Jeremiah 20:7-13
Psalm 69:8-11, (12-17), 18-20
Romans 6:1b-11
Matthew 10:24-39
Sometimes I find the lectionary readings disconnected—disconnected from each other, from life, from my own Existenz. Today the readings, for me, are like that. This perception probably says more about me than the readings, but that is the way I find them.
Jeremiah—a prophet who is wrestling with his call to be a prophet. He wants to speak for God (feels compelled to do so) and yet faces derision and persecution from others. People just don’t understand him and he is having a good old moan about it.
Paul in Romans presents us with a “Christ-mysticism” in order that we don’t do bad things. Within 30 years of his death Jesus, the wisdom teacher and healer from Nazareth has becomes the Christ of mystic experience. Death and resurrection are now a mystical motif whereby people can overcome their inner drives to do bad things. It’s all a case of considering that we, too, have died and been raised. That is: our old life has died and a new life has begun. It is symbolized in baptism and experienced through a mystical identification with Christ. If you are struggling with some issue, says Paul, remember that just as Christ died so did you. Just as Christ lives to God, so do you.
In the gospel we have a jumble of disconnected wisdom sayings. It reads to me like the early church gathered together a number of remembered sayings of Jesus and put them all together in one block. The sayings are loosely connected, but not really. I found nine sayings:
a) Masters and disciples are equal
b) Everything will be revealed, even the things spoken in the dark.
c) Don’t be afraid of people, but fear God.
d) God cares for you just like God cares for sparrows
e) Don’t deny Jesus. If you do he will deny you.
f) The message of Jesus doesn’t bring peace but division among family members
g) Don’t love anyone more than Jesus
h) Take up your cross to be worthy of Jesus
i) If you find your life you will lose it, if you lose it you will find it.
What to do with a jumble of sayings like that? Each saying could be used for meditation. Let the one thought be the phrase that you bring your mind back to. Not all the sayings are “comfortable.” You might not agree with the saying! That’s OK. Life is like that.
I suppose if there is a connecting theme in the lectionary readings it is a theme of struggle. The prophet struggled to be a prophet and didn’t like it. People struggle with doing the right thing and the wrong thing. To follow Jesus is a struggle and you shouldn’t expect anything different. Sometimes spirituality is a deep struggle and these readings reflect that.
Psalm 69:8-11, (12-17), 18-20
Romans 6:1b-11
Matthew 10:24-39
Sometimes I find the lectionary readings disconnected—disconnected from each other, from life, from my own Existenz. Today the readings, for me, are like that. This perception probably says more about me than the readings, but that is the way I find them.
Jeremiah—a prophet who is wrestling with his call to be a prophet. He wants to speak for God (feels compelled to do so) and yet faces derision and persecution from others. People just don’t understand him and he is having a good old moan about it.
Paul in Romans presents us with a “Christ-mysticism” in order that we don’t do bad things. Within 30 years of his death Jesus, the wisdom teacher and healer from Nazareth has becomes the Christ of mystic experience. Death and resurrection are now a mystical motif whereby people can overcome their inner drives to do bad things. It’s all a case of considering that we, too, have died and been raised. That is: our old life has died and a new life has begun. It is symbolized in baptism and experienced through a mystical identification with Christ. If you are struggling with some issue, says Paul, remember that just as Christ died so did you. Just as Christ lives to God, so do you.
In the gospel we have a jumble of disconnected wisdom sayings. It reads to me like the early church gathered together a number of remembered sayings of Jesus and put them all together in one block. The sayings are loosely connected, but not really. I found nine sayings:
a) Masters and disciples are equal
b) Everything will be revealed, even the things spoken in the dark.
c) Don’t be afraid of people, but fear God.
d) God cares for you just like God cares for sparrows
e) Don’t deny Jesus. If you do he will deny you.
f) The message of Jesus doesn’t bring peace but division among family members
g) Don’t love anyone more than Jesus
h) Take up your cross to be worthy of Jesus
i) If you find your life you will lose it, if you lose it you will find it.
What to do with a jumble of sayings like that? Each saying could be used for meditation. Let the one thought be the phrase that you bring your mind back to. Not all the sayings are “comfortable.” You might not agree with the saying! That’s OK. Life is like that.
I suppose if there is a connecting theme in the lectionary readings it is a theme of struggle. The prophet struggled to be a prophet and didn’t like it. People struggle with doing the right thing and the wrong thing. To follow Jesus is a struggle and you shouldn’t expect anything different. Sometimes spirituality is a deep struggle and these readings reflect that.