Repentance: Based on Promise or Threat?

 

The First Reading for Ash Wednesday is Joel 2:1-2, 12-17.  It is a call to repentance above all.  Within this call, however, are important promises, all centering on the nature of God.  The question that this text lifts up is "What kind of God do we have?"  A merciful one?  A wrathful one?  Neither?  It will be the preacher's task to listen closely and speak the answer to those who will listen.

(The following questions have been developed as a way of exploring how the Word is functioning in a text, a fundamental concern of Law and Gospel preachers.  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?  There is little doubt that the opening verses of chapter two function as Law.  When the Word functions as Law it says, in effect, "You need Jesus!"  These verses make clear the need for a Savior.  In verses 12-17, however, we have a different story.  Yes, we have the call to repentance, but the reason for this call is a Gospel word:  "For [the Lord] is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love, and relents from punishing."  In short, we are not exhorted to repentance through threat, but through promise.

2.  With whom are you identifying in the text?  While it is likely the case that what threatens us is not a cloud of locusts, as was the case for the hearers of Joel's words, yet we too are threatened by many things, amongst them climate devastation.  We too are called to repentance in our day and age, for our exploitation of the earth, the vulnerable, those without power, and even our own selves.

3.  What, if any, call to obedience is there in this text?  The Call to Obedience is always the Word functioning to invite us to live in a certain way in response to God's grace.  One could argue that this is the case here.  I would argue that the call to repentance is not a call to obedience, but a call to faith, which always precedes the call to obedience.  Often, for example, the call to live justly is the call to obedience that follows the call to faith.

4.  What Law/Gospel couplet is suggested by this text?  Just using the vocabulary provided in the text we could imagine several couplets:  fear/faith; a day of darkness and gloom/a day of light and joy.

5.  Exegetical work:  A number of commentators have noted the connection between the writings of the prophet Hosea and these words attributed to Joel.  Christopher Seitz says that "Hosea's final appeal 'sets the context for Joel's call to "solemnize a fast" for all the nations and have the priests beseech God for mercy in the temple court.'" [In Hosea we see God's desire] that his love might lead to repentance and in so doing give new life.  Joel shows the righteous judgment of God understood in full force...Yet, inside of this judgment God himself provides, out of his own righteousness, the means for Israel's rescue."  (The International Theological Commentary, p. 92)  When one translates verse 13, the core of the Gospel in this text, one gets a sense for the amazing graciousness of God.  According to the lexicon, the word translated 'gracious' is used only of God, "upon hearing the cry of a vexed debtor."  'Merciful' may also be translated 'compassionate', 'slow to anger' could be ' a long time coming to anger', 'abounding' could be 'rich' in kindness and mercy, and finally 'relenting from punishing' could mean literally "being sorry or suffering grief for the evil/harm that is intended."  (The New Brown-Driver-Briggs-Gesenius Hebrew-English Lexicon).  Reflecting on these characteristics of God it seems entirely likely that the people who are called to repentance are so eager to do so in verses 15-17.  It is almost as if they have been told of a chance for amnesty and they are not going to miss it!

6.  How does the Crossings community model work with this text?  Marcus Felde does an inventive analysis of this text based on the imperatives present in the text, and their opposites.  He summarizes the Law as the call to Fast, Weep, and Mourn, and the Gospel as the call to Rejoice, Laugh, and Feast.  See the entire analysis archived under its reference at crossings.org/text-study.

Blessings on your proclamation!

The Veil is Lifted

 

Transfiguration Sunday is a festival in which we often focus on the glory of Christ.  St. Paul, in his second letter to the Corinthians, focused on our transfiguration "from one degree of glory to another."  The Second Reading for this day, II Corinthians 3:12-4:2, is a good chance to announce this good news.  As Paul says, "Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom."  What could be better news than that?

(The following questions are not meant to be exhaustive, but have been developed to lift up the function of the Word in the text, a primary concern of Law and Gospel preachers.  For more on this method of exegesis and a deeper understanding of Law and Gospel preaching, 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?  In this text the Word is doing everything it can do:  it is functioning as Law, as Gospel, and as a Call to Obedience.  The opening verses speak of "veiled minds" and "hardened hearts."  This is the Law, reminding us of our disobedience.  In verse 16 we have the announcement that the veil has been removed and we, with unveiled faces, are being transformed into the image of Christ. This is surely a gospel word.  Finally, in chapter 4, we are invited to live into this new identity in Christ by setting aside shameful practices, and living openly in the sight of God.

2.  With whom are you identifying in the text?  We are certainly those whom Paul is addressing, capable of having 'veiled minds', but also knowing the freedom of life in the Spirit.

3.  What Law/Gospel couplet is suggested by this text?  The primary couplet is obvious:  veiled minds/unveiled minds.  We could also suggest bondage/freedom or living shamefully/living openly in Christ.

4.  Exegetical work:  Augustine gives us some very helpful commentary in his writing on this text:  "What happens is that the deepest aspirations of those who make the change shift from the Old Testament to the New, whereupon they begin to look for spiritual - rather than earthly - happiness."  (Ancient Christian Commentary on Scripture, NT, vol. VII, p. 222).  "It is not the Old Testament that is done away with in Christ but the concealing veil, so that it may be understood through Christ.  That is, as it were, laid bare, which without Christ is hidden and obscure.  The same apostle adds immediately: 'When you shall turn to Christ, the veil shall be taken away.'  He does not say: 'The law or the Old Testament will be taken away.' (Ibid.)  A number of other ancient commentators have also chimed in on this idea that conversion is the lifting of the veil:  Origen:  "But if we turn to the Lord, where also the Word of God is and where the Holy Spirit reveals spiritual knowledge, the veil will be taken away."  Theodoret of Cyr:  "When you believe in Christ, the veil of your unbelief will be taken away."  Severian of Gabala: "We are being changed from knowledge of the law into the grace of the Spirit."  (Ibid., pp. 223-225).  Ernest Best, a contemporary scholar says it this way:  "Those who turn to the Lord have then a new hope, a new freedom, and a new boldness."  (Interpretation series, Second Corinthians, p. 34)

5.  Consider the insights of the pioneers of the New Homiletic?  This text might be an excellent chance to practice what Eugene Lowry emphasized:  to move listeners from disequilibrium to equilibrium, that is to say, from being condemned by the Law to being freed in the Gospel.

Blessings on your proclamation!

Fruitful or Fruitless? That is the Question

 

Jeremiah 17:5-10, the First Reading appointed for the 6th Sunday after Epiphany in the Year of Luke, is well-matched with the gospel reading and the psalm; indeed, they all circle around the theme of blessedness: who is blessed in God's eyes?  According to the prophet, the crucial thing is placing our trust in God and no other.  As Luther memorably said, "Whatever your heart clings to and confides in, that is really your God."  It will be the preacher's task to announce the blessedness of placing our trust in God.

(The following questions are part of a method which seeks to raise up the function of the Word in the text.  These questions are best used in conjunction with other fine sets of questions with other concerns.  To learn more about this method and its connection to Law and Gospel preaching, 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 text is split up neatly into statements regarding those cursed and those blessed, we can see that the Word is functioning as both Law and Gospel here.  On one hand, those who trust in "mere mortals" or in "their [own] strength" are cursed, bound to a fruitless existence.  On the other hand, those who trust in the Lord are blessed.  They are fruitful and live without fear.  The promises and warning are clear.

2.  With whom are you identifying in the text?  We are those whom the prophet addresses. We are those who are called to blessedness and warned against trusting in the flesh.  We are also those whose hearts are devious, tempting us to foolishness and destruction.

3.  What, if any, call to obedience is there in this text?  It almost looks like this text could be a call to obedience, yet because it is addressing the whole question of faith, it is not.  The call to obedience is the Word inviting us to live in a certain way in response to the Gospel.

4.  What Law/Gospel couplet is suggested by this text?  Couplets are readily seen in this text.  This list could be expanded upon:  cursed/blessed; fruitless/fruitful; parched/well-watered.

5.  Exegetical work:  In the NT there are two different terms used for the concept of blessedness.  They are eulogetos and makariaos.  The former term seems to lean more toward the concept of divine favor, while the latter term often also includes some sort of earthly good fortune as well.  It could well be that the terms are interchangable, however, it is interesting to note that the LXX translation of this Jeremiah text uses eulogetos  while the gospel text from Luke 6 uses makariaos.  If the nuances are in place, it seeems that Jeremiah is leaning toward divine favor as opposed to earthly prosperity.  This might make some sense since he is reminding a people heading for exile that God's favor is not made manifest only in worldly prosperity.  Augustine has much to say about this concept of trusting in self.  Here are a few excerpts:  "People who despise being in need before God, lest they receive true perseverance from him, glory in their own false endurance and seek to 'confound the counsel of the poor, because the Lord is his hope."  (Ancient Christian Commentary on Scripture, OT, vol., XII, p. 131).  "In order that we fall not away from the virtue of the soul, we ought to watch especially against those snares of the suggestions of the devil that we presume not of our own strength.'"  (Ibid., p. 133).

6.  Consider the insights of the pioneers of the New Homiletic?  Moving listeners from disequilibrium to equilibrium was always paramount to Eugene Lowry.  It might be helpful for the preacher to consider how to accomplish this clearly in this Law and Gospel text.

Blessings on your proclamation!