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Lectionary
Notes - Third Sunday of Easter
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Readings for 3rd Sunday of Easter, 4/22/07:
Acts 9:1-6, (7-20), Psalm 30, Revelation
5:11-14, John 21:1-19
Acts 9:1-6, (7-20):
- This is the story
of the conversion of Saul, a favorite of many. I prefer using the extended
text - the 'whole story'.
- "any who
belonged to The Way" - I like this name for Christianity - perhaps less
boggling in some respects. The Greek is hodos, which means Way as in
path or road, a highway. What does that say - our faith is the road we are
on?!
- "I am Jesus,
whom you are persecuting." Think of Matthew 25:31-45 - Jesus is the one
who is impacted by our actions, be it positively or negatively. I'm guessing
we don't really believe this - if we did, I would hope we would stop doing
some of the atrocious things we do to one another, and start doing some of
the so basic things we're always overlooking!
- "He is an
instrument I have chosen to bring my name before Gentiles and kings and before
the people of Israel." How hard it must have been for Ananias to trust
God's plan in this case. But how comforting it should be, or challenging,
to realize that God always picks the least likely, the least equipped, the
least sensible to carry about God's plans.
- "something
like scales fell from his eyes" - I think of the Chronicles of Narnia:
The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, where Eustace Scrubb is turned into a
dragon, a symbol of his misdeeds. To become a human again, he has to get rid
of the dragon skin - he tries to peel it off himself, but can't get deep enough.
Aslan (read Jesus), has to tear deeply into Eustace's flesh to get all of
the old scaly skin away...
Psalm 30:
- Eesh - not a favorite
psalm. All these images of God are terrible - pleading with God to care and
act, trying to convince God to act by appealing to God's desire to have more
people to worship God (v. 9). Not a very flattering picture of God. But I
guess it's more about where the psalmist comes from than about who God really
is...
- "Weeping
may linger for the night, but joy comes with the morning." The youth
of my CCYM love the praise song
"Trading My Sorrows", which takes this verse as a line of the song.
These words comfort and give hope - but how do we speak to those who feel
like this morning of joy never really comes?
- "You hid
your face." - Ugh - to think of God turning God's face from us. Devastating
- like an eclipse?
Revelation 5:11-14:
- Sorry - not much
to say about this short blurb. Not to say the passage is not important - but
- it is so short and so little is happening in it.
- So what is it
about? Everybody is worshipping the Lamb, Jesus. I guess that is a powerful
image. But I'm more interested in what's going on with God and Christ here
and now.
John 21:1-19:
- I love this passage
from John - it is so rich in symbolism and imagery. For some, Jesus eating
is a confirmation of his physical resurrection, as opposed to spiritual resurrection.
Personally, I find the fish more symbolic of Jesus' journey with the disciples.
He called them when they were fishing - then there nets were breaking, now
they do not despite the large catch. Then he called them to follow him - here
he does again, to Peter, but now there is knowledge of what this means. He
also shared the meal of bread and fish with them when he fed the 5000. They
are again by the sea, on the water, where so much ministry has taken place,
where so much meaning is attached.
- Another Chronicles
of Narnia tie-in, also from Voyage of the Dawn Treader. At the
very end of the book, when the gang is finally approaching the Eastern end
of the world, they see a lamb who is cooking fish for them to eat, who turns
into Aslan before their eyes, who is the Christ figure. Hard to get it all
into this blurb, but READ IT(!) for some great illustrations.
- "Do you love
me more than these?" What these? The disciples?
- Chris
Haslam suggests that Jesus asking Peter three times and Peters confirmation
of love is a reversal of Peter's thrice denial of Christ before his crucifixion.
He has come full circle - his shortcoming is turning into a strength - he
can be the leader of the new church that Jesus needs him to be.
- "Follow me."
Indeed.
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.)
Lectionary
Notes are from the Lectionary Chat Group Bible Study of St.
Paul's UMC, Oneida, NY, Rev. Beth Quick.
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