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Lectionary Notes -26th Sunday after Pentecost
Readings for 26th Sunday after Pentecost,
11/9/08:
Joshua 24:1-3a, 14-25, Psalm 78:1-7, 1
Thessalonians 4:13-18, Matthew 25:1-13
Joshua 24:1-3a, 14-25
- This passage is sort of an inauguration scene for
leadership in the community.
- V. 15: "choose this day whom you will serve . . . but
as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord." Joshua puts it in their
hands - serving is a choice. Who will you serve? We can serve lots of
people/things/gods these days. What choice have you made? How can others see
you choice by your actions?
- Joshua spends the rest of the passage trying to
convince the people not to follow God because of how costly it will be and how
demanding it will be. In a great reverse-psychology sort of way, this only
gets the people begging, pleading to serve God. Wouldn't that be a great tool
of evangelism? Telling people not to be Christians because it is too hard?
Jesus, of course, sometimes uses these strategies in the gospels too.
Psalm 78:1-7:
- "I will open my mouth in a parable" - I hadn't realized
that the word 'parable' appeared in the Old Testament. But it reminds us that
in Jesus' day, the people would have related to Jesus' style, more, perhaps,
than we are able to relate today.
- "We will not hide them from our children; we will tell
to the coming generation" - I like these verses that convey a sense of the
necessity to tell the story of a people, to make sure the history is known
through time and generations. We have a tendency to forget whole chunks of our
history, don't we, until we are repeating it!
1 Thessalonians 4:13-18:
- I'm not a big fan of this passage. Paul's aim here is
to give hope by describing what will happen to the faithful ultimately.
- To me, this image, though, is too specific and
detailed, and I'd rather just be ok with being unsure about what our ultimate
end will bring us, other than into God's arms.
- What is your vision of the end - of your life, of the
world? What is your vision of afterlife?
Matthew 25:1-13:
- Jesus reminds us that we have to make our own decisions
about discipleship. It seems to me that the foolish maids were almost in a
sense waiting to see how things would play out for the wise maids before they
themselves would want to go to the party.
- Preparation. Jesus wants us to always live like this is
it - our last day to live out in discipleship. Our society prizes living like
we are immortal, doesn't it? How do you live? How would you have to change
your normal patterns if today was your last day to be a disciple?
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.)
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