefit from connections made with the
other lessons, which include themes relating to the law, God's holiness,
proclaiming/confessing the gospel, withstanding evil, opposition to the
gospel, and so on.



4. REFERENCES: Mark 7:1-8, 14-15, 21-23

One excellent resource used and recommended here is the Lectionary Preaching Workbook, Series III Cycle B, George M. Bass, C.S.S. Publishing, Lima, Ohio, 1990. The emphasis here is connecting our preaching with the distinct emphases of the liturgical year. Bass suggests that the second half of the Pentecost season, beginning with Pentecost 15, has the return of the Lord as its focus. "For now, the church waits, worships, and works in the knowledge that the living Lord reigns over heaven and earth, as well as the anticipation that Christ will come again, as he said he
would." P. 247.

This resource is based on the Roman Catholic, Episcopal, Lutheran, and
Common lectionaries, with notes on all the lessons and the Prayer and Psalm
Prayer of the Day and sermons (summarized) based on each of the lessons.





5. Music Suggestions: Mark 7:1-8, 14-15, 21-23


OPEN NOW THY GATES OF BEAUTY (LBW 250)

A MIGHTY FORTRESS (LBW 228/9, HB 687/8)

MY HOPE IS BUILT ON NOTHING LESS ( LBW 294 )

LIFT HIGH THE CROSS (HB 473, LBW 377)

HOPE OF THE WORLD (HB 472, LBW 493)

JESUS CALLS US (HB 549/50, LBW 494)







_______________________________________________


Lexegete™


© 2009 Tischrede Software


www.yourobdtsvt.blogspot.com


_______________________________________________

R e c o n q u i s t a + R e d u x

NY Times Review of Caldwell:

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/30/books/30garner.html?_r=1&ref=books

The review of Christopher Caldwell's recent book on the "European Revolution" (i.e. the Reconquista theory of Islam in Europe) in the NY Times, 7/30/09, should be of concern to anyone who cares about human relations among Muslims, Jews, and Christians (whether Catholic, Evangelical, or Evangelical Catholic).

Caldwell paints a compelling, fine-brush picture of a New Europe being
patientty "conquered" by Muslim immigrants, street by street. The Times claims that his book is NOT anti-immigrant, yet the author does seeem to be alarmed about the rapid spread of Islam in the (secularized) West, spreading faster than Walmart for free and open market ideologues.

Caldwell's take on all this is not so much based on history or political science as on feelings about the Other, particularly when garbed in Arab clothes. This should not surprise us when we remember that Caldwell is the son-in-law of of Robert Novak (yes, "that one" --to quote John McCain).

Whether this is yet another exercise in Hobbesian marketing or (Lou) Dobbsean heterophobia remains yet to be seen. Caldwell is a gifted and crafty writer, skilled in tantalizing his audience--like his old man.

The jury is still out on the electrifying potential this book has for interfaith relations!

Meanwhile, for another example of Caldwell's views on Islam, see his ft.com columns.

Here is one based upon Pres. Barack Obama's speech at Cairo University:




-----------------> The politics of self-abasement <-----------------



By Christopher Caldwell



With his speech to the Muslim world at Cairo University on Thursday, Barack Obama put a new face on American foreign policy, or at least a face that the world has not seen since the 1970s. This is America’s penitent, humbled and even sycophantic face.



President Obama seeks a “new beginning” to US-Muslim relations through frank self-examination and mutual respect. The US is locked in a battle for the hearts and minds of Muslims, whether it likes it or not. Self-examination can be a sign of strength. But we should not delude ourselves that the Muslim world sees it as such. The Iranian Ayatollah Ali Khamenei speaks for many when he says that it is “the power of Muslims which [has] made the new US administration try to portray a new image”. And there is another problem: the politics of national self-abasement, from Jimmy Carter to Mikhail Gorbachev, is not popular with voters. It cannot be practised for long because it entails a huge – usually fatal – drawing down of political capital.



The US is still, paradoxically, the country that has felt the lash of globalisation least. The president’s trip to the Middle East gave an inkling of what diplomacy is like when someone else has the upper hand. In part it was the atmospherics: the state department memo warning journalists accompanying Mr Obama to Saudi Arabia that they were “expressly prohibited from leaving the hotel or engaging in any journalistic activities outside of coverage of the Potus visit”; the photos of Hillary Clinton, the secretary of state, in a headscarf; the invitations extended to members of the Muslim Brotherhood in Cairo.



In part it was the president’s oratorical tics: the greeting of assalum alaykum; describing the Middle East as the region in which Islam was first “revealed” (a formulation usually used by believers, not outsiders); or “peace be upon them” (a phrase many Americans know only from Osama bin Laden’s internet videos). What looks polite to most of the world looks obsequious to American voters. The carefully vetted Cairo audience clapped primarily for Koranic citations or concrete concessions (“I have ordered the prison at Guantánamo Bay closed”), and rarely for the soaring sentiments of which a US listener would be proudest.



“Turning the page on the Bush era” means partly a change in tone. Mr Obama distinguishes the Iraq war (which he opposed) from the Afghan one (of which he plans a major escalation this summer) by calling Iraq a “war of choice”. That is an artificial distinction. The US had other choices at its disposal after 9/11 besides invading Afghanistan. They may have been foolish or ineffective or cowardly, but they were choices. Choosing to invade, even after 9/11, provoked fury in the Muslim world. On Thursday, Mr Obama made important concessions to this fury. The US, he said, would seek no permanent bases in either Iraq or Afghanistan.



But the key point of the speech was to downgrade the US alliance with Israel, to shift US support from the Israeli position to the Muslim one. “The United States does not accept the legitimacy of continued Israeli settlements [in the West Bank],” Mr Obama said. The US suddenly finds itself with roughly the same Middle East policy as the European Union. Israelis will not find the blow much softened by a few tough remarks about Holocaust denial and some warnings to Palestinians against terrorism – a word Mr Obama did not use.











Mr Obama’s criticism of terrorism is two-pronged. On the one hand he sees terrorism as morally wrong, and here he was most eloquent: “It is a sign neither of courage nor power to shoot rockets at sleeping children, or to blow up old women on a bus,” he said. On the other hand, he sees terrorism as ineffective, and here he is far less persuasive. “For centuries, black people in America suffered the lash of the whip as slaves and the humiliation of segregation,” Mr Obama said. “But it was not violence that won full and equal rights.”



You can say it was not violence alone that won black people their rights. But an American should not need reminding that the US civil war – fought over nothing but slavery and its constitutional implications – was spectacularly bloody, complete with starvation camps, torched cities and actual terrorism, too. Even the last century’s civil rights movement required not just the marches of Martin Luther King, but federal troops.



What is most inspiring about Mr Obama’s oratory is also what is most disturbing about it. In his oratorical universe, the right thing and the effective thing tend to coincide. In his discussion of the Muslim headscarf he displayed the same highly appealing libertarian conservatism that won him many votes in the centre of the American electorate last fall. “I reject the view of some in the west that a woman who chooses to cover her hair is somehow less equal,” he said. “I respect those women who choose to live their lives in traditional roles. But it should be their choice.”



If “choice” is the way forward, then Mr Obama is addressing his audience not as Muslims but as citizens. Politics is about choice. Religion is not – it is about truth. As soon as there are meaningful free choices about whether to be liberated or traditional, the problem defines itself away. The point of the Cairo speech was to break faith with Israel on peace negotiations, in hope that the move will provoke concessions from Muslims. Wrapped around that realpolitik was an oration which was heartfelt and subtle – but which neither made the US stronger than before, nor made the world safer.



The writer is a senior editor at The Weekly Standard. His book, Reflections on the Revolution in Europe: Immigration, Islam and the West, was published in May



More columns at www.ft.com/caldwell



© The Financial Times Limited 2009

Published: June 5 2009 20:57 | Last updated: June 5 2009 20:57

L E X E G E T E

Due to travels far and wide, family busy-ness,

and academic affairs of all kinds,


Lexegete ™ lectionary notes are on vacation

until further notice.



D. Bühler, Editor | Providence College

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T H E S H A C K

We are finally reading The Shack:

http://theshackbook.com/aimages/Shack.gif