Threads from Henry's Web

Author: henry

  • Matthew 25:14-30 (The Talents)

    14[The kingdom of heaven] is like a man going on a journey.  He calls his slaves and hands his property over to them.  15To one he gives five talents, to another two, and to another one, to each one according to his strength.  Then he goes on his journey.  As soon 16as he goes, the one who received five talents did business with them and gained another five.  17Likewise the one with two earned another two.  18But the one who received one went out, dug in the ground, and hid his lord’s money.  19After a long time the lord of those slaves returned and settled accounts with them.  20The one who had received five talents brought another five talents, saying, “Lord, you handed five talents over to me.  Look, here I’ve gained five more.  21His lord said to him,
    “Excellent, good and faithful servant.  You have been faithful over a little, I will put you in charge of much.  Enter into your lord’s joy.  22Then the one who had received two talents said, “Lord, you handed two talents over to me.  Look, I have gained another two talents.”  23His lord said to him, “Excellent, good and faithful servant.  You were faithful with a little, I’m going to put you in charge of much.  Enter into your lord’s joy.”  24But the one who had received one talent came and said, “Lord, I knew you, that you are a hard man, harvesting where you didn’t plant, and gathering where you didn’t scatter.  25I was afraid, and went out and his your talent in the ground.  Look, you have what is yours!” 26But the lord answered him, “Wicked and lazy servant!  You know that I harvest where I haven’t planted, and I gather where I haven’t scattered?  27You should have given my money to the bankers, and when I returned, I could have received my own money with interest.  28So take the talent away from him and give it to the one who has ten talents.  29For to everyone who has it shall be given, and it will overflow, and from the one who doesn’t have shall be taken away even what he has.  30And throw the useless slave out into the outer darkness.  In that place there will be weeping and grinding of teeth. — Matthew 25:14-30

    The boundary between verses 15 and 16 is doubtful.  Di he immediately go on a journey, or did the servant go out and immediately begin doing business.  It’s not a matter of great theological important, of course, but it is interesting.  The very best manuscripts would suggest that “immediately” goes with the servant’s action, but there are a larger number of the immediately next tier of manuscripts that suggests the opposite.  For example, the original hand of Sinaiticus goes with the reading I have translated, but the second corrector changes it.  Vaticanus supports the text as I have it, but Alexandrinus is on the other side.

    For verses 21 and 23, “enter your lord’s joy” CEV has “share in my happiness.”  I like that, but I’m not sure it’s correct.  I wonder if it may be “welcome to your lord’s pleasure” or something like that.  I may update this post later with a note on the matter.

    Otherwise, the translation is not the major issue here, but rather the exegesis, which, I suspect, makes some folks uncomfortable.

     

  • 1 Thessalonians 5:1-11

    1Brothers and sisters, you don’t need me to write to you about the times and the seasons, 2because you yourselves are well aware that the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night.  3When people are saying “Peace and security,” then destruction will come on them suddenly, like  labor pains on a woman who is pregnant, and they will be unable to escape.

    4But as for you, brothers and sisters, you are not in darkness that the day should come on you like a thief.  5For you are all children of the
    light and children of the day!  We are not of the night or of the darkness.  6Because of that, let’s not sleep like the rest, but watch and be clear headed.

    7For those who sleep do so at night, and those who are drunk, do that at night.  8But since we are day people,let’s be clear headed, dressed in the breastplate of faith and love, and the helmet of the hope of salvation.  9Because God has not appointed us for wrath, but to experience salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, 10who died for us so that whether we watch wakefully or whether we sleep, we will live together with him.  11Therefore comfort one another and build one another up, just as you already do. — 1 Thessalonians 5:1-11

     The only textual issue is a minor grammatical variant in verse 4.  It’s interesting that this verse has been used of the rapture, because it indicates that the return of Jesus will arrive as a thief in the night, but this may be carrying the analogy too far, as it is the sudden destruction that comes as a thief, while those in the know are not supposed to be caught off guard.

    This is also not a translation note, but Paul brings grace into the passage in a special way.  He’s calling on Christians to watch and be ready, yet because of the salvation we receive through Jesus, whether we remain awake or not, we will live with him.

     

  • Questions on Judges 4:1-7

    Here are some questions that came to mind as I studied Judges 4:1-7.

    1.  Why does the lectionary reading end where it does?  Would the passage bring a different lesson if one read on to where Barak requires Deborah to accompany him before he’ll go?

    2.  Does this passage provide a universal justification for women in church and national leadership?  Why or why not?  Note that many take Paul’s comments on women in church leadership as universal, yet on this passage–not so much!

    3.  How does “God sold them” fit with your (our?) sense of justice?  Is hardship always (generally, often, rarely) caused by God’s direct action rather than by the Devil or other forces of evil?

    4.  Why does God choose to act through such limited instruments?  Could he not make things right more immediately and efficiently considering he’s the one who “sold them” into their current situation?  This question could be applied in many places.

     

  • What Did They Cry?

    In Judges 4:1-7, when the Israelites cried out, what did they have to say?  With Psalm 123 included along with Judges 4:1-7 in Proper 28 / Ordinary 33 / Pentecost +27, I think we have an interesting possibility for preaching on prayer in trouble.

    My basic starting point would be to suggest to the congregation that they imagine themselves in deep trouble.  How should you pray?  Would it be Psalm 123 with a simple statement that you’ve had it and God needs to show you some mercy?  Would it be more complicated.  One could try a number of different prayers, and ask the congregation which is the “best” one.

    • The arrogant prayer–I’m one of the good guys, Lord, so why haven’t you helped me?
    • The self-deprecating prayer–I don’t deserve anything, of course, I’m completely worthless, but could you help anyhow?
    • The desperate prayer–I’m at the end of my wits.  If you don’t help me, I’m done for!
    • The bargaining prayer–if you help me now, I’ll be faithful forever.  (This would be a good time to look elsewhere in Judges for the behavior of the Israelites.
    • The thankful prayer–if you can think of things to thank the Lord for.  (Note that just because God is doing lots of good things doesn’t mean that we will notice them!

    The Israelites have brought all of this on themselves, according to the text, and it is God who sent the oppressor.  Does that change the way one should pray?  There are those who always rebuke Satan in times of trouble, but is it necessarily Satan who is acting?

    Finally, does the prayer one offers change God’s response to the situation?

  • Judges 4:1-7

    1After Ehud died, the Israelites again did what was evil in YHWH’s eyes. 2So YHWH sold them into the hand of Jabin, King of Canaan, who reigned in Hazor. The commander of his army was Sisera who lived in Harosheth of the Nations.

    3Then the Israelites cried out to YHWH, because Jabin had 900 iron chariots and he had oppressed the Israelites harshly for 20 years. 4Now Deborah was a woman, a prophetess, wife of Lapidoth. She judged Israel at that time. 5She lived under the palm tree of Deborah between Ramah and Bethel in the mount of Ephraim. The Israelites went up to her for her to judge.

    6She sent and called for Barak, son of Ahinoam from Qedesh-Naphtali, and she said to him, “Has not YHWH, God of Israel commanded that you go and set up on Mt Tabor and take with you 10 thousand men from Naphtali and Zebulon? 7And I will bring Sisera, commander of Jabin’s army, and his chariots, and his host, out to you to the brook Qishon, and I will give him into your hand.  — Judges 4:1-7

    The translation of this passage is pretty straight-forward except for a bit in verses 6-7 where it’s hard (for me, at least) to convey the idea of God drawing Barak out to one place to prepare for battle and doing the same thing to Sisera.  They are both drawn out to a battle arranged by God.

    Another reasonable question is whether, at the time Deborah calls for him, God has already told Barak to go out, or whether this is the first news.  When Deborah says, “Has not the God of Israel told you . . .” she could be speaking of her own statement, or she might be referring to something Barak already knew–or should have known.

     

     

  • 3rd Sunday of Easter 2005

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  • A Correct Prayer Attitude

    Reading:  Psalm 123 (From proper A28)

    Is there a correct attitude for prayer?

    Many people have rigid standards for how to pray, the type of language, the attitude one must have toward God, things that one must ask for–or not.  Who must be addressed (Jesus, Father, Holy Spirit), and how much praise and thankfulness is needed as opposed to requests.

    In teaching about prayer, the vast majority of questions center around things one should or should not do.  It’s a great deal like learning how to approach a powerful figure, a king, or even just your boss.  What does he like to hear?  What does he hate hearing?  What is likely to open his ears to your request?

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  • Psalm 123 – Had Enough!

    Psalm 123, Proper 28A/Ordinary 33A/Pentecost +27
    November 16, 2008

    (Note that I always use Text Week for my  lectionary study)

    A song of ascents.

    1To you we lift up our eyes,
    You who live in heaven.
    2As the eyes of slaves turn to the hand of their master,
    As the eyes of a maid looks to the hand of her mistress,
    So our eyes look to our God until he shows us favor.
    3Show us favor, YHWH,
    For we have had more than enough contempt.
    4Our souls are satiated
    — on the mocking of those at ease.
    — on the contempt of the arrogant.

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  • 7th Sunday in Easter, 2004

    Acts 16:16-34

    Psalm 97

    Revelation. 22:12-21 (12-14, 16-17, 20-21)

    John 17:20-26

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  • 6th Sunday in Easter, 2004

    Acts 16:9-15

    Psalm 67

    Revelation 21:10,22-22:5

    John 14:23-29 or John 5:1-9

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