Luke 1:1-25

I have not been able to find this passage in the 3 year lectionary cycle.  However, I think it is a great passage for Advent.  In fact, it even has the word prepare in it!!  I am beginning to use Luke 1 for Advent season.

Summary:  This passage has some great theological nuggets around theodicy:  Even though Elizabeth and Zachariah are declared righteous, they still struggle with infertility and later disbelief of God's messengers!  

It is also interesting that Zachariah's disbelief is that God could be so good and powerful.  We can serve in the temple, we can do godly things, but do we really trust God!?  Zachariah would trust the casting of lots but not the word of the angel!!

Key Words:
διηγησις ('diagesis', meaning narrative, Luke 1:1)  Sometimes we speak of exegesis -- drawing things out of a Bible passage through analysis and hopefully prayer.  We are warned against inegesis -- putting ourselves in the story.  Luke commends us to something different here -- diagesis -- in which we walk alongside of the text, in conversation, putting in and pulling out from it.

κατηχηθης  (from κατηχεω, which sounded out is 'catechethes', Luke 1:4)  Luke reminds us that the early church took seriously the task of catechesis, of passing on the story of Jesus to the next generation. 

Side note:  It is for this reason that I no longer right people who want to have Christmas songs and stories before Dec 24 or Dec 25.  I take seriously my job to pass along the story.
 
δικαιοι (meaning righteous, Luke 1:6)  She is righteous, yet barren, after what we can assume were years of prayers.

ελαχε (from λαγχανω, meaning lots, Luke 1:9)  In the ancient temple they drew lots.  A reminder that it is often hard to discern the will of God and perhaps leaving something to chance is okay!  This story starts to get at the ways in which we trust and don't trust God!

Ιωαννης  ("John", Luke 1:13)  John is the English form of Iohannes, the Latin form of the Greek name Ιωαννης (Ioannes), itself derived from the Hebrew name יוֹחָנָן (Yochanan) meaning "YAHWEH is gracious", from the roots יוֹ (yo) referring to the Hebrew God and חָנַן (chanan) meaning "to be gracious".    https://www.behindthename.com/name/john
(Note, that word "חננ", chanan, is found in Psalm 51, "Have mercy on me!")  This is an Old Testament name, found in the later parts.  It is linguistically different than Jonathan (The Lord gives).

It is interesting than that the pregnancy, Elizabeth claims, has taken away her disgrace (ονειδος, 1:25); John "delivers" in her "delivery."

χαρα and χαηρσονται (χαιρω) (meaning "joy" and "rejoicing", Luke 1:14)  The word joy will reappear throughout the Gospel, including with Mary, the 'lost and found' parables and then the resurrection!

Side note:  Luke 1:17 and Elijah turning the hearts is a reference to Malachi 4:6.  Last verse of the Old Testament (the Christian ordering) is a promise of God to bring reconciliation in to families.

κατεσκευασμενον (from κατασκευαζω, meaning "prepare, build, construct, furnish, equip", Luke 1:17)  This is the question -- how do we prepare our hearts for the coming of Christ.  Or more basically, which coming do you want to emphasize in our church this Christmas?  The pre-revised-common lectionary focused on the coming of Jesus in Jerusalem, the coming of Jesus in glory and the coming of Jesus in his ministry in middle age.  I am willing to focus on the coming of Jesus as a baby because I feel our cultural patterns mean we miss out on the season of incarnation.  But maybe this is a mistake, but I will willing to cast my lots, so to speak.

Luke 21:25-36

This passage occurs in the Revised Common Lectionary, Year C, Advent 1, most recently Nov. 28, 2021.

Summary
Often times we categorize Bible passages as "Second Coming" or "Eschatological" passage and proceed to interpret them as referring to the consummation of things in Christ's return.  I think this provides a narrow lens for interpreting these passages, locating the destructive and constructive work of Christ in the future.  Jesus describes the reality of both chaos and redemption, something that was happening as the Gospels were being written and continues to happen again and again in our lives.

Note:  This is my first time really studying this passage in sometime.  I invite comments to help me flesh this out!

Key Words of contrast
Α.  Come vs Go
εγγιζω (meaning "approach or draw near"; as a verb ηγγικεν (21.20 and 28) and adjective ηγγυς (21.31)
and
παρερχομαι  (meaning "disappear or go away"; as a verb παρελθη (21.32) and παρελευσονται (21.33)

Perhaps the most crucial word in this entire section of Luke is εγγιζω.  It appears over and over in chapters 18-22 as Jesus "approaches" (εγγιζω) Jerusalem and Jesus preaches about the "approaching" (εγγιζω) events, including his death, resurrection and return.  

It is also worth noting that this verb is in the present tense -- Jesus is approaching here and now.  The redemption (and destruction) that Jesus brings is not located in the future, but in the present too.

On the other hand, Jesus presents a reality, not of something coming, but of something leaving and disappearing, namely, heaven and earth.  

Advent preaching idea:  All of the other things that make American Christmas "Christmas" will fade away -- the Bing Crosby music, the tinsel, the Amazon Prime deals.  What will abide?  The Word. This is where we should dwell.  Help people see what this is like though -  Advent Wreaths, daily devotions, singing carols, worship.

Β.  Destroy vs Redeem
ερημωσις (meaning "wilderness or destruction"; vs 20)
and
απολυτρωσις  (meaning "redemption"; vs 28)

Jesus suggests that the "end times" will bring about destruction.  First, it is in interesting that Jesus prophesies a time of wilderness, translated destruction in vs 20.  While this is a fair translation, it misses out on the Biblical theme of wilderness, a place of renewal and encounter with God.  The coming of Christ invites us into the wilderness, to encounter Christ.

I also think this contrast highlights the fact that what we call the "end times" -- would better be called the "fullness time." For in Christ will have our freedom, our redemption.

Advent preaching idea:  What does it mean for Jesus to approach us?  This passage suggests that Jesus coming and approaching us is never neutral; we are always changed by this encounter, either in that the world around us changes, we are invited into a wilderness (with John too) or we receive our redemption.  Of all of the above.

C.  Stand vs Flee
ιστημι (meaning "stand"; as a verb σταθηναι; vs 21.36)

and

εκφυγειν  (meaning "flee"; vs 21.36)

On the one hand, we are called to flee from certain things:  dissipation, drunkenness and the anxieties of life.  On the other hand, we are called to be prepared to stand before Christ.

Advent preaching idea:  Christmas nostalgia can become a drug of choice to escape the cares of the world.  This is anti-incarnation.  We are called like Christ to be in this world, to stand before him, who is always present in places of need and hurt.  Christmas should be about us taking a step into the world, not away from it.  So where will people find solace and strength?  (Go back to the word.)

Note:  The verb meaning stand also appears in vs 28 (ανακυψατε; stand straight up)

Incomplete thoughts for a future post
ου μη means never
Indicative verb tense governs tense translation of related participles

αποψυχοντων   (αποψυχον) 26

biotikos

Mark 9:38-50 (focus on Hell)

This passage is found in the Revised Common Lectionary Year B (Most recently: Sept 27, 2015) 

Summary:  Jesus warns his followers about "gheenna," often translated Hell.  This week we will look at the three words for Hell in the Bible.  The terms and their interpretation reflect various schools of thought over time.  No matter how you slice it, there is death and judgment.  I have rarely encountered a topic where I have had as much trouble wrapping my hands around it.  This blog summary does not achieve "Summa", but rather gives one a general map of the territory.

Christians translate three Greek words as "Hell."

αδης ("hades")  The first word for Hell is hades (Hebrew: Sheol).  Interestingly, only the King James translates this word as Hell; most leave it as Sheol or Hades.  It normally refers to the house of souls after death, rather than a place of judgment.  Let's be clear, it is not a place you or I want to be, but it is not the home of Satan with fiery demons.

Basically, there are two helpful ways to understand Hades/Sheol.  The first is that is a warehouse of souls (a la purgatory).  So for example:

Psalm 138:8:  If I ascend to heaven, you are there; if I make my bed in Sheol, you are there.
Ecclesiastes 9:10 Whatever your hand finds to do, do with your might; for there is no work or thought or knowledge or wisdom in Sheol, to which you are going.

The problem with this understanding is that you get a universal soul sleep, without judgment or resurrection. 

The other way to understand Hades/Sheol is simply as "the grave." So for example:
Genesis 37:35 "All his sons and all his daughters sought to comfort Jacob; but he refused to be comforted, and said, "No, I shall go down to Sheol to my son, mourning." Thus his father bewailed him."
Jonah 2:2 "I called to the LORD out of my distress, and he answered me; out of the belly of Sheol I cried, and you heard my voice."

In this sense, Hades/Sheol may have nothing to do with souls, simply the place where the body exists after death.  The theologian is then free to discuss the judgement and resurrection of souls.  This solution creates another dilemma though, in that you have separated bodies and souls, something rather foreign to the Hebrew mind. 

So, Hades in the OT remains problematic!  It is clear that the Old Testament ideas about the afterlife changed over time.  There never emerged in the Old Testament, however, the idea that Hades/Sheol was a place solely of fiery judgment, the location of sinners after death.  Everyone went to Sheol.  It wasn't until much later (Isaiah 25-27) that you get the idea that God will defeat death and raise the righteous up to life.

The New Testament turns Hades into a darker place, with a bit more judgment associated with it.  For example: 
Luke 16:23: "In Hades, where he was being tormented, he looked up and saw Abraham far away with Lazarus by his side.
In Matthew, Jesus even declares the gates of Hades to be the enemy of the church! (16:18)
Finally, in Revelation, Hades will be consumed, and it will give over the dead for judgment.

To summarize:  Hades refers to the place the dead go to await judgment.  Besides one brief mention in Luke, it is not a place of judgment, much less fiery judgment.  It is not seen as the home of devils and demons.  The Bible leaves open the idea that Hades/Sheol might be a two tiered place, of pain but also bliss, awaiting resurrection; the Bible also leaves open the idea that Hades/Sheol might be understood literally and metaphorically as the grave, without much connotation of the soul's current or final destiny.  Either one presents a systematic theological challenge.

γεεννα  ("gheenna").  Unlike Hades, gheenna refers to a specific place, in fact, it is a place where a lot of bad stuff happened in Israel's history.
Wikipedia:
"Gehenna (Greek γέεννα) derives from a place outside ancient Jerusalem known in the Hebrew Bible as the Valley of the Son of Hinnom; one of the two principal valleys surrounding the Old City.  In the Hebrew Bible, the site was initially where apostate Israelites and followers of various Ba'als and Caananite gods, including Moloch, sacrificed their children by fire (2 Chr. 28:3, 33:6; Jer. 7:31, 19:2-6)."
In depth look at citations of gheenna in the Bible, you can read here:
http://timmhallman.blogspot.com/2011/05/notes-on-hell-valley-of-son-of-hinnom.html

So, gheenna does refer to a hell-like place of judgment.  It may have even been a burning trash heap! 
An important take away about the OT citations of hell:  It was not the place of individual judgment, but of national judgement.

The New Testament continues this idea of judgment, but makes it a place for individual judgment as well.  This includes the passages for this week (Mark 9:44-50) but also:

Luke 12:5 But I will show you whom you should fear: Fear him who, after the killing of the body, has power to throw you into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear him.

Matthew 23:33 You snakes, you brood of vipers! How can you escape being sentenced to hell?

While Revelation does not use the word gheenna, after Hades has been consumed, there is still a lake of fire to consume those not in the book of life, including the devil.   Even John speaks of fire consuming the branches that bear no fruit!  I think it is fair to say that association of fire and judgment is Biblical.  However, a place where people roast alive slowly under the tridents of demons does not fully comport with the Biblical evidence.

To summarize:  The Bible includes real judgment here, including the idea that fires of judgment occur.  Yet, this is not the place where the devil and demons live.  (If anything, it is where demons go to die, not to live!)  Gheenna describes a tomb in the midst of eternal fires.  Lastly, this place of judgment becomes more personal in the NT than in the OT.

κατώτατα ("lowest places")  This word does not appear directly in the NT, but does so in our Creed (based on Ephesians 4:9, which uses a form of this word).  It does, however, occur in the OT:

Psalm 139:15 My frame was not hidden from you, when I was being made in secret, intricately woven in the depths of the earth.

Psalm 86:13  For great is your steadfast love toward me; you have delivered my soul from the depths of Sheol.
Lamentations 3:56  I called on your name, O LORD, from the depths of the pit;

So, what is better?  Descended to the dead or to hell?  First Peter references (1 Peter 4:6 and 1 Peter 3:16-20) suggest "dead," or place of the dead.  I prefer hell because the word in the creed means "lowest of low."  By using "hell" we capture the emotional suffering of Christ Jesus, in that he had been emotionally to hell, namely, feeling abandoned by God.

All in all, a complicated topic.  The "hell" of popular imagination is not based on one image or word from the Bible, but a compilation, an imaginative blending of these various Scriptural passages.  The Bible does not speak of a fiery pit with devils tormenting individuals.  However, the Bible speaks of final judgment, including destruction by fire.

John 6:24-35

This passage occurs in the RCL "Pentecost"/"Ordinary"/"Proper" Season, Year B, most recently Summer of 2015.
 
Summary:  The reader of John's Gospel should find little surprising in this passage. Jesus brings together lots of themes and words he has used before.  One could bridge "sending away and staying" or "seeking and finding" in some neat ways.  The granddaddy phrase though is that faith is a "work of God"; we must return to Greek 101 for some translation help here.

Two word pairs very common in John's Gospel
Seek and find [ζητουντες & ευροντες (seek and find; 25 and 24)]  From the very beginning of John's Gospel to the end, Jesus asks people what they are seeking (including even Mary Magdalene after the resurrection).  Jesus is constantly being sought too.  (If you look up the word, it appears nearly every chapter).  Likewise, people are finding Jesus (Nathaniel in John 1 and Peter finding fish and discovering Jesus in John 21).  Yet Jesus is also good at avoiding detection.  Always sought; sometimes found.

I have not explored this fully, but I think one could argue, quite well, that Jesus only is found when he chooses to let himself be found, when he takes the first step, for example, by calling the disciple's name.

Send away and stay [αποστειλεν (from αποστελλω, "send" 29) and μενω ("abides", 27)]  One cannot say enough about the importance of these two concepts in John's Gospel.  We could put them together and say that in Jesus Christ, we will be still yet conquer the world.  This is a powerful image of a Christian, one who is moved yet finally unmovable in the core.  Sermonize away...

destroy vs life [απολλυμενην (participle form of απολλυμι, meaning "destroy" or "perish", 27) and ζωη (life).]  απολλυμι is a strong word used in the Bible at key points.  Jesus says if you want to gain your life, you must "lose" it; Paul says that the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing.  While John's Gospel does not focus on the word destruction, it certainly puts forward a strong motif of "life."  The whole of John's Gospel (and New Testament) is a strong contrast between life in and outside of Jesus.

Present tense:  Just a note that so many of the verbs in this passage are in the present tense:  

• My Father gives (continually) the true bread from heaven
• This is the work of God, that you are believing (continually) in the whom he has sent. 
• The bread from God (continually) comes down from heaven...
  

The point Jesus is making is that this is not pie in the sky, but bread on earth, as heaven enters into our reality!  Always.  Continually.

Grammar review:  subjective genitive
το εργον του θεου (29)
We could translate this genitive in a number of ways:  "The work done by God" or "the work which belongs to God" or "the work which is offered to God."   You could probably squeeze most theological arguments into how we understand faith -- is it a work for God or a work from God.  I vote with the later one generally, and definitely in this case, where the whole emphasis is on Jesus, the true bread, coming from God.

Grammar review: ου μη
ου μη  (35)
This is the strongest denial possible in Greek.

John 6:1-21

This passage occurs in the RCL "Pentecost"/"Ordinary"/"Proper" Season, Year B, most recently Summer of 2021, for July 25, 2021.
 
Summary: 
John 6 is vital for understanding the ministry of Jesus and the church.  First, Jesus' work builds on the Old Testament.  With this story, Jesus revisits the Passover.  Yet Jesus renews and redirects the OT tradition.  In the case, Jesus presents himself as the one who provides the bread.  The Gospel message is not found simply by making this academic comparison, but by driving it home toward proclamation: God provides, he becomes the Passover lamb, taking away the sin of the world, for you...even when all you felt like was a wasted fragment.

Links to Passover:
The key to this passage, I offer, is John 6:4, where we learn the Passover is near.  Further links to the Passover:
*The last verse of chapter 5 also references Moses and people not listening to him (whole book of Exodus)
*Jesus and then others cross the sea because they have seen the deeds of power (Red sea crossing)
*Jesus feeds the people from basically nothing (manna in the wilderness)
*Jesus even uses the food from the smallest boy (akin to a passover!!)
*John refers to this meal of bread with the term Eucharist

Key words:
χορτος ("hay" or "grass", 6:10):  They are sitting on grass.  They believe themselves in a forsaken place, but are surrounded by God's bounty!

συναγαγετε ("gather"; 6:12):  It is interesting here because Jesus tells the disciples to gather the missing pieces.  This is in the mission of the church, to gather the missing pieces. What intensifies this connection is the verb for gather, which is literally:  synagate -- synagogue them!  Lead them into the community centered on the Word!

κλασματα ("fragments"; 6:12):  It seems strange the bread fragments are so valuable.  Was Jesus a spend thrift??  It seems that Jesus has a spiritual meaning here.  I think it is fair to say the fragments represent us, broken pieces, whom God has blessed, broken and then gathered into one.

ευχαριστω ("give thanks"; 6:23):  While neither the words "Holy Communion" nor "Eucharist" appear in 1-14, the word Eucharist does appear in 6:23:  "The place where they had eaten the bread after Jesus had given thanks [eucharisted]"  Christians took up this word in a different manner -- Paul begins this in 1 Cor 10:16.  They transformed the word for Thanksgiving and turned into a significant meal -- much like America's November holiday!  In this case, Jesus is taking the world's oldest Thanksgiving meal and giving it new meaning.  The full meaning of this meal will not be clear until Jesus dies and rises.

απολλυμι ("perish" or "lose"; 6:12):  Fascinating here -- Jesus discusses the collecting the fragments, lest they get "lost".  The word here for lost also means "perish" as in John 3:16 or John 18:9, "I did not lose a single one whom you gave me."

Two other tid bits:
6:9 The words for bread and fish here (krithinos and opsaria) denote common bread and fish, almost like "cheap bread and fish tidbits"

6:17 The word σκοτια is darkness; that is what is occurring here; yet, John 1 said the darkness could not grasp/overcome the light!

Acts 10:44-48

Summary:  The larger narrative about Peter and Cornelius continues to fascinate me.  While we consider it obvious that God loves non-Jews, Peter needs some serious convincing.  This is crucial in our world today, in which we are constantly plagued by us vs them and truly God-is-with-us-and-not-them mentality.

I do not think this passage can be preached on without the rest of Acts 10, so my reflection hopefully offers some helpful connections to the early passages

Key Words:

τον λογον (the word, 10:44)  Throughout his Gospel and Acts, Luke makes it clear that the Holy Spirit is connected to the Word.  The Spirit is not acting independently of the Word.  This is a huge theological point that Christians continue to ignore and debate.  

I would like to make the point more basically for today's ministry context:  Salvation comes from outside of ourselves.  It does not derive form our feelings or our reason, but it is an external gift.

οι εκ πετιτομης πιστοι ("the of circumcision believers", 10:45)  They are no longer quite Jews, these believers in Jesus.  Yet the are still culturally (and physically!) distinct.  It is also interesting that the particular construction could also read:  "Those who trust, resulting from circumcision."  Luke almost suggests their faith is still in their ethnicity and culturally constructed laws rather than Christ.  This is still incredibly relevant for today.  Luke's point is that this interaction is not simply changing the "εθνη" ("gentiles", 10:45) but also the original Jews who believed in Christ.  They must learn in their soul what they had been preaching, that God's love was truly for all.

εκκεχυται (poured out, 10:45)  This hearkens back to Peter's sermon on Pentecost, in which he foretells the outpouring of the Spirit.  

Strange insight:  In Luke's Gospel, Jesus warns that new wine in old wine skin will cause the wine to be poured out.  Perhaps in light of Acts, we realize this is not a bad thing.  The old wine-skins, as it turned out, needed to be burst!

γλωσσα(ις) (tongues, 10:46) In parts of the early church and still to do this day, speaking in tongues is considered evidence of the Holy Spirit.  While many of us would reject this, it is worth asking -- what do we consider to be evidence of the Holy Spirit in our lives?

εν τω ονοματι (in the name, 10:48)  Certain Christian sects will only baptize in the name of Jesus because of what happens in Acts.  It is powerful that Luke doesn't clean up Peter here and use the full name of the Trinity.  Again and again we see Luke willing to show us the evolution of the church, through ups and downs, as it begins to solidify its confession of Christ.

Acts 8:26-40

This passage appears in the Revised Common Lectionary, Easter Season Year B, most recently May 2, 2021.

Summary:  This passage likely makes no sense to most folks because it is so unusual.  It definitely stretches the bounds of our imagination about how the Spirit directs our path along the way.  And yet...if we have done mission work, the work of evangelism, this is often what it feels like: lots of surprising twists and turns following Jesus along the way.  Life just beyond our control!  I also find it interesting that they meet in the wilderness.  The wilderness is an area of vulnerability, an area in which we are not in control.  This is where we so often meet God!

Key words (and few grammar quirks):
αναστηθι και πορευου ("Get up and go"; 8:26) Philip is told to "Get up and go" (a very familiar line from the OT; Abraham -- Get up and go!). The question is whether this is verbal coordination Hebrew style (Go in a quick way) or whether Luke is implying two separate verbs. The English translations tend to put the verbs together, but the tense is actually different in the Greek.   If one separates the verbs, I would emphasize that the first verb is the same verb for resurrection.

γαζα (gaza, two meanings, town's name or treasury; 8:26/8:27) The word for "treasury" is actually γαζα so this Ethiopians is in charge of the "gaza"; Philip is on the road heading south of Jerusalem toward γαζα, aka treasure. What is the real treasure in the story?  

ερημος (wilderness, 8:26)  Not coincidentally, the Baptism takes place in a wilderness, often a place where God and humans meet! The wilderness it seems, is a place beyond our control.  A place where demons dwell, where testing happens, but God's faithfulness is always revealed.

ευνουχος (eunuch, 8:27)  Historically speaking, the eunuch typifies a bunch of people who convert in Acts

• People not ethnically Jewish, yet are hungry for God
  
• People who have access to power in some ways, but not others:  Social misfits
• People who may not have been accepted with Judaism (an Eunuch could not have gone into the temple because of his castration)
  

Christianity became an incredibly diverse group of people; it became a global community of care and common confession, quite the opposite of the way in which the Romans (and all other imperial powers) held diversity together.

κολληθητι (from κολλαω, meaning "cling"; 8:29) The word for join/stay here is κολλαω as in collate or really cling. Philip is told to cling to the chariot. (Paul tells us in Romans to cling to what is good, 12:9)

απα (ara; 8:30)  The word that begins the sentence (ara) is an untranslatable interjection that expects a negative answer, so really, Philip's question is "You don't understand..."

ογηγησαι ("lead", 8:31) The word for "guide/explain" here is ογηγεω ...which comes from οδος (road/way) and αγω (lead). So Philip has been sent on the way by the Spirit to be the way-leader for someone else.

οδος (hodos, meaning "way"; 8:32) Again, we have the word "way" here...which will also show up in 8:39, he went on his way rejoicing!  Early Christians will be described as followers of the way (Acts 9:2)

τον Ιησουν (obviously Jesus, 8:37)  What is significantly here is that 'Jesus' is in the accusative case without a preposition.  Philip proclaimed Jesus to the Eunuch.  He was not merely talking about Jesus, he was handing over Jesus to the Eunuch.  Obviously, to hand over Jesus to someone means talking about Jesus, but there is something very direct implied in what Philip was doing here.  I think Luke is making the point also that in proclaiming the Word's about Jesus, Jesus is present (see Luke 24!)

προσκυνσων (from προσκυνεω, 8:27)  I have nothing to offer here other than this is one of only 13 future participles in the New Testament :-)