Faith and Service

Luke 17: 5-10 (October 3, 2010)

1) The Text

5The apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith!” 6The Lord replied, “If you had faith the size of a mustard seed, you could say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea,’ and it would obey you. 7“Who among you would say to your slave who has just come in from plowing or tending sheep in the field, ‘Come here at once and take your place at the table’? 8Would you not rather say to him, ‘Prepare supper for me, put on your apron and serve me while I eat and drink; later you may eat and drink’? 9Do you thank the slave for doing what was commanded? 10So you also, when you have done all that you were ordered to do, say, ‘We are worthless slaves; we have done only what we ought to have done!’”

2) The Context

Luke’s travel narrative, 9:51-19:27, is a loosely-constructed section that has the symbolic value of a journey in Christian discipleship. The following themes in 17:1-10 have particular relevance for the post-resurrection community: not causing others to stumble (vv. 1-2) forgiveness (vv. 3-4), faith (vv. 5-6), and humility in serving (vv. 7-10).

The passage on faith follows the counsel on unlimited forgiveness, but the apostles’ plea in verse 5 may be a response to the seemingly unattainable standard Jesus sets. There is ambiguity also in their request: the phrase translated as "increase our faith" can also be rendered "give us faith." The ambiguity is reinforced by the odd grammar of verse 6, which begins in such a way as to assume that they have faith (literally, "if you have faith"), but ends with a construction that suggests the contrary ("you could say…"). However, the general thrust of the saying in verse 6 is clear: it is an exaggerated way of saying that even a little faith can accomplish wonders. The ambiguity, nevertheless, leaves open the question of whether Jesus’ reply is a rebuke to the effect that the disciples do not even have the minimal faith to be compared to a mustard seed!

This passage has parallels in Matthew 17:20, Matthew 21:21, and Mark 11:22-23, although in all these cases a mountain replaces the mulberry tree. Also in 1 Corinthians 13:2 Paul mentions faith strong enough to "remove mountains." We thus have a tangled history of tradition here that is difficult to reconstruct, but the variations show the importance of the theme of the power of faith in the early church.

The second passage, verses 7-10, is a parable that begins with a rhetorical question and ends with an application directed toward Jesus’ followers. The point is clear: as a slave owes service to the master and therefore is not entitled to thanks, so they should perform their service humbly, with a sense of their own unworthiness, rather than in expectation of special reward.

3) Interpretation

We enter the world of slavery and servitude. You don’t treat slaves as equals; you treat them as subordinates and so they should be! Don’t thank them. Their role is to serve you. The problem is that we may assume that many who heard Luke’s story would have nodded their heads in agreement. This is all very odd and seems to have more to do with what the gospel of Jesus was trying to counter than what it was trying to promote. We are perhaps more conditioned to think differently, but these have been dominant values throughout much of Christian history.

The effect of the story on most hearers of the day would have been to win wholehearted agreement, especially among those who had power or who saw, having power and control over others as a goal, even if they couldn’t achieve it. But, then comes verse 10. It turns the prejudice back on the hearer: so you, when you have done all you needed to do, don’t make special claims! You have done only what ought to have been expected! The sudden shift would have been unsettling, shocking. So the story works by subverting the self satisfaction of the superiors. It brings everyone down to the same level. It deconstructs hierarchy.

It debunks the idea that we achieve value by achieving the good, as though we deserve a bonus for being decent, caring human beings. It does not let us play the game. We can’t claim: you ought to love me, because look at how good I am! Look at what I have done! The passage is probably deliberately offensive in flooring aspirations to human worth based on achievement capital.

What is our value if it is not in what we achieve? This is a question which goes to the heart of being human. It is crucial for us all, particularly crucial for those who are able to achieve little, whether through disability linked to illness, age or constitution. When we make achievement the measure of worth, some people will come out very low on the scale. Jesus’ comments subvert that system. Not so long ago in Luke, Jesus was telling us a stories about the stock God seeks and the currency God values in response to criticism that he was mixing it with the worthless. Jesus was doing theology with human intuition and compassion, suggesting God is like a caring parent, who never ceases to love. We are valued because of who we are. The more we become convinced of that the less we need to play the other game and the less it will matter. Then, the less we are preoccupied with making ourselves deserving the more value we can give to others, the more energy and time we have for others.

Did Luke have a sense of humor when he placed the saying about transplanting trees before this theme? How can the proverbial tiny mustard seed effect change? It is not about vegetating the sea, but about encouraging seemingly impossible visions. In part it is about thinking outside the square. Things do not have to be the way they are. It is also about assertion against what appear to be overwhelming odds. Change is possible. Seeds of hope and change are scattered here and there. Mountains wait to be moved. The world does not need prized achievements so much as an assertion of humanity, of being what we are made to be and reflecting in that the true image and glory of God.

4) Thought Exercise

What is the connection between faith and service?

Can we work on both faith and service?

Coming Home

Exodus 3: 1-5 (September 25, 2010)

1) The Text

3Moses was keeping the flock of his father-in-law Jethro, the priest of Midian; he led his flock beyond the wilderness, and came to Horeb, the mountain of God. 2There the angel of the LORD appeared to him in a flame of fire out of a bush; he looked, and the bush was blazing, yet it was not consumed. 3Then Moses said, “I must turn aside and look at this great sight, and see why the bush is not burned up.” 4When the LORD saw that he had turned aside to see, God called to him out of the bush, “Moses, Moses!” And he said, “Here I am.” 5Then he said, “Come no closer! Remove the sandals from your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy ground.”

2) The Context

Exodus is the second book of the Old Testament, and is part of the Pentateuch, the first five books of the Bible. Jews refer to these books as "The Torah". At times, they are referred to as "The Law", although "Torah" means teaching. Exodus centers on the rescue of God's chosen people from captivity in Egypt and the making of the great covenant, or agreement with God, at Mount Sinai.

This is one of the major passages in the Book of Exodus. Moses has grown up in Pharaoh’s house, but after killing an Egyptian for beating one of the Hebrews he fled the land (Exod 2:11-15). He has settled in the land of Midian (the Sinai Peninsula) and married Zipporah (daughter ot Jethro). A long time has passed, The Pharaoh who sought his life has died, and the conditions of Israel’s slavery have become oppressive. But God ‘looked upon the Israelites, and God took notice of them’ (2:15). That short verse, that look of God, makes all the difference and sets the course for the story to come.

As the story opens we find Moses going about his ordinary, shepherding duties for his father-in-law (v. 1). Moses is shepherding “beyond the wilderness”: a mysterious place like the deep in the forest of fairy tales. Near Mount Sinai (“Horeb”) a messenger from God (or God himself) appears to him in the form of fire – a symbol implying passion, purity, light, mystery and (here) not inextinguishable. Moses is curious (v. 3) and leaves Jethro's sheep. What follows is the archetype for the calling of a prophet. God appears to the person and urges him to return to his people and serve as his spokesman, despite any opposition he may encounter, and his own shortcomings. As we find with other prophets (e.g. Jeremiah, Jonah), Moses is reluctant: in fact, he refuses four times! He has reason for not returning to Egypt, and yet he does return, because he believes that he is sent by God. Moses, like Abraham and Samuel, acknowledges God's call by saying “Here I am” (v. 4). Removing one's footwear (v. 5) was a common form of respect in the ancient Near East.

3) Interpretation

After being chased out of Egypt and away from his Hebrew people, Moses is out shepherding sheep for his Midianite father-in-law. Out in the wilderness, Moses stumbles upon "the mountain of God" known as Mount Horeb (also known as Mount Sinai—Exodus 19:11). In the ancient world, mountaintops were the traditional dwelling places for the divine. There, at the mountain, Moses encounters an unquenchable burning bush. Fire is a common biblical symbol of God's presence (Genesis 15:17; Exodus 14:24; 19:18; Leviticus 10:2; see also Acts 2:3). The fiery bush is an icon of the divine, a material or sacramental window into God's presence that both reveals and hides. In part, the ever-burning shrub out in the wilderness signals God's merciful accommodation. God comes down from the mountain of God to meet Moses in the bush. At the same time, the inextinguishable flame is a sign of God's awesome and powerful holiness, a fiery holiness that is at once dangerous and attractive, frightening and comforting, untamed but reassuring.

God instructs Moses to remove the sandals from his feet. The gesture is an ancient practice when entering a holy place of divine presence. It is a gesture that honors the holiness of this ground, this mountain and this God. Removing shoes as a show of reverence is a practice still in use in Islam and other religions.

However, removing his sandals has a second significance in light of Moses' earlier self-declaration in Exodus 2:22: "I have been an alien (Hebrew ger) residing in a foreign land." The Hebrews had rejected Moses as one of their own (Exodus 2:14). The Egyptian Pharaoh sought to kill him (Exodus 2:15). The Midianites see Moses as a foreigner, "an Egyptian" (Exodus 2:19). Moses is not fully "home" in any human community. Taking off one's sandals is a gesture in many traditional cultures that is associated with entering not only a worship space but also a home. Thus, here at the foot of the mountain of God, Moses the "alien," has at last found a true "home." Moses finds his true home not with humans but with God, the God of his ancestors, "the God of Abraham...of Isaac...of Jacob" (Exodus 3:6).

4) Thought Exercise

How has God provided a home for you?

How have you found a home in God?

Praise the Lord!

Psalm 113 (September 19, 2010)

1) The Text

1Praise the Lord! Praise, O servants of the Lord; praise the name of the Lord. 2Blessed be the name of the Lord from this time on and forevermore. 3From the rising of the sun to its setting the name of the Lord is to be praised. 4The Lord is high above all nations, and his glory above the heavens. 5Who is like the Lord our God, who is seated on high, 6who looks far down on the heavens and the earth? 7He raises the poor from the dust, and lifts the needy from the ash heap, 8to make them sit with princes, with the princes of his people. 9He gives the barren woman a home, making her the joyous mother of children. Praise the Lord!

2) The Context

Psalm 113 is the first of the “Hallel” (praise) psalms; the word is found as a root in “Hallelujah” (literally “Praise Yah,” where “Yah” is short for “Yahweh” [YHWH], described in the Bible as “the one true God”). There are a total of six such “Hallel” psalms: 113-118. These psalms are recited on major Jewish holidays, in particular, on the first evening of Passover, since many of the Exodus motifs can be found in these psalms.

Many scholars believe Psalm 113 took its final form after the Babylonian exile for two reasons: the utter transcendence of YHWH (113:4-6) and his attention to the poor and weak (113:7-9). First, the view of YHWH seemed to shift around the Exile. When the Davidic kings ruled, Judea's God was a national deity, while it's neighbors had their Baals and fertility idols. Because of the cultural distance the nation had from its neighbors, Jews assumed there might be other gods, but only YHWH mattered. But, during the Exile, the faithful were surrounded by idols. The close proximity forced Jews to consider the place of their God among the gods. Their answer to the dilemma was a strict monotheism. YHWH was above the nations (and their gods); he was even above the heavens he created (113:4). He was so transcendent that no deity could compare in stature or power (113:5-6).

Second, scholars also point to the theme of the poor and weak (113:7-9). Before the Exile, Jews farmed ancestral lands; because they believed God gave their families the land they tilled, the harvest was a direct reflection of God's blessing. In the ideal scenario, the rich farmer was the righteous man. After the Exile, the lands were confiscated and given to foreign landlords; the local people became tenant farmers. In addition, the people were heavily taxed by their foreign rulers. Under this occupation, Israel identified itself as the poor, those without land and burdened with tribute. Yet, the return gave the people hope. God smiled upon the self-described “poor” and gave them a place of local authority (113:7-8); the faithful (the barren) returned home from Exile to start the nation anew (mother of many children in 113:9).

The transcendence of YHWH and his activity among the poor became the reasons for the praise of his name and, so, his power (113:1-3). Notice the “pattern of three” when the name of God is honored: 1) the faithful (or priests in the Temple as “servants”) were commanded to praise the name (113:1), 2) they were commanded to honor the name as a perpetual (eternal) activity (113:2), 3) they were commanded to praise the name in the cycle of daily activity (113:3). In other words, the servants were to praise the name of YHWH constantly.

3) Interpretation

Psalm 113 is from start to finish a hymn of praise about God. It is a call to the people of God to remember who God is and what God has done. Under an arc of the sun's transit across the sky, earthen landscapes rotate and people go about daily life. In the ordinary movement of each day they are called to praise God. Perhaps the Psalmist is encouraging the people of God to join in what the Apostle Paul would later call in his first letter to the Thessalonians, "prayer without ceasing" (I Thessalonians 5:17).

In berekah form, the psalmist breathes a prayer that echoes praise to God at the beginning and end. In between the two explosions of praise, the cause for praise is lifted up. The creator of all that is and ever will be is somehow concerned with the ordinary activities of people. The psalmist declares the radical uniqueness of a God that cannot be easily defined. There is nothing in all creation that can be compared to this God, and yet this God is concerned about people.

What does this God do? God watches over people, raises the poor, lifts the needy, equalizes power relationships, and provides children to women. The equalization of humankind that the psalmist extols calls into question contemporary disparities between wealthy and poor, powerful and powerless, elite and excluded. Those who have experienced the pain of being ostracized know well how lonely the experience can be. Those who have been the objects of ridicule and disparaging comments intimately know the contours of depression and isolation.

The psalmist calls into question the practices of people toward those who suffer in three categories: poverty, need, and childlessness. Those who participate in activities that push people toward poverty, that drive people into places of need, and exclude those who are childless from circles of friendship are reminded that this is not consonant with God's care for people. Instead, the psalmist affirms for those languishing in the ash heaps and dust piles of despair that they will be lifted up. Their experience will not be forever. They will have a day of justice, a day where economic and power laden fields are leveled. Their day of despair will not prevail. A day of praise shall break forth.

Further, Psalm 113 gives us a direction for our daily prayer life. We owe him praise for who he is and what he does for us, even in our darkest times. We are to praise him at every moment of the day. Of course, attentive, vocal praise is impossible to give all the time, but praise can set our attitude for our daily routine. One moment of focused praise can precede a spontaneous outburst of joy to God's glory.

4) Thought Exercise

How can you praise God in the silent moments of your day?

How can you recognize his presence and glory during every day life?