Patrick Comerford
Next Sunday, 27 October 2019, is the Fifth Sunday before Advent
There are two sets of readings in the Revised Common Lectionary as adapted for use in the Church of Ireland, the continuous readings and the paired readings.
Continuous Readings: Joel 2: 23-32; Psalm 65; II Timothy 4: 6-8, 16-18; Luke 18: 9-14.
Paired Readings: Sirach (Ecclesiasticus) 35: 12–17 or Jeremiah 14: 7-10, 19-22; Psalm 84: 1-7; II Timothy 4: 6-8, 16-18; Luke 18: 9-14.
In addition, Bible Sunday may observed this Sunday using these readings: Isaiah 45: 22-25; Psalm 119: 129-136; Roman 15: 1-16; Luke 4: 16-24.
This posting looks at the readings for the Fifth Sunday before Advent, and then reflects on the Gospel reading for Bible Sunday.
Introducing the readings:
The readings next Sunday are reminders that the call to pray is a call that embraces all, and that freedom brings with it freedom to give praise to God, and to pray to God.
In the Old Testament reading, we are reminded that ‘everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved’ (Joel 2: 32).
In the Psalm, God is described as the one who answers prayer and who forgives all. Even those who live at the farthest ends of the earth (Psalm 65: 7), the most marginalised and isolated of people, are invited to give praise to God and can know his blessings.
In the New Testament reading, Saint Paul reminds his readers that ‘the crown of righteousness’ he looks forward to receiving is accessible ‘to all who have longed for his appearing’ (II Timothy 4: 8) and the good news of the Gospel should be brought to ‘all the Gentiles’ (II Timothy 4: 17).
But down through time, it has been difficult to get this message across within communities of faith. When Christ tells the parable of the Pharisee and the Publican, his listeners are amazed that the publican’s prayer could be respected and heard. In turning the tables, we now find it difficult to listen to the prayer of the Pharisee.
A recent conference in Glenstal Abbey [12 October 2019] was titled ‘Pharisees: Characters not Caricatures.’ The images of Pharisees in the Gospels include Simon, Nicodemus, Gamaliel and Paul himself, and their contemporaries included Josephus. The organisers pointed out that ‘it is not necessary to make the Pharisees look bad for Jesus to look good. Jesus can look good all by himself! Pharisees were well regarded by the wider populace of their day. Avoiding a pantomime portrayal of the good and the bad leads to a more fruitful exploration of Jesus’ interaction with this interesting, diverse and nuanced Jewish group of the first century.’
In allowing ourselves to be dismissive of the prayers of one group of people, are we trying to compensate for the inadequacies of our own prayer lives? Yet, the readings next Sunday ask us to consider once again that all are invited into a prayer life that sets the foundation for a relationship with God. And entering into that prayer life is less about its quality and more about accepting the invitation.
Joel 2: 23-32:
The Prophet Joel, ‘son of Penuel,’ appears only in this book, and is not mentioned anywhere else in the Old Testament, where is the first of the last 12 prophets in the Bible. He probably lived after the return from exile, and he writes at a time when the land was probably suffering a plague of locusts, meaning there were no grapes, no sweet wine for celebrating a feast, and no cereal offerings in the Temple, for all the crops have been destroyed.
Judah is under attack, and people wonder whether they can survive. But Joel reminds them there is still a chance, and he calls on the people to repent and to turn to God, when they will find God is gracious and merciful.
Joel calls the people to a fast and asks the priests to pray for the people. God forgives, and Joel holds out the promise of an early rain that is going to soften the parched earth, making ploughing possible once again, and later rain to sustain the summer crops.
Once again, the threshing floors will be full of grain and the vats shall overflow with wine and olive oil, and people shall have plenty to eat. Afterwards,
I will pour out my spirit on all flesh;
your sons and your daughters shall prophesy,
your old men shall dream dreams,
and your young men shall see visions.
Even on the male and female slaves,
in those days, I will pour out my spirit. (Joel 2: 28-29)
Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.
Psalm 65:
All people of all classes are invited to praise God for the harvest. He answers their prayers and he forgives them. He calls us all to worship him and to come into his presence. God is the hope ‘of all the ends of the earth and of the farthest seas.’
The peace God brings to all is described as bringing calm to both the mountains and the raging seas, calming the roaring waves and the clamour of the people. He is to be praised throughout the day, in the morning and in the evening.
God provides water so that the earth may produce growth; it is a joy to be in the hills and meadows, with the crops and the animals which are seen as God’s blessing.
II Timothy 4: 6-8, 16-18:
We are coming to end of our readings from this letter. As he concludes his letter, the Apostle Paul sees his death is imminent. He hopes that his coming martyrdom is like a libation, an offering poured around the base of the altar as an offering for sin. In other words, Saint Paul hopes his death will pay homage to God and will contribute to saving others.
Like a prize boxer or an athlete in a race, he has come to the end of his ministry. Throughout that time, he has kept the faith, and now he looks forward to receiving the crown that acknowledges a faithful Jew or honours a wining Greek athlete. He believes that he and all faithful Christians will receive crowns like this when Christ comes again.
Now, as he faces his imminent death, Saint Paul forgives those who deserted him at an early stage in his ministry. Despite being abandoned like that, Christ stood by him and rescued him ‘from the lion’s mouth,’ from violent death. He is confident that even though he now faces death, Christ will rescue him.
Luke 18: 9-14:
Payer is both an individual and a collective action. Even when we pray individually, we both pray for ourselves and pray on behalf of others. Prayer is a dialogue with God, a spiritual breathing of the soul, a foretaste of the bliss of God’s kingdom.
Christ teaches his disciples how to pray, by word and by example. When they ask him how to pray, he teaches them the Lord’s Prayer (Matthew 6: 9-13; Luke 11: 1-5), giving them an immediate example of model prayer.
But he also gives examples of prayer in the parables, particularly in the parable of the tax collector and the Pharisee in the Temple (Luke 18: 9-14), which is the Gospel reading for Sunday next.
The parables in Saint Luke’s Gospel are so familiar that we often forget how shocking they must have been to the people who first heard them.
The Prodigal Son, for example, is shocking because the loyal and caring stay-at-home son seems to become the victim. The Story of the Good Samaritan is shocking because good people are exposed and the someone who is an obvious as outsider is held up as a paragon of virtue. The parable of the Pharisee and the Publican must have had the same impact on those who heard it for the first time.
This parable and the prayers of the Pharisee and the Publican (or the tax collector) is an interesting way to examine our own approaches to prayer. In this parable, Christ teaches the disciples to pray not by giving words but by giving examples of how others pray, But perhaps we can we be too quick to say that we are presented with one good example and one bad example.
As the story unfolds, they would have identified with the Pharisee – they would want to pray like him, they may even have prayed with him. And as the story unfolds, who would they prefer to head off with after the morning prayers for coffee – undoubtedly the Pharisee.
The Pharisee and the Publican each prays for himself, each bares himself before God. The Pharisee gives thanks to God. He prays. In fact, by all the current standards of and means of measuring Jewish piety, he is a good man. Look at what he tells God and us about himself.
First of all, he thanks God that he is not like other people. The Morning Prayer for Orthodox Jewish men, to this day, includes a prayer with these words: ‘Blessed art thou, O Lord our God, King of the Universe, who hast not made me a gentile, … a slave, … a woman.’
Thanking God that I am not like others is not an expression of disdain for others; it is merely another, humble way of thanking God for being made the way we are, in God’s image and likeness. The Pharisee’s prayer is not unusual.
The Pharisee then goes on to tell God that he obeys all the commandments: he prays, he fasts and he tithes – in fact, he tithes more than he has to, and perhaps also fasts more often than he has to – and he gives generously to the poor. He more than meets all the requirements laid on him by the Mosaic law, and he goes beyond that. He is a charitable, kind and faithful man.
Anyone who saw him in the Temple and heard him pray would have gone away saying he was a good man, and a spiritual man.
But, despite attending to his responsibilities towards others, the Pharisee in this parable does not pray for the needs of others, in so far as we are allowed to eavesdrop on his prayers.
But then, neither does the publican pray for the needs of others.
So neither man is condemned for not being heard to pray for the needs of the other.
What marks the prayers of the Pharisee out from the prayers of the publican is that, in his prayers, the Pharisee expresses his disdain for the needs of others.
The parable of the Pharisee and the Publican is also a reminder that at times people may think that because they have sinned they should not pray.
But the story of the Pharisee (apparently good) and the Publican (apparently bad), tells us that the Pharisee prayed easily, while the publican could not even lift his eyes to heaven. Instead, the publican smote his breast and prayed: ‘Lord, be merciful to me a sinner.’
Jesus tells us it was the publican who ‘returned home justified’ not the Pharisee.
The publican wants to pray even when he feels guilty of sin.
We do not have to wait until we feel righteous, like a Pharisee, so that we can pray. Such prayer is almost useless. I know I can all too easily pray the Jesus Prayer, ‘Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me the sinner,’ more readily when I am feeling righteous than when I realise I am a sinner.
The error of the Pharisee is to confuse the means with the end. Acts of virtue or piety are meant to dispose our hearts towards communion with God, not turn us in on ourselves. As Metropolitan Anthony Bloom wrote: ‘From the [Pharisee] learn his works, but by no means his pride; for the work by itself means nothing and does not save.’
Religious feelings can be deceptive in the extreme. When I think I feel like praying, I may in fact be feeling ‘pious,’ and I may not be ready to pray at this stage. Instead, I may be preparing to be self-consumed and self-congratulatory about being a pious person of prayer.
Humility does not come easily at any time. It is deeply opposed to the values of the world. The late Father Alexander Schmemann, an Orthodox theologian who specialised in liturgy and prayer, saw how humility has no place in our secular culture. He wrote: ‘If there is a moral quality almost completely disregarded and even denied today, it is indeed humility. The culture in which we live constantly instils in us the sense of pride, self-glorification, and self-righteousness. It is built on the assumption that man can achieve anything by himself and it even pictures God as the one who all the time ‘gives credit’ for man’s achievements and good deeds. Humility – be it individual or corporate, ethnic or national – is viewed as a sign of weakness, as something unbecoming a real man…’
But when I feel like the Publican in our parable, then I can pray like a Publican. Many times people are heard saying, ‘I cannot take Communion … lead the intercession … serve at the altar today, because I do not feel worthy.’ But surely I am in much greater danger when I do feel worthy.
When does someone ever say, ‘I have been so good this week I have not felt in the least like a sinner, and this is a great sin and deception?’ Now we would be getting somewhere with prayer!
The 19th century Russian, Saint John of Kronstadt, writes: ‘When the foolish thought of counting up any of your good works enters into your head, immediately correct your fault and rather count up your sins, your continual and innumerable offences against the All-Merciful and Righteous Master, and you will find that their number is as the sand of the sea, whilst your virtues in comparison with them are as nothing.’
People need help to pray like a publican. They will find so many more times available for prayer if they do. But we should also pray for those who are praying like a Pharisee, so that God may free us from our delusions.
An icon of the Pharisee and the PublicanLuke 18: 9-14 (NRSVA):
9 He also told this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous and regarded others with contempt: 10 ‘Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax-collector. 11 The Pharisee, standing by himself, was praying thus, “God, I thank you that I am not like other people: thieves, rogues, adulterers, or even like this tax-collector. 12 I fast twice a week; I give a tenth of all my income.” 13 But the tax-collector, standing far off, would not even look up to heaven, but was beating his breast and saying, “God, be merciful to me, a sinner!” 14 I tell you, this man went down to his home justified rather than the other; for all who exalt themselves will be humbled, but all who humble themselves will be exalted.’
A poem for reflection
A poem might help our reflections as we prepare to reflect on next Sunday’s Gospel reading.
‘In Westminster Abbey’ is one of John Betjeman’s most savage satires. This poem is a dramatic monologue, set during the early days of World War II, in which a woman enters Westminster Abbey to pray for a moment before hurrying off to ‘a luncheon date.’
She is not merely a chauvinistic nationalist, but also a racist, a snob and a hypocrite who is concerned more with how the war will affect her share portfolio than anything else. Her chauvinistic nationalism leads her speaker to pray to God ‘to bomb the Germans’ … but ‘Don’t let anyone bomb me.’ But her social and ethical lapses are a product of her spiritual state, which is a direct result of her nation’s spiritual sickness.
But she lets God know prayer and her relationship with God are low down her list of priorities:
Let me take this other glove off
As the vox humana swells,
And the beauteous fields of Eden
Bask beneath the Abbey bells.
Here, where England’s statesmen lie,
Listen to a lady’s cry.
Gracious Lord, oh bomb the Germans,
Spare their women for Thy Sake,
And if that is not too easy
We will pardon Thy Mistake.
But, gracious Lord, whate’er shall be,
Don’t let anyone bomb me.
Keep our Empire undismembered
Guide our Forces by Thy Hand,
Gallant blacks from far Jamaica,
Honduras and Togoland;
Protect them Lord in all their fights,
And, even more, protect the whites.
Think of what our Nation stands for,
Books from Boots’ and country lanes,
Free speech, free passes, class distinction,
Democracy and proper drains.
Lord, put beneath Thy special care
One-eighty-nine Cadogan Square.
Although dear Lord I am a sinner,
I have done no major crime;
Now I’ll come to Evening Service
Whensoever I have the time.
So, Lord, reserve for me a crown,
And do not let my shares go down.
I will labour for Thy Kingdom,
Help our lads to win the war,
Send white feathers to the cowards
Join the Women’s Army Corps,
Then wash the steps around Thy Throne
In the Eternal Safety Zone.
Now I feel a little better,
What a treat to hear Thy Word,
Where the bones of leading statesmen
Have so often been interr’d.
And now, dear Lord, I cannot wait
Because I have a luncheon date.
Liturgical Resources:
Liturgical Colour: Green (Ordinary Time)
The Collect of the Day:
Blessed Lord,
who caused all holy Scriptures to be written for our learning:
Help us to hear them,
to read, mark, learn and inwardly digest them
that, through patience, and the comfort of your holy word,
we may embrace and for ever hold fast
the blessed hope of everlasting life,
which you have given us in our Saviour Jesus Christ.
Collect of the Word:
Holy God, our righteous judge,
daily your mercy surpasses us
with everlasting forgiveness.
Strengthen our hope in you,
and grant that all the peoples of the earth
may find their glory in you,
through Jesus Christ, our Saviour and Lord.
The Post-Communion Prayer:
God of all grace,
your Son Jesus Christ fed the hungry
with the bread of his life and the word of his kingdom.
Renew your people with your heavenly grace,
and in all our weakness
sustain us by your true and living bread,
who is alive and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,one God, now and for ever.
A modern icon of the Pharisee and the Tax CollectorSuggested Hymns:
Joel 2: 23-32:
10, All my hope on God is founded
293, Breathe on me, Breath of God
302, Lord God the Holy Ghost
306, O Spirit of the living God
457, Pour out thy Spirit from on high
539, Rejoice, O land, in God thy might
71, Saviour, again to thy dear name we raise
313, The Spirit came, as promised
Psalm 65:
612, Eternal Father, strong to save
645, Father, hear the prayer we offer
42, Good is the Lord our heavenly King
581, I, the Lord of sea and sky
709, Praise the Lord! you heavens adore him
Sirach 35: 12-17:
597, Take my life, and let it be
Jeremiah 14: 7-10, 19-22:
319, Father, of heaven, whose love profound
637, O for a closer walk with God
537, O God, our help in ages past
Psalm 84: 1-7:
400, And now, O Father, mindful of the love
333, How lovely are thy dwellings fair
95, Jesu, priceless treasure
425, Jesus, thou joy of loving hearts
360, Let all the world in every corner sing
634, Love divine, all loves excelling
620, O Lord, hear my prayer
487, Soldiers of Christ, arise
342, Sweet is the solemn voice that calls
343, We love the place, O God
II Timothy 4: 6-8, 16-18:
218, And can it be that I should gain
643, Be thou my vision, O Lord of my heart
566, Fight the good fight with all thy might
459, For all the saints who from their labours rest
567, Forth in thy name, O Lord, I go
478, Go forth and tell! O Church of God, awake!
668, God is our fortress and our rock
647, Guide me, O thou great Jehovah
277, Love’s redeeming work is done
281, Rejoice, the Lord is King!
487, Soldiers of Christ, arise
662, Those who would valour see (He who would valiant be)
373, To God be the glory! Great things he has done!
376, Ye holy angels bright
493, Ye that know the Lord is gracious
Luke 18: 9-14:
684, All praise to thee, for thou, O King divine
642, Amazing grace (how sweet the sound!)
630, Blessed are the pure in heart
294, Come down, O Love divine
696, God, we praise you! God, we bless you!
553, Jesu, lover of my soul
587, Just as I am, without one plea
358, King of glory, King of peace
554, Lord, Jesus, think on me
102, Name of all majesty
366, Praise, my soul, the King of heaven
712, Tell out, my soul, the greatness of the Lord
493, Ye that know the Lord is gracious
Resources for Bible Sunday:
Luke 4: 16-24:
The Gospel reading for Bible Sunday Sunday (Luke 4: 16-24) is set at the beginning of Christ’s ministry, when it was habitual for Jesus to attend the synagogue on a Saturday and to teach in the synagogues regularly (verse 15). Regular worship, scripture reading and teaching are the foundations of this ministry.
There was no ordained minister in a synagogue. Even in those places where there was a resident rabbi, he was an arbiter and a teacher, but not an ordained liturgical leader.
The synagogue would have been controlled by a board of elders, the equivalent of a select vestry in our parishes today, and by the chazzan or cantor, perhaps the equivalent of a reader. On Saturdays, the sabbath service began with the shema (‘Hear O Israel …’ Deuteronomy 6: 4-9), and included prayers, fixed readings from the Torah or the Law, a reading from the Prophets, a sermon, and a blessing.
The two readings were in Hebrew, with a running translation into the vernacular, which was normally Aramaic but might have been Greek in some places.
It would have been normal for literate adult male Jews to be called in turn to read the Scriptures in the synagogue: first those who were of priestly descent, the Cohanim, then the Levites, and then the other Israelites. So, on this particular Saturday, Jesus may have been the third person called on to read, or he may even have been further down the list.
The scroll of Isaiah was given to Christ by the chazzan or attendant of the synagogue, who combined the functions that in a parish we might now associate with the sexton, verger, churchwarden and Sunday school teacher. And it is to him that Christ returns the scroll when he is finished reading from it (verse 20).
The portion Christ reads from (verse 18-19) is actually three verses, and we should note that they do not come in sequence: Isaiah 61: 1, part only of verse 2 and a portion of Isaiah 58: 6. And so, even if Christ had been handed a pre-selected portion of Scripture to read – perhaps following in sequence from two or more previous readers – we see a deliberate choice by Christ to roll back the scroll and to insert a portion of that extra verse, Isaiah 58: 6.
So often we complain when the compilers and editors of the RCL omit or jump over certain verses in readings in order to provide coherence and continuity, but this is what appears to be happening here.
Having read while standing, Christ then sat down, the normal posture at the time for someone who is then teaching. After he sat down, all eyes were on him (verse 20), so it was he who was expected to preach and teach that sabbath day.
Christ tells the congregation in Nazareth that the Scripture has been fulfilled in their hearing. Scripture has not been read that morning just to comply with part of the ritual; it actually has immediate meaning, significance and relevance that day. Christ is not merely reading the words, he is promising to see them put into action, to transform hope into reality.
One commentator has said this Gospel reading is like Christ’s inaugural address. Here he sets out his priorities, his hopes, his expectations, even if people of faith are reluctant at times to co-operate and give him their votes.
If we see who Christ is then we must journey with him towards Calvary and Good Friday and the Garden and Easter Morning. And on that way, we take up the challenge from the previous Sunday at Cana to ‘Do whatever he tells you.’
He tells those who hear him in this reading that at the heart of everything he does and everything he asks us to do:
● to bring good news to the poor
● to proclaim release to the captives
● to proclaim recovery of sight to the blind
● to let the oppressed go free
● to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favour.
This morning’s Gospel reading is good news, and not just to the poor and oppressed in Nazareth in the past. Who are the poor, the captives, the blind and the oppressed in our midst today? And are we happy with them knowing that compassion for them is at the heart of Christ’s ministry and mission?
Is it too much for us to recover the message that links Christmas faith and Easter faith – that declares that the Gospel is good news for the poor, the captives, the blind and the oppressed among us today?
It is good news that may challenge us – that may take us outside our comfort zones. But if we step outside our comfort zone and recover this good news, then we can play our part in restoring the relevance of the Gospel and of the Church to a society today that is overwhelmed by bad news.
Luke 4: 16-24 (NRSVA):
16 When he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, he went to the synagogue on the sabbath day, as was his custom. He stood up to read, 17 and the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was given to him. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where it was written:
18 ‘The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,
because he has anointed me
to bring good news to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives
and recovery of sight to the blind,
to let the oppressed go free,
19 to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favour.’
20 And he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant, and sat down. The eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on him. 21 Then he began to say to them, ‘Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.’
22 All spoke well of him and were amazed at the gracious words that came from his mouth. They said, ‘Is not this Joseph’s son?’ 23 He said to them, ‘Doubtless you will quote to me this proverb, “Doctor, cure yourself!” And you will say, “Do here also in your home town the things that we have heard you did at Capernaum”.’ 24 And he said, ‘Truly I tell you, no prophet is accepted in the prophet’s home town.
The Collect of the Day:
Blessed Lord,
who caused all holy Scriptures to be written for our learning:
Help us to hear them,
to read, mark, learn and inwardly digest them
that, through patience, and the comfort of your holy word,
we may embrace and for ever hold fast
the blessed hope of everlasting life,
which you have given us in our Saviour Jesus Christ.
Collect of the Word:
Holy God, our righteous judge,
daily your mercy surpasses us
with everlasting forgiveness.
Strengthen our hope in you,
and grant that all the peoples of the earth
may find their glory in you,
through Jesus Christ, our Saviour and Lord.
The Post-Communion Prayer:
God of all grace,
your Son Jesus Christ fed the hungry
with the bread of his life and the word of his kingdom.
Renew your people with your heavenly grace,
and in all our weakness
sustain us by your true and living bread,
who is alive and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever.
Suggested Hymns:
380, God has spoken to his people, alleluia!
382, Help us, O Lord to learn.
Scripture quotations are from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicised Edition copyright © 1989, 1995, National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide. http://nrsvbibles.org
Material from the Book of Common Prayer is copyright © 2004, Representative Body of the Church of Ireland.
The hymn suggestions are provided in Sing to the Word (2000), edited by Bishop Edward Darling. The hymn numbers refer to the Church of Ireland’s Church Hymnal (5th edition, Oxford: OUP, 2000).
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