One of the more humorous of Jesus’ parables has the very serious message of persistence in prayer, and the admonition not to lose heart.
1st Reading
(Track 1): Jeremiah 31:27-34
Jeremiah 30:1—33:26 is
often called the “Book of Consolation” (or “Comfort”). Its primary purpose is stated in 30:2-3: “Write in a book…the days are surely
coming…when I will restore the fortunes of my people…” Note that the verbs used in verse 28
correspond to those used at the beginning of the book (1:10), with the addition
“bring evil.” They are brought up again to say that the negative promises have
come to pass; it is now time for the positive:
to build and to plant. Jeremiah cites what must have been a popular saying
about multi-generational responsibility. It is declared false. Verses 31-34
have a history in Christian usage, identifying the “new covenant of Jesus” with
the new covenant spoken of here. The text itself seeks to proclaim a renewed
relationship with the people of God brought about by their homecoming, and the
forgiveness of the Lord.
31:27
The days
are surely coming, says the Lord,
when I will sow the house of Israel and the house of Judah with the seed of
humans and the seed of animals. 28 And
just as I have watched over them to pluck up and break down, to overthrow,
destroy, and bring evil, so I will watch over them to build and to plant, says
the Lord. 29 In those days they shall no longer say:
“The parents have eaten sour grapes, and the children’s teeth are set on edge.”
30 But all shall die for their own
sins; the teeth of everyone who eats sour grapes shall be set on edge. 31 The days are surely coming, says the Lord, when I will make a new covenant
with the house of Israel and the house of Judah. 32
It will not be like the covenant that I made with their ancestors
when I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt—a covenant
that they broke, though I was their husband, says the Lord. 33 But
this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days,
says the Lord: I will put my law
within them, and I will write it on their hearts; and I will be their God, and
they shall be my people. 34 No
longer shall they teach one another, or say to each other, “Know the Lord,” for they shall all know me, from
the least of them to the greatest, says the Lord;
for I will forgive their iniquity, and remember their sin no more.
Psalm 119:97-104 (Track 1)
Psalm 119, by far the longest of the psalms, is an acrostic
poem with every subsequent eight verses begun by a subsequent letter of the
Hebrew alphabet. It is a masterful meditation on the law, in the spirit of
Jeremiah’s “new covenant.” This is the law as relationship with God. We have
the section whose lines begin with the letter ס, Mem. Verse 103 recalls Psalm 19:10, whose latter part could perhaps be
considered the short version of Psalm 119.
97 Oh, how I love your law! *
all
the day long it is in my mind.
98 Your commandment has made me wiser than my
enemies, *
and
it is always with me.
99 I have more understanding than all my teachers, *
for
your decrees are my study.
100 I am wiser than the elders, *
because
I observe your commandments.
101 I restrain my feet from every evil way, *
that
I may keep your word.
102 I do not shrink from your judgments, *
because
you yourself have taught me.
103 How sweet are your words to my taste! *
they
are sweeter than honey to my mouth.
104 Through your commandments I gain understanding; *
therefore
I hate every lying way.
1st Reading
(Track 2): Genesis 32:22-31
Jacob had tricked his
twin brother Esau out of his birthright as the firstborn and then cheated him
out of his father Isaac’s blessing, all with the help of his mother Rebekah. He
fled Esau’s wrath and stayed with his uncle Laban, and married his daughters,
Leah and Rachel. After twenty years he decided to return, although he still
feared his brother. Chapter 32 begins with Jacob calculating how he might
return and win his brother’s acceptance. The night before he anticipates
meeting Esau is the night of the following story. Jacob wrestles with a divine
being (which, in the end, he interprets to have been God himself). Jacob would
have won, except the cheater was cheated! As he returns to the land sworn to
his ancestors, this incident changes his name from Jacob (“Supplanter”) to
Israel (“the one who strives with God”). This will become the name of the
people who grow from his family.
32:22
Jacob got
up at night and took his two wives, his two maids, and his eleven children, and
crossed the ford of the Jabbok. 23 He
took them and sent them across the stream, and likewise everything that he had.
24 Jacob was left alone; and a man
wrestled with him until daybreak. 25 When
the man saw that he did not prevail against Jacob, he struck him on the hip
socket; and Jacob’s hip was put out of joint as he wrestled with him. 26 Then he said, “Let me go, for the day is
breaking.” But Jacob said, “I will not let you go, unless you bless me.” 27 So he said to him, “What is your name?” And
he said, “Jacob.” 28 Then the man
said, “You shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel, for you have striven
with God and with humans, and have prevailed.” 29
Then Jacob asked him, “Please tell me your name.” But he said,
“Why is it that you ask my name?” And there he blessed him. 30 So Jacob called the place Peniel, saying,
“For I have seen God face to face, and yet my life is preserved.” 31 The sun rose upon him as he passed Penuel,
limping because of his hip.
Psalm 121 (Track 2)
Psalm 121 is one of the “Songs of Ascent” (Psalms 120—134),
thought to have been the songs of pilgrims on the way to Jerusalem to celebrate
the major festivals. “The hills” is
probably a reference to the “high places” around Jerusalem where the baals, the
local fertility gods, were still worshiped.
1 I
lift up my eyes to the hills; *
from where is my help to come?
2 My
help comes from the Lord, *
the maker of heaven and earth.
3 He
will not let your foot be moved *
and he who watches over you will not fall asleep.
4
Behold, he who keeps watch over Israel *
shall neither slumber nor sleep;
5 The
Lord himself watches over you; *
the Lord
is your shade at your right hand,
6 So
that the sun shall not strike you by day, *
nor
the moon by night.
7 The
Lord shall preserve you from all
evil; *
it is he who shall keep you safe.
8 The
Lord shall watch over your going
out and your coming in, *
from this time forth for evermore.
2nd Reading: 2 Timothy 3:14—4:5
At the end of
Paul’s second letter to his protégé Timothy, he turns to instructions for
Timothy himself. In the first sentence
of this passage, Paul is not only talking about himself as Timothy’s
teacher. The “from whom” in Greek is plural
(something impossible to pull off easily in English). Paul’s words concerning the inspiration of
Scripture are well known but interpreted in widely different ways. The Greek is properly translated “inspired”
and not “written.” Paul was not a literalist,
although he clearly took Scripture (which for him were the Hebrew Scriptures)
very seriously. Paul is not concerned
hear with the “origin” of Scripture but its proper use in the community.
3:14 As for you, continue
in what you have learned and firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it,
15 and how from childhood you have
known the sacred writings that are able to instruct you for salvation through
faith in Christ Jesus. 16 All
scripture is inspired by God and is useful for teaching, for reproof, for
correction, and for training in righteousness, 17
so that everyone who belongs to God may be proficient, equipped
for every good work. 4:1 In
the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the
dead, and in view of his appearing and his kingdom, I solemnly urge you: 2 proclaim the message; be persistent whether
the time is favorable or unfavorable; convince, rebuke, and encourage, with the
utmost patience in teaching. 3 For
the time is coming when people will not put up with sound doctrine, but having
itching ears, they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own
desires, 4 and will turn away from
listening to the truth and wander away to myths. 5
As for you, always be sober, endure suffering, do the work of an
evangelist, carry out your ministry fully.
Gospel Reading: Luke 18:1-8
One of the more
humorous of Jesus’ parables has the very serious message of persistence in
prayer, and the admonition not to lose heart. Jesus clearly knew the power of prayer (and
his praying is emphasized in Luke’s Gospel), but he also knew the times of
crisis and despair that often test us.
Clearly he would not feel the need to teach us to not lose heart if he
did not know from his own experience how easy that is from time to time. Like Paul’s encouragement to Timothy about
proclaiming the message, Jesus encourages to pray “whether the time is
favorable or unfavorable” (“in season or out of season”), here, “day and
night.”
18:1
Jesus told
them a parable about their need to pray always and not to lose heart. 2 He said, “In a certain city there was a
judge who neither feared God nor had respect for people. 3 In that city there was a widow who kept
coming to him and saying, ‘Grant me justice against my opponent.’ 4 For a while he refused; but later he said to
himself, ‘Though I have no fear of God and no respect for anyone, 5 yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I
will grant her justice, so that she may not wear me out by continually
coming.’” 6 And the Lord said,
“Listen to what the unjust judge says. 7 And
will not God grant justice to his chosen ones who cry to him day and night?
Will he delay long in helping them? 8 I
tell you, he will quickly grant justice to them. And yet, when the Son of Man
comes, will he find faith on earth?”
The Scripture
quotations 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. The
translation of the Psalm are from The
Book of Common Prayer. Commentaries are copyright © 2019 Epiphany Esources,
67 E. Main St., Hornell, NY 14843, www.EpiphanyEsources.com. All rights
reserved. Permission is given to copy
for group study. Bulletin inserts are
available. Go to our website for more information.
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