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Bible Tuesday for September 13, 2015

Bible Tuesday for Sunday, September 13th, 2015

Isaiah 50:4-9

The Lord God has given me
the tongue of a teacher,*
that I may know how to sustain
the weary with a word.
Morning by morning he wakens—
wakens my ear
to listen as those who are taught.
5 The Lord God has opened my ear,
and I was not rebellious,
I did not turn backwards.
6 I gave my back to those who struck me,
and my cheeks to those who pulled out the beard;
I did not hide my face
from insult and spitting.

7 The Lord God helps me;
therefore I have not been disgraced;
therefore I have set my face like flint,
and I know that I shall not be put to shame;
8 he who vindicates me is near.
Who will contend with me?
Let us stand up together.
Who are my adversaries?
Let them confront me.
9 It is the Lord God who helps me;
who will declare me guilty?

Isaiah, the prophet, is called by God to proclaim God’s word to the people of Israel. Sounds easy enough except that the people of Israel are almost all ignoring God and screwing up royally, so the word of God given to Isaiah to proclaim is mostly one of scolding, threatening, cajoling, and finally one of promised doom. Here the prophet clings to God’s love despite how the prophet is treated by the Israelites.

We also hear this passage during Lent, where it is ascribed to Jesus, when dealing with us.

Psalm 116:1-9

I love the Lord, because he has heard
my voice and my supplications.
2 Because he inclined his ear to me,
therefore I will call on him as long as I live.
3 The snares of death encompassed me;
the pangs of Sheol laid hold on me;
I suffered distress and anguish.
4 Then I called on the name of the Lord:
‘O Lord, I pray, save my life!’
5 Gracious is the Lord, and righteous;
our God is merciful.
6 The Lord protects the simple;
when I was brought low, he saved me.
7 Return, O my soul, to your rest,
for the Lord has dealt bountifully with you.

8 For you have delivered my soul from death,
my eyes from tears,
my feet from stumbling.
9 I walk before the Lord
in the land of the living.

The psalmist celebrates God’s attention to his/her plight.

Sheol-originally the garbage dump in the lowlands outside the city (village) gate. There garbage and dead/diseased animals were burned. It came to be known as the place of utter darkness and unquenchable fire.

Soul-In Hebrew, the term is Nephesh which doesn’t translate well into English but means one’s whole self: past, present, potential, dreams, dreads, aspirations, memories, abilities, loves, yearnings, physical being, experiences, learnings. All that makes up a person is that person’s Nephesh, or soul. While we tend to think of the soul as that which leaves the body at death, note here that the psalmist speaks of God’s restoration of the soul to the living.

James 3:1-12

Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers and sisters,[a] for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness. 2 For all of us make many mistakes. Anyone who makes no mistakes in speaking is perfect, able to keep the whole body in check with a bridle. 3 If we put bits into the mouths of horses to make them obey us, we guide their whole bodies. 4 Or look at ships: though they are so large that it takes strong winds to drive them, yet they are guided by a very small rudder wherever the will of the pilot directs.5 So also the tongue is a small member, yet it boasts of great exploits.

How great a forest is set ablaze by a small fire! 6 And the tongue is a fire. The tongue is placed among our members as a world of iniquity; it stains the whole body, sets on fire the cycle of nature,[b] and is itself set on fire by hell.[c] 7 For every species of beast and bird, of reptile and sea creature, can be tamed and has been tamed by the human species, 8 but no one can tame the tongue—a restless evil, full of deadly poison. 9 With it we bless the Lord and Father, and with it we curse those who are made in the likeness of God. 10 From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brothers and sisters,[d] this ought not to be so. 11 Does a spring pour forth from the same opening both fresh and brackish water? 12 Can a fig tree, my brothers and sisters,[e] yield olives, or a grapevine figs? No more can salt water yield fresh.

Jesus’ teaching from two weeks ago that what comes out of us is what defiles us is here arrived at from a different approach by James. I have to disagree with James, though, that not everyone should be a teacher. No matter what, we all are teachers. Our mere presence is society teaches others. As adults, children look to us for all manner of models and examples, whether we intend them to or not. The whole concept of “paying it forward” shows that our every action in society impacts others, either positively or negatively, or both.

And then there is one’s call in baptism. Luther taught that we are to be little Christs to the people around us. Our thoughts, words, and deeds are all to proceed from the Holy Spirit at work in us, the faith that has been planted and taken root in us. We are then to teach one another and all neighbors about Jesus, God, and the Holy Spirit, “and if necessary, use words.”

Mark 8:27-38

Jesus went on with his disciples to the villages of Caesarea Philippi; and on the way he asked his disciples, ‘Who do people say that I am?’28And they answered him, ‘John the Baptist; and others, Elijah; and still others, one of the prophets.’ 29He asked them, ‘But who do you say that I am?’ Peter answered him, ‘You are the Messiah.’* 30And he sternly ordered them not to tell anyone about him.

31 Then he began to teach them that the Son of Man must undergo great suffering, and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again. 32He said all this quite openly. And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. 33But turning and looking at his disciples, he rebuked Peter and said, ‘Get behind me, Satan! For you are setting your mind not on divine things but on human things.’

34 He called the crowd with his disciples, and said to them, ‘If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. 35For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake, and for the sake of the gospel,*will save it. 36For what will it profit them to gain the whole world and forfeit their life? 37Indeed, what can they give in return for their life?38Those who are ashamed of me and of my words* in this adulterous and sinful generation, of them the Son of Man will also be ashamed when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.’

Verse 32 of the above passage is one of many times in this gospel that Jesus sternly admonishes folks to “say nothing to anyone” about what has just taken place, usually a miracle. Scholars call this the “messianic secret”. Why does Jesus not want anyone to know who he is, yet Jesus goes around healing folks and feeding over 5000 people all from a sack lunch? All we can do is speculate. What makes the most sense to me is that Jesus needs time to make sure that at least his closest circle know who he is and are equipped to take over the ministry after Easter and Ascension.

In the gospel of Mark, the messianic secret is suddenly revealed starting at verse 31. Note how well the whole plan for salvation goes over. The disciples are aghast! Peter is just the one brave enough to voice their shock and horror. Apparently, the disciples were hoping that by hanging in with Jesus, there would be some kind of reward, perhaps a cabinet position or an ambassadorship. Jesus dissuaded the disciples of their visions of grandeur with this famous and most difficult teaching. Even those among us who are servant of all, Mother Theresa, are still famous and receive accolades and seen as great! How hard it is to live the upside down life that is required of truly following Jesus.