Lectionary Preview study materials: Pentecost 12 (15 August)
(study on 11 August)
1 Kings 2:10-12; 3:3-14
Psalm 111
Ephesians 5:15-20
John 6:51-58
The Collect
Almighty God, you have given your only Son to be for us a sacrifice for sin, and also an example of godly life: Give us grace to receive thankfully the fruits of his redeeming work, and to follow daily in the blessed steps of his most holy life; through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever.Amen.
Old Testament
1 Kings 2:10-12; 3:3-14
David slept with his ancestors, and was buried in the city of David. The time that David reigned over Israel was forty years; he reigned seven years in Hebron, and thirty-three years in Jerusalem. So Solomon sat on the throne of his father David; and his kingdom was firmly established.
Solomon loved the Lord, walking in the statutes of his father David; only, he sacrificed and offered incense at the high places. The king went to Gibeon to sacrifice there, for that was the principal high place; Solomon used to offer a thousand burnt offerings on that altar. At Gibeon the Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream by night; and God said, “Ask what I should give you.” And Solomon said, “You have shown great and steadfast love to your servant my father David, because he walked before you in faithfulness, in righteousness, and in uprightness of heart toward you; and you have kept for him this great and steadfast love, and have given him a son to sit on his throne today. And now, O Lord my God, you have made your servant king in place of my father David, although I am only a little child; I do not know how to go out or come in. And your servant is in the midst of the people whom you have chosen, a great people, so numerous they cannot be numbered or counted. Give your servant therefore an understanding mind to govern your people, able to discern between good and evil; for who can govern this your great people?”
It pleased the Lord that Solomon had asked this. God said to him, “Because you have asked this, and have not asked for yourself long life or riches, or for the life of your enemies, but have asked for yourself understanding to discern what is right, I now do according to your word. Indeed I give you a wise and discerning mind; no one like you has been before you and no one like you shall arise after you. I give you also what you have not asked, both riches and honor all your life; no other king shall compare with you. If you will walk in my ways, keeping my statutes and my commandments, as your father David walked, then I will lengthen your life.”
The Psalm
Psalm 111
Confitebor tibi
1 Hallelujah!
I will give thanks to the Lord with my whole heart, *
in the assembly of the upright, in the congregation.
2 Great are the deeds of the Lord! *
they are studied by all who delight in them.
3 His work is full of majesty and splendor, *
and his righteousness endures for ever.
4 He makes his marvelous works to be remembered; *
the Lord is gracious and full of compassion.
5 He gives food to those who fear him; *
he is ever mindful of his covenant.
6 He has shown his people the power of his works *
in giving them the lands of the nations.
7 The works of his hands are faithfulness and justice; *
all his commandments are sure.
8 They stand fast for ever and ever, *
because they are done in truth and equity.
9 He sent redemption to his people;
he commanded his covenant for ever; *
holy and awesome is his Name.
10 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; *
those who act accordingly have a good understanding;
his praise endures for ever.
The Epistle
Ephesians 5:15-20
Be careful then how you live, not as unwise people but as wise, making the most of the time, because the days are evil. So do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. Do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery; but be filled with the Spirit, as you sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs among yourselves, singing and making melody to the Lord in your hearts, giving thanks to God the Father at all times and for everything in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
The Gospel
John 6:51-58
Jesus said, “I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Whoever eats of this bread will live forever; and the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh.”
The Jews then disputed among themselves, saying, “How can this man give us his flesh to eat?” So Jesus said to them, “Very truly, I tell you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. Those who eat my flesh and drink my blood have eternal life, and I will raise them up on the last day; for my flesh is true food and my blood is true drink. Those who eat my flesh and drink my blood abide in me, and I in them. Just as the living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father, so whoever eats me will live because of me. This is the bread that came down from heaven, not like that which your ancestors ate, and they died. But the one who eats this bread will live forever.”
ECUSA Bible Study Material
Pentecost 12 August 15, 2021 Brian B. Pinter
RCL: 1 Kings 2:10-12; 3:3-14; Psalm 111; Ephesians 5:15-20; John 6:51-58
1 Kings 2:10-12, 3:3-14
God writes straight with crooked lines, and Solomon certainly was a crooked line! Our reading today presents the idealized Solomon – humble, righteous, and God-fearing. After all, he is concerned foremost about serving God and being a wise ruler. But the context of our reading reveals that Solomon was a complicated man, with a but qualified love for God. The three verses preceding our lection remind us that Solomon brought a foreign wife to Jerusalem and worshipped at “high places” in violation of the Law, and first built a house for himself before building one for God. Subsequent history witnesses Solomon’s oppressive rule resulting in a split between the kingdoms of Judah and Israel.
Rather than holding Solomon as a role model, we might interpret this narrative as an invitation to reflect upon God’s call to the imperfect, to the undeserving, and the flawed – in other words, to each of us. This is the mystery and miracle of God’s grace – we can’t do anything to become worthy of it but open our hearts and say yes to this gracious gift.
- How have you experienced God’s grace through your flaws and imperfections?
Psalm 111
Our psalm takes the form of a beautifully creative acrostic poem – each line begins with the next letter of the Hebrew alphabet. Within this literary architecture are timeless words of wisdom that nurture and nourish us on our journey toward holiness. The poet’s themes include the following, all evocative of the exodus and Sinai experience – God initiates relationship with us through gracious action, we are called to respond in gratitude; we praise God both in formal liturgy and also in our way of living; “fear of the Lord” is authentic knowledge, the key to a fruitful life.
Notice that “fear of the Lord” is placed in the middle of the text (for ancient authors the most important place) and the final verse. Our attention is drawn to this phrase, the foundation of all wisdom teaching. To fear the Lord is to acknowledge that there is a God, and I am not it, and I am ready to submit myself to God’s instruction. Psalm 111 invites us to recall what God has done for our ancestors and wants to graciously do for us, yet God patiently awaits our “yes”.
- How are you being called to a deeper sense of “fear of the Lord”?
Ephesians 5:15-20
We have a great turn of phrase in our reading – “Making the most of the time because the days are evil.” Literally in Greek, “redeeming the time.” “Evil days” probably was a reference to the expected apocalypse, but we can reinterpret the phrase as a comment on our historical moment. How are we being called to “redeem the time” during these days of evil?
Each of us and our communities must answer this question for ourselves; our verses from Ephesians can serve as inspiration. Let’s briefly look at a few key themes that touch on some core Christian theological concepts. First, “Paul” underscores that Christian faith is communal. One cannot alone be a disciple of Jesus. Christian anthropology doesn’t allow for a solitary faith. Bishop Desmond Tutu put it this way: “It is not ‘I think therefore I am.’ It is rather, ‘I am human because I belong. I participate. I share.’”
Second, Christians live with boundaries. We submit ourselves to a discipline characterized by self-control. The author implies a two-fold point in his warning about drinking wine – this harms the body of the individual but also the corporate body. In other words, one’s actions have consequences not only for the individual.
Third, note that our passage begins with a mention of wisdom and ends with a mention of the Spirit. Being “filled with the Spirit” can be interpreted as learning the ways of Wisdom. In the Hebrew Bible, the terms “wisdom,” “word,” and “Spirit” were interchangeable. This inspiration bears fruit in harmonious living with others in our communities, which our author symbolizes with images of singing, playing, and addressing one another in psalms.
- What challenges from our culture face the Christian notions of community, boundaries, and living in the Spirit of Wisdom?
John 6:51-58
On one level, this week’s Gospel is about the Eucharist. On another, our verses could be interpreted as a commentary on being part of the Christian community. I’d like to focus on this latter approach. Let’s consider the Greek word John chose to use for “flesh” – sarx.
In the New Testament, sarx is usually (but not always) used in a negative way. “Flesh” is often a metaphor for selfishness or actions done apart from the wisdom and guidance of God. Sarx also refers to the soft, ephemeral, mortal, corruptible aspect of the human being. Interestingly, John could have used another word – soma – usually translated as “body.” In the New Testament, this term is used to describe the resurrected, glorified body of Jesus, and the redeemed body of the Christian. Soma carries a positive connotation. So why did John choose sarx over soma?
Scripture uses the phrase “body of Christ” in three distinct ways – Jesus’ physical body, the Eucharist, and the body of believers. Soma is an appropriate word for the first two, but I suggest that sarx is fitting for the third. To follow Jesus is to be a part of a community, and we know that this is no easy task. Communities are messy, difficult, corruptible, dysfunctional, and sometimes (like our fleshy bodies) they stink! But if we’re going to have the “life” Jesus is talking about, we need to be nourished with his flesh, the community. We have to learn to eat this flesh and drink this blood. This is indeed a hard teaching, and it is the reason that many turn away (I know many times I have been tempted to “spit out” this food and drink!).
Finally, we might also hear in Jesus’ teaching to “eat [his] flesh” a call to be a nourishing, nurturing community, not junk food. Jesus needs us to cooperate with his grace so that we, his body, can be life for those who feed on him.
- How can we as a community be true food and drink for each other and the world?
Brian B. Pinter is a teacher of religious studies at Fordham Preparatory School in the Bronx and a Pastoral Associate at the Church of St. Ignatius Loyola in Manhattan.