They woke him up and said to him, “Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?”
1st Reading (Track 1, Option 1): 1 Samuel 17:(1a,
4-11, 19-23) 32-49
The story of David and Goliath
serves to establish David as Israel’s true warrior-king, upstaging the still
reigning Saul. At the beginning of his kingship, Saul was set the task of
defeating the Philistines, which he failed to do. David (unlike Saul earlier in the story)
defends not only Israel, but Israel’s God.
Israel’s warrior-king is a shepherd-king, driven by faith not fear.
[17:1a Now the Philistines gathered their armies for battle. 4 And there came out from the camp of the Philistines a champion named
Goliath, of Gath, whose height was six cubits and a span. 5 He had a helmet of bronze on his head, and
he was armed with a coat of mail; the weight of the coat was five thousand
shekels of bronze. 6 He had greaves
of bronze on his legs and a javelin of bronze slung between his shoulders. 7 The shaft of his spear was like a weaver’s
beam, and his spear’s head weighed six hundred shekels of iron; and his
shield-bearer went before him. 8 He
stood and shouted to the ranks of Israel, “Why have you come out to draw up for
battle? Am I not a Philistine, and are you not servants of Saul? Choose a man
for yourselves, and let him come down to me. 9 If
he is able to fight with me and kill me, then we will be your servants; but if
I prevail against him and kill him, then you shall be our servants and serve
us.” 10 And the Philistine said,
“Today I defy the ranks of Israel! Give me a man, that we may fight together.” 11 When Saul and all Israel heard these words
of the Philistine, they were dismayed and greatly afraid. 19 Now Saul, and they, and all the men of
Israel, were in the valley of Elah, fighting with the Philistines. 20 David rose early in the morning, left the
sheep with a keeper, took the provisions, and went as Jesse had commanded him.
He came to the encampment as the army was going forth to the battle line,
shouting the war cry. 21 Israel and
the Philistines drew up for battle, army against army. 22 David left the things in charge of the
keeper of the baggage, ran to the ranks, and went and greeted his brothers. 23 As he talked with them, the champion, the
Philistine of Gath, Goliath by name, came up out of the ranks of the
Philistines, and spoke the same words as before. And David heard him.]
32 David said to Saul, “Let no one’s heart fail because of him; your
servant will go and fight with this Philistine.” 33
Saul said to David, “You are not able to go against this
Philistine to fight with him; for you are just a boy, and he has been a warrior
from his youth.” 34 But David said
to Saul, “Your servant used to keep sheep for his father; and whenever a lion
or a bear came, and took a lamb from the flock, 35
I went after it and struck it down, rescuing the lamb from its
mouth; and if it turned against me, I would catch it by the jaw, strike it
down, and kill it. 36 Your servant
has killed both lions and bears; and this uncircumcised Philistine shall be
like one of them, since he has defied the armies of the living God.” 37 David said, “The Lord, who saved me from the paw of the lion and from the paw
of the bear, will save me from the hand of this Philistine.” So Saul said to
David, “Go, and may the Lord be
with you!” 38 Saul clothed David
with his armor; he put a bronze helmet on his head and clothed him with a coat
of mail. 39 David strapped Saul’s
sword over the armor, and he tried in vain to walk, for he was not used to
them. Then David said to Saul, “I cannot walk with these; for I am not used to
them.” So David removed them. 40 Then
he took his staff in his hand, and chose five smooth stones from the wadi, and
put them in his shepherd’s bag, in the pouch; his sling was in his hand, and he
drew near to the Philistine. 41 The
Philistine came on and drew near to David, with his shield-bearer in front of
him. 42 When the Philistine looked
and saw David, he disdained him, for he was only a youth, ruddy and handsome in
appearance. 43 The Philistine said
to David, “Am I a dog, that you come to me with sticks?” And the Philistine
cursed David by his gods. 44 The
Philistine said to David, “Come to me, and I will give your flesh to the birds
of the air and to the wild animals of the field.” 45
But David said to the Philistine, “You come to me with sword and
spear and javelin; but I come to you in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you
have defied. 46 This very day the Lord will deliver you into my hand, and
I will strike you down and cut off your head; and I will give the dead bodies
of the Philistine army this very day to the birds of the air and to the wild
animals of the earth, so that all the earth may know that there is a God in
Israel, 47 and that all this assembly
may know that the Lord does not
save by sword and spear; for the battle is the Lord's and he will give you into our hand.” 48 When the Philistine drew nearer to meet
David, David ran quickly toward the battle line to meet the Philistine. 49 David put his hand in his bag, took out a
stone, slung it, and struck the Philistine on his forehead; the stone sank into
his forehead, and he fell face down on the ground.
Psalm
9:9-20 (Track 1, Option 1)
Psalm 9 extols the power of God against all enemies in
both thanksgiving and praise.
9 The Lord will be a
refuge for the oppressed, *
a refuge in time of trouble.
10 Those who know your Name will put their trust in you, *
for you never forsake those who seek you, O Lord.
11 Sing praise to the Lord
who dwells in Zion; *
proclaim to the peoples the things he has done.
12 The Avenger of blood will remember them; *
he will not forget the cry of the afflicted.
13 Have pity on me, O Lord;
*
see the misery I suffer from those who hate me,
O you who lift me up from the gate of death;
14 So that I may tell of your praises and rejoice in your salvation *
in the gates of the city of Zion.
15 The ungodly have fallen into the pit they dug, *
and in the snare they set is their own foot caught.
16 The Lord is known by
his acts of justice; *
the wicked are trapped in the works of their own hands.
17 The wicked shall be given over to the grave, *
and also all the peoples who forget God.
18 For the needy shall not always be forgotten, *
and the hope of the poor shall not perish for ever.
19 Rise up, O Lord, let
not the ungodly have the upper hand; *
let them be judged before you.
20 Put fear upon them, O Lord;
*
let the ungodly know they are but mortal.
Or this
1st Reading (Track 1, Option 2): 1 Samuel 17:57—18:5,
10-16
Several things are going on in
the following story. First there is the end of the story of David killing
Goliath. Second, love for David builds among the people, and also in Saul’s own
son, Jonathan. He will become an
important character in the next few chapters as Saul attempts to kill David.
This is the third aspect of the story, Saul’s disintegration as David rises to
power. Much has been written about the love of David and Jonathan. It is
impossible to know its nature (which is a modern question). Yet it is an
example of the possibility of intimacy (at a deep level) between men.
17:57 On
David’s return from killing the Philistine, Abner took him and brought him
before Saul, with the head of the Philistine in his hand. 58 Saul said to him, “Whose son are you, young
man?” And David answered, “I am the son of your servant Jesse the
Bethlehemite.” 18:1 When
David had finished speaking to Saul, the soul of Jonathan was bound to the soul
of David, and Jonathan loved him as his own soul. 2
Saul took him that day and would not let him return to his
father’s house. 3 Then Jonathan
made a covenant with David, because he loved him as his own soul. 4 Jonathan stripped himself of the robe that
he was wearing, and gave it to David, and his armor, and even his sword and his
bow and his belt. 5 David went out
and was successful wherever Saul sent him; as a result, Saul set him over the
army. And all the people, even the servants of Saul, approved. 10 The next day an evil spirit from God rushed
upon Saul, and he raved within his house, while David was playing the lyre, as
he did day by day. Saul had his spear in his hand; 11 and Saul threw the spear, for he thought, “I will pin
David to the wall.” But David eluded him twice. 12
Saul was afraid of David, because the Lord was with him but had departed from Saul. 13 So Saul removed him from his presence, and
made him a commander of a thousand; and David marched out and came in, leading
the army. 14 David had success in
all his undertakings; for the Lord
was with him. 15 When Saul saw that
he had great success, he stood in awe of him. 16
But all Israel and Judah loved David; for it was he who marched
out and came in leading them.
Psalm
133 (Track 1, Option 2)
1
Oh, how good and pleasant it is, *
when brethren live
together in unity!
2
It is like fine oil upon the head *
that runs down upon the
beard,
3 Upon
the beard of Aaron, *
and runs down upon the
collar of his robe.
4
It is like the dew of Hermon *
that falls upon the hills
of Zion.
5
For there the Lord has ordained the blessing: *
life for evermore.
Or this
1st Reading (Track 2): Job 38:1-11
The Book of Job is an ancient folktale which probes the
keeping of faith in the midst of suffering.
This is a question as old as faith itself. The story may originally have been 1:1—2:13
and 42:7-17, a simple tale. Over time
the tale was, perhaps, thought to be too simple, and so an extended
conversation between Job and three friends was added (3:1—31:40), as well as a
speech by the stranger Elihu (32:1—37:24) and a reply by God (38:1—42:6) that
includes this morning’s passage. God
never answers Job’s question and he scolds Job’s friends and Elihu for their
over-simplistic answers. God’s only
answer is that he is the Lord of creation.
38:1 Then the Lord answered Job out of the
whirlwind: 2
“Who is this that darkens counsel
by words without knowledge? 3 Gird
up your loins like a man, I will question you, and you shall declare to me. 4 Where were you when I laid the foundation of
the earth? Tell me, if you have understanding. 5
Who determined its measurements—surely you know! Or who stretched
the line upon it? 6 On what were
its bases sunk, or who laid its cornerstone 7 when
the morning stars sang together and all the heavenly beings shouted for joy? 8 Or who shut in the sea with doors when it
burst out from the womb?—9 when I
made the clouds its garment, and thick darkness its swaddling band, 10 and prescribed bounds for it, and set bars
and doors, 11 and said, ‘Thus far
shall you come, and no farther, and here shall your proud waves be stopped’?”
Psalm
107:1-3, 23-32 (Track 2)
Psalm 107 is one of the historical psalms. It also seems to be intended for use by
pilgrims as they travelled to Jerusalem for one of the festivals. They were reminded by this psalm of the great
thanks they owed God for their deliverance in times of danger. The section we are using relates to our first
reading and the Gospel in that it focuses on the sea and God’s power over it.
1 Give
thanks to the Lord, for he is good,
*
and
his mercy endures for ever.
2 Let
all those whom the Lord has
redeemed proclaim *
that
he redeemed them from the hand of the foe.
3 He
gathered them out of the lands; *
from
the east and from the west,
from
the north and from the south.
23 Some
went down to the sea in ships *
and
plied their trade in deep waters;
24 They
beheld the works of the Lord *
and
his wonders in the deep.
25 Then
he spoke, and a stormy wind arose, *
which
tossed high the waves of the sea.
26 They
mounted up to the heavens and fell back to the depths; *
their
hearts melted because of their peril.
27 They
reeled and staggered like drunkards *
and
were at their wits’ end.
28 Then
they cried to the Lord in their
trouble, *
and
he delivered them from their distress.
29 He
stilled the storm to a whisper *
and
quieted the waves of the sea.
30 Then
they were glad because of the calm, *
and
he brought them to the harbor they were bound for.
31 Let
them give thanks to the Lord for
his mercy *
And
the wonders he does for his children.
32 Let
them exalt him in the congregation of the people *
and
praise him in the council of the elders.
2nd Reading:
2 Corinthians 6:1-13
Paul has just proclaimed to the Corinthians that
everyone in Christ is a new creation, and that this means our ministry is
reconciliation. Just as God was in
Christ reconciling the world to himself, so we are ambassadors of
reconciliation to the world. Now, Paul
says, is the acceptable time for this ministry, using a quote from the prophet
Isaiah (49:8). This has been Paul’s
approach to ministry and it has produced great trials and sufferings, and yet,
even though he has been treated as having nothing, he knows he possesses
everything. He asks finally that those
to whom he writes open their hearts to what he has to say. This signifies that he has been in some
conflict with them.
6:1 As we work together with him, we urge you also not to accept the grace
of God in vain. 2 For he says, “At
an acceptable time I have listened to you, and on a day of salvation I have
helped you.” See, now is the acceptable time; see, now is the day of salvation!
3 We are putting no obstacle in
anyone’s way, so that no fault may be found with our ministry, 4 but as servants of God we have commended
ourselves in every way: through great endurance, in afflictions, hardships,
calamities, 5 beatings,
imprisonments, riots, labors, sleepless nights, hunger; 6 by purity, knowledge, patience, kindness,
holiness of spirit, genuine love, 7 truthful
speech, and the power of God; with the weapons of righteousness for the right
hand and for the left; 8 in honor
and dishonor, in ill repute and good repute. We are treated as impostors, and
yet are true; 9 as unknown, and yet
are well known; as dying, and see—we are alive; as punished, and yet not
killed; 10 as sorrowful, yet always
rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, and yet possessing
everything. 11 We have spoken
frankly to you Corinthians; our heart is wide open to you. 12 There is no restriction in our affections,
but only in yours. 13 In return—I
speak as to children—open wide your hearts also.
Gospel Reading: Mark 4:35-41
Jesus has been
teaching by means of parables and now wishes to cross the Sea of Galilee. A great windstorm arises and the disciples
are terrified, but Jesus remains asleep!
Upon waking, he hushes the wind and the stormy sea with a word. He asks them to examine their faith, and
understand that fear is its opposite.
They, however, focus on his power to command the creation.
4:35 On that day, when evening had come, Jesus said to them, “Let us go
across to the other side.” 36 And
leaving the crowd behind, they took him with them in the boat, just as he was.
Other boats were with him. 37 A
great windstorm arose, and the waves beat into the boat, so that the boat was
already being swamped. 38 But he
was in the stern, asleep on the cushion; and they woke him up and said to him,
“Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?” 39
He woke up and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, “Peace! Be
still!” Then the wind ceased, and there was a dead calm. 40 He said to them, “Why are you afraid? Have
you still no faith?” 41 And they
were filled with great awe and said to one another, “Who then is this, that
even the wind and the sea obey him?”
The Scripture readings (except for the
psalm) are from the New Revised Standard
Version Bible, copyright © 1989 by the Division of Christian Education of
the National Council of Churches of Christ in the U.S.A., and are used by
permission. All rights reserved. The Psalm translation is from The Book of Common Prayer. Commentaries are copyright © 2017
Epiphany ESources, 67 E. Main St., Hornell, NY 14843. www.EpiphanyEsources.com. All rights
reserved. Permission is given to copy for congregational use with this
attribution.
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