"God’s saving justice is never served by human
anger," points out James in his letter to Christians
struggling against the power structures that threatened to
consume the Christian community. The readings of the next few
weeks reveal the struggle between the forces of sins in the
human heart, the principalities and powers, the saving grace
of God, and the vision of a restored and renewed creation.
We shall have to face choices: whether to place our trust
in the political, economic, social, and eccleisal structures
that offer us the promise of security now, or to opt for the
One who has the words of eternal life. We too will need to
face our sin, our complicity, our own betrayal of the One who
"came to bring the good news of peace" (Ephesians
2:17). The only justice worth securing is that of God’s
saving justice. May God’s strength be made perfect in
our weakness.
July 6
Security in Weakness
Psalm 48; 2 Samuel 5:1-5; 9-10; 2 Corinthians 12:2-10;
Mark 6:1-13
What gives us security? This is the challenge of our
readings today. Samuel points us to a king who, like all
other kings, looks for political and military security,
exemplified here by the building of a fortress (2 Samuel
5:9-10). The psalmist draws attention to the security of the
city, inviting people to reflect on its strength. However,
the psalm is not an adoring song of praise to the city, but
rather to God, who in time of danger has provided the only
true security when enemies have threatened.
Those with the eyes of spiritual discernment are bidden to
reflect on God’s faithful love, because "your right
hand is full of saving justice" (Psalm 48:10-11). God
does not politick like kings and presidents; God is above all
the might of citadels and armies, and alone ensures future
generations as "our God forever and ever" (Psalm
48:14).
Jesus, David’s descendant, is apparently without
security. In his home village, he is known simply as the
carpenter. People are hostile to his liberating acts. Facing
the rejection of the crowd, he returns to his new family, the
community of his disciples. He tells them that they too have
no securities—no food, money, baggage, or clothes. But
they do have authority over the destructive spirits that
oppress and threaten liberation (Mark 6:8).
Reflection and Action
Where does your security lie? When have you experienced
God’s power at full strength in weakness? Where have you
been made unwelcome because of your faith in God’s
liberating power? How have you dealt with that?
July 13
Marked for Freedom
Psalm 24; 2 Samuel 6:1-5, 12-19; Ephesians 1:3-14; Mark
6:14-29
There is some pretty heavy stuff in this series of
readings. King David is in an exultant mood as he accompanies
the reclaimed Ark of the Covenant, the symbol of God’s
presence, into Jerusalem. But the danger of familiarity with
God and assuming that God can be controlled by humans is
sharply exposed (2 Samuel 6:6-8). David realizes that there
are limits to his influence and power, and the psalmist
reminds us clearly that the true presence of God is available
only to those who are clean of hands and pure of heart.
Mark confronts us with a story of the apparent victory of
evil over good. Herod and the coalition of government,
political, and commercial interests represented at his dinner
party seek to terminate the prophetic criticism that calls
for an end to double standards. John’s summary
execution, on the scheming whim of one of the accused
parties, is typical of tyrannical activity in every age.
Against the background of emperor worship and relentless
persecution of the Christian community by religious and
secular authorities, Paul offers a theological treatise on
the nature of the salvation of God. He reminds us of the
everlasting nature of God’s presence, and reiterates to
those in fear that before the world was made God marked us
out to be adopted children in Christ. Paul declares that
there are limits to the oppressive powers; God’s pledge
is that when the times have run their course, everything will
be brought under Christ.
Reflection and Action
These readings call us to a renewal of our faith in the
victory of God. They invite us to honor God’s
sovereignty, to recognize the limits of secular power, and to
revisit the source of our salvation. How might you do this in
your life, community, and church?
July 20
Out of Two, One
Psalm 89:20-37; 2 Samuel 7:1-14; Ephesians
2:11-22; Mark 6:30-34, 53-56
This week’s readings are frustrating! The selected
verses from the psalm paint a picture of King David as
God’s anointed, crushing and striking his enemies, in
order to establish power. Sure, there are some words of
warning for David’s descendants who desert God’s
law and commandments. But the lectionary selection omits the
stinging critique of a theology of success and prosperity
with its unqualified support of rulers. As author David
Pleins has pointed out, we need to read the whole of Psalm 89
in order to offer a word that helps us "cope with and
expose the unstable nature of our political and economic
institutions."
The second frustrating reading is the gospel—the guts
are taken out! Jesus invites his disciples to cross over the
lake for a retreat. The crowds hurry off to the destination,
where Jesus teaches them. Period. There follows another sea
voyage—but if you read only the allocated verses, you
have to guess this!—where the disciples end up in
Gentile territory, where Jesus heals the sick, and so on.
Left out is the feeding of the crowds, the disciples’
journey of faith (or doubt!), and the walk on the water (Mark
6:33-52). Perhaps the lectionary compilers are seeking to
draw us to think about reconciliation, the theme of the
Ephesians passage. If so, what kind of reconciliation?
The point of the events associated with the crossing is to
illustrate just how difficult reconciliation is. The story is
about God wanting to reconcile Jew and Gentile (Galatians
3:28). And the stories reveal the true difficulty of
accepting such a vision. Jesus has been alone praying while
the disciples struggle with the boat in the storm. He comes
to them in the crisis not as a miracle of grace over nature,
to prove he can walk on water, but rather as a greater
miracle: the vision of a reconciled humanity.
But such reconciliation is costly, even if the result is
the creation of a single New Humanity, as happens in Christ
Jesus through the cross (Ephesians 2:13-16). Jesus’
action of feeding the Jewish poor, by taking available
resources and organizing a sharing, is a practical critique
of the system that oppresses. From that communal yet
profoundly critical act, Jesus paves the way for
reconciliation between Jew and Gentile. We should note that
he feeds a similar Gentile crowd prior to the conclusion of
his mission in that region (Mark 8:1-10).
Reflection and Action
What storms do you face in "reaching the other
side" of a reconciled humanity? How does your worship
critique the dominant theology of success and unquestioning
support of rulers?
July 27
God Working in Us
Psalm 14; 2 Samuel 11:1-15; Ephesians 3:14-21;
John 6:1-21
Don’t those who do wrong know? Those who devour my
people as if eating bread (Psalm 14:4)? These are profound
questions for our time, as they were for the increasingly
successful King David. A successful military strategist, he
could afford to stay home and play both monarch and tyrant,
exploiting sexually and politically for his own ends,
regardless of the cost to individual lives or national
morality. For a while David is the fool who thinks there is
no God (Psalm 14:1), joining the ranks of other ruling elites
who have exploited, oppressed, and victimized in order to
achieve political influence.
Having issued his challenge, "Don’t all those
who do wrong know?" Jesus realizes that he is in danger
of being misunderstood, for the crowds were about to come by
force and make him king. Jesus is forced to flee into the
solitude of the hills for safety and reflection. Jesus will
be king, but on his own terms, not on the terms of those who
have only the tyrant model on which to base their hopes.
We do not know what was in Jesus’ prayer, but Paul
gives us a prayer that goes to the heart of the spiritual
challenge today. We too are to seek the glory of God working
in us so that God can do infinitely more than we can ask or
imagine, from generation to generation in the church and in
Christ Jesus forever and ever.
Reflection and Action
Where do you find yourself asking the question, Don’t
all those who do wrong know? In what ways can you demonstrate
a critique of the systems that oppress the poor? Where do you
look for solitude and safety when things are difficult?
August 3
Deserving of Death
Psalm 51:1-12; 2 Samuel 11:26-12:13; Ephesians
4:1-16; John 6:24-35
The man who did this deserves to die, declares David, as
the prophet Nathan tells him a parable that exposes
David’s guilt for the murder of Uriah, following his
seduction and adultery with Uriah’s wife Bathsheba (2
Samuel 12:5-6; see also, "Abuse of Command," p.
22). Tyrants know when they have done wrong. When massacres
occur—whether in the clinical holocaust of the European
concentration camps, the butchery in Rwanda or Burundi, the
long legacy of South African apartheid, or the death squads
of Latin America—the perpetrators cannot escape the dark
knowledge of their sin.
King David holds a significant place in the story of
God’s dealings with humanity. His status as ancestor of
the Messiah, and the comparison of his throne to the defining
movement of founding the Jewish state, reveals that
significance. We should perhaps not be surprised that one of
the two great psalms of lament over personal sin (Psalm 51)
is attributed to David’s realization of the magnitude of
his wickedness. Personal responsibility for wrongdoing is
something we all need to face. But with forgiveness goes the
steadying power of God to "create...a clean heart...and
renew a right spirit" (Psalm 51:10).
Witness to the rule of God in our lives has credence when
we accept Paul’s injunction "to lead a life worthy
of the vocation to which you were called." Individual
integrity is essential to the witness of the body. Witness is
to be marked by "humility, gentleness, patience, and the
supporting of each other in love" (Ephesians 4:1-3).
Jesus challenges us to understand that "the bread of God
which comes down from heaven gives life to the world"
(John 6:33), as it calls for rejection of scapegoating
violence that threatens to consume humanity as it consumed
King David.
Reflection and Action
How is your life worthy of the vocation to which you were
called? How does your church life measure up against the
virtues of humility, gentleness, supporting in love, and
belief in God who gives life to the world?
August 10
Speak Truth to one Another
Psalm 130; 2 Samuel 18:5-9, 15, 31-33; Ephesians
4:25-5:2; John 6:35, 41-51
"For my sake treat young Absalom gently." The
heartfelt cry of a father, David, toward a devious and
rebellious son is unheeded by those who have been charged
with putting down a costly rebellion. In their heart of
hearts they are glad to see Absalom dead, and the words of
one messenger sums up all their feelings: "May all who
rise up to harm you share the fate of that young man" (2
Samuel 18:5, 32).
It is uncertain whether or not there is a connection
between Psalm 130, David’s reaction to the death of his
son, and the impact of the destructiveness unleashed in his
kingdom, first through his own actions, and then those of his
offspring. But the question raised, "If you kept a
record of our sins, Lord, who could stand their ground?"
(Psalm 130:3) is a salutary reminder of the deadliness of sin
in the human condition and our constant need for grace.
Paul requires of the faith communities a reordering of
behavior. From now on there must be no more lies. Speak the
truth to one another. Lying, anger, theft, foul talk,
bitterness, anger, bad temper, shouting, and abuse (Ephesians
4:25-30) are all prohibited behavior for the Christian
community. Oh! that it were so! During the movement to end
nuclear weapons and the arms trade, one wise observer
reflected, "There is enough anger in the peace movement
to start World War III all by itself!" The priority of
the people of God is generosity, sympathy, and forgiveness in
the way that God forgave us in Christ.
The community of God’s people is also to be a place
of sexual integrity (Ephesians 5:1-5). Sexual behavior that
runs counter to the gospel provides a constant challenge to
the community of faith. We are bidden to recall that our
gratification is the bread of life, which is given for the
life of the world (John 6:51). The behavior of Christians in
all matters should not hinder the feeding of the world; and
where it has, we should cry from the depths for God’s
forgiveness in order that God may be revered.
Reflection and Action
How is your faith community obeying the injunctions of
Paul in its lifestyle and behavior? How do you deal with
behavior that exposes the community to criticism, ridicule,
or the dishonoring of God’s name?
August 17
A Heart to Understand
Psalm 111; 1 Kings 2:10-12, 3:3-14; Ephesians
5:15-20; John 6:51-58
A fresh start is always possible. On inheriting the throne
of his father, David, Solomon prays, "Give your servant
a heart to understand how to govern your people, how to
discern between good and evil" (1 Kings 3:9).
Undoubtedly the Davidic empire needed such discernment, and
Solomon’s prayer and intention is a model for all
inaugurations. God promises discerning judgment, and the
psalmist recalls that the works of God’s hands are
fidelity and justice (Psalm 111:7).
Such transformation is more than a matter of wishing or
praying. Jesus invites participation in a new order by
calling on those who are trapped within the legalism of
tradition to find new life through "munching" on
him. The idea of eating flesh and blood was anathema to Jews;
but Jesus needs to use an alternative metaphor to mark out
the distinction between his community, which offers food for
life, and the staleness and oppressiveness of law and
tradition. Jesus discerns a longing for social justice among
those who have received the bread at the feeding (John
6:1-15), but sees a people trapped by the bread that
ancestors ate (John 6:58).
Yet Jesus’ invitation to life is not unqualified.
Paul perceives the need for Christians not to be thoughtless
or to become addicts to the spirit of the age, dissipating
the life that God gives (Ephesians 5:15-16). The community is
called to praise God, because it is God, not us, who seeks to
transform relationships for the transformation of the world.
Reflection and Action
Where are the signs of new beginnings in our world? To
what extent is your community of faith munching on the bread
of life or the bread our ancestors ate?
August 24
The Spirit that Gives Life
Psalm 84; 1 Kings 8:1, 6, 10-11, 22-30, 41-43; Ephesians
6:10-20; John 6:56-69
Solomon’s obsession with the temple, its ritual, and
the self-reverential power base it represents in his
expanding empire smacks of "business as usual."
However, tucked away in the small print of the Old Testament
reading is Solomon’s prayer to God that if
"foreigners come and pray in this temple," God will
"listen and grant all that the foreigner asks of you, so
that all peoples of the earth may acknowledge your name and
revere you" (1 Kings 8:43). Within the vision of the
temple there lies, too, the hope that it will be the focus
for a unified creation.
The vision of the temple as a symbol of harmony for
creation, between nations and between the cosmos and God, is
sadly unfulfilled. Jesus tackled the oppression and
exploitation of God’s house in an extraordinary
demonstration of resistance (John 2:14-20). His insistence
that his body is the new temple (John 2:20-21), and that it
is to be eaten, is regarded as intolerable language to those
who hear it, including the disciples (John 6:60-66). And yet
a glimmer of hope exists. When it seems all will fall, Peter
says, "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of
eternal life and we believe; we have come to know you as the
Holy One of God" (John 6:68-69).
Words, however, will not suffice. Belief has to be matched
with a preparation for the inevitable struggle for justice
and harmony. Put on the full armor of God so as to be able to
resist the devil’s tactics, commands Paul (Ephesians
6:11). All systems and structures, however benign, will seek
to usurp the place of the spirit that gives life. But, as the
psalmist writes, the dwelling places of God are still lovely,
and we who would see them must yearn and pine for the living
God.
Reflection and Action
In what ways have you come to know and believe Jesus as
the Holy One of God? How does this inform your action for
justice?
August 31
Welcoming the Seasons of Glad Songs
Psalm 45:1-2; 6-9; Song of Songs 2:8-13; James 1:17-27; Mark
7:1-8, 14-15, 21-23
"God’s saving justice is never served by human
anger" (James 1:20). This text should be inscribed on
the hearts of all who seek for peace and justice in our
world. True religion should be marked by an eagerness to
listen, a slowness to speak, and a tight rein on the tongue.
There is no room for lip service or human traditions that are
used to avoid dealing with the real evil intentions that are
found in the human heart (Mark 7:21-23).
In essence God’s saving justice is marked by
simplicity of faith and expressed by helping widows and
orphans in their hardships and keeping oneself uncontaminated
by the world (James 1:27). The word for world here is better
translated as "systems," the powers and
principalities (Ephesians 6:12) that impede both the saving
justice of God and the springtime of hope, poetically
described in Song of Songs as an awakening of love. May our
prayer and our desire be that the seasons of glad songs will
come (Song of Songs 2:12).
Reflection and Action
What are you doing to welcome the seasons of glad songs?
PETER B. PRICE is general secretary of the United Society
for the Propagation of the Gospel, an Anglican mission agency
based in London, and practices—with his wife, Dee—a
ministry of hospitality. Reflections on the complete, three-year
lectionary cycle can be found in the resource Living the
Word, available from Sojourners Resource Center
(1-800-714-7474).
Read other articles by:
Price, Peter B.
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