Micah 6:1-8

Reading

1 Hear what the LORD says: Rise, plead your case before the mountains, and let the hills hear your voice.
2 Hear, you mountains, the controversy of the LORD, and you enduring foundations of the earth; for the LORD has a controversy with his people, and he will contend with Israel.
3 “O my people, what have I done to you? In what have I wearied you? Answer me!
4 For I brought you up from the land of Egypt and redeemed you from the house of slavery; and I sent before you Moses, Aaron, and Miriam.
5 O my people, remember now what King Balak of Moab devised, what Balaam son of Beor answered him, and what happened from Shittim to Gilgal, that you may know the saving acts of the LORD.”
6 “With what shall I come before the LORD, and bow myself before God on high? Shall I come before him with burnt offerings, with calves a year old?
7 Will the LORD be pleased with thousands of rams, with tens of thousands of rivers of oil? Shall I give my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?”
8 He has told you, O mortal, what is good; and what does the LORD require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?

Commentary

Micah was among the earliest of the “Minor Prophets” – the 12 prophets whose works are much shorter than those of the “Major Prophets” (Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel) and are found in a single scroll.

Micah (whose name means “Who is like Yahweh?”) was a prophet (one who spoke for YHWH) to Judea around the time Northern Israel (Samaria) was conquered by the Assyrians in 722 BCE (an event to which Micah refers in 1:6). Most scholars date Micah’s prophesies to the period from 730 to 700 BCE, a time when the Assyrians were also threatening to conquer Judea. He was a younger contemporary of First Isaiah.

This short Book is divided into three sections: oracles of judgment and condemnation against Jerusalem and its leaders for their corruption and pretensions (Ch. 1-3); oracles of hope in which Jerusalem would be restored to righteousness (right relationship with YHWH) (Ch. 4-5); and a lawsuit by God, a judgment by God, and a lament that moved to hope (Ch. 6-7).

The Book reflects some later additions. For example, 4:10 speaks of the Babylonian Exile (587-539 BCE) and 7:11 speaks of rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem – a post-Exilic concern.

According to The New Oxford Annotated Bible, the events of the late 8th Century BCE were “dizzying”: the fall of Samaria, the expansion of Jerusalem fueled by emigrants from the north (Samaria), and the aggressions of the newest superpower, Assyria.

Today’s reading is structured as a “divine lawsuit” and the “audience” for it is the heavenly court. The New Jerome Biblical Commentary notes that the lawsuit has cosmic dimensions (“mountains, hills, foundations of the earth”). The Jewish Study Bible notes that the lawsuit argued that Israel had no reason to abandon the LORD, for the LORD had done no wrong and had conferred many benefits upon Israel. It describes the passage as a “didactic prophesy.”

In this passage, YHWH is both the judge and the accuser, and it is sometimes difficult to identify the speaker. The LORD demanded that the Judeans plead their case (v.1). The prophet (v.2) called for all to hear the LORD’s complaint. The LORD spoke again in vv. 3-4, and a “spokesperson” for the community spoke in verses 6 and 7. The passage emphasized morality over sacrifices.

The prophet concluded with the most famous verse in Micah – the “requirement” of the LORD is to do justice, love kindness and walk humbly with the LORD. The NAOB calls it “the epitome of the entire Israelite prophetic tradition” and notes that the word “kindness” (v.8) is hesed, usually translated as “loving kindness” (covenant loyalty, goodness and fidelity).

1 Corinthians 1:18-31

Reading

18 The message about the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. 19 For it is written, “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and the discernment of the discerning I will thwart.”

20 Where is the one who is wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? 21 For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, God decided, through the foolishness of our proclamation, to save those who believe. 22 For Jews demand signs and Greeks desire wisdom, 23 but we proclaim Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, 24 but to those who are the called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. 25 For God’s foolishness is wiser than human wisdom, and God’s weakness is stronger than human strength.

26 Consider your own call, brothers and sisters: not many of you were wise by human standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. 27 But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; 28 God chose what is low and despised in the world, things that are not, to reduce to nothing things that are, 29 so that no one might boast in the presence of God. 30 He is the source of your life in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification and redemption, 31 in order that, as it is written, “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.”

Commentary

Corinth, a large port city in Greece, was the heart of Roman imperial culture in Greece. It was among the early Jesus Follower communities that Paul founded. Its culture was diverse and Hellenistic, and Corinthians emphasized reason and secular wisdom. In addition to Paul, other Jesus Followers also taught in Corinth, sometimes in ways inconsistent with Paul’s understandings of what it meant to be a Jesus Follower. Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians was written in the mid-50’s (CE) (likely while Paul was in Ephesus) and presented his views on several issues.

It is one of Paul’s most important letters because it has one of the earliest interpretations of the meaning of Jesus’ death as being on behalf of sinners (“died for our sins in accordance with the scriptures” 15:3) and a statement of Jesus’ resurrection (15:4-5). The letter also contains the basic formula for celebrating the Lord’s Supper (11:23-26).

Today’s reading is the continuation of the readings of the last two weeks and are the second step in Paul’s argument for unity. In them, Paul criticized of the “wisdom of the world” (v.20) and asserted that “God’s foolishness is wiser than human wisdom” (v.25). He explained that selfless love (as embodied in the cross) is seen as foolishness by those who rely on the so-called wisdom of the world (vv. 18, 20). As he often did, Paul paraphrased (and modified) verses from the prophets. Verse 19 was loosely based on Isaiah 29:14b which reads (in the NRSV) “The wisdom of their wise shall perish and the discernment of the discerning shall be hidden.”

The Jewish Annotated New Testament notes that the phrase “us who are being saved” (v.18) shows that Paul (in the authentic letters) regarded salvation as a future event.

The NOAB sees God’s wisdom (v. 21) as God’s plan for salvation, and includes the crucifixion of the Christ/Messiah/Anointed One of God. For Jews, a crucified Messiah was indeed a “stumbling block” (v. 23) because a Messiah who suffered was not a generally accepted notion in First Century Judaism. Because crucifixion was a particularly painful and degrading Roman form of execution, a crucified Messiah would also be inconsistent with the secular wisdom of the Greeks that expected kings and wise persons to overcome their enemies. Paul noted that most Corinthians were not powerful or of noble birth (v.26) and asserted that God’s kingdom inverts hierarchies (v.27).

After criticizing human wisdom, Paul said that Christ Jesus became the wisdom of God for us (v.30). The phrase in verse 30 that those who boast (which The NJBC understands as “sinful self reliance”) should instead boast in the Lord is derived from Jeremiah 9:23-24: “Thus says the LORD: Do not let the wise boast in their wisdom, do not let the mighty boast in their might, do not let the wealthy boast in their wealth; but let those who boast boast in this, that they understand and know me, that I am the LORD; I act with steadfast love, justice, and righteousness in the earth, for in these things I delight, says the LORD.”

Matthew 5:1-12

Reading

1 When Jesus saw the crowds, he went up the mountain; and after he sat down, his disciples came to him. 2 Then he began to speak, and taught them, saying:
3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
4 “Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.
5 “Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.
6 “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.
7 “Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy.
8 “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.
9 “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.
10 “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
11 “Blessed are you when people revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. 12 Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.”

Commentary

The Gospel of Matthew highlights Jesus’ origins and identity. Written around 85 CE by an anonymous author, the Gospel began Jesus’s genealogy with Abraham and depicted Jesus as a teacher of the Law like Moses. More than any other Gospel, Matthew quoted from the Hebrew Scriptures (using the Greek Septuagint Translation) to illustrate that Jesus was the Messiah.

Having been written after the Destruction of the Temple in 70 CE, the Gospel reflected the controversies between the Jesus Followers and the Pharisees for control of Judaism going forward. Accordingly, the Gospel contains many harsh sayings about the Pharisees. The Gospel is aimed primarily at the late First Century Jewish Jesus Follower community.

The Gospel relied heavily on the Gospel of Mark and included all but 60 verses from Mark. Like Luke, Matthew also used a “Sayings Source” (called “Q” by scholars) which are found in Matthew and Luke but not in Mark and John. There are also a substantial number of stories that are unique to Matthew: the Annunciation of Jesus’ conception was revealed to Joseph in a dream (rather than by an angel to Mary as in Luke); the Visit of the Magi; the Slaughter of the Innocents by Herod; the Flight to Egypt; the Laborers in the Vineyard; and the earthquake on Easter Morning, among others.

Today’s reading is known as “The Beatitudes” from the Latin word “beatus” (meaning “blessed”) which is a translation from the Greek “makarios” (which means “fortunate”). The Beatitudes are the first part of the Sermon on the Mount (Chapters 5 to 7), and they have similarities to the shorter “Sermon on the Plain” in Luke 6:17-38. Luke has four Beatitudes and Matthew has eight. The NJBC regards them as “Q” material.

The ascent up the mountain to teach (v.1) is reminiscent of Moses’ going up the Holy Mountain (Sinai or Horeb, depending on the source) to receive the Teaching (the Torah). The Sermon on the Mount is part of Matthew’s presentation of Jesus of Nazareth as a “New Moses” whose life was threatened by the temporal king (Pharaoh/Herod), who traveled to Egypt, came back from Egypt to Israel (the Exodus/return to Israel in Matt. 2:21), went into the water (Moses in the bulrushes and the Sea of Reeds/Jesus’ Baptism), spent time in the Wilderness (40 years/40 days), and taught from the mountain.

The Jewish Annotated New Testament notes that similar blessings appear in Jewish literature and that the word “makarioi” appears 68 times in the Septuagint, usually as a translation of the Hebrew word “ashrei” meaning “happy are …” The JANT points out that “poor in spirit” means humble and that “meek shall inherit the earth” (v.5) is similar to Ps. 37:11 (“But the meek shall inherit the land”). The JANT interprets the “meek” as those who do not take advantage of their position, and notes that in Jewish literature, the “heart” (v.8) represented the center of thought and conviction.

The New Oxford Annotated Bible offers similar interpretations and sees “meek” not as submissive or inconsequential, but rather the quality of being aware of one’s proper position and not being overweening. “Pure in heart” (v.8) is understood as sincere and free from mixed motives.

Verses 11 and 12 reflect the fact that the Jesus Follower Community in the late First Century faced hostility from both Jews and Gentiles. Prophets who were persecuted (v.12) included Elijah, Amos, and Jeremiah.

Micah 5:2-5a

Reading

2 You, O Bethlehem of Ephrathah, who are one of the little clans of Judah, from you shall come forth for me one who is to rule in Israel, whose origin is from of old, from ancient days.
3 Therefore he shall give them up until the time when she who is in labor has brought forth;
then the rest of his kindred shall return to the people of Israel.
4 And he shall stand and feed his flock in the strength of the LORD, in the majesty of the name of the LORD his God. And they shall live secure, for now he shall be great to the ends of the earth;
5 and he shall be the one of peace.

Commentary

Micah was among the earliest of the “Minor Prophets” – the 12 prophets whose works are much shorter than those of the “Major Prophets” (Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel) and are found in a single scroll.

Micah was a prophet (one who spoke for YHWH) to Judea after Northern Israel (Samaria) had been conquered by the Assyrians in 722 BCE (an event to which Micah refers in 1:6). Most scholars therefore date Micah’s prophesies to the period from 720 to 700 BCE, a time when the Assyrians were threatening to conquer Judea. The New Oxford Annotated Bible points out that there are some portions in Chapters 4 and 7 that relate to the Babylonian Exile (586-539) and the Postexilic period, and that Chapters 1-3 of Micah form the oldest core of the book.

Micah is seen as a younger contemporary of Isaiah of Jerusalem (also known as “First Isaiah”) who also spoke of an ideal king coming from the House of David (Is. 7:14).

The New Jerome Biblical Commentary observes that Micah’s preaching was concerned with sin and punishment, not with political or cultic matters, and that he was “preoccupied with social justice and did not fear princes, prophets or priests.” The NJBC states, “Micah is concerned with the people’s rejection of God. Sin is the reason for the coming punishment. The Assyrian king is but the unconscious instrument of God’s wrath.”

This short book is divided into three sections: oracles of judgment and condemnation against Jerusalem and its leaders for their corruption and pretensions (Ch. 1-3); oracles of hope in which Jerusalem would be restored to righteousness (right relationship with YHWH) (Ch. 4-5); and a lawsuit by God, a judgment by God, and a lament that moved to hope (Ch. 6-7).

In today’s reading from Chapter 5, Micah offered a Messianic poem and said that a new David would come from Bethlehem of Ephrathah. (Ephrathah was the name of a clan in Judea, and a region that included Bethlehem.) The Jewish Study Bible notes that the phrase “until she who is to bear has borne” (v.2) (“until the time when she who is in labor has brought forth” in the NRSV) has traditionally been interpreted to focus on comparisons between the birth pangs of a woman and the hardship of Israel prior to the coming of the Messiah.

The new David would feed his flock (v.4) and they would be secure in the peace that the new David would bring (v.5).

Hebrews 10:5-10

Reading

5 When Christ came into the world, he said, “Sacrifices and offerings you have not desired, but a body you have prepared for me;
6 in burnt offerings and sin offerings you have taken no pleasure.
7 Then I said, ‘See, God, I have come to do your will, O God’ (in the scroll of the book it is written of me).”
8 When he said above, “You have neither desired nor taken pleasure in sacrifices and offerings and burnt offerings and sin offerings” (these are offered according to the law), 9 then he added, “See, I have come to do your will.” He abolishes the first in order to establish the second. 10 And it is by God’s will that we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.

Commentary

The Letter to the Hebrews was an anonymous sermon addressed to both Jewish and Gentile Jesus Followers which urged them to maintain their Faith in the face of persecution.

Although the Letter to the Hebrews is sometimes attributed to Paul, most scholars agree that it was written some time after Paul’s death in 63 CE, but before 100 CE. The letter introduced a number of important theological themes. The first four chapters explored the word of God spoken through the Son.

The Jewish Annotated New Testament observes that Hebrews has a Platonic philosophical orientation resembling that of Philo of Alexandria and that it contains the New Testament’s most sophisticated Greek.

The NOAB and The JANT agree that the author sought both to ground his arguments in scripture (using the Septuagint) to argue that Jesus is superior to Jewish traditions. The JANT states: “Hebrews offers a distinct and elevated Christology. As the Son of God, Jesus is superior to all other beings, including angels — he is uncreated, immortal, and permanent. He is also superior to all biblical heroes, including Moses and Abraham, as well as institutions like the Levitical priesthood. As both perfect sacrifice and heavenly priest who intercedes for humans, Jesus supersedes the Jewish sacrificial system, rendering it obsolete.”

The JANT continues: “Because Hebrews argues for Jesus’ superiority over all else and the obsolescence of the covenant God made with Moses at Mount Sinai, it expresses what scholars call supersessionist theology. Supersessionism is the idea that Christ’s entry into human history replaces all that has come before, including God’s unique covenant bond with Israel. The same idea is sometimes referred to as rejection/replacement theology.”

In First Century Greek, there were no punctuation or quotation marks, their addition in the NRSV are interpretive acts by the translators.

In the verses before today’s reading, the author of the Letter used language reminiscent of Plato’s Republic in saying the law “has only the shadow of the good things to come and not the form of these realities.” (v.1) He noted that in Judaism there is an annual reminder of one’s sins (on Yom Kippur). For this reason, the sacrifices offered at the Temple were not “perfect” [complete] and he concluded that “it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins” (v.4).

With this as his predicate, the author then asserted that the Christ stated that God did not desire sacrifice and offerings (5a) and that God had “prepared a body” [Jesus of Nazareth] for me [the Christ] (5b).

According to the author, the Christ then said that “you” (YHWH) took no delight in burnt offerings and sin offerings (v.6), an idea also found in Isaiah, Jeremiah, Hosea, Amos and in Psalm 40.

The author continued “quoting” the Christ to say that he (the Christ) had come – as provided in a book maintained by God – to do God’s will (v.7).

The author of the Letter interpreted these “statements” by the Christ to mean that the Crucifixion of Jesus “abolishes the first [covenant]” (v.9) – the Mosaic Law Covenant involving animal and grain sacrifices – “in order to establish the second [covenant]” (v.9b).

The author concluded by saying that it was God’s will that we were sanctified once and for all (v.10) through the offering [the Crucifixion] of the body of Jesus the Christ.

The JANT comments that the argument in Hebrews is “curious” in that the sacrifices prescribed by the Torah never created an expectation in Judaism that sacrifices could cure people of sin. The JANT cites references in Isaiah 1, Jeremiah 7, and Psalms 50 and 51 for the proposition that sacrifices do not substitute for repentance.

The NJBC observes that the author of Hebrews overstates the case: “God’s preferring obedience to sacrifice is interpreted as God’s repudiation of the OT sacrifices and their replacement by the self offering of Jesus.”

Luke 1:39-55

Reading

39 In those days Mary set out and went with haste to a Judean town in the hill country, 40 where she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. 41 When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the child leaped in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit 42 and exclaimed with a loud cry, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. 43 And why has this happened to me, that the mother of my Lord comes to me? 44 For as soon as I heard the sound of your greeting, the child in my womb leaped for joy. 45 And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her by the Lord.”

46 And Mary said, “My soul magnifies the Lord,
47 and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
48 for he has looked with favor on the lowliness of his servant. Surely, from now on all generations will call me blessed;
49 for the Mighty One has done great things for me, and holy is his name.
50 His mercy is for those who fear him from generation to generation.
51 He has shown strength with his arm; he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts.
52 He has brought down the powerful from their thrones, and lifted up the lowly;
53 he has filled the hungry with good things and sent the rich away empty.
54 He has helped his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy,
55 according to the promise he made to our ancestors, to Abraham and to his descendants forever.”

Commentary

The Gospel According to Luke is generally regarded as having been written around 85 CE. Its author also wrote the Acts of the Apostles. Both books were written in elegant and deliberatively crafted Greek and presented Jesus of Nazareth as the universal savior of humanity. Both emphasized the Holy Spirit as the “driving force” for events.

The Gospel followed the same general chronology of Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection as the Gospel of Mark, and more than 50% of Luke’s Gospel was based on Mark. The other portions of Luke include (a) sayings shared with the Gospel According to Matthew but not found in Mark and (b) stories that are unique to Luke such as the Annunciation, the Visitation, the Presentation in the Temple, the Prodigal Son, and the Good Samaritan

Today’s reading is the story of the Visitation and follows the story of the Annunciation. If Mary were of customary marrying age in First Century Israel, she would have been about 14 or 15 years old. Traditionally, the home of Elizabeth and Zachariah in the “hill country of Judea” (v.39) was in Ein Kerem, a town west of Jerusalem.

Mary (whose name means “excellence”) is described as a “relative” of Elizabeth (v.36) but the relation is not specified. The JANT says that this “relation” showed that Mary was of priestly ancestry, because Elizabeth was described by Luke as “a descendant of Aaron” (v.5). This would have meant that John the Baptist was a “descendant of Aaron.” The traditional relationship between Jesus of Nazareth and John the Baptist is that they were cousins, and the presentation of Mary as being of “priestly ancestry” would also mean that Jesus was of traditional Jewish priestly ancestry as well.

The distance to Ein Kerem from Nazareth (where the Annunciation to Mary took place – according to Luke) was about 70 miles (longer if the route avoided Samaria). This trip would have taken three or four days of walking in rugged terrain that had bands of robbers.

As shown by the statement by Elizabeth that the child in her womb “leaped” when she heard Mary’s greeting (v.41), Luke gave Mary a very high status. According to Luke, Elizabeth described Mary as “blessed among women” and “the mother of my Lord” (42-43). The word Luke used for “Lord” is Kyrios – the same word that is used in the LXX to translate YHWH.

Mary’s response (46-55) is called “The Magnificat” from the first word in Jerome’s Vulgate (Latin) translation of the Greek text. Mary’s response used language that was similar in content and tone to Hannah’s song when she learned she was pregnant with Samuel (1 Sam. 2:1-10). The translators’ note advises that some other ancient authorities have Elizabeth saying the Magnificat rather than Mary.

Hannah’s song began: “My heart exults in the LORD; my strength is exalted in my God.” For Hannah, YHWH would raise up the poor from the dust (v.8). Mary affirmed that the Lord has lifted up the lowly (v.52).

The promise to Abraham and his descendants (v.55) is found in Genesis, Micah and elsewhere that the land of Israel was given to Abraham and his descendants forever.

The NJBC notes: “Luke’s intent is missed if one accentuates Mary’s charity and social concern in visiting her aged, pregnant relative Elizabeth. If Luke were intent on presenting Mary as a model of charity, he would not have written v.56 which portrays Mary’s departing from Elizabeth at the time of her greatest need [when Elizabeth was about to give birth]. It also strains credulity to imagine a fourteen-year-old Jewish virgin making a four-day journey by herself. Rather, Luke’s intent in the “Visitation” is literary and theological. He brings together the two mothers-to-be, so that both might praise the God active in their lives and that Elizabeth’s child might be presented as the “precursor” of Mary’s child.”

Micah 6:1-8

Reading

1 Hear what the LORD says: Rise, plead your case before the mountains, and let the hills hear your voice.
2 Hear, you mountains, the controversy of the LORD, and you enduring foundations of the earth; for the LORD has a controversy with his people, and he will contend with Israel.
3 “O my people, what have I done to you? In what have I wearied you? Answer me!
4 For I brought you up from the land of Egypt and redeemed you from the house of slavery; and I sent before you Moses, Aaron, and Miriam.
5 O my people, remember now what King Balak of Moab devised, what Balaam son of Beor answered him, and what happened from Shittim to Gilgal,
that you may know the saving acts of the LORD.”
6 “With what shall I come before the LORD, and bow myself before God on high? Shall I come before him with burnt offerings, with calves a year old?
7 Will the LORD be pleased with thousands of rams, with tens of thousands of rivers of oil? Shall I give my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?”
8 He has told you, O mortal, what is good; and what does the LORD require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?

Commentary

Micah was among the earliest of the “Minor Prophets” – the 12 prophets whose works are much shorter than those of the “Major Prophets” (Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel) and are found in a single scroll.

Micah was a prophet (one who spoke for YHWH) to Judea after Northern Israel (Samaria) had been conquered by the Assyrians in 722 BCE (an event to which Micah refers in 1:6). Most scholars therefore date Micah’s prophesies to the period from 720 to 700 BCE, a time when the Assyrians were threatening to conquer Judea. He was therefore a younger contemporary of First Isaiah.

This short Book is divided into three sections: oracles of judgment and condemnation against Jerusalem and its leaders for their corruption and pretensions (Ch. 1-3); oracles of hope in which Jerusalem would be restored to righteousness (right relationship with YHWH]) (Ch. 4-5); and a lawsuit by God, a judgment by God, and a lament that moved to hope (Ch. 6-7).

The Book reflects some later additions. For example, 4:10 speaks of the Babylonian Exile (587-539 BCE) and 7:11 speaks of rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem – a post-Exilic concern.

According to The New Oxford Annotated Bible, the events of the late 8th Century BCE were “dizzying”: the fall of Samaria, the expansion of Jerusalem fueled by emigrants from the north (Samaria), and the aggressions of the newest superpower, Assyria.

Today’s reading is a “divine lawsuit” and the “audience” for it is the heavenly court. The New Jerome Biblical Commentary notes that the lawsuit has cosmic dimensions (“mountains, hills, foundations of the earth”). The lawsuit argued that Israel had no reason to abandon the LORD, for the LORD had done no wrong and had conferred many benefits upon Israel.

In this passage, YHWH is both the judge and the accuser, and it is sometimes difficult to identify the speaker. The LORD demanded that the Judeans plead their case (v.1). The prophet (v.2) called for all to hear the LORD’s complaint. The LORD spoke again in vv. 3-4, and a “spokesperson” for the community spoke in verses 6 and 7. The passage emphasized morality over sacrifices.

The prophet concluded with the most famous verse in Micah – the “requirement” of the LORD is to do justice, love kindness and walk humbly with the LORD. The NAOB calls it “the epitome of the entire Israelite prophetic tradition” and notes that the word “kindness” is hesed, usually translated as “loving kindness” (covenant loyalty and fidelity).

1 Corinthians 1:18-31

Reading

18 The message about the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. 19 For it is written,
“I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and the discernment of the discerning I will thwart.”

20 Where is the one who is wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? 21 For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, God decided, through the foolishness of our proclamation, to save those who believe. 22 For Jews demand signs and Greeks desire wisdom, 23 but we proclaim Christ crucified, a stumbling block8 to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, 24 but to those who are the called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. 25 For God’s foolishness is wiser than human wisdom, and God’s weakness is stronger than human strength.

26 Consider your own call, brothers and sisters: not many of you were wise by human standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. 27 But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; 28 God chose what is low and despised in the world, things that are not, to reduce to nothing things that are, 29 so that no one might boast in the presence of God. 30 He is the source of your life in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification and redemption, 31 in order that, as it is written, “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.”

Commentary

Corinth, a large port city in Greece, was the heart of Roman imperial culture in Greece. It was among the early Jesus Follower communities that Paul founded. Its culture was diverse and Hellenistic, and Corinthians emphasized reason and secular wisdom. In addition to Paul, other Jesus Followers also taught in Corinth, sometimes in ways inconsistent with Paul’s understandings of what it meant to be a Jesus Follower. Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians was written in the mid-50’s (CE) (likely while Paul was in Ephesus) and presented his views on several issues.

It is one of Paul’s most important letters because it is one of the earliest proclamations of Jesus’ death on behalf of sinners (“for our sins” 15:3) and his resurrection (15:4-5). The letter also contains the basic formula for celebrating the Lord’s Supper (11:23-26).

Today’s reading is the continuation of the readings of the last two weeks. In today’s verses, Paul criticized of the “wisdom of the world” and asserted that “God’s foolishness is wiser than human wisdom” (v.25). He explained that selfless love (as embodied in the cross) is seen as foolishness by those who rely on the so-called wisdom of the world (v. 18, 20). As he often did, Paul paraphrased (and modified) verses from the prophets. Verse 19 is loosely based on Isaiah 29:14b which reads (in the NRSV) “The wisdom of their wise shall perish and the discernment of the discerning shall be hidden.”

God’s wisdom (v. 21) includes the crucifixion of the Christ/Messiah/Anointed One of God. For Jews, a crucified Messiah was indeed a “stumbling block” (v. 23) because a Messiah who suffered was not a generally accepted notion in First Century Judaism. Because crucifixion was a particularly painful and degrading Roman form of execution, a crucified Messiah would also be inconsistent with the secular wisdom of the Greeks that expected kings and wise persons to overcome their enemies. Paul asserted that God’s kingdom inverts hierarchies (v.27).

After criticizing human wisdom, Paul said that Christ Jesus became the wisdom of God for us (v.30). The phrase in verse 30 that those who boast (which is generally frowned upon) should boast in the Lord is derived from Jeremiah 9:23-24.

Matthew 5:1-12

Reading

1 When Jesus saw the crowds, he went up the mountain; and after he sat down, his disciples came to him. 2 Then he began to speak, and taught them, saying:
3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
4 “Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.
5 “Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.
6 “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.
7 “Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy.
8 “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.
9 “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.
10 “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
11 “Blessed are you when people revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. 12 Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.”

Commentary

The Gospel of Matthew highlights Jesus’ origins and identity. Written around 85 CE by an anonymous author, the Gospel began Jesus’s genealogy with Abraham and depicted Jesus as a teacher of the Law like Moses. More than any other Gospel, Matthew quoted from the Hebrew Scriptures (using the Greek Septuagint Translation) to illustrate that Jesus was the Messiah.

Having been written after the Destruction of the Temple in 70 CE, the Gospel reflected the controversies between the Jesus Followers and the Pharisees for control of Judaism going forward. Accordingly, the Gospel contains many harsh sayings about the Pharisees. The Gospel is aimed primarily at the late First Century Jewish Jesus Follower community.

The Gospel relied heavily on the Gospel of Mark and included all but 60 verses from Mark. Like Luke, Matthew also used a “Sayings Source” (called “Q” by scholars) which are found in Matthew and Luke but not in Mark and John. There are also a substantial number of stories that are unique to Matthew: the Annunciation of Jesus’ conception was revealed to Joseph in a dream (rather than by an angel to Mary as in Luke); the Visit of the Magi; the Slaughter of the Innocents by Herod; the Flight to Egypt; the Laborers in the Vineyard; and the earthquake on Easter Morning, among others.

Today’s reading is known as “The Beatitudes” from the Latin word “beatus” (meaning “blessed”) which is a translation from the Greek “makarios” (which means “fortunate”). The Beatitudes are the first part of the Sermon on the Mount (Chapters 5 to 7), which has similarities to the shorter “Sermon on the Plain” in Luke 6:17-38. Luke has four Beatitudes and Matthew has eight.

The ascent up the mountain to teach (v.1) is reminiscent of Moses’ going up the Holy Mountain (Sinai or Horeb, depending on the source) to receive the Teaching (the Torah). The Sermon on the Mount is part of Matthew’s presentation of Jesus of Nazareth as a “New Moses” whose life was threatened by the temporal king (Pharaoh/Herod), who traveled to Egypt, came back from Egypt to Israel (the Exodus/return to Israel in Matt. 2:21), went into the water (Moses in the bulrushes and the Sea of Reeds/Jesus’ Baptism), time in the Wilderness (40 years/40 days), and teaching from the mountain.

The Jewish Annotated New Testament notes that similar blessings appear in Jewish literature and that the word “makarioi” appears 68 times in the Septuagint, usually as a translation of the Hebrew word “ashrei” meaning “happy are …” The JANT points out that “meek shall inherit the earth” (v.5) is similar to Ps. 37:11 (“But the meek shall inherit the land”). The JANT interprets the “meek” as those who do not take advantage of their position, and notes that in Jewish literature, the “heart” (v.8) represented the center of thought and conviction.

The New Oxford Annotated Bible offers similar interpretations and sees “meek” not as submissive or inconsequential, but rather aware of one’s proper position and not overweening. “Pure in heart” (v.8) is understood as sincere and free from mixed motives.

Verses 11 and 12 reflect the fact that the Jesus Follower Community in the late First Century faced hostility from both Jews and pagans. Prophets who were persecuted (v.12) include Elijah, Amos, and Jeremiah.

Micah 5:2-5a

Reading

2 You, O Bethlehem of Ephrathah, who are one of the little clans of Judah, from you shall come forth for me one who is to rule in Israel, whose origin is from of old, from ancient days.
3 Therefore he shall give them up until the time when she who is in labor has brought forth;
then the rest of his kindred shall return to the people of Israel.
4 And he shall stand and feed his flock in the strength of the LORD, in the majesty of the name of the LORD his God. And they shall live secure, for now he shall be great to the ends of the earth;
5 and he shall be the one of peace.

Commentary

Micah was among the earliest of the “Minor Prophets” – the 12 prophets whose works are much shorter than those of the “Major Prophets” (Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel) and are found in a single scroll.

Micah was a prophet (one who spoke for YHWH) to Judea after Northern Israel (Samaria) had been conquered by the Assyrians in 722 BCE (an event to which Micah refers in 1:6). Most scholars therefore date Micah’s prophesies to the period from 720 to 700 BCE, a time when the Assyrians were threatening to conquer Judea.

This short Book is divided into three sections: oracles of judgment and condemnation against Jerusalem and its leaders for their corruption and pretensions (Ch. 1-3); oracles of hope in which Jerusalem would be restored to righteousness (right relationship with YHWH]) (Ch. 4-5); and a lawsuit by God, a judgment by God, and a lament that moved to hope (Ch. 6-7).

In today’s reading from Chapter 5, Micah offered a Messianic poem and said that a new David would come from Bethlehem of Ephrathah. (Ephrathah was the name of a clan in Judea, and a region that included Bethlehem.) The new David would feed his flock (v.4) and they would be secure in the peace that the new David would bring (v.5).

First Isaiah (Isaiah 1-39) was a contemporary of Micah. He also spoke of an ideal king coming from the House of David (Is. 7:14).

Hebrews 10:5-10

Reading

5 When Christ came into the world, he said, “Sacrifices and offerings you have not desired,
but a body you have prepared for me;
6 in burnt offerings and sin offerings you have taken no pleasure.
7 Then I said, ‘See, God, I have come to do your will, O God’ (in the scroll of the book it is written of me).”
8 When he said above, “You have neither desired nor taken pleasure in sacrifices and offerings and burnt offerings and sin offerings” (these are offered according to the law), 9 then he added, “See, I have come to do your will.” He abolishes the first in order to establish the second. 10 And it is by God’s will that we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.

Commentary

The Letter to the Hebrews was an anonymous sermon addressed to both Jewish and Gentile Jesus Followers which urged them to maintain their Faith in the face of persecution.

Although the Letter to the Hebrews is sometimes attributed to Paul, most scholars agree that it was written sometime after Paul’s death in 63 CE, but before 100 CE. The letter introduced many important theological themes.

The author, in large part, interpreted the life, death, and heavenly role of Jesus as the Christ through the category of the “high priest’ who perfected the ancient sacrificial system of Judaism which had ended when the Temple was destroyed in 70 CE.

The presentation of Jesus as high priest in the Letter to the Hebrews is unique in the Christian Scriptures and reflected the continuing process in early Christianity of developing images to describe who and what Jesus of Nazareth was (and is) as the Christ.

In First Century Greek, there was no punctuation or quotation marks, their addition is an interpretive act by the translators.

In the verses before today’s reading, the author of the Letter noted that in Judaism there is an annual reminder of one’s sins (on Yom Kippur). For this reason, these sacrifices were not “perfect” and he concluded that “it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins” (v.4).

With this as his predicate, the author then asserted that the Christ stated that God did not desire sacrifice and offerings (5a) and that God had “prepared a body” [Jesus of Nazareth] for me [the Christ] (5b).

According to the author, the Christ then said that “you” (YHWH) took no delight in burnt offerings and sin offerings (v.6), an idea also found in Isaiah, Jeremiah, Hosea, Amos and in Psalm 40.

The author continued “quoting” the Christ to say that he (the Christ) had come – as provided in a book maintained by God – to do God’s will (v.7).

The author of the Letter interpreted these “statements” by the Christ to mean that the Crucifixion of Jesus “abolishes the first [covenant]” (v.9) – the Mosaic Law Covenant involving animal and grain sacrifices – “in order to establish the second [covenant]” (v.9b).

The author concluded by saying that it was God’s will that we were sanctified once and for all (v.10) through the offering [the Crucifixion] of the body of Jesus the Christ.

Luke 1:39-55

Reading

39 In those days Mary set out and went with haste to a Judean town in the hill country, 40 where she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. 41 When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the child leaped in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit 42 and exclaimed with a loud cry, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. 43 And why has this happened to me, that the mother of my Lord comes to me? 44 For as soon as I heard the sound of your greeting, the child in my womb leaped for joy. 45 And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her by the Lord.”

46 And Mary said, “My soul magnifies the Lord,
47 and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
48 for he has looked with favor on the lowliness of his servant. Surely, from now on all generations will call me blessed;
49 for the Mighty One has done great things for me, and holy is his name.
50 His mercy is for those who fear him from generation to generation.
51 He has shown strength with his arm; he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts.
52 He has brought down the powerful from their thrones, and lifted up the lowly;
53 he has filled the hungry with good things and sent the rich away empty.
54 He has helped his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy,
55 according to the promise he made to our ancestors, to Abraham and to his descendants forever.”

Commentary

The Gospel According to Luke is generally regarded as having been written around 85 CE. Its author also wrote the Acts of the Apostles. Both books were written in elegant and deliberatively crafted Greek and presented Jesus of Nazareth as the universal savior of humanity. Both emphasized the Holy Spirit as the “driving force” for events.

The Gospel followed the same general chronology of Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection as the Gospel of Mark, and more than 50% of Luke’s Gospel was based on Mark. The other portions of Luke include (a) sayings shared with the Gospel According to Matthew but not found in Mark and (b) stories that are unique to Luke such as the Annunciation, the Visitation, the Presentation in the Temple, the Prodigal Son, and the Good Samaritan

Today’s reading is the story of the Visitation. If Mary were of customary marrying age in First Century Israel, she would have been about 13 or 14 years old. Traditionally, the home of Elizabeth and Zachariah in the “hill country of Judea” (v.39) was in Ein Kerem, a town west of Jerusalem.

The distance to Ein Kerem from Nazareth (where the Annunciation to Mary took place – according to Luke) was about 70 miles (longer if the route avoided Samaria). This trip would have taken three or four days of walking in rugged terrain that had bands of robbers.

As shown by the statement by Elizabeth that the child in her womb “leaped” when she heard Mary’s greeting (v.41), Luke gave Mary a very high status. According to Luke, Elizabeth described Mary as “blessed among women” and “the mother of my Lord” (42-43).

Mary’s response (46-55) is called “The Magnificat” from the first word in Jerome’s Vulgate (Latin) translation of the Greek text. Mary’s response used language that was similar in content and tone to Hannah’s song when she learned she was pregnant with Samuel (1 Sam. 2:1-10).
Hannah’s song began: “My heart exults in the LORD; my strength is exalted in my God.” For Hannah, YHWH would raise up the poor from the dust (v.8). Mary affirmed that the Lord has lifted up the lowly (v.52).

The promise to Abraham and his descendants (v.55) is found in Genesis, Micah and elsewhere that the land of Israel was given to Abraham and his descendants forever.

Micah was among the earliest of the “Minor Prophets” – the 12 prophets whose works are much shorter than those of the “Major Prophets”(Isaiah, Jeremiah and Ezekiel) and are found in a single scroll.  Micah was a prophet to Judea after Northern Israel (Samaria) was conquered by the Assyrians in 722 BCE (an event to which Micah refers in 1:6). Most scholars therefore date Micah’s prophesies to the period from 720 to 700 BCE, a time when the Assyrians were threatening to conquer Judea.  

This short Book is divided into three sections: oracles of judgment and condemnation against Jerusalem and its leaders for their corruption and pretensions (Ch. 1-3); oracles of hope in which Jerusalem would be restored to righteousness [right relationship with YHWH] (Ch. 4-5); and a lawsuit by God, a judgment by God, and a lament that moved to hope (Ch. 6-7). 

In today’s reading from Chapter 5, Micah offered a Messianic poem and said that a new David would come from Bethlehem of Ephrathah. (Ephrathah was the name of a clan in Judea, and a region that included Bethlehem.) The new David would feed his flock and they would be secure in the peace that the new David would bring.

First Isaiah (Isaiah 1-39) was a contemporary of Micah. He also spoke of an ideal king coming from the House of David (Is. 7:14).  

Hebrews 10:5-10

Although the Letter to the Hebrews is sometimes attributed to Paul, most scholars agree that it was written after Paul’s death in 62 CE, but before 100 CE.  The letter was addressed to both Jewish and Gentile Jesus Followers who had suffered persecution. The letter introduced many important theological themes, such as Jesus the Christ as the perfect High Priest of the order of Melchizedek. 

In today’s reading, the author presented a meaning of the Crucifixion of Jesus of Nazareth. He asserted (vv. 5-8) that Jesus had stated that God takes no pleasure in animal and grain sacrifices. This same idea is also found in verses in Isaiah, Jeremiah, Hosea, Amos and in Psalm 40.  

The author of the letter went on to say that the Crucifixion of Jesus “abolishes the first order” [animal and grain sacrifices] and that we have been sanctified once and for all through the offering of the body of Jesus the Christ. 

In many Episcopal congregations, instead of the readings discussed below, the readings for All Saints’ Day will be used on Sunday, November 5, 2017.

Joshua 3:7-17

The Book of Joshua is part of the “Deuteronomic History” (Deuteronomy, Joshua, Judges, Samuel and Kings). These books are didactic – the message was that the fortunes of Ancient Israel depended on faithfulness of the people and their kings in worshiping YHWH.

The Book of Joshua covers the entry of the Israelites into the Promised Land by crossing the River Jordan, the swift conquest by Joshua of the people that were in the land (starting with Jericho), allocation of lands among the tribes, and concludes with the “Covenant at Shechem” by which the people swore (acting as their own witnesses) to be faithful to YHWH. If the events are historical, they would have occurred around 1200 BCE.

In today’s reading, YHWH committed continuing faithfulness to Joshua and directed that the Ark of the Covenant (which contained the tablets Moses brought down from Mount Sinai/Horeb) be carried by priests across the Jordan. Just as with the Sea of Reeds/Red Sea, the River Jordan stopped flowing and the people walked across the riverbed.

Micah 3:5-12

Micah was among the earliest of the 12 “Minor Prophets.” Their works are much shorter than those of the “Major Prophets” (Isaiah, Jeremiah and Ezekiel), and were assembled on one scroll in the Hebrew Bible. Most scholars date Micah’s prophesies to 722 to 700 BCE. This short Book is in three sections: oracles of judgment and condemnation, particularly of Jerusalem (Ch. 1-3); oracles of hope (Ch. 4-5); and a lawsuit by God, a judgment by God, and a lament that moves to hope (Ch.6-7).

In today’s reading, Micah condemned the false prophets in Jerusalem who gave favorable prophesies to those with means, but not to those in need (v.5). He warned the rulers of Jerusalem/Zion that the city and the Temple would be destroyed because of their corruption (v.11-12). He stated that the fate of Samaria/Israel/Jacob (conquered by the Assyrians in 722 BCE) would also befall Jerusalem. Jerusalem was conquered by the Babylonians in 597 BCE.

1 Thessalonians 2:9-13

Paul’s letter to the Thessalonians was Paul’s first letter and was written around 50 CE. Thessaloniki is a seaport and was the capital of Macedonia. The letter encouraged the community to be steadfast in the face of persecution. In today’s reading, Paul tells of his efforts in bringing the good news to the Thessalonians, and rejoices that they accepted the word as God’s word at work within them.

Micah was one of the 12 “Minor” Prophets – so called because their collective works fill only a single scroll. He prophesied from about 725 to 690 BCE, and was a younger contemporary of “First Isaiah” (Isaiah of Jerusalem). He criticized empty rituals and injustice in Jerusalem during the years when Assyria conquered Northern Israel (722) and threatened Jerusalem (701), and when the Babylonians overcame Jerusalem (597 to 587 BCE).

Today’s reading sets out the “reasons” for this sorry state of affairs. It starts with a divine lawsuit/complaint by YHWH against Israel in which YHWH/the LORD recounts all God has done for Israel (vv. 1-5). A spokesperson for the community then asks what offerings can be made to please YHWH (vv.6-7) and even asks if child sacrifices would atone for the transgressions (v.7b)!

Micah tells the people that offerings are not sufficient. The last words of verse 8 in today’s reading are the epitome of the entire Israelite prophetic tradition – the people (and all of us) are called to do justice, love kindness/goodness, and walk humbly/wisely with God.

1 Corinthians 1:18-31

Corinth, a large port city in Greece, was among the early Jesus Follower communities that Paul founded. Its culture was Hellenistic and emphasized reason and secular wisdom. In addition to Paul, other Jesus Followers also taught in Corinth, sometimes in ways inconsistent with Paul’s understandings of what it means to be a Jesus Follower. This led to contentions among the Corinthians.

In today’s reading, Paul criticized the “wisdom of the world” and asserted that “God’s foolishness is wiser than human wisdom” (v.25). He explained that the “wisdom of the world” involves power and noble birth. God’s “foolishness,” on the other hand, is shown by love, by selflessness (as shown in the cross) and by humility. God’s “foolishness” will lead to righteousness (everything in right relation with everything else), sanctification (making everything holy) and redemption (making everything whole) (v.30).