Return to Notes Year B
Return
to Lectionary Notes Page
Return
to Home Page
Lectionary Notes - Ninth Sunday after
Pentecost
(view
sermon, sermon or
sermon
for this text)
Readings for
Ninth Sunday after Pentecost, 8/6/06:
2 Samuel 11:26-12:13a, Psalm 51:1-12, Ephesians 4:1-16,
John 6:24-35
2 Samuel 11:26-12:13a:
- Today is part two of the
story of David's act of adultery/deceit/murder/etc.
- I wonder how much room to disagree Bathsheba had in
this whole affair. Could she refuse the king? Did she know of his plotting to
kill her husband, or think it was a strange coincidence? Did she want to marry
David? As usual, unfortunately in the scriptures, we hear less from the women
than I at least would like.
- "You are the man!" Nathan helps David to see, by
showing him the sin in another. We are so much better at seeing the sins of
others, aren't we? But as Jesus would later teach, we first have to check for
planks in our own eyes...
- :12 - David's 'private' sin is shown by God to be a
public thing. Is individual sin only public for leaders, like David, or like
Bill Clinton? Or is part of being in a community of faith realizing that all
of our sin is in part a public act?
Psalm 51:1-12:
- Ah, a favorite psalm. A
confession. This psalm is one I'm mostly likely to use if I'm feeling the need
to come before God in a confessional mode. Do you have a confessional prayer
in church every week? We do not, and I think as Protestants, we sometimes get
nervous about confession, even corporate. But even if we don't share sins with
a priest, confession is a necessary part of our relationship - any healthy
relationship, really.
- Where I disagree with the
psalmist, (thought to be David writing after the sin with Bathsheba) is in his
claim: "against you, you alone, have I sinned." Rarely do our sins only affect
God - that's the worst about them - our sin hurts others. David's sin, for
instance, resulted in a man's death, and a child's death, according to
scriptures.
- This psalm usually shows up
during the penitent Lenten season. Today it shows up in connection with the
Old Testament lesson. How does reading this psalm in a different season change
your understanding of it?
Ephesians 4:1-16:
- "live a life worthy of the calling to which you have
been called" - Paul follows with a list of high standards for us to live
by. When we respond to a call from God - to ministry, ordained or otherwise,
to mission, to whatever, that call comes with responsibility too.
- one, one, one. Notice a theme? Repetition. Paul wants
us to get the message. ONE. In a church that is so divided over ritual,
liturgy, theology, social issues, politics, etc., how do we live as the ONE
body of Christ?
- gifts - one of many great passages on the unique and
varied nature of God's gifts to us. Great Sunday to talk about gifts,
encourage use of gifts, or discovery of gifts.
- "no longer be children, tossed to and fro and blown
about by every wind of doctrine." We may feel like this is a concern
today, but it is a concern as old as the church! We have such short attention
spans, always following the next new fad, even in faith matters. Paul says
that's simply immature.
John 6:24-35:
- This text continues with week two of a month-long series of texts from John
6 that all talk about Jesus and bread and feeding and bread of life and living
water, etc., etc. The imagery is rich and meaningful and can communicate a
great deal. On the flip side, I remember preaching on these texts three years
ago when I was just starting at my first appointment, and wondering if I would
ever get to talk about something other than bread!
- "but because you ate your fill of the loaves" - you can
take Jesus' statement two ways. Ie - the people are coming just because they
got a free meal, and are hoping for more. Or, in eating the bread, the
people realized Jesus could fill them in deeper ways too. Perhaps a bit of
both, but probably more of the former. Jesus hopes to teach them of the
latter.
- "This is the work of God, that you believe"
The people were expecting something a bit more. They wanted signs. Jesus tells
them essentially that they have all the signs they need - they are the
signs this time. God in them is the sign.
- Jesus deflecting from his person to his source - Jesus
always turns credit away from him or other individuals to what he names as his
source: His father.
- "I am" - A theme in John, Jesus' "I
am" statements. Here, Jesus is telling the people - I've already given you
what you are asking for. Now, live like it!
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 Rev. Beth Quick.
Return to Notes Year B
Return
to Lectionary Notes Page
Return
to Home Page