20th Sunday After Pentecost 2003

20^th Sunday after Pentecost

Job 1:1; 2:1-10 and Psalm 26

or
Genesis 2:18-24 and Psalm 8
Hebrews 1:1-4; 2:5-12
Mark 10:2-16

Job 1:1; 2:1-10

There are several themes that one can take from this passage. First, we have the position and prayer of the upright man, which can be built on this text and Psalm 26 in parallel. In Christian circles, we are much more comfortable with the idea of the prayer of repentance than the prayer of innocence. We probably would prefer to pray the prayer of innocence, if we just felt it was safe, but theologically and emotionally we are driven toward the prayer of repentance.

But the prayer of innocence is a valid expression of Biblical experience, as is illustrated in Job. Even when God comes to challenge Job, he effectively tells him he?s ignorant, but he doesn?t regard Job?s verbal self-defense and even his challenge to God to answer him as a sin. In fact, he seems to regard the arguments of Job?s friends, which sound very much like we might hear modern Christians use, as sinful, and requires them to get Job to intercede.

Since I like to suggest ways to include as many of the lectionary scriptures as possible in a single theme, I?d suggest that one might use Mark 10:13-16 along with these, with the idea of approaching the kingdom as a child. One feature of childhood is ?telling it like you see it? often to the embarrassment of parents! This is an aspect of prayer we often lose. You could even start with characteristics of children, and take this honest approach as a key point, then illustrate through the experience of Job and that reflected in the prayer of Psalm 26. Some interesting variations could be made on this theme by using Hebrews 2:5-12 (possibly including 1:1-4 which sets the stage) and talking about Jesus being like his brethren, that is, like us. Of course there are other themes in Hebrews about Jesus being exalted, but that can be another sermon.

Translation

Notes

(1) There was a man in the land of Uz, whose name was Job. Now he was a perfect and upright man, who feared God and turned from evil.

(1) One day the sons of God came to stand before YHWH, and the adversary showed up

among them as well. (2) YHWH said to the adversary, “Where do you come from?” and the adversary responded to YHWH, “From roaming in the earth, and from walking around in it.” (3) So YHWH said to the adversary, “Have you given consideration to my servant Job? There isn’t anyone like him in the world. He’s a perfect and upright man, who fears God and turns from evil.

And he still clings to his uprightness, though you enticed me to deceive him without any good reason.”

(4) And the adversary answered YHWH, “Skin for skin! Human beings will give everything they have in exchange for their lives. (5) Now just stretch out your hand and touch his bones and his flesh, and see if he won’t curse you to your face!” (6) YHWH said to the adversary, “Look! He’s in your power. Just preserve his life.”

(7) So the adversary went out from before YHWH, and he struck Job with nasty sores, from the sole of his foot to the crown of his head. (8) And he took a potsherd to scrape himself with, and he was sitting on an ash heap. (9) His wife said to him, “Why do you still hold on to your uprightness? Curse God and die!” (10) But Job said to her, “You speak as a foolish woman would speak. Shall we receive good from God and not receive evil?” In all this Job did not sin in speech.

The adversary, or Satan. See Learning Bible, article on Satan, p. 945, HarperCollins Bible Dictionary under ?Satan? and IDB ?Satan.? The IDB is the most thorough, while the Learning Bible should help also with how to communicate the material to a lay audience. I use ?the adversary? as the simplest way to avoid various images of the devil showing up in God?s court smelling of sulphur. Here Satan, however the term is meant in this passage, is a member of the heavenly court, or at least has access.

Heb. includes ?to stand before YHWH?

Note that God is interested in proving that there is a righteous man, apparently to the court of heaven. Job?s righteousness has importance beyond just his own life and surroundings. Note also that Job never gets to find out what all of this is about. All he knows is that he suffered, he challenged God, God responded (but didn?t really answer his questions) and he was restored. Job is not told of the material in our scripture today. To follow the argument, read at least chapter 42, and possible 38-42.

For the background, read all of chapter 1.

deceive him I?m tentatively using the third root of ?bal;a? from HALOT. Job is deceived in that he thinks God is punishing him, whereas the situation is substantially different. ?Destroy? is only partially appropriate here. This is a very tentative suggestion on my part, and needs some study yet, but give it some consideration.

Job?s suffering is by permission of God, but also limited by God?s permission.

hold on to your uprightness I struggled with the meaning of this phrase (also in verse 3), but I think the correct idea is that he continues to claim to be an upright man in spite of God?s punishment. That is something that is apparently seen as very straightforward and correct about Job?he refuses to tell it any way other than the way in which he sees it. He can?t see what he has done wrong, so he goes against all the common wisdom. His repentance in chapter 42, I would suggest, is not an acknowledgement that he had done wrong, but rather an acknowledgement of God?s sovereignty, that God could use him as God willed.

What Job?s wife is telling him to do is to acknowledge his guilt and let God finish him off. God?s going to win in any case, you can?t possibly be righteous if all this is happening to you, so just accept that you?re wicked, curse God and give it up. Note also that this is one of the cases in which ?bless God? in Hebrew is used as a euphemism for cursing God. The author didn?t even want to write ?curse God.?

Psalm 26

If you choose to use this Psalm I suggest connection with Job, because both describe a prayer based on a claim of innocence and uprightness. I?ve rendered the Psalm in a somewhat choppy fashion in making my points. I recommend a good poetic translation such as REB or NJB to get a better flow of the passage, though they will disagree with me on my strict construction of the Hebrew tenses here.

In either case, the Psalm is clearly a case in which someone who claims innocence and righteousness, in fact blamelessness is in danger, perhaps even danger of death. (See my introduction to the Job passage above for a suggested sermon/lesson theme.)

Translation

Notes

(1) Of David.

Judge me YHWH,

because I have walked in my blamelessness.

Since I have trusted in YHWH,

I will not waver.

(2) Probe me YHWH and put me to the test.

Refine my emotions and my thoughts.

(3) Since your grace is before my eyes,

I will walk in your truth.

(4) I do not dwell with vain men,

and I don’t travel with hypocrites.

(5) I hate the assembly of the evil,

I don’t sit down with evildoers.

(6) I will wash my hands in my innocence,

and I will dance around your altar YHWH.

(7) To make your voice heard in praise,

And to recount all your wonderful deeds.

(8) YHWH I love the house where you dwell.

The place where your glory stays.

(9) Don?t exterminate me with sinners,

Nor take my life with murderers.

(10) Who have an evil plan in their hands,

and their right hand is filled with bribe money.

(11) But I will continue to walk in my integrity,

Ransom me and be gracious to me!

(12) My foot has taken its stand on level ground,

In assemblies I will bless YHWH.

I differ in translation here with most versions. I believe this verse looks forward to the test that the psalmist has invited. Because he has trusted in YHWH, he will not waver, or perhaps he never wavers. This takes seriously the imperfect verb here.

grace or lovingkindness

sees the waw on hithhalek as a waw-consecutive

He does not take up his time away from the worship and praise of God.

Here we begin the expression of hope. He knows he is innocent. He trusts in God. He is sure of vindication. He sees himself going to the temple to worship. But this is also his alternative to hanging around with evildoers?worship!

Before sacrifice he will wash.

He will worship joyfully and openly, giving testimony to God.

Hebrew uses one verb, ??asaf? which should be applied to both lines according to the parallelism here. I chose to use two different English words to translate.

REB = full assembly; NRSV = great assembly. He is either going to stand in a great assembly, such as at an annual feast, or he will make his proclamation at more than one assembly. In any case, his testimony will be public.

Genesis 2:18-24

This is the second description of the making of humankind in the Bible. The first simply says they were created male and female and given dominion. This goes into somewhat more detailed, and if one is looking for chronological detail, would contradict the first on some points. However, if one sees the descriptions as less interested in chronology and more so in the role of God in the story, then those chronological details are quite irrelevant to the result.

You should probably not try to mix and match this with the Job 1/Psalm 26 grouping. Use either those two texts as indicated, or use this passage with Psalm 8. A good passage set is Genesis 2:18-24, Psalm 8, and Hebrews 1:1-4 & 2:5-12 with the theme of God?s revelation to the creation. There is one strong relationship between this pair of Old Testament passages and the previous pair?both speak positively of humanity and of God?s care and attention to the human species. (See my introduction to Mark 10:2-16 for another suggested theme.

Paul used this passage in his discussion of gender relations. Before you either dismiss Paul on this, or jump to a conclusion of male dominance, let me suggest reading Gordon Fee?s essay, ?Gender Issues: Reflections on the Perspective of the Apostle Paul? [Fee, Gordon D. Listening to the Spirit in the Text. Grand Rapids: Eerdman?s, 2000. Chapter 6.] Relevant Pauline passages include 1 Corinthians 11:8 & 9, 1 Corinthians 6:16 and Ephesians 5:31.

Translation

Notes

(18) And YHWH God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make for him a suitable helper.”

(19) So YHWH God formed from the ground every beast of the field and every bird of the heavens, and he brought them to the man to see what he would call them. And whatever the man called a living thing, that was its name.

(20) And the man gave names to all the cattle, and to the birds of the heavens, and to all the beasts of the field, but for the man there was not found a suitable helper. (21) And YHWH God made the man sleep deeply, so he slept and God took one of his ribs and closed the flesh in its place. (22) And YHWH God made the rib which he had taken from the man into a woman, and he brought her to the man. (23) And the man said, ?This time, it?s bone of my bones and flesh from my flesh. She will be called woman (Heb. ish-shah) because she was taken from man (Heb. ish).? (24) For this reason a man will leave his father and his mother and will be joined to his wife, and they will become one flesh.

Many translations avoid ?helper? but that seems to me to be the best translation here.

The NIV renders this ?had formed? thus resolving any chronological issues between Genesis 1, where the animals are created before man, and here, where it appears that the man is created first, then the animals, and finally the woman. This is often justified on the flexibility of Hebrew tenses with reference to time. But the pluperfect is normally stated by use of a perfect verb in a sequence of imperfects with waw-consectives (as we have here), whereas this is simply one in a sequence of such verbs. While there are a couple of instances where such a verb might be rendered as a pluperfect, it is vanishingly rare and very doubtful.

cattle indicates tame creatures, ?beasts of the field? indicates wild ones, with the birds, it means all the creatures.

None among the creatures was found as a suitable helper or companion to stand alongside Adam

Psalm 8

(Hebrew Verse Numbering)

This is primarily a praise to God specifically for the dominion given to humanity over nature. In today?s set of readings, however, it is also used of Christ. Some themes will suggest themselves as you study these passages together.

Translation

Notes

(1) To the leader, on the Gittith, a Psalm for David.

(2) YHWH our Lord, how splendid is your name in all the earth

In all the earth ordain your praise unto the heavens.

(3) From the mouth of babies, and nurselings, you have ordained strength

because of your enemies,

To cut off the enemy and the avenger.

(4) If I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers,

the moon and the stars, which you have established.

(5) What is man that you remember him,

or the son of man, that you pay attention to him?

(6) But you have placed him a little lower than God,

and you have crowned him with glory and honor.

(7) You made him rule over the works of your hands,

You have placed everything under his feet.

(8) Flocks and herds, all of them,

And also the beasts of my fields.

(9) Birds of the heaven and fish of the sea,

Those who pass through the paths of the sea.

(10) YHWH our Lord, How splendid is your name in all the earth.

because may rather be ?against? though the intent is the same

The Psalmist understand his smallness in relation to a God who could create all this. Why pay attention to humanity in the midst of all that. I?m using ?man? and ?son of man? because this will also be quoted in the passage from Hebrews we?re using, but they could well be translated ?humanity? and ?mortals.?

Here is where a translation issue impinges significantly on theology. Most translators would agree with the translation ?a little lower than,? even though there is disagreement on ?God? and ?the angels? in what follows. But the Septuagint translated ?for a short time? which is then used in Hebrews 2:7, where this portion of the Psalm is applied to Jesus and the incarnation.

I would need to write a book to think that I?d dealt with the issues raised here, and even then I?d probably be wrong. Let me suggest some possibilities. Are there multiple meanings in the Psalm? Is it appropriate for a later inspired writer to reuse a passage in a different way than the one in which it was intended? Does the interpretation of Hebrews 2:7 determine the meaning of Psalm 8:6? Make sure that you have considered the implication of your answers for your view of inspiration and the authority of scripture. I suggest to pastors not to bring up things you don?t have time to answer in a sermon, and to teachers to be prepared for the implications of your stand.

Read in connection with Genesis, this passage looks simply like the dominion that was given to humanity over the rest of creation.

Hebrews 1:1-4; 2:5-12

Hebrews 1:1-4 provides the foundation for the material quoted from chapter 2. One could focus just on this passage, combined with Genesis 2:18-24. In that case we look at God the creator who also becomes God the redeemer. We can then tie that in with God the communicator. The nature of this communication through ?a son? is a fundamental theme in Hebrews. For a theme relating to the authority of Jesus, see Mark 10:2-16.

Translation

Notes

(1) In the old times God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets in various ways at different times. (2) Now, in these last days, he has spoken to us by means of a son, whom he has made the heir of everything, and through whom he made the universe.

(3) Since he is the brilliance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his actual being, and since he carries everything by his powerful word, when he had accomplished a cleansing of sin, he sat down at the right hand of the majesty in the heights. (4) In this way he has become as much greater than the angels as the name he has inherited is greater than theirs.

Chapter 2:

(5) For it was not to angels that he subjected the world to come, concerning which we are talking. (6) Someone somewhere testifies,

What is man that you remember him,

Or the son of man that you concern yourself with him?

(7) For a short time you made him lower than angels,

You crowned him with glory and honor,

(8) You subjected everything under his feet.

For in subjecting all things to him, he didn’t leave anything that is not made subject. But now we do not yet see everything subjected to him. (9) But in the phrase “a little while made lower than the angels,” we see Jesus crowned with glory and honor through the suffering (misfortune) of his death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death on behalf of everyone.

(10) For it was appropriate for him, because of whom and through whom everything exists, in bringing many sons into glory, to perfect the pioneer of their salvation through sufferings. (11) For the one making holy, and the one being made holy are of one type. For this reason he is not ashamed to call them brothers, (12) saying,

I will send forth your name to my brothers,

In the midst of the congregation I will sing hymns of praise to you.

a son the emphasis here is on the nature of the relationship, not on the specific person. You can miss the focus if you understand this simply as ?God spoke in the past through prophets and now he has spoken through Jesus.? The idea is that God spoke in the past through people who were totally human, though they were spokesman for God. Now he is speaking through a person who relationship is closer.

Someone somewhere consider how this relates to verbal inspiration. I do not teach verbal inspiration, but this is a good illustration if you do not, and you should be prepared for the questions if you do.

Note that the Septuagint which is translated here differs from the Massoretic Hebrew. The difference is whether he (or they) is made a little bit lower, or lower for a short time. Several versions, including CEV and NRSV, but not REB try to translate with gender neutral terminology here which makes the author?s interpretation applying this passage to Jesus difficult to sustain. I would suggest the masculine terminology as necessary to the author?s point.

Rather than the creation dominion as described in Genesis, our author is presenting this dominion as the ultimate dominion of Jesus when he is exalted. The theme of this chapter is simply to show how superior Jesus is to the angels (also chapter 1:5ff).

But there is also a sub-theme developing which is that Jesus is a brother alongside of humanity, that he has tasted what we taste, and that he is not ashamed of being called our brother.

I suggest strongly reading at least chapters 1-3 of Hebrews before teaching this portion. Reading the whole book will give you an advantage of perspective.

Mark 10:2-16

I think both of these passages are quite straightforward in terms of translation. The problem comes in interpretation. I?m suggesting themes, and not trying to provide an authoritative interpretation.

Translation

Notes

(2) And the Pharisees approached and questioned him as to whether it was legal for a man to divorce his wife. They were testing him. (3) But he answered them, ?What did Moses command you?? (4) So they said, ?Moses permitted us to write a divorce paper and to divorce.? (5) But Jesus said to them, “He wrote you that commandment because of your hardness of heart. (6) But from the beginning of creation ?male and female he created them.? (7) Because of this a man will leave his father and mother and will be joined to his wife, (8) and the two will become one flesh, so that they are no longer two but one flesh. (9) So what God has joined together nobody should separate.? (10) Now when they were in the house again his disciples questioned him about this.

(11) And he said to them, “Whoever divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery with her, (12) and if she, having divorced her husband marries another, she commits adultery.?

(13) And some people brought him children so that he might touch them. But the disciples rebuked them. (14) But when Jesus saw them he was indignant and he said to them, “Let the children come to me, don’t prevent them, for the kingdom of God is made of this sort of person. (15) I tell you truly, whoever doesn’t receive the kingdom of God as a child will never enter into it.? (16) And calling them he blessed them as he placed his hands on hem.

This is an extremely interesting passage. I would suggest that it tells us something about law in general, that law is provided for people, and that it is adapted to people. Thus the principles of law abide, but the specific applications may change. Jesus is building a stronger basis for marriage, and in doing so he creates a more restrictive application. Those who think it is merely more restrictive should note that it places the woman in a better position. Only man had the right to divorce his wife, and he did not need to justify this decision. A woman would be left without support in that society. Jesus makes it obligatory for the man to stick with his obligations.

How could this principle be applied today to strengthen the concept of marriage? Would the instructions of Jesus be precisely as stated here?

Another theme might be the superior authority of Jesus over Moses, in which case build your theme from Hebrews 2, and then move to this passage.

Note that this is probably translated for a gentile world. Jewish law did not permit the woman to divorce at this time.

One way I like to teach from this is to ask people to give characteristics of childhood. Let people?s minds roam freely. You?ll find that some of these characteristics are desirable, and some are not so desirable for an adult. What is Jesus trying to tell us about how we should act. One theme I suggested above is the honesty of childhood. I child who hasn?t done something will normally say so, and not accept guilt which is not his to bear. Job and the psalmist (Psalm 26) both display this characteristic.