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Weekly Bible Notes

Second Sunday before Lent

Year C, Green

Introduction

There are those who think that being well off, physically fit or even having lots of material goods is a sign of God's blessing. In the Old Testament in  Deuteronomy the people of Israel were told that God would bless them if they were obedient to the law and curse them if they were not. This was the covenant and it formed the most essential part of the Jewish faith. However, this was not the message which Jesus taught. Jesus had a different covenant in mind and he had a new way for his followers to behave. We catch a glimpse of the new ways of Jesus in the Beatitudes today.

In these Beatitudes Jesus gives his disciples a way of living which stands the normal expected way of doing things on their head. The poor, the hungry, those who weep, those who were hated. These were the people that God would bless. Jesus pronounced that the justice of God would turn the world upside down.

If we are mourning, poor, or if you suffer injustice, then the Kingdom of God has a special place for you.

Opening Verse of Scripture    Psalm 1:1-3

Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers. But his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers.
 

Collect Prayer for the Day—Before we read we pray

You alone, O God, can satisfy our deepest hunger, and protect us from the lure of wealth and power. Teach us to seek your kingdom above all else, that we may know the security and joy of those who put their trust in you; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.  (Methodist Worship)

First Bible Reading   Jeremiah Chapter 17:5-10

This is what the LORD says: "Cursed is the one who trusts in man, who depends on flesh for his strength and whose heart turns away from the LORD. He will be like a bush in the wastelands; he will not see prosperity when it comes. He will dwell in the parched places of the desert, in a salt land where no one lives. "But blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD, whose confidence is in him. He will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit." The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it? "I the LORD search the heart and examine the mind, to reward a man according to his conduct, according to what his deeds deserve."
(This is the word of the Lord -- Thanks be to God)

Second Reading 1 Corinthians Chapter 15 Verses 12-20

But if it is preached that Christ has been raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? If there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith.
More than that, we are then found to be false witnesses about God, for we have testified about God that he raised Christ from the dead. But he did not raise him if in fact the dead are not raised. For if the dead are not raised, then Christ has not been raised either. And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins. Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ are lost. If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are to be pitied more than all men. But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.  (This is the word of the Lord -- Thanks be to God)

 

Gospel Reading  Luke Chapter 6 Verses 17-26

 
He went down with them and stood on a level place. A large crowd of his disciples was there and a great number of people from all over Judea, from Jerusalem, and from the coast of Tyre and Sidon,
who had come to hear him and to be healed of their diseases. Those troubled by evil spirits were cured, and the people all tried to touch him, because power was coming from him and healing them all. Looking at his disciples, he said: "Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God. Blessed are you who hunger now, for you will be satisfied. Blessed are you who weep now, for you will laugh. Blessed are you when men hate you, when they exclude you and insult you and reject your name as evil, because of the Son of Man. "Rejoice in that day and leap for joy, because great is your reward in heaven. For that is how their fathers treated the prophets. "But woe to you who are rich, for you have already received your comfort. Woe to you who are well fed now, for you will go hungry. Woe to you who laugh now, for you will mourn and weep. Woe to you when all men speak well of you, for that is how their fathers treated the false prophets. (This is the word of the Lord -- Thanks be to God)

Post Communion Prayer

God our creator, by your gift the tree of life was set at the heart of the earthly paradise, and the bread of life at the heart of your Church: may we who have been nourished at your table on earth be transformed by the glory of the Saviour’s cross and enjoy the delights of eternity; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Commentary

Luke reports people coming from large distances to see Jesus. Jesus instructs the people and heals them and they become aware of God’s power through Jesus words and actions. At a stage in the Gospel when opposition from religious leaders is rising, Jesus is represented as a charismatic teacher who speaks and acts with divine authority. It is this Jesus who addresses his followers, both those present and the wider group of Luke’s readers then and now. Mirroring the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7), Jesus teaches in what could be described as the “Sermon on the Plain” (vs17). The Beatitudes, a series of promised blessings, are given to those who really are poor, starving, disconsolate and despised for their faith, for God’s concern and blessing is for them. However, in contrast to Matthew, Luke does not allow any possibility of the spiritualizing of Jesus’ words: in reality, these people have little or no status, power, influence, they really are the poor, the marginalized and oppressed. The contrasting woes are a timely warning to those who enjoy a luxurious lifestyle in the present, without doing anything to help those who are suffering.

In the Gospel of Luke the theme of the values and assumptions of society being turned upside down is frequently heard. Jesus constantly challenges the ethical and moral standards of his contemporary society and this of course presents a challenge for us today as we seek to follow Jesus. The promise of blessing not only needs to be regarded as being fulfilled at some point in the future, but we must also consider that it should be made a reality in the here and now. This can only happen when the existing world order is challenged and overturned. As disciples of Christ we need to consider how we endeavour to ensure the Blessing of the Poor is realised in our society today. If it is not, then we should challenge the structures and practices which keep the poor in poverty, the marginalized on the edge of society and the persecuted in oppression. It is a challenge which we dare not neglect. Let us seek God’s guidance as we work towards a fully inclusive and integrated society, where the poor and marginalized are not just patronised with words, but are empowered to lead just and fulfilling lives.

Meditation

“Love for others, and in the first place love for the poor, in whom the Church sees Christ himself, is made concrete in the promotion of justice.”

“It is not wrong to want to live better; what is wrong is a style of life which is presumed to be better when it is directed towards "having" rather than "being", and which wants to have more, not in order to be more but in order to spend life in enjoyment as an end in itself.”
Pope John Paul II, Centesimus Annus, #36

Hymns

MP 37 As the deer pants (See back page)
MP 572 Rejoice! Rejoice! (See back page)
H&Ps 739 May the Mind of Christ my saviour
H&Ps 668 Blessed Assurance

Prayers for Sunday and the week ahead

"Prayer is a plant, the seed of which is sown in the heart of every Christian.

If it is well cultivated and nourished it will produce fruit, but if it is neglected, it will wither and die."
 

Dialogued Prayer on the Beatitudes
Based on Matthew’s version, Mt. 5:1-12

Lord Jesus, you said,
"Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven."
Keep us from being pre-occupied with money and worldly goods, and with trying to increase them at the expense of justice.

Lord Jesus, you said,
"Blessed are the gentle, for they shall inherit the earth."
Help us not to be ruthless with one another, and to eliminate the discord and violence that exists in the world around us.

Lord Jesus, you said,
"Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted."
Let us not be impatient under our own burdens and unconcerned about the burdens of others.

Lord Jesus, you said,
"Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for justice, for they shall be filled."
Make us thirst for you, the fountain of all holiness, and actively spread your influence in our private lives and in society.

Lord Jesus, you said,
"Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy."
Grant that we may be quick to forgive and slow to condemn.

Lord Jesus, you said,
"Blessed are the clean of heart, for they shall see God."
Free us from our senses and our evil desires, and help us to fix our eyes on you.

Lord Jesus, you said,
"Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called children of God."
Aid us to make peace in our families, in our country, and in the world.

Lord Jesus, you said,
"Blessed are those who are persecuted for the sake of justice, for the kingdom of heaven in theirs."
Make us willing to suffer for the sake of right rather than to practice injustice; and do not let us discriminate against our neighbours and oppress and persecute them.

A Children’s Prayer


Now I lay me down
to sleep,
Let 14 angels watch
over me,
2 at my right, 2 at my left
2 at my head, 2 at my feet
2 that will cover me
2 that will wake me and
2 that will take me to heaven where
angels sing joyfully forever,
Amen

Prayers for grown ups

Almighty God, you have created the heavens and the earth and made us in your own image: teach us to discern your hand in all your works and your likeness in all your children; through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, who with you and the Holy Spirit reigns supreme over all things, now and for ever. Amen. Collect for second before Lent - Common Worship

Grant us, O Lord, a resurrection faith - a faith that is radiant in the knowledge of your victory over sin and death - a faith that is confident in your care and your love. Bless now, we pray, with joy those who call out in your name and those who labour as you have directed. Bless too those we hold before you - and work a work of healing and salvation in their lives.
 

Gracious Father, fill your whole Church with truth and peace; where it is corrupt, purge it; where it is in error, direct it; where anything is amiss, reform it; where it is right, strengthen it; and where it is divided and torn asunder, heal and bind its wounds; through Christ our Lord. Amen
William Laud, 1573-1645

God our heavenly Father, when the thought of you wakes in our hearts, let its awakening not be like a startled bird that flies about in fear. Instead, let it be like a child waking from sleep with a heavenly smile. Søren Kierkegaard

The Grail Prayer Lord Jesus, I give you my hands to do your work. I give you my feet to go your way. I give you my eyes to see as you do. I give you my tongue to speak your words. I give you my mind that you may think in me. I give you my spirit that you may pray in me. Above all, I give you my heart that you may love in me your Father and all mankind. I give you my whole self that you may grow in me, so that it is you, Lord Jesus, who live and work and pray in me.

Alternative Resources

Hymns

O for a heart 495, I will enter his gates 307 & Ascribe greatness 40, In Loving kindness Jesus came 333, There is a Redeemer 673, Glorious things of thee are spoken 173.

Meditation

Kierkegaard once said, "Oh, would that there was truth in the intercourse between men! One man defends Christianity, another attacks it and in the end, if one examines their lives, neither of them bothers very much about it."

O Christ, our Morning Star, Splendour of Light Eternal, shining with the glory of the rainbow, come and waken us from the greyness of our apathy, and renew in us your gift of hope. Amen. (Bede the Venerable)

Commentary

In the Monty Python movie "Life of Brian" Jesus goes up on the mountain side to teach the people. There is a huge crowd gathered around him - so huge that some of the people who are on the outer edge of the crowd cannot hear his words and must ask others what the master has said. As Jesus pronounces what have become known as the beatitudes - one of the characters in the movie - desperate to know what Jesus is saying asks a man who is ahead of him the crowd — "what is he saying - what is he saying?" The man checks with a person in front of him, who in turn checks with someone else and then the message is relayed back—the Master says - "Blessed Are The Cheese Makers."

This is perhaps just a reminder to us of how often we get wrong what Jesus has said. and as a way of making us think about who is blessed and who is not. Who are the blessed ones anyway? Who is it that God favours? And who is that God looks askance at? Who is it that God warns - that God threatens - with troubles and woes?

If you listen to the preachers on cable TV and in some churches the answer seems clear. Those who succeed in life are the ones that God favours: - Those who have money in their pockets, smiles on their faces, well behaved children and who do not get sick without a miraculous healing next week in church. These are the blessed - while those who struggle with depression and despair, - those who live in poverty who perform menial tasks each day - those who serve others rather than living as their equals - and whose children are an embarrassment - these are the cursed and the afflicted. But is it true? Is this what Jesus taught?

The author of the third gospel - the Physician we know as Luke - clearly thought a great deal about whom God blesses and whom God does not. I say that because Luke's account of what we call the Sermon on The Mount is different than Matthew's version. Luke gives us a different view of Jesus' sermon, and in some ways a clearer view. First - in Luke - the sermon is not set on a hillside - where Jesus can look over the top of the crowd and hand down the word from on high to those who are beneath him. Rather it is set on a plain - on a level place - where a large crowd has gathered and pressed in upon him - and where Jesus has been walking among them - healing their diseases and curing their afflictions. And secondly in Luke Jesus announces a series of matching curses or woes: Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God - woe to you who are rich, for you have received your consolation. Blessed are you who are hungry now, for you will be filled - woe to you are full now, for you will be hungry. Blessed are you who weep now, for you will laugh - woe to you who are laughing now, for you will mourn and weep. Blessed are you when people hate you and when they exclude you, revile you, and defame you on the account of the Son of Man, - woe to you when all speak well of you, for that is what their ancestors did to the false prophets." Think about it. What does this list say about our aspirations? About our dreams? About our rushing out to buy lottery tickets so that we might win the big one?

God reverses all our expectations and we need to know it. God understands our pain, poverty, despair, fear. The promise of Christ in the Sermon on the Plain in the Gospel according to Luke, is that there is joy on the other side of grief, laughter on the other side of tears, fulfilment on the other side of hunger, and joyful reward on the other side of the abuse and the ridicule we receive because we cling to him and live in a way that is strange to the world - a way that is opposed to the world's way. Charles Royden