Matthew chapters 3-5
Matthew 2:1-12: Just another thought about this story of wise men from the East before moving on. After presenting Jesus with gifts, these wise men travel back to their home land. Is there a metaphor here for interfaith dialogue and conversation? The men come because they see something of the light of the world in Jesus. But they return to their home, and presumably to their way of life, including their religious way of life. One hopes their encounter with Jesus made a difference to their living, including to their religious practice, but this does not seem to be a conversion story. I think of people like Gandhi, the Dalai Lama, and Thich Nhat Hanh who have encountered the stories of Jesus, but remained in their religious traditions. Like the wise men, they have things to teach us. Perhaps like the wise men, we can travel into their traditions to learn, and return to our own, touched by the light of God in a new way.
Matthew 3:1-12: We have no stories about Jesus growing up in Matthew’s gospel (no, he never chopped down a cherry tree – that’s another story). We jump from the birth of Jesus, the flight to Egypt and the settling in Nazareth to years later when John the Baptizer appears in the wilderness. John is a colorful figure. His attire is unique and he does not seem to mince words. His message is one of change, of turning one’s life around, of turning the world around. John invites people to repent – to turn over the soil of their hearts, to be changed heart and mind. He invites them to do so because “the kingdom of heaven has come near.” The kingdom of heaven is simply another way of saying, “the kingdom of God” and only Matthew uses this phrase. We don’t know what John may have experienced to lead him to believe that God was up to something new and important, but he was convinced that something was happening and people needed to turn toward God in new ways. And if they did so, their lives needed to evidence this – “bear fruit worthy of repentance.” John’s preaching included a message about one to come, one who would be even more powerful in God’s Spirit. Where does the message of change most need to penetrate your own life?
Matthew 3:13-17: Most scholars argue that Jesus was for a time a part of the group of people who followed John. It seems certain that he was baptized by John, and this presented an inconvenient truth for early Christian communities. There continued to be followers of John who did not become followers of Jesus, and a small religious group that may be traced to these followers of John still exists – the Mandeans (that’s “religion” for $1,000 Alex). Anyway, stories of the baptism of Jesus get told in such a way as to emphasize that he was the one more powerful in God’s Spirit. It might not have been easy for John to take a back seat to Jesus, just like it may not be easy for us to make way for new leaders in our churches. The voice Jesus hears at his baptism, calling him a child of God, beloved by God, is one Christians affirm still speaks to every child being baptized. For Matthew’s story, the bottom line is that God is up to something very new and powerful, and this will be centered in Jesus.
Matthew 4:1-11: Before the powerful work of Jesus can begin, however, he faces temptation. Jesus is concerned for the hungry and for economic justice, but will he let that concern be his sole concern? Will he work miracles to meet immediate human need or invite people into a deeper relationship with God? He will do both, and both are vitally important. Jesus will often do spectacular things, but will his ministry be centered in the spectacular, or also incorporate the slower pace of the Spirit’s movement in many people’s lives? Deep change is often more like water shaping stones than like instant oatmeal. Jesus is powerful, but will he seek the power the world seems to recognize best? The phrase used to describe what the devil shows Jesus, “all the kingdoms of the world,” was often used of the Roman Empire. The temptation here is to imperial power, and Jesus rejects it. Matthew is telling us that God is up to something new and wonderful and powerful in Jesus, but it may be different than expected – a gentler power, a transformative journey, bread for the hungry soul as well as for the hungry belly. Given that we probably have not been offered the position of emperor recently, nor been tempted to throw ourselves off the top of the Coppertop to draw a crowd to God, nor been tempted to turn stones into bread, what does this story say to us? We are all tempted along the way, though the specifics differ. How are you being tempted to lose your way? How are you dealing with these?
Matthew 4:12-22: John is arrested, and Jesus ministry begins. Sometimes ministry begins in crisis. The headquarters for Jesus ministry shifts north to Capernaum on the Sea of Galilee. Perhaps a word here on Matthew’s use of the Hebrew Scriptures is in order. Sometimes one gets the impression that everything Jesus does has been mapped out in great detail by the Hebrew Scriptures – so that they might be fulfilled. I think this is a misreading of the text. The author of Matthew (whose name we do not know, by the way – authors in the ancient world often used the names of significant persons so as to better tell their stories) is using the resources of the Hebrew Scriptures to better understand the significance of Jesus and to assert the continuity of Jesus with the faith of the Jews. Remember, this was a time when tensions were high in the synagogues between Jews who were following Jesus and other Jews. Jesus begins his ministry with a message very similar to John’s. Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near. What is it about God coming near that often leads to deep change in our hearts and minds and lives? Jesus not only begins sharing a message, he begins recruiting disciples. Christian faith is not meant to be a solo enterprise, but lived in community.
Matthew 4:23-25: This is a nice summary statement of the work of Jesus – he teaches, he heals. Because of what is happening, his fame spreads.
Matthew 5:1-12: Here we begin “the sermon on the mount.” In all likelihood, this “sermon” is comprised of various sayings of Jesus pulled together in one place by Matthew. Early in his account of the work of Jesus, he wants to pull together what he views as significant teaching. Some of the words here go back to Jesus himself, and some may be later interpretations of his teaching placed back into the mouth of Jesus. This was a common practice. My concern here is not to try and figure out which sayings go back to Jesus and which don’t but to engage this wonderful “sermon” as a scripture of my faith from which I can learn. The sermon begins with statements of blessing – beatitudes. My Sunday sermon is going to focus on this passage so I am not going to say a lot here. Let me simply pose some questions about what Jesus may be up to here. Is Jesus issuing commands, inviting us to action? Is he simply telling us that certain kinds of people are blessed, are fortunate and happy – if not now then in the future? Is he proposing an interim ethic for the short term, believing that God’s kingdom is going to turn the world upside down in the very near future? Is he setting forth an impossible standard so as to convict people of their sin and remind them that only God’s grace can save them? I am going to ponder these questions in my sermon on Sunday and hope I come up with an answer by then! One piece of good advice for the Beatitudes is to read them slowly, letting their words sink into your heart and mind.
Matthew 5:13-16: Following up on the previous passage, Jesus seems to be saying that people who have the qualities described above are like salt and light in the world. Salt flavors and preserves. Here in Duluth salt spread on the roads in the winter keeps us from sliding into Lake Superior. Light helps us find our way in the dark. Can we be salt and light? When we are, what we say about God and faith and love really make some sense to those not a part of the Christian community. When our lives and our words are dramatically disconnected, we come across as little more than unsalty salt or dim bulbs.
Matthew 5:17-20: Matthew is concerned to assert the continuity of Jesus with the Jewish tradition, probably in contrast to other Jews of the time who felt like the teaching of Jesus missed the mark. Given Matthew’s concern to see such continuity, how sad is the history of Christian anti-Semitism. All of the passages that follow are a part of Jesus’ interpretation of the Jewish faith, part of a vibrant debate within first century Judaism.
Matthew 5:21-26: Everyone agrees that murder is wrong. Jesus seems to have a problem with people getting angry with each other. Is anger ever appropriate? I believe it can be, but only when it arises in the face of injustice and hurt in the world. Even then, anger is in danger of being captured by self-righteousness. We always need to be aware of our anger. We must always ask tough questions of our anger, whether or not it is really rooted in concern for others. We must not let anger turn into self-righteousness. If anger is ever to be creative and constructive, it must be thoroughly woven together with love. In the face of anger we should either be weaving it together with love or learning how to let it go. Failing to do that, we tend to nurture a negative attitude toward those with whom we stay angry. We would like to see them eliminated in one way or another. Sounds a little like murder.
Matthew 5:27-30: Aha! Jesus does talk about sex. With all the debate in the church these days over human sexuality, you would think Jesus would say much more about it. He does not, but what he says packs some punch. Adultery is widely frowned upon in the great religious traditions of humankind. I appreciate the way Sharon Salzberg, a Buddhist, puts the matter of the appropriate use of our sexual energy. “All too often, people will sacrifice love, family life, career, or friendship to satisfy sexual craving. Abiding happiness is given up for temporary pleasure, and a great deal of suffering ensues when we are willing to cause pain to satisfy our desires…. Sexuality is a very powerful force. A mature spirituality demands that we, without self-righteousness, commit to not harming ourselves or others through our sexual energy” (Lovingkindness). When we look at people only through the lenses of our own desires, we begin to see them as merely the sum of their parts, not as whole persons, and Jesus wants us to see others as whole persons. So important is this matter that a frighteningly wonderful rhetorical flourish is added on. If a part causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away – an interesting image for discussing the perils of human sexuality.
Matthew 5:31-32: Divorce – this passage has itself caused a lot of pain over the years. Many who have been divorced feel that the church rejects them out of hand. Careful attention to the language makes us realize that Jesus is not issuing a blanket condemnation of divorce. In his day and time, divorce was the sole prerogative of men, and divorced women had few opportunities to make a living economically. Capricious divorce left women destitute. Jesus wants to speak against this. He takes life-long covenantal relationships seriously and so should we. While divorce may be a regrettable but necessary alternative when there has been deep unfaithfulness in a relationship (this is not just sexual unfaithfulness), it should never be seen as an easy option.
Matthew 5:33-37: Because of their abundance in our day and time, words can seem cheap. Jesus doesn’t think so. He takes what we say seriously and expects us to speak with integrity.
Matthew 5:38-42: Revenge may be sweet, but not to Jesus. At the same time, he is not interested in his followers becoming doormats for the powerful. The phrase translated “do not resist” is better understood as saying “do not resist violently.” In each of the examples Jesus provides for not seeking retaliation, the dignity of the respondent is reaffirmed. Turning the other cheek would force the person hitting you to strike you with the palm of the hand, the way equals fought one another, not backhandedly, the way a superior hit a subordinate. Soldiers were only permitted to conscript a person to carry their gear for a mile, to do more put the soldier in an awkward spot. Giving up a second garment in a two garment society provides for interesting street theater. Resistance to evil is not to be violent, but it may be resistance.
Matthew 5:43-48: We come to one summary point in this long discourse, and it is a powerful one. LOVE! Love not just those who love you, but even your enemies. Being God-like means to love. The Revised English Bible translates verse 48 like this: “There must be no limit to your goodness, as your heavenly Father’s goodness knows no bounds.”
Tuesday, June 5, 2007
MATTHEW Chapters 1-5
As we begin to read through the New Testament together, let me remind you that I see the primary purpose of this being Christian formation. John Wesley, to whom United Methodists trace their beginnings, spoke about the goal of the Christian life as Christian perfection. While we might quibble with his choice of words, I think the idea behind them is worth noting. “By perfection I mean the humble, gentle patient love of God and neighbor, ruling our habits, attitudes {Wesley used the word “tempers”}, words and actions.” We read the New Testament so that the humble, gentle patient love of God and others (including the created world itself) takes deeper root in our lives.
My comments on our readings will focus on questions that I hope help encourage formation in Christian love. However, formation and information are not mutually exclusive, and in fact, at times, more information can aid formation. So I will include informational bits as well, and will begin with some of these at the beginning of each book. At the beginning of The Gospel of Matthew, there will be a few more of these bits of information than may be the case later on.
Why begin with Matthew? Someone asked me why we don’t read the New Testament chronologically. Did you know Matthew is not the first book in the New Testament because it was written first? The earliest writings we have in the New Testament are some of the letters of Paul. When the church put together the New Testament, it began with the stories of Jesus, the gospels, moved on to the story of the earliest followers of Jesus (Acts), then followed that with a variety of letters to early Christians and early Christian communities. The New Testament ends with a unique book, Revelation, which we will come to in due time. There are times when it will seem significant to point out that Paul’s letters provide us with the earliest writings we have in the New Testament.
The Gospel (s)… Four “According Tos”In the New Testament are four “gospels.” The gospels each tell the story of Jesus, but in a unique way. The word gospel itself means “good news.” So we have four stories about this person Jesus each trying to convince its readers that the story of Jesus is, in fact, good news. These are works that are not trying to convey “information.” They are primarily trying to aid in the formation of persons who want to follow the way of Jesus, who want a deeper relationship with the God Jesus referred to in rather intimate familial images. Most scholars who have studied the gospels agree that Mark was probably the first written. Matthew and Luke seem dependent upon the material in Mark. They also seem to share another source, a source of Jesus sayings. It is generally assumed that sayings and stories first circulated orally before being written down. The Gospel of John is in a league of its own. Because these works are “gospels” and not “histories,” there continues to be a debate within the scholarly community about which words and actions might probably be traced to the historical figure of Jesus of Nazareth. Such questions are usually called, “the quest for the historical Jesus” and this has been going on since the 1800s. The Jesus Seminar is but one recent iteration of this scholarly work, and scholars disagree about their work. If one takes seriously the possibility of a quest for the historical Jesus, one tends to presuppose that, indeed, not everything reportedly said or done by Jesus in the gospels was said or done by the person of Jesus who lived in first century Palestine. This is all very interesting and fascinating, but we can easily get lost in such discussions, keeping these writings intended to form us at a safer intellectual distance. The intellectual work is important, but I would argue the formational work is even more so. If you would be interested in pursuing some of the discussion about the quest for the historical Jesus, I would recommend a book co-written by Marcus Borg and N.T. Wright called, The Meaning of Jesus: two views. There will be times throughout our reading that I will bring up such questions, but again, the focus is on formation rather than information (though I don’t want to draw this distinction too harshly).
The Word as True Myth: Another way of saying this, is to remind us that the ancient Greeks made a distinction in their texts between logoi – writings that presented simply factual and reasoned accounts of some field of study, and muthoi – texts that convey stories that open us up to the depths of our own experience and shine a light into the darker corners of our lives and the world (see Richard Holloway, “Introduction” in Revelations: personal responses to the books of the Bible). When we read a New Testament text, we need to spend as much time asking what might this mean for my life and for our world, as “did Jesus really say that or do that?”
The Gospel According to Matthew: “You are holding in your hands a tiny book which has changed more human lives than The Communist Manifesto or Freud’s Interpretation of Dreams: a book which has shaped whole civilizations” (A.N. Wilson, in Revelations). Quite an introduction. What do we know about the origins of this gospel, about its structure and themes? How does it present the good news of and about Jesus? Matthew’s gospel was composed sometime between 75 and 100 CE (Common Era – an updated way to speak of A.D.), thus some forty years after Jesus died. Many argue that it was composed in the area of Antioch of Syria. It was written for a community of followers of Jesus, many of whom were probably Jewish in background. Some of its contents reflect tensions in Judaism after the destruction of the Temple in 70 CE. We have a community trying to distinguish itself from other Jews as well as trying to distinguish itself from the Roman imperial theology of the day. Roman emperors believed they ruled by divine will. The Romans were the creators of justice and peace in the world and were deserving of the benefits that came their way, even as many were left out of whatever prosperity was created by Roman rule. Those who follow Jesus seem to have another kingdom with a different theology and way of life. This way of life is made possible by Jesus who was a teacher (Matthew includes large sections of teaching by Jesus, inserting them into a structure very similar to Mark’s gospel), a healer, one who forgives, one who brings God close. As we read this gospel, will Jesus come closer to us to teach us, to heal us, to offer forgiveness, to draw our lives more fully into the life of God?
Matthew 1:1-17: Genealogies are not very exciting, especially when most of the names are not ones we recognize. What makes this genealogy kind of ironic is that according to the story in the rest of the chapter, Joseph is not technically the father of Jesus, yet it is his genealogy presented. But maybe reading these lists we can ask a couple of questions for our lives. Who has been an important part of your spiritual genealogy? Who are those who helped give birth to your faith? Among the remarkable things about this list is the inclusion of five women, and all but Mary are either Gentile (non-Jewish – and this was a huge issue among the early followers of Jesus who were all Jewish) or had Gentile connections. This God who is doing something uniquely wonderful in Jesus comes through surprising people – are you among them? Even the big names – Abraham, Jacob, David – were flawed people.
Matthew 1:18-25: This is Matthew’s story of the birth of Jesus, different from the more familiar story in Luke. Neither Mark nor John even mentions the birth of Jesus, nor does Paul, our earliest New Testament writer. Given that, it is rather amazing how many people in the history of Christianity have made believing certain things about the birth of Jesus one of the “fundamentals” of Christian faith. Different from Luke, where Mary is the central figure, here Joseph holds center stage. He discovers that Mary is pregnant, but not by him. He is going to let her go, as law and custom allowed, but in a dream he is told that Mary’s child is a child of the Spirit. He should not be afraid but should marry her. This could not have been easy for Joseph. He was in an awkward position, but did what we would think of as the right thing. Sometimes “the right thing” is more easily discovered in hindsight. Where have you had experience in doing the right thing, even when it has been difficult? Where do you sense God inviting you to do that in your life even now? Joseph’s faithfulness provided a point of entry for God into the world in Jesus – one who would be “God with us” and who would save us from traditions, practices, habits, actions that warp us, that demean us, that lead to cruelty whether those be forms of religion that needed changing or imperial theology and practice that needed to be resisted.
Matthew 2:1-12: Jesus will have “cosmic” significance. He is not simply going to be important to those who are Jewish, but also to those who are not. The community for which this gospel was first written was a community of Jews and Gentiles. Might the Gentile Christians have seen their story in the story of “wise men” from the East who recognized the star of Jesus, even if they were further away? King Herod, collaborator with the Roman authorities trembles at the thought that there might be another king, another way? This gospel challenges simple loyalties to the way things are, to the status quo whether that be political, cultural or even religious. When Jesus comes, things might just get shaken up.
Matthew 2:13-15: Sometimes getting out of harm’s way is an appropriate response to threatening circumstances.
Matthew 2:16-23: This story of Herod killing innocent children is heart-wrenching and all too realistic. The all-too-typical response of those about to lose their power and position is to use what power they have to eliminate whatever threatens them. Children, too, can be seen as threatening. Where in our world do we need to hear the cry of children trying to tell us that change is needed?
This post is getting long. I will offer a second post this week to complete Matthew 1-5.
As we begin to read through the New Testament together, let me remind you that I see the primary purpose of this being Christian formation. John Wesley, to whom United Methodists trace their beginnings, spoke about the goal of the Christian life as Christian perfection. While we might quibble with his choice of words, I think the idea behind them is worth noting. “By perfection I mean the humble, gentle patient love of God and neighbor, ruling our habits, attitudes {Wesley used the word “tempers”}, words and actions.” We read the New Testament so that the humble, gentle patient love of God and others (including the created world itself) takes deeper root in our lives.
My comments on our readings will focus on questions that I hope help encourage formation in Christian love. However, formation and information are not mutually exclusive, and in fact, at times, more information can aid formation. So I will include informational bits as well, and will begin with some of these at the beginning of each book. At the beginning of The Gospel of Matthew, there will be a few more of these bits of information than may be the case later on.
Why begin with Matthew? Someone asked me why we don’t read the New Testament chronologically. Did you know Matthew is not the first book in the New Testament because it was written first? The earliest writings we have in the New Testament are some of the letters of Paul. When the church put together the New Testament, it began with the stories of Jesus, the gospels, moved on to the story of the earliest followers of Jesus (Acts), then followed that with a variety of letters to early Christians and early Christian communities. The New Testament ends with a unique book, Revelation, which we will come to in due time. There are times when it will seem significant to point out that Paul’s letters provide us with the earliest writings we have in the New Testament.
The Gospel (s)… Four “According Tos”In the New Testament are four “gospels.” The gospels each tell the story of Jesus, but in a unique way. The word gospel itself means “good news.” So we have four stories about this person Jesus each trying to convince its readers that the story of Jesus is, in fact, good news. These are works that are not trying to convey “information.” They are primarily trying to aid in the formation of persons who want to follow the way of Jesus, who want a deeper relationship with the God Jesus referred to in rather intimate familial images. Most scholars who have studied the gospels agree that Mark was probably the first written. Matthew and Luke seem dependent upon the material in Mark. They also seem to share another source, a source of Jesus sayings. It is generally assumed that sayings and stories first circulated orally before being written down. The Gospel of John is in a league of its own. Because these works are “gospels” and not “histories,” there continues to be a debate within the scholarly community about which words and actions might probably be traced to the historical figure of Jesus of Nazareth. Such questions are usually called, “the quest for the historical Jesus” and this has been going on since the 1800s. The Jesus Seminar is but one recent iteration of this scholarly work, and scholars disagree about their work. If one takes seriously the possibility of a quest for the historical Jesus, one tends to presuppose that, indeed, not everything reportedly said or done by Jesus in the gospels was said or done by the person of Jesus who lived in first century Palestine. This is all very interesting and fascinating, but we can easily get lost in such discussions, keeping these writings intended to form us at a safer intellectual distance. The intellectual work is important, but I would argue the formational work is even more so. If you would be interested in pursuing some of the discussion about the quest for the historical Jesus, I would recommend a book co-written by Marcus Borg and N.T. Wright called, The Meaning of Jesus: two views. There will be times throughout our reading that I will bring up such questions, but again, the focus is on formation rather than information (though I don’t want to draw this distinction too harshly).
The Word as True Myth: Another way of saying this, is to remind us that the ancient Greeks made a distinction in their texts between logoi – writings that presented simply factual and reasoned accounts of some field of study, and muthoi – texts that convey stories that open us up to the depths of our own experience and shine a light into the darker corners of our lives and the world (see Richard Holloway, “Introduction” in Revelations: personal responses to the books of the Bible). When we read a New Testament text, we need to spend as much time asking what might this mean for my life and for our world, as “did Jesus really say that or do that?”
The Gospel According to Matthew: “You are holding in your hands a tiny book which has changed more human lives than The Communist Manifesto or Freud’s Interpretation of Dreams: a book which has shaped whole civilizations” (A.N. Wilson, in Revelations). Quite an introduction. What do we know about the origins of this gospel, about its structure and themes? How does it present the good news of and about Jesus? Matthew’s gospel was composed sometime between 75 and 100 CE (Common Era – an updated way to speak of A.D.), thus some forty years after Jesus died. Many argue that it was composed in the area of Antioch of Syria. It was written for a community of followers of Jesus, many of whom were probably Jewish in background. Some of its contents reflect tensions in Judaism after the destruction of the Temple in 70 CE. We have a community trying to distinguish itself from other Jews as well as trying to distinguish itself from the Roman imperial theology of the day. Roman emperors believed they ruled by divine will. The Romans were the creators of justice and peace in the world and were deserving of the benefits that came their way, even as many were left out of whatever prosperity was created by Roman rule. Those who follow Jesus seem to have another kingdom with a different theology and way of life. This way of life is made possible by Jesus who was a teacher (Matthew includes large sections of teaching by Jesus, inserting them into a structure very similar to Mark’s gospel), a healer, one who forgives, one who brings God close. As we read this gospel, will Jesus come closer to us to teach us, to heal us, to offer forgiveness, to draw our lives more fully into the life of God?
Matthew 1:1-17: Genealogies are not very exciting, especially when most of the names are not ones we recognize. What makes this genealogy kind of ironic is that according to the story in the rest of the chapter, Joseph is not technically the father of Jesus, yet it is his genealogy presented. But maybe reading these lists we can ask a couple of questions for our lives. Who has been an important part of your spiritual genealogy? Who are those who helped give birth to your faith? Among the remarkable things about this list is the inclusion of five women, and all but Mary are either Gentile (non-Jewish – and this was a huge issue among the early followers of Jesus who were all Jewish) or had Gentile connections. This God who is doing something uniquely wonderful in Jesus comes through surprising people – are you among them? Even the big names – Abraham, Jacob, David – were flawed people.
Matthew 1:18-25: This is Matthew’s story of the birth of Jesus, different from the more familiar story in Luke. Neither Mark nor John even mentions the birth of Jesus, nor does Paul, our earliest New Testament writer. Given that, it is rather amazing how many people in the history of Christianity have made believing certain things about the birth of Jesus one of the “fundamentals” of Christian faith. Different from Luke, where Mary is the central figure, here Joseph holds center stage. He discovers that Mary is pregnant, but not by him. He is going to let her go, as law and custom allowed, but in a dream he is told that Mary’s child is a child of the Spirit. He should not be afraid but should marry her. This could not have been easy for Joseph. He was in an awkward position, but did what we would think of as the right thing. Sometimes “the right thing” is more easily discovered in hindsight. Where have you had experience in doing the right thing, even when it has been difficult? Where do you sense God inviting you to do that in your life even now? Joseph’s faithfulness provided a point of entry for God into the world in Jesus – one who would be “God with us” and who would save us from traditions, practices, habits, actions that warp us, that demean us, that lead to cruelty whether those be forms of religion that needed changing or imperial theology and practice that needed to be resisted.
Matthew 2:1-12: Jesus will have “cosmic” significance. He is not simply going to be important to those who are Jewish, but also to those who are not. The community for which this gospel was first written was a community of Jews and Gentiles. Might the Gentile Christians have seen their story in the story of “wise men” from the East who recognized the star of Jesus, even if they were further away? King Herod, collaborator with the Roman authorities trembles at the thought that there might be another king, another way? This gospel challenges simple loyalties to the way things are, to the status quo whether that be political, cultural or even religious. When Jesus comes, things might just get shaken up.
Matthew 2:13-15: Sometimes getting out of harm’s way is an appropriate response to threatening circumstances.
Matthew 2:16-23: This story of Herod killing innocent children is heart-wrenching and all too realistic. The all-too-typical response of those about to lose their power and position is to use what power they have to eliminate whatever threatens them. Children, too, can be seen as threatening. Where in our world do we need to hear the cry of children trying to tell us that change is needed?
This post is getting long. I will offer a second post this week to complete Matthew 1-5.
Monday, May 28, 2007
The Who What Where When Why and How of Reading Through the New Testament in a Year
Who: The easy answer is YOU. If you are reading this you are invited to read through the New Testament in the coming year beginning the week of June 3. The complex answer is also YOU. Bring your questions, the whole of who you are to this adventure. If you are a Christian, great. If you see yourself as a “seeker” – great.
What: The New Testament, writings which are at the cornerstone of Christian faith. Of course, Christians look to both the Hebrew Scriptures, more commonly called the Old Testament through the years, and the New Testament for inspiration and guidance. Why not tackle the whole Bible in a year? To read the Bible in a year is a manageable task, and something I have done more than once. It requires reading about four chapters from the Bible everyday. For those who may not have picked up their Bibles in awhile this can be intimidating, and for all of us, we know that there are stretches of the Hebrew Bible that require some heavy lifting in terms of reading. The New Testament is not always a picnic either, but reading through it in one year asks only that we read five chapters every week (260 chapters over 52 weeks). We need to start someplace. It might be good to say a word here about the differing viewpoints about the Bible, even within Christianity. For some, the Bible is the Word of God, inerrant and infallible. It should be read as literally as possible. Other Christians understand what it means to say that the Bible is special and inspired in very different terms. They believe that it can be both an inspired guide to life and faith and a human product at the same time. They trust that God’s Spirit can speak amidst fallible human words. This comes closer to my perspective as will be seen in the months ahead. The most important thing about reading the Bible is not the viewpoint we bring to our reading, but the kind of life that is formed as a result of our reading.
When: I am beginning this reading venture/adventure the week of June 3. In my church on that Sunday, I am going to preach about reading the New Testament in a year and what we might expect from doing so. Anyway, June 3-9, read Matthew chapters 1-5. I will publish some reading guidelines for these chapters June 4, and my Sunday sermon June 10 will be on a part of Matthew 5. June 10-16, read Matthew 6-10. Reading guides will be published here June 11. My sermon June 17 will be based on some part of this reading. This pattern will continue through May 2008.
Where: You can read it at your home, you can read it in the Dome. You can read it in the car, you can read it at a bar. You can read it while out for lunch, you can read it with a bunch. You can read it at the lake, you can read it while you bake. You can read it here or there, you can read it anywhere. Thank you Dr. Seuss.
Why: Christians claim the Bible as the primary source for the life of faith. “Christianity is centered in the Bible. Of course, it is ultimately centered in God, but it is the God of whom the Bible speaks and to whom it points. God is also known in other ways and other religions, I am convinced, but to be Christian is to be centered in the God of the Bible.” Marcus Borg, The Heart of Christianity. Not all Christians would agree with parts of what Borg has to say, but there would be wide agreement that Christianity is centered in the Bible. If we are Christians we should have a familiarity with the New Testament, but even more importantly, it should shape our lives. And the brings me to a second set of reasons for reading the New Testament – the potential for having our lives changed, transformed in the process. I am becoming more and more convinced that what matters most about Christian faith is having our lives changed, having our hearts and minds transformed. In turn, then, out of transformed hearts and minds, we act in ways that help transform the world for the better. In the New Testament itself, Paul writes that the fruits of the Spirit are love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. In other words, we will know the Spirit is working in our lives when they are more and more characterized by these qualities. A Buddhist monk named Maha Ghosananda also put it well, “if we cannot be happy in spite of our difficulties, what good is our spiritual practice?” The promise of our faith is that reading our Scriptures helps form these qualities in us, helps us live more authentically and joyfully even amidst life’s challenges and difficulties. Two other quotes help me answer the question of “why?” Franz Kafka: “A book must be the axe for the frozen sea inside us.” I think the New Testament has that potential, the potential to break us open so that our hearts can be more loving and our spirits more creative. Eugene Peterson, in the introduction to his translation of the Bible, The Message: “You are going to hear stories in this Book that will take you out of your preoccupation with yourself and into the spacious freedom in which God is working the world’s salvation. You are going to come across words and sentences that stab you awake to a beauty and hope that will connect you with your real life.”
How: These are some pretty weighty hopes. Are there ways we can read the New Testament that increase our chances of having it make a difference in our lives? I think there are. Many times we read to be informed, and many have brought that attitude to reading the New Testament. It has its place and in my writings on the New Testament over the coming year, I will provide information about the books, their settings and authors. All that is well and good and interesting. The problem is that we can get caught up in that kind of reading and stop there. I encourage you to move beyond information questions to formation questions. Bring your mind, heart and imagination to your reading. Ask questions, not just about information, but about formation. How is this text inviting me to think differently about my life? How is it inviting me to live differently? In his introduction to a translation of the Buddhist Scripture The Dhammapada, Jack Kornfield writes: “One page, one verse alone has the power to change your life. Do not merely read these words but take them in slowly, savor them. Let your understanding grow. Seeing what is true, put these words into practice.” I could not say it better as one approaches reading the New Testament. I would only add an invitation. Read prayerfully. Perhaps you could begin your reading with a simple prayer. “God, may I grow in faith, hope and love – love for others, love for the world, love for myself – as I read.”
Let’s begin.
What: The New Testament, writings which are at the cornerstone of Christian faith. Of course, Christians look to both the Hebrew Scriptures, more commonly called the Old Testament through the years, and the New Testament for inspiration and guidance. Why not tackle the whole Bible in a year? To read the Bible in a year is a manageable task, and something I have done more than once. It requires reading about four chapters from the Bible everyday. For those who may not have picked up their Bibles in awhile this can be intimidating, and for all of us, we know that there are stretches of the Hebrew Bible that require some heavy lifting in terms of reading. The New Testament is not always a picnic either, but reading through it in one year asks only that we read five chapters every week (260 chapters over 52 weeks). We need to start someplace. It might be good to say a word here about the differing viewpoints about the Bible, even within Christianity. For some, the Bible is the Word of God, inerrant and infallible. It should be read as literally as possible. Other Christians understand what it means to say that the Bible is special and inspired in very different terms. They believe that it can be both an inspired guide to life and faith and a human product at the same time. They trust that God’s Spirit can speak amidst fallible human words. This comes closer to my perspective as will be seen in the months ahead. The most important thing about reading the Bible is not the viewpoint we bring to our reading, but the kind of life that is formed as a result of our reading.
When: I am beginning this reading venture/adventure the week of June 3. In my church on that Sunday, I am going to preach about reading the New Testament in a year and what we might expect from doing so. Anyway, June 3-9, read Matthew chapters 1-5. I will publish some reading guidelines for these chapters June 4, and my Sunday sermon June 10 will be on a part of Matthew 5. June 10-16, read Matthew 6-10. Reading guides will be published here June 11. My sermon June 17 will be based on some part of this reading. This pattern will continue through May 2008.
Where: You can read it at your home, you can read it in the Dome. You can read it in the car, you can read it at a bar. You can read it while out for lunch, you can read it with a bunch. You can read it at the lake, you can read it while you bake. You can read it here or there, you can read it anywhere. Thank you Dr. Seuss.
Why: Christians claim the Bible as the primary source for the life of faith. “Christianity is centered in the Bible. Of course, it is ultimately centered in God, but it is the God of whom the Bible speaks and to whom it points. God is also known in other ways and other religions, I am convinced, but to be Christian is to be centered in the God of the Bible.” Marcus Borg, The Heart of Christianity. Not all Christians would agree with parts of what Borg has to say, but there would be wide agreement that Christianity is centered in the Bible. If we are Christians we should have a familiarity with the New Testament, but even more importantly, it should shape our lives. And the brings me to a second set of reasons for reading the New Testament – the potential for having our lives changed, transformed in the process. I am becoming more and more convinced that what matters most about Christian faith is having our lives changed, having our hearts and minds transformed. In turn, then, out of transformed hearts and minds, we act in ways that help transform the world for the better. In the New Testament itself, Paul writes that the fruits of the Spirit are love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. In other words, we will know the Spirit is working in our lives when they are more and more characterized by these qualities. A Buddhist monk named Maha Ghosananda also put it well, “if we cannot be happy in spite of our difficulties, what good is our spiritual practice?” The promise of our faith is that reading our Scriptures helps form these qualities in us, helps us live more authentically and joyfully even amidst life’s challenges and difficulties. Two other quotes help me answer the question of “why?” Franz Kafka: “A book must be the axe for the frozen sea inside us.” I think the New Testament has that potential, the potential to break us open so that our hearts can be more loving and our spirits more creative. Eugene Peterson, in the introduction to his translation of the Bible, The Message: “You are going to hear stories in this Book that will take you out of your preoccupation with yourself and into the spacious freedom in which God is working the world’s salvation. You are going to come across words and sentences that stab you awake to a beauty and hope that will connect you with your real life.”
How: These are some pretty weighty hopes. Are there ways we can read the New Testament that increase our chances of having it make a difference in our lives? I think there are. Many times we read to be informed, and many have brought that attitude to reading the New Testament. It has its place and in my writings on the New Testament over the coming year, I will provide information about the books, their settings and authors. All that is well and good and interesting. The problem is that we can get caught up in that kind of reading and stop there. I encourage you to move beyond information questions to formation questions. Bring your mind, heart and imagination to your reading. Ask questions, not just about information, but about formation. How is this text inviting me to think differently about my life? How is it inviting me to live differently? In his introduction to a translation of the Buddhist Scripture The Dhammapada, Jack Kornfield writes: “One page, one verse alone has the power to change your life. Do not merely read these words but take them in slowly, savor them. Let your understanding grow. Seeing what is true, put these words into practice.” I could not say it better as one approaches reading the New Testament. I would only add an invitation. Read prayerfully. Perhaps you could begin your reading with a simple prayer. “God, may I grow in faith, hope and love – love for others, love for the world, love for myself – as I read.”
Let’s begin.
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