Proper 24 – Year C
Sermon Notes from the Church’s Ministry Among Jewish People
RCL Readings[1] – Genesis 32:22-31; Psalm 121; II Timothy 3:14-4:5; Luke 18:1-8
ACNA Readings – Genesis 32:3-8, 22-30; Psalm 121; II Timothy 3:14-4:5; Luke 18:1-8
Seasonal Introduction. This season is often called “Ordinary Time,” a term derived from ordinal, meaning “numbered” or “in sequence.” However, there is nothing ordinary about this time. Rather, it is a time when we may reflect on how God (starting on Trinity Sunday and ending with Christ the King Sunday) has been at work in our own lives, the lives of his people, and how he will continue to work in the days to come. Ordinary Time is a season when we are invited to perceive the mystery of God at work in our daily lives, in the ordinary, in the mundane.
Hebraic Context. Jesus often referred back to the writings of Moses and the prophets as “the Scriptures”.[2] Jesus often used the phrase “It is written” before quoting from the Bible when making theological or doctrinal arguments. However, both “the Scriptures” and “It is written” are common terms used for non-sacred writings in Greek—γραφη (graphe, writing)[3] and γεγραπται (gegraptai, it is written, from γραφω, grapho). So, was the writing of Scripture considered sacred and the Word of God in the Second Temple period?
Both the Samaritans and the Sadducees accepted only the books of Moses as Scripture in the time of Jesus and the apostles. Meanwhile, the Pharisees and the rest of Judaism accepted at least twenty-two books as the God-given Scripture.[4] Writing in the Jewish world was quite prolific in the Second Temple period, yet Josephus goes so far as to say, “For we have not an innumerable multitude of books among us… but only twenty two books: which contain the records of all the past times: which are justly believed to be divine.”[5]
This distinction between these divine books and other literature points to Scripture as being other—holy. For the Jewish people, the Bible is more than laws and history; it is the guidance of God given to humanity that we might live, and it is sacred history that we might draw near to the true God. This sacred scripture was treated differently than any other book. For instance, tradition dictated that the Bible should not be taken into a bathroom or a cemetery—not because bathrooms are sinful, but because they are profane rather than holy.
Paul reminds Timothy of the “sacred writings” that he had been taught and then declares, “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness.”[6] Likewise Peter states, “No prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.”[7] Hebrews 3:7 quotes Psalm 95 as the words of the Holy Spirit. The Septuagint specifies that Psalm 95 was written by David. However, having two authors—both David and the Holy Spirit—does not bother the author of Hebrews, nor do slight textual variants or translations seem to concern Jesus and the apostles regarding its authority.
The New Testament was also quickly recognized as Scripture. Paul quotes both Deuteronomy 25:4 and Luke 10:7, stating that both are Scripture.[8] Peter states that Paul’s letters were written “according to the wisdom given him,” and he also compares them to “other Scriptures,” implying that Paul’s letters are Scripture.[9] Clement and Polycarp, two of the earliest Church Fathers, believed that certain gospels and epistles were scripture, while other early Church fathers clearly excluded many Gnostic writings along with books such as the Gospel of Thomas. Although neither the Tanakh nor the New Testament were finalized as a Canon of Scripture with the books currently recognized in Judaism, Christian Orthodox traditions, and Christian Catholic traditions until later, Scripture was never just another book—it is divine.
Genesis 32:22-31.[10] When Jacob fled the wrath of Esau to the land of his mother, he dreamed of the angels of God within the first week of travel and heard the voice of God speak. God promised to be with him, to go with him, and to bring him back into the land. Now that Jacob had nearly returned, he once again encountered angels. But God’s promise was not yet fully fulfilled.
Jacob was still in Transjordan, traveling south to meet Esau—he had not yet returned to the land that would belong to his descendants.[11] Even with God’s promise of safety until his return, Jacob was “greatly afraid and distressed.” In his fear, Jacob acted in three ways. First, he divided his family and possessions into multiple groups so that some might escape if Esau, still enraged over the loss of the elder’s blessing, attacked. Second, Jacob prayed. He reminded God of His promise, openly admitted his fear of Esau, and asked that God remain faithful to His word of good. Many have seen Jacob’s actions as cowardly, yet Genesis 33:3 reminds us that he walked before his people so that, if Esau sought war or restitution, he would be the first one attacked. Finally, he sent gifts to Esau—a bribe to make peace and appease Esau and, perhaps, as restitution.
The preparations had been made for reconciliation or escape. And suddenly Jacob is wrestling with a man all night. Who was the man? Why did they wrestle? Little about the scene is clear or logical. Yet out of this moment, Jacob becomes Israel. This is the first time that Israel is mentioned in the Bible, but it isn’t until Genesis 35:9-12 that the blessing associated with the name changes are declared to us.
The opaque events Genesis 32:22-31 are not clarified in Scripture, if anything they are further muddied. Hosea 12:2-6 intertwines Jacob’s life with the current history of Judah. In Genesis, Jacob is portrayed as wrestling with a man or even a heavenly being—God.[12] But in Hosea 12:4, Jacob is said to have wrestled an angel. While God had an indictment against Judah and Jacob in the days of Hosea, Hosea jumped to Genesis where God spoke to Jacob after he wrestled with the angel. Rather than speaking of the blessing or the change in Jacob’s name, Hosea moves directly from the events at Penuel to God’s declaration that Judah should “by the help of your God, return, hold fast[13] to love and justice, and wait continually for your God.” This connection is not easily seen in Genesis 32. Jacob received his name because he strove with God and man, not because of love or justice. Nonetheless, Jacob needed to wait on God even in the face of fear.
Psalm 121. Psalms 120-134 are collectively known as the Psalms of Ascent. According to tradition, the fifteen psalms were sung by Levites who stood on fifteen steps of the courtyard of the Temple Mount during the festivals.[14] They were also sung by pilgrims as they journeyed up to Jerusalem for Passover, Shavuot, and Sukkot.
To the east of Jerusalem is the Dead Sea, which drops to as low as 430 meters below sea level. To the west, the Judean hills descend toward the Mediterranean. In the Bible, people ascended to Jerusalem and descended when they left. This was not only a physical reality but quickly became a theological reality as well.[15] The people of Israel could look up to Mount Zion, where God dwelled, and know that the maker of heaven and earth had drawn near to His people even as they drew near to Him.
Except, physically, Jerusalem is not the high mountain that we might imagine—God chooses the poor of the world. The holy city of God is just east of Israel’s watershed ridge. To the south, Bethlehem is slightly higher, while Hebron rises significantly above Jerusalem.[16] To the north, the Benjamin Plateau is also taller, as is the watershed ridge throughout much of Samaria leading to Mount Ebal and Mount Gerizim.[17] And, of course, Mount Hermon dwarfs Jerusalem.[18]
Even in Jerusalem, the city of David and the Temple Mount are the shortest hills. To the east, the Mount of Olives and Mount Scopus rise notably above the Temple Mount, while the Western Hill, closer to the watershed ridge, is both larger and taller.[19] The hills to the south and north of Jerusalem are also higher, and it was from the northern hill that Jerusalem was so often besieged and conquered by successive empires.
During times of peace, the pilgrims journeying up to Jerusalem—physically tired and hot from their pilgrimage—could look forward entering the Temple: “I was glad when they said to me, ‘Let us go to the house of the LORD!’”[20] But during times of war, when the inhabitant looked to the surrounding hills, they would see siege engines, circumvallation walls, and mighty armies they had no hope of defeating. When they looked to the hills, they could only cry out, “From where does my help come?”
The hills do not provide salvation, only the promise of destruction. But it is not the hills and valleys, the walls or the armies that protect Jerusalem—it is the LORD who made heaven and earth.
Psalm 121 is a beautifully written poem.[21] At first, the singer lifts up their eyes, asking: “From where does my help come?” The end of verse 1 and the beginning of verse 2 use the same word—עזרי (ezri)—as the question is asked, so it is answered. Help is from God, maker of heaven and earth.[22] Once again, verses 3 and 4 end and begin with the same words—אל-ינום and לא ינום (yanum, slumber)—while introducing the keyword of the poem, שומר (shomer), “to keep” or “to guard”.
A shomer is a guard: they keep watch for enemies from the walls and protect the sheep both day and night. A shomer takes personal responsibility. If they see an enemy, they sound the shofar to warn the people; if a wolf or lion attacks their sheep, they fight the predator to protect their flock.
The poem concludes in verses 5-8. Once again, a chiasm is formed, but circumspectly. The author retains the use of God as a shomer for the remainder of the Psalm. Verse 5 clearly matches with verse 8, but what of verses 6 and 7? The sun and moon were commonly worshipped in ancient cultures. Exodus shows the gods of Egypt and the God of Israel in battle—albeit a very one-sided battle. The king of the Egyptian gods was Ra—the Sun god. But ra, רע, is also the Hebrew term for calamity and evil. God’s protection shields us from all evil, from the heat of the pilgrim to the threat of even the king of the gods (Ra) when facing an enemy nation.[23]
Meanwhile, the author had the perfect opportunity to match the moon, ירח (yareaḥ), in verse 6 with רוח (ruaḥ, breath or spirit) in verse 7. Instead, he purposely chose to move away from the poetic pattern he had developed throughout the song and chose a synonym, נפש (nephesh).[24] God didn’t just make heaven and earth. As interesting as it may be that God doesn’t sleep or that God provides shade from the sun and the moon, the poetic emphasis is that God Himself guards our very being—both now and forever more.
II Timothy 3:14-4:5. Paul exhorts Timothy to continue in, to live in obedience to, the sacred writings—Hebrew Scriptures. The Hebrew Scriptures are able to “make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.” Paul also included at least the Gospel of Luke as Scripture.[25] Scripture is “breathed out by God.” This doesn’t simply mean that it is divinely inspired. The breath of God brings life.
And so it does, for it is “profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness.” Of course, both Paul and Timothy would have been taught that knowledge without deeds is useless. Sirach 19:24 reminds us, “Better are the God-fearing who lack understanding than the highly intelligent who transgress the law.” Rabbi Hanina ben Dosa said, “Anyone whose deeds exceed his wisdom, his wisdom is enduring, but anyone whose wisdom exceeds his deeds, his wisdom is not enduring.”[26] Here, Paul states that the sacred Scripture of God is profitable for a specific reason: in order “that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.”
The importance of Scripture to Timothy wasn’t simply something he learned as a child or lived by as a man, he was also called to preach. The Apostles’ Creed includes the statement, “He will come again to judge the living and the dead.” This isn’t simply a statement of fact but also a call to action. It is under the authority of Jesus, “who is to judge the living and the dead,” that Timothy should always be able to preach. Knowing the depth of his calling, Timothy should both be sober-minded but also able to endure suffering—for we need not “fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear Him who can destroy both soul and body in hell.”[27]
As much as we might believe that we are living in a unique time in history, when sound doctrine is thrown aside and teachers preach only what the people want to hear, that is not remotely close to the truth. Paul warns Timothy that he will have to reprove, rebuke, and exhort—both with patience and with sound teaching—for people will want to be affirmed in their own actions rather than listen to the truth. This has always been true and will remain so. Isaiah cries out, “For they are a rebellious people, lying children, children unwilling to hear the instruction of the Lord; who say to the seers, ‘Do not see,’ and to the prophets, ‘Do not prophesy to us what is right; speak to us smooth things, prophesy illusions, leave the way, turn aside from the path, let us hear no more about the Holy One of Israel.’”
Jeremiah has a continuous theme of the people turning away from the message of God, preferring the easier message of false prophets. He says, “Thus says the Lord of hosts: “Do not listen to the words of the prophets who prophesy to you, filling you with vain hopes. They speak visions of their own minds, not from the mouth of the Lord. They say continually to those who despise the word of the Lord, ‘It shall be well with you’; and to everyone who stubbornly follows his own heart, they say, ‘No disaster shall come upon you.’”[28]
Paul is clear that we should learn sound doctrine: the teachings of Scripture from those who have gone before us and lived in obedience to God.[29] Without knowing what Scripture says, we will be the one who turns away from truth simply for lack of knowledge. Although, even with knowledge we can choose to follow those teachings that affirm our passions or iniquitously choose to not act with good deeds.
Luke 18:1-8. Luke 18, like many passages in Luke 9:51-19:44, is likely not chronologically ordered. It fits thematically, literarily, and likely chronologically with Luke 11:1-13. Nonetheless, this parable about prayer is placed just after Luke 17:20-37—a difficult eschatological passage. The parable offers both hope of a just judge who always listens to our petitions and a grave warning.
If we were to assume that all parables follow a particular pattern—for instance, the master or man of authority representing God while the supplicants or subordinates represent us—then the parable of the Unjust Judge becomes incredibly problematic. Do we need to beg from God, impudently fighting for Him to listen and grant us justice?
In some ways, the parable of the Unjust Judge was likely humorous—a reversal of the reality of who God is—helping the listeners think and clarifying truth. But it might also be deeply troubling for many who do not perceive the justice of God. They keep waiting on God while others declare that the days of the Son of Man are here or there—but they are not. The prayers stop, and hope withers.
But the judge is as far from God as it is possible to be. As Jesus told this parable, His listeners would be familiar with the actions of a true judge, as outlined in Deuteronomy 16:18-20. How should a judge act? Ben Sira wrote of God as the ultimate good judge—upon which the judges of Israel, as spoken of in Deuteronomy 16:18-20, would have been modeled: “The Lord is the judge, and with Him there is no partiality. He will not show partiality to the poor, but He will listen to the prayer of one who is wronged. He will not ignore the supplication of the orphan or the widow when she pours out her complaint.”[30]
The question isn’t whether God is like the unjust judge—He is not! Neither is the question whether God will give justice—He will! Our God is great, amen and hallelujah! But in Luke 17, the Pharisees ask “when the kingdom of God would come.” Jesus does not give them a timeframe; He gives them a warning of what those days will be like. Amos had already given a warning: “Woe to you who desire the day of the LORD! Why would you have the day of the LORD? It is darkness, and not light.” The question that Luke presents at the end of the parable is, “When the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on earth?”[31]
Endnotes
[1] RCL alternative readings: Jeremiah 31:27-34; Psalm 119:97-104
[2] The division of the Scriptures as the TaNaKh—Torah, Neviim, and Ketuvim (Law, Prophets, and writings)—became the most common order of Scripture by the end of the 2nd Century AD but wasn’t the only order in the time of Jesus and the apostles. Josephus names the five books of Moses, the prophets, and the hymns—which is quite similar to the tripartite order seen to this day in the Tanakh. However, Moses and the Prophets was a common bipartite order. Meanwhile, others ordered the Scriptures into four parts: Law, History, Poetry, and Prophets. This is quite similar to the modern Christian order of Scripture in many modern translations of the Bible..
[3] Specifically, scratched lines—to inscribe. From γραφη we get graphite, graphs, graphics, geography, photograph, biography, and many more.
[4] Books such as Samuel, Kings, Chronicles, Ezra with Nehemiah were single books apiece, while the Minor Prophets were all a single book.
[5] Josephus, Against Apion 1.8
[6] II Timothy 3:15-16
[7] II Peter 1:21
[8] I Timothy 5:18
[9] II Peter 3:15
[10] ACNA includes Genesis 32:3-8
[11] Two-and-a-half tribes would eventually settle east of Jordan, including around Mahanaim and Penuel. Mahanaim became the center of Ish-boseth’s final stand in his civil war with David (II Samuel 2:8-9). Penuel likely even became a regional capital in the days of Jeroboam (I Kings 12:25). However, the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and Manasseh asked Moses for permission to settle east of the Jordan—it was not part of the promised land. Moses asks them, “Shall your brothers go to the war while you sit here? Why will you discourage the heart of the people of Israel from going over into the land that the LORD has given them?” (Numbers 32:5-7, 29-42)
God even specifies that the lands of Ammon and Moab are not given to the Israelites. Neither was the land of Edom given to the Israelites but rather it was “the territory of your brothers, the descendants of Esau… I have given Mount Seir to Esau as a possession.” God told Moses that he would see the promised land but not enter it. Moses died on Mount Nebo, land that was occasionally in the hands of Israel and Judah. But that doesn’t necessitate that it was part of the promised land.
[12] Elohim most commonly refers to God but it is also used in relation to both men and angels. See: Psalm 8:5; Hebrews 2:7; Psalm 82:1, 6; Exodus 21:6; Exodus 22:8-9; Acts 7:38, 53.
[13] While Hosea clearly speaks of Jacob’s constant striving, the term for “hold fast” in the ESV is not equivalent to Genesis 32:24-26 wrestling or sending out of Jacob’s opponent but is the term שמר (shemor), observe.
[14] Mishnah Sukkah 5.4; Mishnah Middot 2.5
[15] Psalm 122:4; Isaiah 2:3; and Micah 4:2 all speak of going up to the mountain of God. Jeroboam, in I Kings 12:27-28, speaks of the children going “up to offer sacrifices in the temple of the LORD at Jerusalem.” He speaks of going up to Jerusalem even though, to get to Jerusalem, Israelites would have descended 143 net meters when walking from Bethel to Jerusalem. To go up or go down became so spiritualized that the book of Jonah consistently uses the terms to describe Jonah’s actions. When Jonah runs from God’s command, he ends up “going down”—down to Jaffa; into the lowest part of the ship to sleep; into the sea, even to Sheol—but God brings Jonah back up from the pit.
Today, immigrating to Israel is called “making aliyah.” Aliyah comes from the same root as ascent, עלה (ạlah), “to go up” along with other words such as the whole burnt offering, עלה (ọleh).
[16] The Hasmoneans and King Herod used this elevation difference to create two aqueducts from Hebron to Jerusalem. Jerusalem’s natural water resources were quite poor, as noted in Psalm 133:3, and are estimated to be able to support 20,000-30,000 residents at most. Extended work on Jerusalem’s water infrastructure raised that number to 60,000-80,000 during the height of Judah’s power. But King Herod’s imported water allowed for over 100,000 residents and upwards of 150,000-600,000 people during festival seasons according to historians. Josephus records that as many as 256,500 sacrifices were made during Passover (War 6.423-424).
[17] The Samaritans believed that Mount Gerizim, along with Mount Ebal, was the place of God’s choosing where God’s people were to gather to worship the Lord God. See: Deuteronomy 12:5-7; Deuteronomy 27:2-8, 12-13; John 4:20
[18] Mount Hermon is the mountain in Israel blessed with abundant precipitation, providing the largest karstic spring in the Levant—feeding the Jordan and Sea of Galilee with fresh water year round. Another Psalm of Ascent, Psalm 133, uses a comparison between Hermon and Zion to illustrate blessing: “Behold, how good and pleasant it is when brothers dwell in unity! It is like the precious oil on the head, running down on the beard, on the beard of Aaron, running down on the collar of his robes! It is like the dew of Hermon, which falls on the mountains of Zion! For there the LORD has commanded the blessing, life forevermore.”
In Psalm 68:15-16 David used the imagery of the mighty mountains of the Bashan—the Golan Heights and Hermon—against the lesser stature of Mount Zion. While Mount Hermon is tall and imposing, with good soil and grazing lands in the Golan, the abundance of rain and snow, and the mighty spring at Tel Dan, God chose the insignificant Mount Zion—leaving Mount Hermon fuming in envy.
[19] The Temple Mount is approximately 743 meters above sea level while the City of David is approximately 675-720 meters above sea level. To the East, Mount of Olives is 818 meters above sea level, rising to 826 at Mount Scopus. To the West, the Western hill rises to 765 meters above sea level with the nearby watershed ridge at 787 meters above sea level.
To the south, Bethlehem is 775 meters above sea level with Hebron and its surrounding hills rising to 930-1026 meters above sea level. To the north, the Benjamin Plateau reaches 872-886 meters above sea level. Farther to the north, Mount Gerizim is 881 and Mount Ebal is 940 meters above sea level. Hermon, on the border of Israel, rises to a lofty 2,814 meters above sea level.
[20] Psalm 122:1
[21] Verses 1-2 form a chiastic poem as do verses 3-4. Psalm 121:5-8 completes the poem with an additional chiasm.
[22] The Hebrew for “I lift up” and “maker,” while completely different words, can be somewhat similar in sound, אשא and עשה, to open and close the chiasm.
[23] This is not a blanket statement that God won’t allow any harm to befall us. The Scriptures are clear that we will face many tribulations and that the world has many calamities and evil because of our sin—calamities that God’s people are not immune to. Psalm 121:7b clarifies what God will protect.
[24] Nephesh and Ruach as synonyms are seen in passages such as Job 12:10, “In His hand is the life (נפש) of every living thing and the breath (רוח) of all mankind.”
[25] I Timothy 5:18
[26] Pirkei Avot 3.9
[27] Matthew 10:28
[28] Jeremiah 23:16-17 See also: Jeremiah 5:30-31; Jeremiah 6:13-14; Jeremiah 8:10-11; Jeremiah 14:13-16; Jeremiah 23:25-32; Jeremiah 28; Ezekiel 13:2-10; Micah 2:11; Micah 3:5
[29] Sound doctrine does not come from studying alone. I am prone to interpreting Scripture on how I feel, my perceived needs, my culture, and my bias. The church has given us sound doctrine, such as the Apostles’ Creed, which was examined by many who had different biases from one another, different cultures, and lived in different times. Yet they were able, together, to examine Scripture and declare what was sound and what was false.
Pirkei deRabbi Natan states that we should study scripture with another, “For when they sit and engage in Torah together, and one of them makes a mistake in the law, or the division of chapters, or declares an impure thing pure, or a pure thing impure…then his friend will correct him.” Pirkei deRabbi Natan 8.3
[30] Sirach 35:15-17, Ben Sira continues, “The prayer of the humble pierces the clouds, and it will not rest until it reaches its goal; it will not desist until the Most High responds and does justice for the righteous and executes judgment.” Sirach 35:21-22
[31] Others will be faithless; others will find darkness instead of light. Others will reject the Son of Man. Others will try to preserve their lives and lose them. Except we stop turning to a God—the God who will always give justice—because we don’t yet perceive His justice and lose heart. Or we assume that justice means that we will be the ones receiving God’s restitution, as though we were persecuted. And so, we seek the day of the LORD. We can have joyful hope in God; we can also have unbelievable pride.