Home » Bible Tuesday for Christ the King Sunday, 2016

Bible Tuesday for Christ the King Sunday, 2016

Bible Tuesday for Christ the King Sunday, 2016

Jeremiah 23:1-6

Woe to the shepherds who destroy and scatter the sheep of my pasture! says the Lord. 2Therefore thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, concerning the shepherds who shepherd my people: It is you who have scattered my flock, and have driven them away, and you have not attended to them. So I will attend to you for your evil doings, says the Lord. 3Then I myself will gather the remnant of my flock out of all the lands where I have driven them, and I will bring them back to their fold, and they shall be fruitful and multiply. 4I will raise up shepherds over them who will shepherd them, and they shall not fear any longer, or be dismayed, nor shall any be missing, says the Lord. 5The days are surely coming, says the Lord, when I will raise up for David a righteous Branch, and he shall reign as king and deal wisely, and shall execute justice and righteousness in the land. 6In his days Judah will be saved and Israel will live in safety. And this is the name by which he will be called: “The Lord is our righteousness.”

Throughout Israelites law and tradition, the kings of Israel were given the title “shepherd” and Israel was their “flock”. As discussed in earlier “Bible Tuesday”s, the book of Jeremiah is a prophecy to and against Israel for their unfaithfulness, concluding that the Babylonian army is God’s tool meting out judgement and punishment against Israel. The above passage blames the kings of Israel who have lead their flock astray. Ahab and Jezebel are the most notorious of these kings. Ahab ignored God’s law and allowed his non-Israelite wife to erect statues and altars of her gods in God’s Temple in Jerusalem. Many of the other Israelite kings not only allowed the building of the high places (shrines under tall trees and on tops of hills to the god Baal and his consort Ashera) but offered prayers and sacrifices to Baal and Ashera there too!

When David was king, God promised David that his dynasty would last forever. Verses 5-6 harken back to that covenant God made with King David. While Christians read this as prophecy regarding Jesus and his lineage through Mary that is traced all the way back to King David, the Jews, to whom this promise was given, believed it to be about a king who would restore Israel to its great glory under David and his son, Solomon.

Psalm 46

1God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.

2Therefore we will not fear, though the earth should change, though the mountains shake in the heart of the sea;

3though its waters roar and foam, though the mountains tremble with its tumult. Selah

4There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, the holy habitation of the Most High.

5God is in the midst of the city; it shall not be moved; God will help it when the morning dawns.

6The nations are in an uproar, the kingdoms totter; he utters his voice, the earth melts.

7The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah

8Come, behold the works of the Lord; see what desolations he has brought on the earth.

9He makes wars cease to the end of the earth; he breaks the bow, and shatters the spear; he burns the shields with fire.

10“Be still, and know that I am God! I am exalted among the nations, I am exalted in the earth.”

11The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah

The language in verse 2 “though the earth reels, through mountains topple into the sea—its waters rage and foam; in its swell mountains quake” is originally from Canaanite religions. It was quite common for Jews, and later Christians, to coopt the language of other religions into the praise of their God.

When the instructions to build The Ark of the Covenant are given in Exodus, the ark is said to be God’s Footstool, a place to which God will come and be present for Israel to address and beseech. Verse 5 refers to this concept, when it states that “God is in the midst of her [Jerusalem].” The river whose streams make glad the city of God is miraculously made, as the city of Jerusalem as insufficient water supply to be called a river.

“The Lord of Hosts” is referring to God as the master of a huge army. God’s army is so successful on earth that the weapons of earthly opponents are shattered and burned. Based on the description of what God’s victory looks like, it is understandable that the author would be eager to side with God, not against him.

The Lord of Hosts is with us! The God of Jacob (the God of our ancient ancestors) is our refuge! (not our enemy or oppressor)

Colossians 1:11-20

11May you be made strong with all the strength that comes from his glorious power, and may you be prepared to endure everything with patience, while joyfully

12giving thanks to the Father, who has enabled you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the light. 13He has rescued us from the power of darkness and transferred us into the kingdom of his beloved Son, 14in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. 15He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation; 16for in him all things in heaven and on earth were created, things visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or powers—all things have been created through him and for him. 17He himself is before all things, and in him all things hold together. 18He is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that he might come to have first place in everything. 19For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, 20and through him God was pleased to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, by making peace through the blood of his cross. 21

In the time of St. Paul, Colossae was a city famous for its temple to a Roman god. The small Christian congregations in Colossae and Ephesus had very tough rows to hoe. The Romans pilgrims who flocked to their cities viewed these Jesus devotees as sadly mislead, or down right treasonous. St. Paul alludes to their plight in the first lines of the above passage. When St. Paul writes in verse 15, “the image of the invisible God”, he is referring to one of the criticisms thrown at both the Jews and the Christians. While all the Romans can go to these huge temples with the “colossal” statue gods to pray, these “poor, mislead” Jews and Christians worship “the invisible God”. How could the Jews and Christians house their God in some building when “in him all things visible and invisible were created, whether in heaven or on earth.”?

Luke 23:33-43

3When they came to the place that is called The Skull, they crucified Jesus there with the criminals, one on his right and one on his left.34Then Jesus said, “Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing.” And they cast lots to divide his clothing. 35And the people stood by, watching; but the leaders scoffed at him, saying, “He saved others; let him save himself if he is the Messiah of God, his chosen one!”36The soldiers also mocked him, coming up and offering him sour wine,37and saying, “If you are the King of the Jews, save yourself!” 38There was also an inscription over him, “This is the King of the Jews.” 39One of the criminals who were hanged there kept deriding him and saying, “Are you not the Messiah? Save yourself and us!” 40But the other rebuked him, saying, “Do you not fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? 41And we indeed have been condemned justly, for we are getting what we deserve for our deeds, but this man has done nothing wrong.” 42Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” 43He replied, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in Paradise.”

“Father, forgive them for they do not know what they are doing.” – For whom is Jesus praying? The Roman soldiers and Pilate? Herod? Caiaphas and the Jewish authorities? The run away disciples? All sinners for whom Jesus dies? None of these parties appear to take notice of Jesus’ prayer for them. The soldiers still divide Jesus clothes among themselves. The Jewish authorities still deride Jesus while he is dying. The disciples still run away and hide while their beloved Rabbi is being tortured to death.

In the gospel of Luke, Jesus is mocked three times by three different parties while he hangs on the cross. First, the Jewish leaders ekmykterizo which means “looked down their noses at” Jesus. Then the Roman soldiers “mocked” or “acted like bratty kids”. Lastly, the other two criminals “blasphemed” or “spoked against God regarding” Jesus.

The two criminals being crucified with Jesus illustrate the two ways Jews usually reacted to Jesus, either humility tempered by fear, or disbelief exhibited through ridicule.