Eternal Lord, your kingdom has broken into our troubled world
through the life, death, and resurrection of your Son. Help us to hear
your Word and obey it, so that we become instruments of your redeeming
love; through your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns
with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen
Exodus 20:1-17
{1} Then God spoke all these words:
{2} I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt,
out of the house of slavery; {3} you shall have no other gods before
me. {4} You shall not make for yourself an idol, whether in the form
of anything that is in heaven above, or that is on the earth beneath,
or that is in the water under the earth. {5} You shall not bow down to
them or worship them; for I the LORD your God am a jealous God,
punishing children for the iniquity of parents, to the third and the
fourth generation of those who reject me, {6} but showing steadfast
love to the thousandth generation of those who love me and keep my
commandments. {7} You shall not make wrongful use of the name of the
LORD your God, for the LORD will not acquit anyone who misuses his
name. {8} Remember the sabbath day, and keep it holy. {9} Six days you
shall labor and do all your work. {10} But the seventh day is a
sabbath to the LORD your God; you shall not do any work--you, your son
or your daughter, your male or female slave, your livestock, or the
alien resident in your towns. {11} For in six days the LORD made
heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but rested the
seventh day; therefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day and
consecrated it. {12} Honor your father and your mother, so that your
days may be long in the land that the LORD your God is giving you.
{13} You shall not murder. {14} You shall not commit adultery. {15}
You shall not steal. {16} You shall not bear false witness against
your neighbor. {17} You shall not covet your neighbor's house; you
shall not covet your neighbor's wife, or male or female slave, or ox,
or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor.
The covenant at
Sinai is a bilateral, parity treaty. God agrees to be Israel’s God
if the people agree to obey him and keep his commandments. In Israel
it was the prophets who championed the Sinai covenant against the
Davidic covenant in the South, and the urban elites who elected to
serve Canaanite gods and the Tyrian Baal in the North. Much of the
culture of the two kingdoms developed out of the covenant theology of
the Mosaic covenant. The Ten Commandments are the core of the covenant
stipulations of that covenant.
The covenant stipulations are of two kinds, those
that deal with the relationship with Yahweh, and those that deal with
the relationship of Yahweh’s people with each other. 3-4: The people are not to worship other gods. This does not
necessarily deny that there are other gods, but they are not to be
worshipped. Nor are idols to be made, not even images which could
represent Yahweh. However, the worship of Israel was not completely
without images. For example, in Judges 17-18 there is the story of an
silver idol made by Micah which later became a Danite idol in the time
of the Judges. Jeroboam, the first king of Israel made two calf images
and "said to the people, ‘You have gone up to Jerusalem long
enough. Here are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of the
land of Egypt.’ He set one in Bethel, and the other he put in
Dan" (1 Kings 12:28-30). Some scholars believe that Yahweh was
understood to be enthroned on the back of the calf. The deuteronomic
historian in Kings characterizes it as a sin. In the Temple of
Jerusalem the Ark of the Covenant has a representation of two
Cherubim, probably winged lions (Exodus 25:17-22). Yahweh was believed
to be enthroned on the cherubim (Psalm 99:1). Another image, the
Bronze Serpent (Genesis 21:4-9), became an object of worship and was
destroyed by Hezekiah (2 Kings 18:4). The bronze sea (a great cauldron
of water) in the Temple rested on the backs of 12 oxen, and oxen,
lions and cherubim were portrayed on stands that supported smaller
receptacles of water (1 Kings
7:23-39). Vegetable matter does not seem
to have fallen under the prohibition of images. The prohibition of
images reflects Yahweh's unwillingness to be reduced to a manageable,
domesticated "thing." He is above and beyond all human
efforts to control him. 5. punishing children for the iniquity of parents: Jeremiah
31:29-30 (but see also Jeremiah 32:18) and Ezekiel 18 reject the
principle of vicarious punishment. 7. wrongful use of the name of the Lord your God: "The
command in Lev. 19:12, ‘you shall not swear by my name falsely’,
seems to reflect most clearly the earliest level of tradition. The
prohibition focuses on the one concrete abuse of using the name to
support a false oath which had the intent of inflicting evil upon
another." [1] In Matthew 5:33-37 Jesus
repudiates all swearing of vows, even when the vow or oath is not
false. To avoid using Yahweh’s name wrongfully Israel ceased to use
it at all, and even changed the pronunciation of the name in the
scripture to Adonai, "Lord." 8-12: Exodus 31:16-17 describes the sabbath as "a
perpetual covenant…a sign forever between me and the people of
Israel." The sabbath rest is based on Yahweh’s rest after six
days of creation 12: The commandment to honor father and mother, like the
sabbath commandment, is cast in a positive form. "Lying at the
heart of the original prohibition was a command which protected
parents from being driven out of the home or abused after they could
no longer work (cf. Ex. 21.15; 21.17; Lev. 20.9; Deut. 27.16). [2] 13. You shall not murder: "those acts of violence against
a person which arose from personal feelings of hatred and malice. The
commandment in its present form forbids such an act of violence and
rejects the right of a person to take the law into his own hands out
of a feeling of personal injury." [3] 14. You shall not commit adultery: Fornication outside of
marriage, seduction or rape of a virgin are not within the scope of
the commandment, but are dealt with by other laws. According to the
Hebrew idiom a man can only commit adultery against a marriage other
than his own, a woman, only against her own. [4] 16. false witness: False testimony is clearly a problem. The
requirement for at least two witness who agree (Numbers 35:30;
Deuteronomy 19:15); the story of Naboth’s vineyard (1 Kings 21); the
references in the Psalms (e.g. 27:12) to deceitful witnesses all
indicate widespread abuse of truthful witness. Deuteronomy 19:19
provides that "you shall do to the false witness just as the
false witness had meant to do to the other." 17. You shall not covet…: "…the verb appears to denote
a subjective emotion whereas all the preceding prohibitions were
directed against an objective action." [5] The
commandment, "You shall not steal," prohibits the objective
act to which coveting leads.
Psalm 19
{1} The heavens are telling the
glory of God; and the firmament proclaims his handiwork. {2} Day to
day pours forth speech, and night to night declares knowledge. {3}
There is no speech, nor are there words; their voice is not heard; {4}
yet their voice goes out through all the earth, and their words to the
end of the world. In the heavens he has set a tent for the sun, {5}
which comes out like a bridegroom from his wedding canopy, and like a
strong man runs its course with joy. {6} Its rising is from the end of
the heavens, and its circuit to the end of them; and nothing is hid
from its heat. {7} The law of the LORD is perfect, reviving the soul;
the decrees of the LORD are sure, making wise the simple; {8} the
precepts of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart; the commandment
of the LORD is clear, enlightening the eyes; {9} the fear of the LORD
is pure, enduring forever; the ordinances of the LORD are true and
righteous altogether. {10} More to be desired are they than gold, even
much fine gold; sweeter also than honey, and drippings of the
honeycomb. {11} Moreover by them is your servant warned; in keeping
them there is great reward. {12} But who can detect their errors?
Clear me from hidden faults. {13} Keep back your servant also from the
insolent; do not let them have dominion over me. Then I shall be
blameless, and innocent of great transgression. {14} Let the words of
my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable to you, O LORD,
my rock and my redeemer.
"It has been
recognized for a long time already that Psalm 19 is composed of two
psalms. Section A deals with hymnic praise of Yahweh in nature,
Section B with the glory of the [torah
"law"]…. Tradition has welded the two together…. We have
the obligation…to inquire into the reason for the combination and
for its meaning." [6] "…the hymn of
creation of which Psalm 19A speaks is a message that cannot be
perceived by humans…. The cosmos celebrates God’s [kabod,
"glory"], but does not teach his will. For that reason
Psalm 19B has been added as a decisive direction, as it were, to
reveal the deciphered code word. In the [torah
"law"]—there God is perceivable, that is where we
recognize who god is." [7] 1-6: Songs without words are sung by heaven and earth in praise
of Yahweh. Like the sun whose course encompasses the heavens, the
silent voice of the firmament spans the earth with the knowledge of
God. 7-10. law…decrees…precepts…commandment…fear…ordinances:
The qualities of Yahweh’s law are perfection, dependability,
righteous, plain, pure and true. 10-11: The law is of great value and reward. 12-13. hidden faults…the insolent: "…there are
infractions and unintentional failures that give rise to accusation
(v. 12). Praise (vv.7-10) suddenly turns into a petition that Yahweh
may absolve ‘his servant’ of all the failures of which he is
unaware." [8] 14: Psalm 19B closes with a formula of dedication (cf. Ps.
104:34; 119:108). [9]
1 Corinthians 1:18-25
{18} For the message about the
cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are
being saved it is the power of God. {19} For it is written, "I
will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and the discernment of the
discerning I will thwart." {20} Where is the one who is wise?
Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God
made foolish the wisdom of the world? {21} For since, in the wisdom of
God, the world did not know God through wisdom, God decided, through
the foolishness of our proclamation, to save those who believe. {22}
For Jews demand signs and Greeks desire wisdom, {23} but we proclaim
Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to
Gentiles, {24} but to those who are the called, both Jews and Greeks,
Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. {25} For God's
foolishness is wiser than human wisdom, and God's weakness is stronger
than human strength.
18. foolishness…the power of God:
The message of the cross is indeed foolishness to human ears, but it
is the power of God by which we are being saved.. 19: Isaiah 29:14 LXX. 20. one who is wise…the scribe…the debater: Paul seeks
those who are wise in the world’s eyes to show that their secret
knowledge is not foolishness. 21. wisdom…foolishness: God’s wisdom is to save believers
through the folly of the proclamation of Christ crucified, a scandal
and foolishness (verse 23). 22. signs…wisdom: The world seeks a certainty guaranteed by
proof or reason. 24: Christ is God’s wisdom and his power…for those who are
being saved (see verse 18). 25: God is so wise and powerful that his foolishness and
weakness is wiser and stronger than human wisdom and strength. The
consequence is obvious. If we trust our own reason and strength we
shall perish; if we trust God’s weakness and folly, specifically
Christ, "the power of God and the wisdom of God."
John 2:13-22
{13} The Passover of the
Jews was near, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. {14} In the
temple he found people selling cattle, sheep, and doves, and the money
changers seated at their tables. {15} Making a whip of cords,
he drove all of them out of the temple, both the sheep and the cattle.
He also poured out the coins of the money changers and overturned
their tables. {16} He told those who were selling the doves,
"Take these things out of here! Stop making my Father's house a
marketplace!" {17} His disciples remembered that it was
written, "Zeal for your house will consume me." {18} The
Jews then said to him, "What sign can you show us for doing
this?" {19} Jesus answered them, "Destroy this
temple, and in three days I will raise it up." {20} The
Jews then said, "This temple has been under construction for
forty-six years, and will you raise it up in three days?" {21}
But he was speaking of the temple of his body. {22} After
he was raised from the dead, his disciples remembered that he had said
this; and they believed the scripture and the word that Jesus had
spoken.
In the Synoptic Gospels
(Mark 11:15-19; Matthew 21:12-13; Luke 19:45-48) the Cleansing of the
Temple happens on Monday in Holy Week In John it is during Passover
two years earlier. For John already at the beginning of his ministry
Jesus shows his opposition to abuses of Israel's relationship
with God. 14. In the temple…people selling…and the money changers:
These people are in the Temple because of the Passover festival. Greek
and Roman coins had a human image on them, so the half-shekel temple
tax had to be paid in silver didrachmas of Tyre which had only the
designation of value. Animals were kept in the Court of the Gentiles
for the first time in 30 ad. "…the merchants and money changers
would have been confident of the justice of their position…. these
people were not only licensed by the temple authorities, they had no
reason to have a bad conscience with respect to their
occupation—without which the payment of the temple tax and the
temple cultus could not be carried out." [10] 16. Stop making my Father’s house a marketplace!: In Mark
Jesus accused the authorities or turning the Temple into a den of
robbers (Mark 11:15-19). Jesus’ motivation in John is different.
"The Evangelist does not take this affirmation ["Stop making
my Father’s house a marketplace!"] to mean that Jesus rejects
commercial activity in sacred precincts: there are no sacred precincts
for the Johannine Jesus, neither on Gerizim or in Jerusalem (John
4:21). What the Johannine Jesus rejects is the delusion that man can
buy God’s favor with sacrifices." [11] 17: The quotation is from Psalm 69:9. "The missing part of
the quotation in Ps. 69.9 says this: ‘…the insults of those who
insult you have fallen on me.’ The implication is that Jesus has
taken upon himself the shame that has been directed at God. Since
shame must always be avenged…Jesus takes upon himself the task of
restoring the honor of God." [12] 18. What sign: There is a connection with the second lesson, 1
Corinthians 1:22. 19. "Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it
up.": Verses 21f. offer a comment of this sign: "he
was speaking of the temple of his body." "During the
feast of Passover, Jesus prophesies that his body will replace the
holy temple in Jerusalem." [13] After the
resurrection the disciples remembered this incident and believed. 20. This temple has been under construction for forty-six years:
The Temple reconstruction was begun in the 18th year of
Herod the Great (20/19 b.c.) according to Josephus. [14]
Reflection
Why is John’s story of the Cleansing of
the Temple used on this Sunday instead of Mark’s? The issue is not
whether there is fraud in the Temple, or even whether selling and
money changing was ethical. The question is, "Who is Jesus?"
"Destroy this temple;" "he was speaking of the temple
of his body;" "his disciples remembered that he had said
this; and they believed." The pericope is the statement of a
prophet, whose authority is established by the fulfillment of his
words. When Jesus was raised from the dead, his claim to speak for God
was vindicated.
Moses spoke for Yahweh and delivered to Israel the
Ten Words of God. Ten statements that established the style of life of
Yahweh’s people. They required honor to be shown to Yahweh and to
Yahweh’s people. Jesus’ prophetic actions in the Temple make it
clear that the God who gave the law on Sinai cannot be bought by
sacrifice or bribe.
As great as the gift of the law is, God has an even
greater gift to give. But it is a gift that to human eyes is a joke.
The message of the cross is God’s wisdom and power and, foolish as
it may seem, it is greater than the law, greater than the temple,
greater than worldly wisdom or human strength.
Hymns
[15] With One Voice (e.g. 762v), Hymnal Supplement 1991
(e.g. 725s) and LBW (e.g. 32).
E=Entrance; D=Hymn of the Day; I=First Lesson, P=Psalm; II=Second Lesson; G=Gospel
247 --E--Holy Majesty, before
428 --D--O God of Earth
480 --I--Oh, that the
232 --P--Your Word, O
757v --P--Creating God
726v --P--Oh, Sing to God
102 --II--On My Heart
837s, 507, 11, 88, 335
Prayers
of the People
[16]
A: Jesus' fury fell upon the traffickers in the temple. Jesus'
prophecy about the temple's rebuilding in three days was remembered by
disciples after his rising from the dead. We pray, "Keep your
word before us, O Christ", and respond, C: Amen.
A: Let us pray for the church's proclamation.
P: O God above our ways, may your church not turn aside from its
message of the crucifixion. Keep your word before us, O Christ. C:
Amen.
A: Let us pray for the nations pressed by hunger.
P: O God of rich supply, grant sound judgment to those who hunger. May
the plantings in their homelands be chiefly for nourishment. May the
desire for profit not replace the need to eat. May what they sow be
used to feed the empty, not exported to the full. Keep your word
before us, O Christ. C: Amen.
A: Let us pray for the judges of our land.
P: O God of wisdom, grant impartiality and an uncommon sense of
justice to those who sit on the bench to judge. Help them by the rule
of law to guarantee fair trials for all. Keep your word before us, O
Christ. C: Amen.
A: Let us pray for those in prison.
P: O God of love, help those who deal with the incarcerated to be
clear-minded and compassionate. Let treatment of the imprisoned be
redemptive. Grant to those in bonds a new sense of what it is to make
a fair contribution to society's well-being. Keep your word
before us, O Christ. C: Amen.
A: Let us pray for those under instruction for baptism.
P: May the would-be disciples know what it is to die with Christ in
baptism and raised with him. Keep your word before us, O Christ. C:
Amen.
P: We thank you, God of every hour and every day, that by your Spirit,
you make worship true and constant. C: Amen.
Presider
or deacon
Today as we gather in our Father’s house, let us earnestly pray to
God whose steadfast love embraces all generations. Deacon or other leader
For God’s temple throughout the world, and for the holy people who
gather in the name of Christ.
For NN our catechumen(s) and NN their sponsors.
For all nations, peoples, tribes, clans, and families.
For the victims of greed and violence, and for all who are in need.
For the dying and the dead.
For our city and community, and for all those we love. Presider
Blessed are you, God of power and wisdom, who gave us Christ
crucified, Christ raised from the dead. Receive the prayers we offer
this day for us in our weakness and for all peoples everywhere. Glory
to you for ever and ever.
Notes [1] Brevard S.
Childs, The Book of Exodus: A Critical, Theological commentary.
Philadelphia: The Westminster Press, 1974, p. 412. [2]Ibid.,
p. 418. [3]Ibid.,
p. 421. [4]Ibid.,
p. 422, referring to J.J. Stamm and M.E. Andrew, The Ten
commandments in Recent Research, STB 2.2, 1967, p. 100. [5]Ibid.,
p. 425. [6] Hans-Joachim
Kraus, Psalms 1-59: A Commentary: Minneapolis: Augsburg
Publishing House, 1988, pp. 268f. [7]Ibid.,
p. 275. [8]Loc. cit. [9]Loc. cit. [10] Ernst
Haenchen, John 1: A Commentary on the Gospel of John Chapters 1-6.
Philadelphia: Fortress Press, 1984, p. 190. [11]Ibid.,
p.184. [12] Bruce J.
Malina & Richard L. Rohrbaugh, Social-Science Commentary on the
Gospel of John. Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 1998, p.74. [13] Gale A. Yee, Jewish
Feasts and the Gospel of John, Wilmington, Delaware:
Michael Glazier, p. 62. [14] Raymond E.
Brown, The Gospel According to John (i-xii). Garden City, NY:
Doubleday & Company, Inc., 1966, pp. 115f. [15] http://www.worship.ca/text/wpch0203.txt
[16]http://www.worship.on.ca/text/pray_b1.txt
[17]http://members.cox.net/oplater/prayer.htm