Saturday, July 17, 2010

Connecting the Dots 3: It is Written

Today's readings: Psalms 30, 32, Joshua 6:1-14, Romans 13:1-7, Matthew 26:26-35

Today we’ll conclude (for now) our consideration of how biblical literacy in one area enriches our reading in another.

Jesus, Paul, the prophets and various Biblical characters are fond of using the phrase “It is written.” These words (or some variation of them) appear over 100 times. So where exactly is it written?

A good number of these references, especially those attributed to Jesus, refer to the prophets. In today’s reading he quotes Zechariah: “I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be scattered” (Matt 26:31b, Zech 13:7). Mount Olive where he speaks these words is – according to Zechariah – the site of God’s victory (Zech 14). Use of such references authenticates his role as the Messiah both to Jesus’ immediate listeners, and to Matthew’s readers years later. Jesus and the writers of the Gospels also refer implicitly and explicitly to Isaiah and other prophets to lend authority to their claim that Jesus is the Messiah.

Other times “it is written” in the books of Moses, particularly the Book of Law. The Law of Moses found in Leviticus and Deuteronomy was central to Jewish life, so actions are frequently explained as being in accordance with the Book. In this way the actions are justified, and the importance of the Book is reinforced.

Occasionally, it isn’t written anywhere – at least not anywhere we can read today. As we read along in Joshua, we will come across a reference to the Book of Jashar, which is also referenced in 2 Samuel. Use of this lost book, sometimes known as the Book of the Righteous, demonstrates the importance recorded scripture had for the author of Joshua and for his audience.

Biblical writers were very intentional about the words they chose. References to previous scriptures provide continuity, depth, justification and authority. Becoming familiar with the writings important to Jesus, Paul and the authors of the Gospels allows us to better understand the meaning behind their messages.

[Note: Tomorrow we will reflect on today's reading from Matthew]

Comfort: By increasing our understanding, we can enrich our faith.

Challenge: As you read non-Biblical material over the next few days, pay attention to how many references make assumptions about what you know. Also pay attention to how your understanding of the material is affected when these assumptions are correct or incorrect.

Prayer: God of the Known and Unknown, thank you for being near to me when I am ignorant and when I am wise.

Evening readings: Psalms 42, 43

Friday, July 16, 2010

Connecting the Dots 2: Commit Your Spirit!

Today's readings: Psalm 31, Joshua 4:19-5:1, 10-15, Romans 12:9-21, Matthew 26:17-25

Yesterday we considered the idea of literary Easter eggs in the Bible – words, phrases and images which hold deeper meaning the more we know about the rest of the text. Today we’ll look at some more examples of how biblical literacy in one area enriches our reading in another.

Let’s begin with a pop quiz: who said “Into your hands I commit my spirit?” If you recognized these as the words of Jesus as he expired on the cross, you’d be right (Luke 23:46)… but only half. Jesus and Luke would have known he was borrowing the phrase from today’s Psalm 31 – a psalm of prayer and praise for deliverance from enemies. They would also have been familiar with the second half of the verse: “you have redeemed me, O Lord, faithful God” (v. 5). Taken alone, Jesus’ words can seem to indicate his resignation to his fate. How does knowing the full context of the verse affect our understanding of its meaning?

Sometimes the Gospels quote older texts directly, and other times they use imagery that communicates on many levels. The meal preparations portrayed in today’s reading from Matthew were for a Passover meal. Jesus spoke of his impending sacrifice as his twelve disciples (the same number as the tribes of Israel) were commemorating the Jewish exodus after the death of Egypt’s first-born sons. As the only-begotten, the Logos present at the beginning of creation, Jesus is the firstborn of God. What might it have been like for the disciples to reconcile the idea of Jesus as Messiah and a first-born sacrifice like that of their former captors?

Almost every book of the Bible contains both direct and subtle references to its other books. The more we are able to connect the dots, the more we appreciate the Bible as not only the early history of our faith, but as a beautifully crafted work of art. When Jewish scholars discuss the scriptures, they consider them on multiple simultaneous levels of meaning. Even though we are not necessarily scholars, as eager students we would do well to learn from their example.

Comfort: Scripture study is like archaeological excavation – there is always treasure waiting to be uncovered!

Challenge: Look through some of your old photographs. Meditate on how these images have added meaning to other parts of your life.

Prayer: God of the Known and the Unknown, into your hands I commit my spirit.


Evening reading: Psalm 35

Thursday, July 15, 2010

Connecting the Dots 1: Easter Eggs

Today's readings: Psalm 37:1-18, Joshua 3:14-4:7, Romans 12:1-8, Matthew 26:1-16


The Bible is full of Easter eggs. Not the hidden-by-bunnies-in-nests-of-plastic-grass-caught-in-the-carpet-for-months type of Easter eggs. More of the type one might find hidden in video games, DVDs or works of art. These Easter eggs are surprises or references that remain hidden unless we are somehow in the know – or at least paying attention.

As any modern author might, the writers of the Bible made cultural assumptions about their audiences. One of the biggest assumptions was a familiarity with Jewish traditions and scripture. Through careful use of a distinctive word, phrase or image from an earlier scripture, a writer could trigger a literary reflex to summon a wealth of associated emotion and information. A modern example might be to refer to something as “unsinkable” – such a reference for many people brings to mind the Titanic and the ironic stories and emotions related to it. While these references were immediately accessible to the Jewish people, as students of the Bible today we need to pay careful attention and frequently rely on commentaries (personal thanks to The New Interpreter’s Study Bible!) to discover these hidden gems.

We’ll start our Easter egg hunt with what is probably a “gimme” – this being only the first day of our series. When the author of today’s text told the story of Joshua parting the waters of the Jordan River, he knew this image would bring to mind the similar action of Moses parting the Red Sea. While we can appreciate it as a literary device, to the writer’s audience it would have conveyed a continuity of authority from Moses to Joshua and – by extension – to subsequent leaders of Israel. The writer includes several other incidents in the exploits of Joshua that parallel the life of Moses, further cementing this continuity in the minds of his audience. At no point does he need to make a direct comparison between the two, because the message is contained in the connotations.

Over the next couple days we will explore some less obvious Easter eggs. This exercise is not in the spirit of DaVinci Code style puzzle solving. Rather, it is to help us understand the importance of being as biblically literate as we can, so a richer scriptural understanding is open to us.

Comfort: God’s Easter eggs are meant for all to find!

Challenge: When studying scripture, commit to reading any footnotes or commentary offered.

Prayer: God of the Known and the Unknown, may my studies bring me closer to you.


Evening reading: Psalm 37:19-42

Wednesday, July 14, 2010

Ancient Texts, Modern Sensibilities - Part 3 of 3

Today's readings: Psalm 38, Joshua 3:1-13, Romans 11:25-36, Matthew 25:31-46


Today we conclude our reflection on the tension between the ancient texts of the Bible and the sensibilities of the present-day Christian.

Psalm 38 has the following heading: A penitent sufferer’s plea for healing. The author of the psalm believes his illnesses and accompanying decline in social status are the direct result of God’s indignation at the psalmist’s sin (vv. 3-4). This theology of God meting out punishments and rewards directly proportional to our actions is present in many psalms. It is easy to grasp, and offers an illusion of control: we can distance ourselves from the unfairness of illness and misfortune if we can identify what someone has done to deserve them. At our best, we can accept the reality that disease is unfair. In our weakness, however, we can try to quell our own fears by determining what a suffering person has done differently from us. We may not go so far as to believe they deserve it, but try to reassure ourselves we are not equally susceptible.

Jesus dismissed this idea of fortune as an indicator of righteousness when he said: “[God] causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous” (Matt 6:45). However, we may struggle with his words in John 9, when the disciples ask whether a certain man’s blindness was caused by his own sin or his parents’ sin. Jesus replies the blindness was not a result of sin at all “but so the work of God might be displayed in his life” (John 9:3). A god who strikes someone blind to make a point may not seem like much of an improvement. What are we to do with such scripture?

In the “Wesleyan Quadrilateral” model of theology, scripture is interpreted through the tools of tradition, reason and experience. As we struggle to apprehend God’s influence in the world, we can use these tools to explore the questions difficult scriptures raise: What is the relationship between sin and well-being? How is God present in suffering? Why strive to be righteous if the rain falls on us anyway? Our dissatisfaction with easy answers reveals the depth of the questions, and our longing for connection to God. In attempting to find answers, we do share a basic assumption with the biblical authors: God remains faithful and loving.

Comfort: Faith requires not definitive answers, but honest questions.

Challenge: Read Letter 9 of Rainer Maria Rilke’s Letters to a Young Poet. You can find the text here.


Prayer: God of the Known and the Unknown, let me fear neither and love both.


Evening readings: Psalm 119:25-48

Tuesday, July 13, 2010

Ancient Texts, Modern Sensibilities - Part 2 of 3


Today we continue our reflection on the tension between the ancient texts of the Bible and the sensibilities of the present-day Christian.

Have you ever heard anyone label a certain type of thinking or theology as “Old Testament” or “New Testament?” Sometimes we like to believe there’s an easy distinction, a clean break between the people of the law and the people of grace. However, many Old Testament prophets – Isaiah, Jeremiah, Hosea, Amos, Micah, etc. – foreshadowed Jesus’ teachings by commenting on the need for justice over sacrifice. Conversely, we can be tempted to soften Jesus’ language to make him seem less OT and more WWJD.

Let’s use today’s parable of the talents as an example. Many, if not most, translations refer to the characters in the story as “servants,” but a more accurate translation is “slaves.” This is true for many passages in which the word “servant” appears. Some critics of Christianity will use these passages to claim Jesus condoned or even promoted slavery, especially since some Christians have made the same mistake.

Though we accept his teachings as universal, we understand Jesus was speaking to a specific culture at a specific time. So what can we make of things like Jesus’ casual references to slavery? First, many of the people in his audience were slaves. Using them as examples of righteousness elevated them spiritually beyond their societal stations, and was a revolutionary statement. Second, Jesus is an example of a faithful life in the world as it is. When we acknowledge what we can do for the poor and oppressed today, we are not condoning or promoting poverty and oppression, nor are we foolish enough to pretend they will cease to exist. Third, as Paul says in several of his letters, in Christ there is no distinction between Jew, Greek, slave, free, male, female, etc. (Cor 12:13, Gal 3:28, Col 3:11). We are all slaves to each other and to Christ. Softening the language diminishes its radical message.

Slavery is certainly not the only difficult topic in the Bible. If we are willing to understand scripture in the larger context of the world and tackle its more challenging texts head on, our faith only deepens.

Comfort: God is present even in the most unpleasant places and times.

Challenge: Start a diary of Biblical texts that make you uncomfortable. Revisit old entries from time to time to see if you gain new perspective.

Prayer: God of the Known and Unknown, let me know you as you are and not just as I'd like you to be.
Evening readings: Psalms 36 and 39

Monday, July 12, 2010

Ancient Texts, Modern Sensibilities - Part 1 of 3


The book of Joshua can truly jar our Christian sensibilities. Full of slaughter committed in the name of holy war, it frequently refers to kherem, a Hebrew word meaning “devote to destruction” or “utterly destroy.” Try as we might, can we imagine Jesus commanding a group of Christians to annihilate not just one town but several down to the last woman, child, goat and shed? However we struggle with and maybe resist such ideas, grappling with them helps us grow in our understanding of human and divine nature. Over the next few days, let’s consider a few examples of this ancient text that clash with our modern sensibility.

When I was a kid, I watched Star Trek reruns every Saturday. I especially loved episodes that introduced new alien races. As I grew older, I noticed a disturbing trend. Each race seemed pretty homogenous, with universal values, opinions and attitudes. When we did meet aliens who were exceptions to their races, what set them apart was almost always an embrace of familiar human values. Despite the intentional diversity given to the Enterprise crew by its creative team, the human tendency to stereotype the unfamiliar and value the familiar emerged.

When Joshua’s spies encounter Rahab in today’s reading, she is the exceptional alien. When she protects them – that is, when she embraces their values – she becomes sympathetic, so she and her family will be spared from the coming destruction. Even though she explicitly tells the spies there are other Canaanites who share her beliefs, those people are not even considered for mercy. If Joshua or his people had come to know other Canaanites as they had Rahab, how eager would they have been to embrace kherem? How does the narrative in Joshua compare with God’s earlier instruction in Exodus 22:21 – “Do not mistreat an alien or oppress him, for you were aliens in Egypt?”

Clearly genocide is not an acceptable notion for modern Christians or Jews. When reading Joshua, we must account for cultural context and seek out the theological themes underlying the story itself. Our reaction to its violence is an opportunity to reflect on how God wants us to relate to the alien today.

Comfort: No one is an alien to God.

Challenge: Who is your Rahab? On a bookmark-sized piece of paper, make a list of people who have defied your cultural preconceptions. Use it to mark your place as we work through the book of Joshua over the next couple weeks

Prayer: God of the Known and Unkown, temper my judgments and cultivate my mercy.
Evening readings: Psalms 9 and 15

Sunday, July 11, 2010

"Let everything that breathes praise the Lord! Praise the Lord!"

Today's readings:
Psalms 148, 149, 150, Joshua 1:1-18, Acts 21:3-15, Mark 1:21-27

Praise and worship are essential elements of our relationship with God. The final three psalms in the Hebrew psalter (Ps. 148-150) focus on praise of God. Psalm 150 especially offers praise for its own sake – not because of what God has done for his people, but simply because he is worthy of praise.

What do people think is important in a worship service? A majority of respondents to one survey, presented at a workshop I attended, claimed how it “made them feel” was most important. A close second was whether the music was to their taste. Interesting results, considering the focus of worship is meant to be on God, and not on ourselves. It can be easy to confuse closeness to God with good feelings. Services crossing the line into entertainment or even therapy can facilitate such confusion. Undoubtedly worship should strengthen our connection to God, but not through fleeting emotions that depend on whether the closing song is hummable. Focus on God, rather than on how the experience makes us feel, provides a truer, stronger and deeper connection.

However, worship services are often formed in response to attitudes and demands of the congregation, so what is our responsibility? During worship we can set our hearts on God, regardless of whether we manage to drum up the warm fuzzies, or like a particular hymn. Every psalm is an act of worship, and the psalmists brought a full range of emotions, from fear to joy to rage, before God. We’ve all known people who stop attending services during times of personal crisis. Maybe we’ve done it ourselves. Could this be because we associate worship with only good feelings, rather than what we feel in real life? While connection with God can be cathartic and emotional, such experiences are not the point, or even the norm.

“Hold on,” we might say, “isn’t my church supposed to fulfill me in some way?” That’s an awful lot to expect from one service meant for praise. We are more likely to find it through participation in the life of our church community. We often let feelings dictate our actions, though the truth is actions powerfully influence our feelings. Sharing community actions of justice, love and mercy is a natural extension of Sunday worship – a chance to open ourselves up to the fulfillment of God working in our lives, and the lives of others. We don’t develop our spiritual muscles when the church hands us lightweight sentiment, but when we engage in genuine praise and worship and do the rest of the heavy lifting ourselves.

Comfort: Our faith is stronger than our feelings.

Challenge: At the next worship service you attend, be intentional in singing songs to God, and not just about God.

Prayer: Gracious and Merciful God, I praise you as creator of all.

Evening readings:
Psalms 114, 115