INTRODUCTION TO THE SCRIPTURE

Year B - Proper 11

2 SAMUEL 7:1-14a.   Having pacified and united the nation, David sought to build a temple in which to house the ark of the covenant, but was denied. The story reflects a struggle between a more ancient tradition of the ark in a moveable tent or tabernacle in contrast to the custom in other cultures of having the main religious symbol housed in a more permanent temple. The role of the monarch, nationalism and religious tradition intermingle in this passage.

JEREMIAH 23:1-6. (Alternate) The shepherd is a common Old Testament symbol for the king of Israel. After condemning Israel's leaders for failing to provide care for God's flock, this prophecy promises a monarch who will return Israelites from foreign lands and rule them in security, prosperity and peace.

PSALM 89:20-37. This paean of praise for David was written in the first person as if God was speaking. It dates from a later time after the elite of Israel had been taken into exile in Babylon (586 BC). The hero-stories of David then served both a religious and political purpose in retaining a meaningful national identity during the exile. It reads more like a prophetic oracle than a hymn.

PSALM 23.  (Alternate) No psalm is better known or more loved as a prayer of trust in God who cares for us now and forever. It cannot be correctly attributed to David, however, as ancient tradition supposed and generations have followed.

EPHESIANS 2:11-22. The author of the letter strove to create a sense of unity among the several classes of converts  in the early church. Gentiles and Jews are most prominent in this attempt to reconcile very significant differences. The crucial element is their common faith in what Jesus' sacrifice on the cross did in giving everyone access to God.

The church is only now beginning to realize how fully open and universal in the gift of God's Spirit to create a new humanity through faith. This has great significance in the pluralist age in which we live. There can be no closed doors in an inclusive fellowship of believers.

MARK 6:30-34, 53-56. No matter where Jesus and his disciples went, they could not escape the multitudes that ran after them. That only gave Jesus more opportunities to teach the people and be compassionate toward those in need.  The implications for the church's life today are obvious.

A MORE COMPLETE ANALYSIS.

2 SAMUEL 7:1-14a.   The Jews were great storytellers. Many of the narrative parts of the Old Testament were ex post facto tales of bygone days when the  heroic legends of Israel's history were being reconstructed from scant records and ancient oral traditions. This is particularly true of the Saul and David narratives that compose the main contents of 1 and 2 Samuel. In the Hebrew text, the two books are continuous. The current division of the two books originated with the Greek version, commonly known as the Septuagint, in the 3rd century BCE.

If there is a central theme to this skillfully woven composite work, it is the development of the covenantal institutions linking Yahweh and Israel during the reign of the greatest of all Israel's hero-kings, David. As Peter R. Ackroyd, of King's College, University of London, pointed out in his article in The Oxford Companion to the Bible (Oxford University Press, 1993. 677), the final text does more than "describe what was believed about the past; claims are being made about the present, to depict for a community that has its own questions and uncertainties the meaning of that age which had brought into being the major institutions of the monarchical period and to invite the re-evaluation of these institutions in a later time of change."

This passage shows how David, having pacified and united the nation, sought to build a temple in which to house the ark of the covenant, but was denied. The story reflects a struggle between a more ancient tradition of the ark in a moveable tent or tabernacle in contrast to the custom in other cultures of having the main religious symbol housed in a more permanent temple. This was no minor issue for the covenant faith of Israel. It represented a conflict of intense importance for Israel's concept of Yahweh's true nature as well as reflecting the growing urbanization of Israel's society.

Historically,  David’s reign is believed to have occurred about 1000 BCE. The invasion of Canaan and settlement in the Promised Land was more two centuries behind them (about 1250 BCE). Gone were the days of wilderness wandering, the religious traditions of the patriarchs and the tribal laws that contributed to the Decalogue of Sinai and its subsequent elaboration. While they had defeated the earlier inhabitants of Canaan and the Philistine invaders from the sea, the Israelites had also adopted many of the cultural and religious customs of their more settled environment.

Among the most important of these were alphabetic writing and literacy for a limited number of religious and cultural leaders, and forms of institutional architecture such as temples for sacred rites such as worship and sacrifice. The religious practices of the wilderness and invasion periods no longer suited this more settled and urbanized environment. This story reflects the transition that was taking place during the early monarchy and would continue for several more centuries until the period of the great prophets of the 8th century BCE.

The Books of Samuel did not reach their final form until after the return from the Babylonian exile. At that time, the redactors of Israel's religious literature faced an equally critical transition. So they looked back to this earlier period when under the leadership of their great hero-kings, David and Solomon, the nation had been at peace and the national institutions established. They believed and rewrote the national saga with a theological framework so that these developments were seen as having taken place under Yahweh's direction.

JEREMIAH 23:1-6.  (Alternate)    As many of us know from painful experience, in every age and in every tradition political and religious leaders have often created difficulties for those for whom they had responsibility. This passage makes abundantly clear that ancient Israel was no exception. In these six verses at least two and possibly three brief oracles dealing with this leadership crisis have been grouped together to condemn what had happened and to promise a better future.

It is likely that these oracles were pronounced against the advisers of King Zedekiah of Judah  (597-586 BCE). Placed on the throne as a vassal of the Babylonians, he was the last of the Davidic dynasty to reign. Contrary to the advice of Jeremiah, Zedekiah rebelled against his overlords. This brought on the invasion of Judah, the siege and destruction of Jerusalem and its temple, and the exile of the king and the nations' leading citizens to Babylon.

The fact that there are so many oracles packed into so few lines of poetry should not surprise us. Prophetic oracles were more commonly expressed as ecstatic outbursts fired by deeply emotional experiences of the presence and purpose of Yahweh. The text from 22:1 to 23:8 consists of a whole series of such oracles against Judah's last three kings and their advisers. Some of these oracles may have come from the hand of the Deuteronomic editor of the post-exilic period rather than Jeremiah. Scholars believe that only vss. 1-3 and 5-6 of this chapter came from Jeremiah himself. Vs. 4 is most likely an inserted note of encouragement written by a later hand after the return from the Babylonian exile.

Generally, the term "shepherd" referred only to the kings of Israel. Here it is more likely that the reference includes all ruling officials, the priesthood as well as the king and his court. Other passages in the Books Jeremiah and Ezekiel show Zedekiah as weak and vacillating. Jeremiah expressed some ambivalence toward the leaders of Judah during this fateful period and suffered for it. He hoped Zedekiah would turn out to be a better king than he proved to be. However, vss.1-2 leave little room for such ambiguity.

Vss. 3-4 imply that the exile had already taken place. On the other hand, the idea of a "remnant" had appeared in the prophecies of Amos, and particularly those of Isaiah. Although Isaiah prophesied much earlier in the latter half of the 8th century BCE, Jeremiah and Ezekiel shared his conviction that a limited number of the faithful would survive the total destruction of the nation. After the exile, those who had returned identified themselves with this "remnant" under Ezra's leadership (late 6th century BCE). It is possible that this oracle could have come from that later period and from the same editorial hand as Jeremiah 3:15-18 which contains similar ideas of restoration. Ezekiel 34 also shares this point of view.

Scholars also debate the authenticity of vss.5-6 as a prophecy of Jeremiah because of its specifically messianic references, a concept not prominently displayed by him. On the other hand, Jeremiah was both disappointed in Zedekiah's leadership as well as hopeful of a promising future under a more stable monarch of the Davidic dynasty. Vs.6 ends with a curious name for Yahweh, "the Lord is our righteousness," which in Hebrew is actually a play on Zedekiah's name. This word-play probably was intended to suggest that some future king would fulfill the promise of Zedekiah's name. While the term "a righteous branch" in vs. 5 is thought to be messianic and come from a later period, in this instance it may not mean more than a different member of David's line.

Regardless of its varying origins, traditional Christian interpreters have had no difficulty in seeing this passage as a distinct reference to Jesus as Israel's true Messiah. Such an interpretation, however, ignores the historical context to which it was obviously related.

PSALM 89:20-37.  This paean of praise for David was written in the first person as if God was speaking. It dates from a later time after the elite of Israel had been taken into exile in Babylon (586 BCE). The hero-stories of David then served both a religious and political purpose in retaining a meaningful national identity after that disaster. It reads more like a prophetic oracle than a hymn.

As in the passage from 2 Samuel 7 above, the role of the monarch, nationalism and religious tradition intermingle in this passage.  The closest parallel in modern times is the dual role of the monarch as sovereign and high priest is that of Queen Elizabeth II as "defender of the faith" and titular head of the Church of England. However, while technically she appoints bishops recommended by her prime minister, she attends but does not conduct worship. In Scotland, she usually attends worship in the Church of Scotland.

A civic religion, nonetheless, does not depend on an established church. The fact that in the most republican constitutions and national anthems declare a trust in God and dependence on divine guidance, and religious institutions receive considerable tax benefits from the public purse denies the much

professed separation of church and state.

Developing Judaic and Christian traditions both read messianic concepts into this psalm. Christian piety found in it proofs that the church became the New Israel. It is more expressive, however, of the covenant theology of Israel derived from the prophetic era and institutionalized in the centralized temple and its liturgies of the late monarchical and early post-exilic periods.

Veiled references in vss. 38-45 included in this reading appear to speak of a recent military disaster. This may possibly refer to the Babylonian wars 598-586 BCE. If this is so, then the psalm expresses a religious means of coping with that devastating experience when monarchy and temple were swept away by the destructive invader and the liturgies of the people became laments for a nation still clinging to its identity as the covenant people of Yahweh.

PSALM 23.  (Alternate)  No psalm is better known or more loved as a prayer of trust in God who cares for us now and forever. Only the first four verses depict the pastoral scene of the shepherd caring for his flock in several different circumstances from pleasant pasturage to grave danger.

 Another image in vs. 4 refers to a banquet, or at least a meal provided for a refugee from pursuing enemies. Tribal custom among pastoral Semites dictated that anyone fleeing from enemies bent on the rough justice of the wilderness could appeal for refuge from any encampment he might happen upon. Pursuing enemies could not take the refugee while he was guest at supper in the sheltering encampment. The additional imagery of the guest being anointed with pungent oil and served an overflowing cup suggests an elaborate banquet provided by an exceptionally hospitable host.

Generations of interpreters have incorrectly attributed the psalm to David, the shepherd who became Israel's legendary great hero-king. However satisfying religiously, this is more of a romantic than a realistic interpretation. In the closing verse 6 the picture of the tent melts into that of the temple. While it is not inconceivable that David did serve as a priest-king in some instances, his desire to build a temple in new capital city of Jerusalem went unfulfilled. The biblical record tells of him bringing the ark of the covenant to Jerusalem, but it was his son, Solomon, born to Bathsheba, who is credited with the construction of the temple.

Perhaps no scripture is more often read or hymn more frequently sung at funeral services than the metrical version of this psalm. It could well have been one of Jesus' favourites too. The image of the shepherd had a special place in his teaching as reported in all four Gospels. The intimate relationship of shepherd and sheep had special meaning for Jewish people long before Jesus' time too. In numerous OT passages speak of Yahweh as the shepherd of Israel. Raising sheep for the annual sacrifice of the Passover played an important part in the nation's economy. The sacrifice of an unblemished lamb and the sprinkling of its blood on the altar symbolized the exodus from Egypt under Yahweh's protection and renewal of the Sinai covenant.

Only the religious symbolism of the relationship of sheep and shepherd carried over into the Apostolic Church. The church's developing theology of the person and work of Christ blended the images of the shepherd and the sacrificial lamb. John 15:11-18 and Hebrews 13:20-21 express this blending most clearly. Today's Christians do not respond to the sacrificial images. The image of the shepherd caring for the sheep, however, is as strong as ever.

A elderly Scottish farmer and elder of a rural congregation suffered a stroke which robbed him of his voice, his freedom to walk and his ability to feed himself. This forced him to spend the last years of his life confined to a wheelchair in a nursing home. Although he was fully alert to all that went on around him but could only respond by nodding and shaking his head. One day his pastor received word that the elder was dying and went to the nursing home to see him. The elder's eyes were closed and he seemed unaware of his visitor. As the pastor held the man's feeble hand, he wondered how to give him some special gift that might bring comfort to his last hours. Quietly he

repeated the 23rd Psalm. Instantly, the man's eyes opened wide. Tears flowed down his cheeks as his eyes expressed the gratitude his voice could not utter. The pastor offered the Hebrew benediction, "The Lord bless you and keep you ...." and left. Just a few days later, the Shepherd Psalm was sung at the elder's funeral service.

EPHESIANS 2:11-22.  Originally this letter, as was customary in the 1st century, bore no title and no address.  Many scholars believe that Ephesians was written from Ephesus rather than to the Christian community in Ephesus.  In the earliest and best attested manuscripts of the text, 1:l is not included. The letter simply begins: "Paul ... to all who are saints and faithful in Jesus Christ." It is also evident from 1:15 and 3:2 that he is not familiar with the recipients of the letter, but knows of them from others who reported their faith experience to him. They too seem unfamiliar with him. Yet Paul spent three years in Ephesus. It is inconceivable that such a formal document as this could be understood as being addressed to people whom he knew and who undoubtedly knew him so well.

The best solution to "the Ephesian problem" is that the letter came from the hand of a disciple of Paul who was intimately acquainted with him and his teaching, especially as expressed in the Letter to the Colossians. Ephesians and Colossians have a close association, possibly through Tychicus who is named in both in almost identical words (Eph. 6:21; Col. 4:7). The unknown author used Paul's name to communicate the gospel of reconciliation in Christ to a Gentile audience in a style and a language that was not essentially Pauline. It could have been a circular letter to primarily Gentile churches reminding them the destiny of all people, Jews and Gentiles alike, and all of creation, to be brought together under the sovereignty of Christ. The church as the Body of Christ, this writer says, has been created for this mission in and to the world.

The letter strove to create a sense of unity among the several classes of converts  in the early church. Gentiles and Jews are most prominent in this attempt to reconcile very significant differences. The crucial element is their common faith in what Jesus' sacrifice on the cross did in giving everyone access to God. Vss. 11-12 state the inherent separation of Gentiles from God due to their "uncircumcision." This represents a typical Jewish view of all who did mot bear the symbol of belonging to Israel's sacred covenant. Because of that exclusion, moreover, they were "at that time without Christ." Only Jews could inherit the promised blessedness of the messianic commonwealth.

In a similar manner, many Christians still exclude from God's favour people of other religious traditions because they do not believe that Jesus of Nazareth is "the Christ, Son of the living God." The church is only now beginning to realize how fully open and universal is the gift of God's Spirit to create a new humanity through faith. This has great significance in the pluralist age in which we live. There can be no closed doors in the fellowship of faith. This letter proclaims this message while at the same time making is abundantly clear that such unity can only be through faith in Jesus Christ.

With the vivid metaphor of vs. 20, the author reiterates that while the doors of faith are wide open to everyone, the building to which we are moving in faith from many directions has Jesus Christ as its cornerstone. As so often in depicting theological concepts, the metaphor creates the situation of truth being found not in a conflicting state of either/or but of both/and.

Perhaps even more dramatically, the author makes what Jews might regard as an outrageous statement full of anti-Semitic antipathy. In vs. 15, he declares that Christ "has abolished the law with its commandments and ordinances, that he might create in himself a new humanity." That goes much farther than and directly contradicts the tradition repeatedly affirmed in Matthew 5:17-48. Could Paul the former Pharisee have said such a thing? Does it not also conflict with Paul's anguish for his fellow Jews expressed in Romans 9-11? Is it not incumbent on Christians today to enlarge their vision from  the exclusiveness voiced in so many of our creedal statements, even though supported by some New Testament passages, to include people of other faith traditions?

MARK 6:30-34, 53-56. No matter where Jesus and his disciples went, they could not escape the multitudes who ran after them. That only gave Jesus more opportunities to teach the people and be compassionate toward those in need. The compassion of Jesus stands out as the most remarkable feature in these two brief summaries of the Galilean ministry.

The passage describes exactly what Peter told Cornelius, the Roman centurion, in Acts 10:38, that. Jesus went about doing good. Mark assumes, however, or rather uses these brief summaries  to demonstrate, what Peter also said, "because God was with him." This further confirms the "Spirit possession" theme Mark introduced in the baptism pericope (1:10) and has illustrated with the numerous miracles and healing stories up to this point. This would appear to be a conclusion to that theme sequence, however, since 7:1 begins a new section of the narrative emphasizing the developing

opposition to Jesus leading toward the cross.

In the first part of this reading (vss. 30-34), Jesus' compassion for his disciples comes to the fore. We would say that he took them away for a time of debriefing. Their time alone was short, as vs. 33 points out. As soon as they were recognized, the crowds gathered from every direction. As the pericope between the two parts of this reading tells us, the multitude eventually reached 5,000 in number (vs. 44). This must have been a significant proportion of the population within walking distance around the Sea of Galilee at the time. That is quite a flock of sheep for the shepherd to be concerned about (vs. 34).

Mark had two purposes in mind as he composed his narrative: to answer the question, "Who is Jesus?" and to define what it meant to be one of Jesus' disciples. He was telling the story, perhaps as he had heard Peter tell it over and over again in brief anecdotes. If Papias of Hierapolis (ca. 150 CE) was right in attributing Mark with using Peter as his primary source, they lived in dangerous times. It was during or just after the Neronian persecution and the great fire of Rome which Nero blamed on the Christians. It may also have coincided with the Roman-Jewish War (66-70 CE). Mark also wanted his narrative to encourage the congregation in Rome for whom he was writing. Not only were they suffering greatly, so were many of  their Roman neighbours who struggled to survive after being burned out of house and home. Discipleship for that group of Christians, Mark was saying, means doing as Jesus himself had done in having such open and generous compassion on the peasant folk of Galilee.

The implications for the church's life today are obvious. We can never escape the bonds of compassion inspired by the Spirit who presents us with the opportunity to be Christ-like in caring for the poor. This story appeared in Today's Devotional on www.joinhands.com on July 7, 2000.

The Prayer Vigil 

In Evanston, Illinois, there were a growing number of homeless people. A Baptist church in a wealthy suburb of Chicago decided to open its doors as a shelter and some Evanston church leaders were considering doing the same.

When the Evanston city council heard about this, it moved to pass a new zoning ordinance forbidding the use of churches as shelters for the homeless. The organizer of one shelter project had no complaint. Rather than opening up a shelter for the homeless, they decided to host an all-night prayer vigil to which all were welcome. Participants in the prayer vigil received pillows and blankets along with bulletins and hymnals.

- by Denise Griebler from Aha!!! July-September 1999, Vol. 8, #4.

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