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Fourth Sunday after Pentecost
June 24, 2012
that of those who “forget God”, v. 17) is to be in limbo in “Sheol”. God will oneday remember the needy; he will give hope to the poor (v. 18). May God intercede These comments present one interpretation of today’s readings; other interpreta- against the ungodly, who think themselves above mortality.
tions may be possible. Comments are best read with the readings.
www.montreal.anglican.org/comments/ 2 Corinthians 6:1-13
1 Samuel 17:(1a,4-11,19-23),32-49
As Paul and his coworkers, Timothy and Apollos, (servants) work together withGod (the Holy Spirit), they urge the Christians at Corinth to “accept the grace of Israel’s arch-enemy was Philistia, a nation on the Mediterranean coast. The two God” productively, i.e. “not . in vain”. Based on Isaiah 49:8 (“have”, v. 2, is pro- armies face each other across a river valley in the hills west of Bethlehem. In an- phetic), Paul tells them that now is the time when God gives grace, his love to us: cient times, a dispute between nations might be decided by individual combat, as now we are being restored to union with God. The servants are aiding “in every way” (v. 4) they can. They have shown themselves true agents of God in enduring “Goliath” (v. 4), “the/this Philistine” (in other verses) is very tall, wears a heavy physical and mental pressures (“afflictions”, vv. 4, 5a) and “hardships” (listed in “coat of mail” (v. 5) and bronze “greaves” (v. 6, shin pads), and carries a javelin v. 5b) – unlike Paul’s critics – by the fruits of the Spirit (vv. 6, 7a and Galatians (v. 7). Saul and the Israelites are intimidated by the sight of him. David prepares 5:22-23), using the whole offensive (“right hand”, v. 7) and defensive (“the left”) himself (vv. 20, 22); he says: “. who is this . that he should defy the armies of armament which God provides, whether honoured or discredited (by their critics, who even call them “impostors”, v. 8, i.e. not true to God.) Seen as insignificant(as bad teachers), they are valued by true Christians, “dying” (v. 9) to self-cen- In v. 32 David offers to represent Israel, but Saul questions David’s military ex- teredness but alive in following Christ; “sorrowful” (v. 10) that the Corinthian perience. David replies: as a shepherd, to protect the sheep, I have killed “lions Christians feel hurt that he refused their aid (he did not need it), yet “rejoicing” and bears” (v. 36); I intend to kill Goliath using the same weapon (a sling). God that they are faithful; living in poverty, yet “making many rich” spiritually and has protected me from wild animals; he will protect me from Goliath (v. 37).
“possessing everything” that matters.
Saul agrees to David’s offer (he has little choice!); he offers David his “armour” They have laid everything (their innermost thoughts) on the table to the Church (v.
(v. 38), but David, unused to a coat of mail and a helmet, finds them cumbersome, 11). He loves without limits all at Corinth – even his opponents who do not love and so removes them. He takes his sling, and stones from the river bed (“wadi”, v.
him. May his critics grow up (“children”, v. 13) and imitate his love.
40). “The Philistine” disdains David, curses him (v. 43) and insults him (v. 44).
David answers: “I come . in the name of the Lord .” (v. 45); God will give him Mark 4:35-41
victory so that “all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel” (v. 46), that Jesus has told the good news of the Kingdom to the crowds, in a way they could God prevails over material advantage (v. 47). David, using his unconventional understand, but he has gone further with those close to him: “he explained every- weapon (one highly accurate in the hands of a specialist), slays “the Philistine” thing in private to his disciples” (vv. 33-34).
(v. 49). This victory is the start of David’s move towards the throne.
After teaching from a boat, with the crowds along the shore, he now suggests to Psalm 9:9-20
the disciples that they “go across to the other side” (v. 35), to the eastern shore of Because each pair of verses begins with a successive letter of the Hebrew alpha- the Sea of Galilee. A flotilla of boats follow, but they scatter before the storm. (He bet, we know that this psalm and Psalm 10 were originally one, even though the is “just as he was”, v. 36, in the same posture as earlier, in the boat.) Squalls themes are different: Psalm 9 expresses thanksgiving; Psalm 10 laments that devi- (“windstorm”, v. 37) are common on the Sea of Galilee, for the hills around it are ants from God’s ways, who hold God in contempt, pursue those devoted to God.
high. Jesus is “in the stern”, v. 38, on the helmsman’s seat, well above the waves.
He is “asleep”: he has complete confidence in God. The disciples see him as Those who know God (v. 10) will trust in him, for he is faithful to those who seek “teacher”; they do not yet know him fully. Jesus is awoken and rebukes (v. 39) the him. The avenger of blood (v. 12) is God; he will remember the pleas of those wind – as though it is a demon (see 1:25). To ancients, the sea symbolized the hurt by the wicked. Give me your grace, your freely given gift of love (“gra- powers of chaos and evil. Jesus commands it to be still: only God can control na- cious”, v. 13), you who restore me from death’s door. “Gates of death” is a figure ture. He castigates the disciples (v. 40): either they lack faith in God (do not fol- for Sheol: in Judaism, the abode of those who have died. The psalmist proclaims low Jesus’ example of trust in him) or in him (as a worker of wonders). Their this in the Temple in Jerusalem (“Zion”, v. 14). Vv. 15-18 express his renewed question in v. 41 is an implicit confession of Jesus’ divinity: the sea obeys him as confidence: the “wicked”, the ungodly have fallen into the trap they created by it does God in the Old Testament (Genesis 1:2). Jesus’ power extends even to their deviant behaviour (“their own hands”, v. 16); God is just. Their destiny (and power over natural disasters, then thought to be the work of the devil.

Source: http://montreal.anglican.org/comments/acrobat/bpr129m.pdf