Lectionary Preview study materials: Pentecost 4
(study on 16 June)
1 Samuel 17: (1a, 4-11, 19-23), 32-49
Psalm 133
2 Corinthians 6:1-13
Mark 4:35-41
The Collect
O Lord, make us have perpetual love and reverence for your holy Name, for you never fail to help and govern those whom you have set upon the sure foundation of your lovingkindness; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
Old Testament
1 Samuel 17: (1a, 4-11, 19-23), 32-49
[The Philistines gathered their armies for battle. And there came out from the camp of the Philistines a champion named Goliath, of Gath, whose height was six cubits and a span. He had a helmet of bronze on his head, and he was armed with a coat of mail; the weight of the coat was five thousand shekels of bronze. He had greaves of bronze on his legs and a javelin of bronze slung between his shoulders. The shaft of his spear was like a weaver’s beam, and his spear’s head weighed six hundred shekels of iron; and his shield-bearer went before him. He stood and shouted to the ranks of Israel, “Why have you come out to draw up for battle? Am I not a Philistine, and are you not servants of Saul? Choose a man for yourselves, and let him come down to me. If he is able to fight with me and kill me, then we will be your servants; but if I prevail against him and kill him, then you shall be our servants and serve us.” And the Philistine said, “Today I defy the ranks of Israel! Give me a man, that we may fight together.” When Saul and all Israel heard these words of the Philistine, they were dismayed and greatly afraid.
Now Saul, and they, and all the men of Israel, were in the valley of Elah, fighting with the Philistines. David rose early in the morning, left the sheep with a keeper, took the provisions, and went as Jesse had commanded him. He came to the encampment as the army was going forth to the battle line, shouting the war cry. Israel and the Philistines drew up for battle, army against army. David left the things in charge of the keeper of the baggage, ran to the ranks, and went and greeted his brothers. As he talked with them, the champion, the Philistine of Gath, Goliath by name, came up out of the ranks of the Philistines, and spoke the same words as before. And David heard him.]
David said to Saul, “Let no one’s heart fail because of him; your servant will go and fight with this Philistine.” Saul said to David, “You are not able to go against this Philistine to fight with him; for you are just a boy, and he has been a warrior from his youth.” But David said to Saul, “Your servant used to keep sheep for his father; and whenever a lion or a bear came, and took a lamb from the flock, I went after it and struck it down, rescuing the lamb from its mouth; and if it turned against me, I would catch it by the jaw, strike it down, and kill it. Your servant has killed both lions and bears; and this uncircumcised Philistine shall be like one of them, since he has defied the armies of the living God.” David said, “The Lord, who saved me from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear, will save me from the hand of this Philistine.” So Saul said to David, “Go, and may the Lordbe with you!” Saul clothed David with his armor; he put a bronze helmet on his head and clothed him with a coat of mail. David strapped Saul’s sword over the armor, and he tried in vain to walk, for he was not used to them. Then David said to Saul, “I cannot walk with these; for I am not used to them.” So David removed them. Then he took his staff in his hand, and chose five smooth stones from the wadi, and put them in his shepherd’s bag, in the pouch; his sling was in his hand, and he drew near to the Philistine.
The Philistine came on and drew near to David, with his shield-bearer in front of him. When the Philistine looked and saw David, he disdained him, for he was only a youth, ruddy and handsome in appearance. The Philistine said to David, “Am I a dog, that you come to me with sticks?” And the Philistine cursed David by his gods. The Philistine said to David, “Come to me, and I will give your flesh to the birds of the air and to the wild animals of the field.” But David said to the Philistine, “You come to me with sword and spear and javelin; but I come to you in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. This very day the Lord will deliver you into my hand, and I will strike you down and cut off your head; and I will give the dead bodies of the Philistine army this very day to the birds of the air and to the wild animals of the earth, so that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel, and that all this assembly may know that the Lord does not save by sword and spear; for the battle is the Lord’s and he will give you into our hand.”
When the Philistine drew nearer to meet David, David ran quickly toward the battle line to meet the Philistine. David put his hand in his bag, took out a stone, slung it, and struck the Philistine on his forehead; the stone sank into his forehead, and he fell face down on the ground.
The Psalm
Psalm 133
Ecce, quam bonum!
1 Oh, how good and pleasant it is, *
when brethren live together in unity!
2 It is like fine oil upon the head *
that runs down upon the beard,
3 Upon the beard of Aaron, *
and runs down upon the collar of his robe.
4 It is like the dew of Hermon *
that falls upon the hills of Zion.
5 For there the Lord has ordained the blessing: *
life for evermore.
The Epistle
2 Corinthians 6:1-13
As we work together with Christ, we urge you also not to accept the grace of God in vain. For he says,
“At an acceptable time I have listened to you,
and on a day of salvation I have helped you.”
See, now is the acceptable time; see, now is the day of salvation! We are putting no obstacle in anyone’s way, so that no fault may be found with our ministry, but as servants of God we have commended ourselves in every way: through great endurance, in afflictions, hardships, calamities, beatings, imprisonments, riots, labors, sleepless nights, hunger; by purity, knowledge, patience, kindness, holiness of spirit, genuine love, truthful speech, and the power of God; with the weapons of righteousness for the right hand and for the left; in honor and dishonor, in ill repute and good repute. We are treated as impostors, and yet are true; as unknown, and yet are well known; as dying, and see– we are alive; as punished, and yet not killed; as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, and yet possessing everything.
We have spoken frankly to you Corinthians; our heart is wide open to you. There is no restriction in our affections, but only in yours. In return– I speak as to children– open wide your hearts also.
The Gospel
Mark 4:35-41
When evening had come, Jesus said to his disciples, “Let us go across to the other side.” And leaving the crowd behind, they took him with them in the boat, just as he was. Other boats were with him. A great windstorm arose, and the waves beat into the boat, so that the boat was already being swamped. But he was in the stern, asleep on the cushion; and they woke him up and said to him, “Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?” He woke up and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, “Peace! Be still!” Then the wind ceased, and there was a dead calm. He said to them, “Why are you afraid? Have you still no faith?” And they were filled with great awe and said to one another, “Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?”
ECUSA
Pentecost 4 June 20, 2021 Brian B. Pinter
RCL:
1 Samuel 17: 1a, 4-11, 19-23, 32-49 Psalm 133;
2 Corinthians 6:1-13; Mark 4:35-41
1 Samuel 17: 1a, 4-11, 19-23, 32-49
The Philistines gathered their armies for battle. And there came out from the camp of the Philistines a champion named Goliath, of Gath, whose height was six cubits and a span. He had a helmet of bronze on his head, and he was armed with a coat of mail; the weight of the coat was five thousand shekels of bronze. He had greaves of bronze on his legs and a javelin of bronze slung between his shoulders. The shaft of his spear was like a weaver’s beam, and his spear’s head weighed six hundred shekels of iron; and his shield-bearer went before him. He stood and shouted to the ranks of Israel, “Why have you come out to draw up for battle? Am I not a Philistine, and are you not servants of Saul? Choose a man for yourselves, and let him come down to me. If he is able to fight with me and kill me, then we will be your servants; but if I prevail against him and kill him, then you shall be our servants and serve us.” And the Philistine said, “Today I defy the ranks of Israel! Give me a man, that we may fight together.” When Saul and all Israel heard these words of the Philistine, they were dismayed and greatly afraid.
Now Saul, and they, and all the men of Israel, were in the valley of Elah, fighting with the Philistines. David rose early in the morning, left the sheep with a keeper, took the provisions, and went as Jesse had commanded him. He came to the encampment as the army was going forth to the battle line, shouting the war cry. Israel and the Philistines drew up for battle, army against army. David left the things in charge of the keeper of the baggage, ran to the ranks, and went and greeted his brothers. As he talked with them, the champion, the Philistine of Gath, Goliath by name, came up out of the ranks of the Philistines, and spoke the same words as before. And David heard him.
David said to Saul, “Let no one’s heart fail because of him; your servant will go and fight with this Philistine.” Saul said to David, “You are not able to go against this Philistine to fight with him; for you are just a boy, and he has been a warrior from his youth.” But David said to Saul, “Your servant used to keep sheep for his father; and whenever a lion or a bear came, and took a lamb from the flock, I went after it and struck it down, rescuing the lamb from its mouth; and if it turned against me, I would catch it by the jaw, strike it down, and kill it. Your servant has killed both lions and bears; and this uncircumcised Philistine shall be like one of them, since he has defied the armies of the living God.” David said, “The Lord, who saved me from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear, will save me from the hand of this Philistine.” So Saul said to David, “Go, and may the Lordbe with you!” Saul clothed David with his armor; he put a bronze helmet on his head and clothed him with a coat of mail. David strapped Saul’s sword over the armor, and he tried in vain to walk, for he was not used to them. Then David said to Saul, “I cannot walk with these; for I am not used to them.” So David removed them. Then he took his staff in his hand, and chose five smooth stones from the wadi, and put them in his shepherd’s bag, in the pouch; his sling was in his hand, and he drew near to the Philistine.
The Philistine came on and drew near to David, with his shield-bearer in front of him. When the Philistine looked and saw David, he disdained him, for he was only a youth, ruddy and handsome in appearance. The Philistine said to David, “Am I a dog, that you come to me with sticks?” And the Philistine cursed David by his gods. The Philistine said to David, “Come to me, and I will give your flesh to the birds of the air and to the wild animals of the field.” But David said to the Philistine, “You come to me with sword and spear and javelin; but I come to you in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. This very day the Lord will deliver you into my hand, and I will strike you down and cut off your head; and I will give the dead bodies of the Philistine army this very day to the birds of the air and to the wild animals of the earth, so that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel, and that all this assembly may know that the Lord does not save by sword and spear; for the battle is the Lord’s and he will give you into our hand.”
When the Philistine drew nearer to meet David, David ran quickly toward the battle line to meet the Philistine. David put his hand in his bag, took out a stone, slung it, and struck the Philistine on his forehead; the stone sank into his forehead, and he fell face down on the ground.
This is better than Broadway theatre! David returns with the severed head of Goliath, Jonathan, son of Saul, pledges his undying loyalty and love to David, Saul rages and attempts murder, yet holds his handsome young warrior in awe. Though this presentation is operatic, isn’t there something of our own lives in this churn of excitable characters, surging emotions, irrational jealousy, and stirrings of the heart? We note that in the midst of these histrionics, God is there (18:12). This vignette offers an invitation to discern the presence of God when we are enduring moments of tumult and high drama. Additionally, we also see the seeds of anger, rage, and jealousy sprouting in Saul, a man modern psychology might pronounce “addicted to his feelings”. He symbolizes what happens when one is unable to hold with integrity red-hot emotions.
Let’s briefly also unpack a verse that confounds many readers and preachers – “an evil spirit from God rushed upon Saul, and he raved within his house” (18:10). A few chapters before this scene, Saul had been given the gift of prophecy, but now that high voltage power has engulfed him. The hapless king’s gifts have become a curse. Saul found himself in proximity to divine energy, but as Carl Jung observed, energy is not friendly! We approach the power of God on our knees with fear and trembling. Woeful Saul lacks the humility and perspective to recognize that his throne and his victories are not his but God’s work; he wears the crown but for the grace of God. The king is chosen for service, not glory. Saul symbolizes a temptation we all face – succumbing to the illusion that we are at the center and God should conform to our agenda.
- How might God’s grace and presence be breaking through in the more dramatic moments and areas of our lives?
Psalm 133
Our ancestors in faith found much inspiration in this little jewel of a poem! Augustine, for example, read the origin of monastic brotherhoods in these verses, while other interpreters found a summons to gather around the table of the Eucharist. The ecumenists hear a call to Christian unity. How could our generation apply the wisdom of this psalm in this era scarred by political and ecclesiastical polarization? We might begin by recalling the central place the institution of the family has held in Christian history. Christianity has, however, defined family in rather radical, “untraditional” ways, beginning with Jesus himself. Recall that he relativizes one’s family of origin and elevates those who gather around him as his true “brother and sister and mother” (Mark 3:35).
Psalm 133 serves as an invitation to transcend the base impulse to regress to tribe, faction, and outmoded, limiting ideas of family. The Lord has blessed us with each other and has inspired wonderfully creative ways of imagining “family”. Our verses lead us to dream of what the human experience could be when we answer the call to “live together in unity.”
- How are we as nations, churches, and individuals being called to redefine family and “live together in unity”? How might we respond to this invitation?
2 Corinthians 6:1-13
Paul highlights powerful truths about faith and the human experience. First, he urges the Corinthians “not to accept the grace of God in vain” (6:1). Paul recognizes that surrendering to God in faith and cooperating with God’s grace are choices that we are invited to make anew every day. We will never arrive at a point where we cruise on autopilot! God grants absolute freedom to say yes or no at any time; there is never compulsion. For Paul, this is the wisdom of God’s love. He recognizes that love is deepest when it is freest, and grace is not something we own, but rather a mystery to which we maintain an attentive openness.
Second, Paul recites an arresting list of hardships he has endured on behalf of God’s work and the people whom he loves. Paul perseveres, despite the unpredictability and vicissitudes of life. Moments of suffering and challenge do not indicate that God is against us. Rather the continued experiences of receiving grace and receiving the gift of faith indicate that God is for us! Authentic hope is anchored in this truth, not in the fickle cycle of bad news/good news of a capricious world.
- What are the challenges and resistances you encounter in saying “yes” to the gifts of faith and grace?
Mark 4:35-41
Let’s begin our reflection where today’s gospel ends – “Who then is this?”
Jesus’ taming of the storm reveals him to be the one who has the power, in the worst and most hopeless of circumstances, to save those who trust and believe in him. Scholars of Mark have suggested that the original audience of this gospel might have been the church at Rome, a community that endured the persecution of Nero. Many Christians turn-coated on their brothers and sisters during this time of trial, and were experiencing a deep sense of shame and regret (this could explain Mark’s many references to the unbelief of the disciples –the audience is invited to see themselves in the story, cf. 4:40).
This was a church reeling, beset by chaos from within and without. Perhaps they were being invited to identify with the disciples in the storm and to recognize the one entity that had the power to deliver them from what appeared to be a hopeless situation. We too will experience moments when we feel we are helpless and desperate, and we might question God’s care for us as well. Mark exhorts us to discover and call upon the one whom the wind and sea obey.
- How do you answer the question, “Who is this then?”
- Where are you feeling beset by “windstorms” and “waves” and how do you experience the invitation to call upon Jesus in these moments?
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.