With the Measure You Use....
Psalm 50:16-23
16 But to the wicked person, God says:
“What right have you to recite my laws
or take my covenant on your lips?
17 You hate my instruction
and cast my words behind you.
18 When you see a thief, you join with him;
you throw in your lot with adulterers.
19 You use your mouth for evil
and harness your tongue to deceit.
20 You sit and testify against your brother
and slander your own mother’s son.
21 When you did these things and I kept silent,
you thought I was exactly like you.
But I now arraign you
and set my accusations before you.
22 “Consider this, you who forget God,
or I will tear you to pieces, with no one to rescue you:
23 Those who sacrifice thank offerings honor me,
and to the blameless I will show my salvation.”
Leviticus 13:9-46
9 “When anyone has a defiling skin disease, they must be brought to the priest. 10 The priest is to examine them, and if there is a white swelling in the skin that has turned the hair white and if there is raw flesh in the swelling, 11 it is a chronic skin disease and the priest shall pronounce them unclean. He is not to isolate them, because they are already unclean.12 “If the disease breaks out all over their skin and, so far as the priest can see, it covers all the skin of the affected person from head to foot, 13 the priest is to examine them, and if the disease has covered their whole body, he shall pronounce them clean. Since it has all turned white, they are clean. 14 But whenever raw flesh appears on them, they will be unclean. 15 When the priest sees the raw flesh, he shall pronounce them unclean. The raw flesh is unclean; they have a defiling disease. 16 If the raw flesh changes and turns white, they must go to the priest. 17 The priest is to examine them, and if the sores have turned white, the priest shall pronounce the affected person clean; then they will be clean.
Mark 4:21-29
A Lamp on a Stand
21 He said to them, “Do you bring in a lamp to put it under a bowl or a bed? Instead, don’t you put it on its stand? 22 For whatever is hidden is meant to be disclosed, and whatever is concealed is meant to be brought out into the open. 23 If anyone has ears to hear, let them hear.”
24 “Consider carefully what you hear,” he continued. “With the measure you use, it will be measured to you—and even more. 25 Whoever has will be given more; whoever does not have, even what they have will be taken from them.”
The Parable of the Growing Seed
26 He also said, “This is what the kingdom of God is like. A man scatters seed on the ground. 27 Night and day, whether he sleeps or gets up, the seed sprouts and grows, though he does not know how. 28 All by itself the soil produces grain—first the stalk, then the head, then the full kernel in the head. 29 As soon as the grain is ripe, he puts the sickle to it, because the harvest has come.”
Reflections:
In our readings today, the psalmist reflects on those who recite his law and take his covenant upon their lips, and yet continue to live lives of sin and wickedness. We see the dire consequences for this person who forgets God! I thought it was interesting that the psalmist portrayed this person as somewhat outwardly religious (doing thing that a Jewish person observing the Law would do!) We might call this person a “hypocrite” today. It looks like things have changed much in 28 centuries!!
The stuff on skin diseases is long and often confusing, consult these resources to give you a little more light on the nature of skin diseases (there are supposed 18 of them in this chapter alone!) and especially in this society at this time.
(Adapted from Daily Bible Study Tips.Com)Priests were experts not only on sacrifices, but also on clean and unclean. Another way to be ritually unclean was to have a skin disease, and thus the priests had to be good diagnostic dermatologists. Yesterday we saw that unclean animals may or may not be a public-health issue, but skin diseases certainly are. Leprosy, or measles for that matter, is no joke in a pre-antibiotic, pre-hospital society. The only way they could stop the spread of disease was isolation.
For another slightly different opinion of interpretation of Leviticus 13 see this link:
http://www.hornsbyanglican.org.au/Lev%2013-14.pdf
Some of you may be interested that male pattern baldness is neither a skin disease nor unclean (Lev. 13:40-41). So losing your hair is not an excuse for missing church, guys. LOL!!!
Then in our Gospel lesson, Jesus continues to teach on how the Kingdom works. He uses the metaphor of a lamp set on stand rather than hiding under the bed or a table. Simply put God’s kingdom is meant to emanate out from us not be hidden. It is meant to affect others and shine out rather than be relegated to a corner. What might this mean to our churches who often become isolated from society, forming holy huddles that mainly help those in the church versus those in the world. Hmmm. Do you think God might be saying something to us here??
It is the same with the second metaphor of the seeds that have been planted that grow at night without our manipulation. What might this being saying to us? Could it be that as we are faithful to plant the seeds and spread the Good News into the world that God will do the work of bring the harvest? Could it be that we don’t have to control the outcome but we have to be faithful to do the work God has called us to do? For instance we are called to disciple, but we know we can’t control or change people. But we can invest in relationships and let God work as we interact and spend time with people showing them what God’s kingdom looks like in our lives and then trusting God that he will bring the fruit of spiritual growth in this person’s life.
And then we are given a promise, with the measure you give it will be given to you. And as God grants the increase He will continue to give more to those who are making the right investments! What measure are you using today for God’s purposes?
I will bless you as long as I live; I will lift up my hands and call on your name. Psalm 63:4
I will pray with the spirit, but I will pray with the mind also; I will sing praise with the spirit, but I will sing praise with the mind also. 1 Corinthians 14:15
Father, we pray to you with our hearts, minds and spirits. Hear our prayers and lead us as we share your story with those around us. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.
16 But to the wicked person, God says:
“What right have you to recite my laws
or take my covenant on your lips?
17 You hate my instruction
and cast my words behind you.
18 When you see a thief, you join with him;
you throw in your lot with adulterers.
19 You use your mouth for evil
and harness your tongue to deceit.
20 You sit and testify against your brother
and slander your own mother’s son.
21 When you did these things and I kept silent,
you thought I was exactly like you.
But I now arraign you
and set my accusations before you.
22 “Consider this, you who forget God,
or I will tear you to pieces, with no one to rescue you:
23 Those who sacrifice thank offerings honor me,
and to the blameless I will show my salvation.”
Leviticus 13:9-46
9 “When anyone has a defiling skin disease, they must be brought to the priest. 10 The priest is to examine them, and if there is a white swelling in the skin that has turned the hair white and if there is raw flesh in the swelling, 11 it is a chronic skin disease and the priest shall pronounce them unclean. He is not to isolate them, because they are already unclean.12 “If the disease breaks out all over their skin and, so far as the priest can see, it covers all the skin of the affected person from head to foot, 13 the priest is to examine them, and if the disease has covered their whole body, he shall pronounce them clean. Since it has all turned white, they are clean. 14 But whenever raw flesh appears on them, they will be unclean. 15 When the priest sees the raw flesh, he shall pronounce them unclean. The raw flesh is unclean; they have a defiling disease. 16 If the raw flesh changes and turns white, they must go to the priest. 17 The priest is to examine them, and if the sores have turned white, the priest shall pronounce the affected person clean; then they will be clean.
Mark 4:21-29
A Lamp on a Stand
21 He said to them, “Do you bring in a lamp to put it under a bowl or a bed? Instead, don’t you put it on its stand? 22 For whatever is hidden is meant to be disclosed, and whatever is concealed is meant to be brought out into the open. 23 If anyone has ears to hear, let them hear.”
24 “Consider carefully what you hear,” he continued. “With the measure you use, it will be measured to you—and even more. 25 Whoever has will be given more; whoever does not have, even what they have will be taken from them.”
The Parable of the Growing Seed
26 He also said, “This is what the kingdom of God is like. A man scatters seed on the ground. 27 Night and day, whether he sleeps or gets up, the seed sprouts and grows, though he does not know how. 28 All by itself the soil produces grain—first the stalk, then the head, then the full kernel in the head. 29 As soon as the grain is ripe, he puts the sickle to it, because the harvest has come.”
Reflections:
In our readings today, the psalmist reflects on those who recite his law and take his covenant upon their lips, and yet continue to live lives of sin and wickedness. We see the dire consequences for this person who forgets God! I thought it was interesting that the psalmist portrayed this person as somewhat outwardly religious (doing thing that a Jewish person observing the Law would do!) We might call this person a “hypocrite” today. It looks like things have changed much in 28 centuries!!
The stuff on skin diseases is long and often confusing, consult these resources to give you a little more light on the nature of skin diseases (there are supposed 18 of them in this chapter alone!) and especially in this society at this time.
(Adapted from Daily Bible Study Tips.Com)Priests were experts not only on sacrifices, but also on clean and unclean. Another way to be ritually unclean was to have a skin disease, and thus the priests had to be good diagnostic dermatologists. Yesterday we saw that unclean animals may or may not be a public-health issue, but skin diseases certainly are. Leprosy, or measles for that matter, is no joke in a pre-antibiotic, pre-hospital society. The only way they could stop the spread of disease was isolation.
For another slightly different opinion of interpretation of Leviticus 13 see this link:
http://www.hornsbyanglican.org.au/Lev%2013-14.pdf
Some of you may be interested that male pattern baldness is neither a skin disease nor unclean (Lev. 13:40-41). So losing your hair is not an excuse for missing church, guys. LOL!!!
Then in our Gospel lesson, Jesus continues to teach on how the Kingdom works. He uses the metaphor of a lamp set on stand rather than hiding under the bed or a table. Simply put God’s kingdom is meant to emanate out from us not be hidden. It is meant to affect others and shine out rather than be relegated to a corner. What might this mean to our churches who often become isolated from society, forming holy huddles that mainly help those in the church versus those in the world. Hmmm. Do you think God might be saying something to us here??
It is the same with the second metaphor of the seeds that have been planted that grow at night without our manipulation. What might this being saying to us? Could it be that as we are faithful to plant the seeds and spread the Good News into the world that God will do the work of bring the harvest? Could it be that we don’t have to control the outcome but we have to be faithful to do the work God has called us to do? For instance we are called to disciple, but we know we can’t control or change people. But we can invest in relationships and let God work as we interact and spend time with people showing them what God’s kingdom looks like in our lives and then trusting God that he will bring the fruit of spiritual growth in this person’s life.
And then we are given a promise, with the measure you give it will be given to you. And as God grants the increase He will continue to give more to those who are making the right investments! What measure are you using today for God’s purposes?
I will bless you as long as I live; I will lift up my hands and call on your name. Psalm 63:4
I will pray with the spirit, but I will pray with the mind also; I will sing praise with the spirit, but I will sing praise with the mind also. 1 Corinthians 14:15
Father, we pray to you with our hearts, minds and spirits. Hear our prayers and lead us as we share your story with those around us. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.
Comments
Post a Comment