Live Coals Lead to a Live Call

 Isaiah 6:1-8, the First Reading appointed for the 5th Sunday after Epiphany in the Year of Luke, is clearly a call narrative.  It is matched with Jesus' call to Simon in Luke 5, the Gospel reading appointed for this day.  It will be the preacher's joyful task to bring this call to her or his listeners.

(The following questions are not meant to be exhaustive, but are best used in conjunction with other sets of questions available to exegetes.  These questions are meant to lift up the function of the Word in the text, a central concern of Law and Gospel preachers.  For more on this method and Law and Gospel preaching in general, see my brief guide, Afflicting the Comfortable, Comforting the Afflicted, available from wipfandstock.com or amazon.)

1.  How does the Word function in the text?  The opening verses announce the holiness of the Lord of hosts, and as such, function as Law.  The writer cries out, "Woe is me!" This is the appropriate response to the Law.  The Gospel is present also, as the seraph touches the prophet's mouth and  announces that "your guilt has departed and your sin is blotted out."

2.  With whom are you identifying in the text?  We are those to whom this Word is spoken. We are those who call out "Woe is me!" and those whose sin is taken away.

3.  What, if any, call to obedience is there in this text?  The call to obedience comes in the last two verses as the prophet responds to the need for someone to go forth to speak God's word.

4.  What Law/Gospel couplet is suggested by this text?  Using the words of the text we can readily imagine several couplets:  guilty/guilt is taken away; sinful/sin is blotted out.

5.  Exegetical work:  The lexicon defines 'unclean lips' in this passage as "defiled of name, infamous." (The New Brown-Driver-Briggs-Gesenius Hebrew-English Lexicon, p. 379).  Since 'unclean' can mean many things in Biblical passages (e.g. ritually unclean, morally unfit, polluted) it is important to understand that the prophet is announcing his public identity as one unfit for God's service living amongst a community.unfit for God's service. The prophet is coming to terms with the profound corruption already taken root in Judah and Jerusalem and in his own heart.  It is then more important to understand the gift of grace given him when the seraph touches his mouth and announces he is forgiven.  St. Jerome, in his commentary on this passage, notes that immediately upon announcing this forgiveness the Lord issues the call to service:  "As long as Isaiah's tongue was treacherous and his lips unclean, the Lord does not say to him, Whom shall I send, and who shall go?  His lips are cleansed, and immediately he is appointed the Lord's spokesman; hence it is true that the person with unclean lips cannot prophesy, nor can he be sent in obedient service to God."  (Ancient Christian Commentary on Scripture, OT, vol. X, p. 55).  

6.  How does the Crossings Community model work with this text?  Steve Albertin, in his complete 2015 analysis, shows how clearly this text exhibits the three ways the Word functions:  As Law, as Gospel, and as Call to Obedience.  "Woe is me!" is the call of every person when confronted with a holy God.  "Your sin is blotted out" is the word of the Gospel, and "Send me!" is the response of all the redeemed to the call of obedience.  This analysis is archived under its reference for Trinity Sunday.

Blessings on your proclamation!

This Child's Call is Not Child's Play

 

Jeremiah 1:4-10, the First Reading appointed for the 4th Sunday after Epiphany in the Year of Luke, is an interesting pairing with the Gospel reading from Luke 4.  In each text we have one who has been set apart from before birth to preach repentance to God's people.  In Jeremiah's case, we get a snippet here of his call story while yet a lad.  With Jesus, he is already an adult and returning to the town of his youth.  In both cases it will be fruitful for the preacher to identify with those to whom the Word is spoken, and to preach that word as one who has also received it.

(The following questions have been developed to explore the function of the Word in the text, a fundamental concern of Law and Gospel preachers.  Preachers of Law and Gospel understand that as the Word functions, so must the sermon.  For more on this method and on Law and Gospel preaching in general, see my brief guide, Afflicting the Comfortable, Comforting the Afflicted, available from wipfandstock.com or amazon.)

1.  How does the Word function in the text?  This is a call story, and so, as such, the Word is functioning as a classic call to obedience. Traditionally a call to obedience is understood as an invitation to live in a certain way in response to God's grace in Christ.  Here that grace is announced as God's foreknowledge and God's promise that "I am with you to deliver you."

2.  How is the Word not functioning in the text?  There is little evidence of Law here, except in Yahweh's response to Jeremiah's insistence that he is only a boy.  Even that response is mild, not what we might term a summons to repentance.  Also, the Word functioning as Gospel, that is to say, declaring God's favor or forgiveness, is not present, except in the sense noted above, that God will be present to deliver the prophet from his enemies.

3.  With whom are you identifying in the text?  Since it is always best to identify with those to whom the Word is spoken, we identify here with Jeremiah.  We are those who are diffident in the face of God's call.  We are afraid to speak truth, to pluck up and to pull down, to destroy and to overthrow, even though to do so will lead to building and planting anew.

4.  What Law/Gospel couplet is suggested by this text?  In spite of this being primarily a call to obedience, we can use the terms at the end of the passage to come up with couplets:  pluck up/plant; destroy/build up.

5.  Exegetical work:  One of the most startling parts of Jeremiah's call is that Yahweh says that he has been set aside to be "a prophet to the nations."  The Hebrew term for nations is goyim, a word often translated "Gentiles.". So in Yahweh's promise to him, he is speaking not only of his calling to the nation of Israel, but his calling to the nations outside of God's covenant.  If we look at the book as a whole, we see this playing out, as the first half of the book is directed primarily at the Jews, but the latter half is directed at the Gentiles.  In both cases, Jeremiah announces God's plan to pluck up and destroy as well as to build and plant.  In a parallel with the Gospel, Jesus also, of course, was appointed to be a prophet to the nations.  Jesus, like Jeremiah, also speaks words of rebuke as well as words of comfort, tearing down and building up.  In speaking of that call there is an interesting word-play going on, as Jeremiah is called to natosh, to natotz, and to natoah, to pluck up, to tear down, and to plant.  This might have been a memory device for the oral learner.  I like how the gifted 4th century exegete, Jerome, finds connections with Jeremiah's call and that of Jesus: "It is important to observe here that two joys succeed four sorrows.  The good cannot be built up unless the evil is destroyed, nor can the best be planted unless the worst is eradicated.  For 'every plant that the heavenly Father has not planted will be uprooted,' and every building that does not have its foundation on rock but was built on sand is undermined and destroyed by the word of God.  But that which Jesus will consume by the breath of his mouth and destroy by the coming of his presence, indeed, all sacrilege and perverse doctrine, he will annihilate forever."  (Ancient Christian Commentary on Scripture, OT, vol. XII, p. 8)

Blessings on your proclamation!

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A Celebration of the Torah

 

The First Reading appointed for the 3rd Sunday after Epiphany in the Year of Luke comes from a little-read book in the Hebrew Bible. The reference is Nehemiah 8:1-3, 5-6, 8-10.  It is clear that the only reason verses 4 and 7 are omitted is because  they include a list of names that no lector would like to encounter, and contain information not crucial to understanding the passage.  In any case, the text is a story of the delight God's people have in hearing the Word of God after a long absence.  This could be a delightful chance for the preacher to celebrate the gift of God's Word.

(The following questions have been developed to help preachers understand the way the Word functions in the text.  These questions are best used in conjunction with other fine sets of questions available to exegetes.  For more on this method and on Law and Gospel preaching in general, see my brief guide, Afflicting the Comfortable, Comforting the Afflicted, available from wipfandstock.com or amazon.)

1.  How does the Word function in the text?  Since this is an account of the people of God rejoicing in hearing the Law of God again after a long absence, the Word here is functioning primarily as Gospel.  A theme might be "God's Word brings Joy."  This is not a typical gospel function, but if the Gospel is all about the promises of God, this falls into that arena.

2.  How does the Word not function in the text?  There is no word of Law, no place that the Word calls anyone to repentance or lifts up their need for a Savior.

3.  With whom are you identifying in the text?  We are those who cry "Amen. Amen!"  We are the people weeping for joy because we once again are hearing the Word of the Lord.

4.  What, if any, call to obedience is there in this text?  An argument could be made that this entire story is a call to obedience.  In other words, what this story is doing is inviting us to respond as these former exiles did, rejoicing at the hearing of God's word.

5.  What Law/Gospel couplet is suggested by this text?  One might look to the context to imagine couplets in conjunction with this text.  A few ideas:  exiles/home again; silence/spoken to; forgotten/claimed.

6.  Exegetical work:  There is not a great deal written about the book of Nehemiah.  The Lutheran Study Bible is very helpful in its introductory mateiral.  (pp. 752-753). According to these notes, the book of Nehemiah "presents what may be called 'phase three' of the Jews' return to Judah from the Babylonian exile. This phase centers on rebuilding the wall around Jerusalem."  Reading through the opening 7 chapters, we hear the story of how Nehemiah, cupbearer to King Artaxerxes, receives word concerning the trouble of the exiles in Jerusalem and endeavors to come to their aid.  He, a trusted servant of the king, is then given leave to go and assist those living in Judah, and indeed even receives the king's protection and assistance for his journey.  He is clearly a beloved and faithful servant of the royal family.  Again, in the LSB we read that "Nehemiah is a perfect example of Luther's concept of ora et labora, 'pray and work.'"  This means to "trust in God and work out your vocation using your skills and gifts."  (Ibid., 753)..  Bede the Venerable, the 7th century scholar, has a delightful commentary on this passage..  He writes:  "The point to note here is the devotion and also the like-mindedness of the people who as one person (that is, with one and the same faith and love) came together at the Lord's temple; and they themselves asked their pontifex to bring the book and recount for them the commandments of the Law that they must observe, so that along with the rebuilt city, a structure of good works pleasing to God might spring up in case, just as before, neglect of religion should lead to the ruination of the city as well.  And it is appropriate that the city was completed in the sixth month and that the people gathered in it to hear the Law in the seventh; for in the Law there are six days for working and a seventh for resting.  (Ancient Christian Commentary on Scripture, OT, vol. V, pg. 354).

Blessings on your proclamation!

God's Marriage to God's Whole People

 

The 2nd Sunday after Epiphany in the Year of Luke puts us on familiar ground with the story of the wedding feast at Cana for our gospel reading.  The First Reading appointed, Isaiah 62:1-5, also picks up on the wedding image, but in quite a different way.  In this text, God is the bridegroom, and God's people are the bride.  The last phrase says it all:  "And as the bridegroom rejoices over the bride, so shall your God rejoice over you."  It shall be the preacher's task to announce this good news!

(The following questions are meant to compliment any of a  number of other sets of questions that are helpful to an exegete.  These questions are meant to answer the question, "How is the Word functioning in the text?" a central concern of Law and Gospel preachers.  For more on this method and on Law and Gospel preaching in general, see my brief guide, Afflicting the Comfortable, Comforting the Afflicted, available from wipfandstock.com or amazon.)

1.  How does the Word function in the text?  As mentioned above, the Word is functioning here as Gospel, bringing the good news that God has once again embraced God's people.  This word is a response, of course, to the long silence of God during the exile.  Now those who had been called Forsaken, are now called My Delight is in Her.

2.  How is the Word not functioning in the text?  There is mention of the former state of God's people and their land as Forsaken and Desolate, but in this text there is no word of judgement.  Nowhere does the prophet call the people to repentance, or show them their need for a Deliverer.

3.  With whom are you identifying in the text?  We are those to whom this Word comes.  To anyone who has felt forsaken or desolate, this is a good word.  The message that God rejoices in us is a powerful word of love and affirmation.

4.  What, if any, call to obedience is there in this text?  Since the call to obedience always means the Word inviting us to live in a certain way in response to the Gospel, we don't see that present here.  We might, however, take a hint from the prophet and be enthusiastic witnesses to what God is doing in the world.

5.  What Law/Gospel couplet is suggested by this text?  The pair of terms describing God's people before and after are a fine set of couplets:  forsaken/my delight is in her and desolate/married (i.e. fertile).

6.  Exegetical work:  The context for these words are very important.  The Lutheran Study Bible offers this background:  "These promises [that God would restore the exiles] were realized in 538 BCE when the Persian ruler Cyrus captured Babylon.  He allowed exiles to return and rebuild Jerusalem and the temple, and to restart their lives.  This new life in Jerusalem forms the background of the final part of the book of Isaiah (chapters 56 - 66)." (p. 1092).  It is interesting that in Luther's lectures on this text he  translates 62:4 as "Your land shall have a lover."  He makes much of the fact that the root stem of the word translated 'married' is baal, which means "bridegroom, master, and owner."  He also translates 62:5a as "As a young man has a bride, your children will have a master." Luther seems to be centering more on the emotion of God and not on the marriage covenant. (Luther's Works, vol. 17, "Lectures on Isaiah, chapters 40 - 66," p. 346).  Claus Westermann, in his excellent commentary, reminds us that God is speaking to a people, not a person here.  He says, "In the quite large number of Old Testament passages which use the metaphor of marriage to describe relationship with God, God's partner is always a community and never an individual.  This means that the relationship is invariably expressed from the divine point of view,...and never from the human."  (The OT library series, Isaiah 40 - 66, p.  376). 

7.  Consider the insights of the pioneers of the New Homiletic?  Charles Rice was insistent that a preacher help the listeners recognize their shared story in a text.  Here might be an excellent chance to recognize feelings of both forsakenness and becoming beloved.

Blessings on your proclamation!