Return to Notes Year A
Return to Lectionary Notes
Page
Return to Home Page
Lectionary Notes -26th Sunday after Pentecost
(view
sermon or sermon for this text)
Readings for 26th Sunday after Pentecost,
11/13/05:
Judges 4:1-7, Psalm 123, 1 Thessalonians 5:1-11,
Matthew 25:14-30
Judges 4:1-7:
- "Deborah, a prophetess" I think those words in
themselves are pretty powerful. In a set of scriptures that certainly doesn't
focus on women, it's great to find and lift out stories of strong women
leaders in the Bible, the Old Testament even!
- Not only is Deborah a prophetess, but she's also a type
of military leader here. She may not physically fight in the battles, but she
is making decisions about the armies and where they will go.
- The Israelites cry out because they are oppressed, and
God moves to respond, in perhaps unexpected and unusual ways. God responds to
our cries for help. We have to look and see who God might use and how God
might use them/us to respond to oppression.
Psalm 123:
- We look to God like those under another's authority
look to their authority (master, mistress.) How do these images translate
today? So often, we feel resentful of those in authority over us, don't we?
Especially if those in authority are abusive in their power. Who is a positive
authority in your life? What kind of authority do they exercise? What kind of
authority does God exercise over you?
- "we have had more than enough of contempt. Our soul has
had more than its fill of the scorn . . ." Sounds like a very frustrated
psalmist, eh? When do you reach your boiling point? How do you call to God
when you've "had enough?"
1 Thessalonians 5:1-11:
- "When they say, 'there is peace and security," then
sudden destruction will come upon them." Hm. We as a society are working
awfully hard, at great expenses, for peace and security, aren't we? Our peace
comes from Christ, and our security in our faith. Everything else? Maybe just
cheap imitations.
- children of light/children of darkness - just a
'caution' - be careful when using language of light=good and dark=bad. These
images are valuable theologically, but can be harmful if they are communicated
in ways that can have racial implications.
- "encourage one another and build up each other" - do we
do this? How often do you encourage others in their faith journeys? How do we,
in tangible ways, build each other up?
Matthew 25:14-30:
- What are the talents that you are afraid to use? Most
of us have some talents we don't mind using, but others that we hide away.
What are yours?
- "to all those who have, more will be given, but from
those who have nothing, even what they have will be taken away." At first,
this statement seems like a terrible statement about rich getting richer and
poor getting poorer. But that's not at all what Jesus means. Jesus says that
God will entrust to us a lot to look over if we use what we've already got. If
we pretend God's given us nothing, then God won't entrust to us other things
that we'll just ignore. Sort of a "use it or lose it" philosophy.
Pastor’s Note: (I use the Greek-English
Lexicon from Liddell and Scott, the “little Liddell”
and the Metzger et. al Greek New Testament in my translation work.)
Return to Notes Year A
Return to Lectionary Notes
Page
Return to Home Page