For the scribes and the Pharisees (at least as they function in Matthew’s narrative), “righteousness” is measured by punctiliousness in keeping the commandments — and not just the written commandments, but also the extensive oral tradition of interpretations and applications of the commandments. All Rights Reserved. February 9, 2020 by Paul S. Nancarrow The readings assigned for the Fifth Sunday after the Epiphany continue the seasonal emphasis on the early ministry of Jesus, with a second block of teaching from the Sermon on the Mount and related teachings on the right way to … We are reconciled to God and one another, united in Christ, no matter our love for all the less-than-heavenly-kingdoms. I can hear that…, Sign Up for Updates and Breaking News in your inbox, © Copyright 2020 The Presbyterian Outlook. While we often think of fasting specifically as abstinence from food, in this context it refers to a more general adoption of a posture of humility before God. But there are problems with the sincerity and right intentionality of the cult, and that is reflected also in injustice and disruption in community relationships. 5th Sunday after Epiphany — February 9, 2020 February 7, 2020 by Jill Duffield Leave a Comment. Psalm 112:1-10 continues in the same vein as the final section of the Isaiah oracle, providing a virtual catalogue of the good things that will come to “those who fear the LORD, who greatly delight in his commandments.” Some of these things look like the people’s own works: “they are gracious, merciful, and righteous”; they “deal generously and lend”; they “have distributed freely, they have given to the poor.” Some of these things look like God’s works for them, beyond their own ability: “their descendants will be mighty in the land”; they “rise in the darkness as a light”; “they will be remembered forever”; “their horn is exalted in honor.” In truth, all these qualities of “happiness” arise from the co-creating of God and the people together. The content of this wisdom is “what God has prepared for those who love him”; the key to this wisdom is love. How do you discern if you are worshipping rightly and in ways that please God? Such fasting as you do today will not make your voice heard on high.” The people go through the motions of fasting, they “bow down the head like a bulrush,” they “lie in sackcloth and ashes.” But the form of their action does not lead to proper fruit of the action, their accomplished occasions do not satisfy the aims initially given by God. Nevertheless, the question Isaiah raises about the right intention of practices of devotion and the fruit of that devotion in relationships of justice is pertinent to us in any season and for any devotional practice. True worship and religious ritual pleasing to God entails feeding the hungry, freeing the oppressed and bringing the homeless poor into your home. What does it mean in real terms to be the light and salt Jesus commands? Gifts bestowed by God can only be “understood” through the Spirit of God, since the Spirit is the “within” of God (just as the human spirit is the “within” of a human person); therefore divine gifts can only be understood in terms of their ability to unify and manifest God’s aims for cooperative co-creation in the community. We must read Paul’s words about discerning God’s gifts against the backdrop of the elitism and factionalism of the Corinthian community, so that we may recognize the irony that opens up into a deeper truth. Churches go back to the future with drive-in services in the time of the coronavirus. , we hear Jesus’ teaching on the extent of righteousness. Which kingdom do we desire, honestly? Greatness, in the kingdom of heaven, consists of fulfilling God’s law, the law Jesus came to fulfill, the law summed up as loving God and neighbor. What would it look like for us to truly worship as Isaiah outlines? Want to receive Looking into the lectionary content in your inbox on Mondays? What do you love? That is why “the desire of the wicked comes to nothing” eventually, as we can see with so many of the super-rich today. Lessons and Prayer: The Fifth Sunday after Epiphany, Year A (2/9/2020) Lessons. Are there people and issues, places and things, God may be calling you to notice, shine a light on in Christ’s name? Begin typing your search above and press return to search. Website Design by Poka Yoke Design, GA meeting site in Baltimore to be converted into field hospital. But for Jesus, what is “right” in “righteousness” is relationship. Surely not the wisdom of this age or the rulers of this age, but unquestionably God’s wisdom. James K.A. Jesus came to fulfill the law, not abolish it. What the righteous accomplish, they accomplish by the aims and in the strength of God; what God gives is given through the openness and willingness and intention of the righteous to receive. Do we love what we think we love? Christ crucified is the wisdom of God, contrasted with the wisdom of this age and its current rulers. What is seen or not seen as wise and happy is also a theme in 1 Corinthians 2:1-16. This contrast is expressed in the opening verses of the oracle: on the one hand the people profess to “delight to know God’s ways” and to “ask of God righteous judgments”; yet on the other hand they complain to God “Why do we fast, but you do not see? Hymn Suggestions based on the Lectionary Calendar Texts for February 9, 2020 - Fifth Sunday after the Epiphany, Year A. Join our mailing list to have this content delivered directly to your inbox every Monday afternoon. This contrast is expressed in the opening verses of the oracle: on the one hand the people profess to “delight to know God’s ways” and to “ask of God righteous judgments”; yet on the other hand they complain to God “Why do we fast, but you do not see?
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