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| Image by Pablo Mandresa |
1st Reading (track 1): Exodus 3:1-15
The story of the call of Moses is a rich one. It occurs at Mt. Horeb (which is also called
Mt. Sinai—see 19:11), which may well have been a sacred site for the
Midianites. Many have tried to explain the nature of the burning bush, but that
is unimportant to the story. It is a
theophany, a manifestation of God. God’s
primary message is that he has heard the cry of his people and intends to
rescue them. Moses will be his
messenger. Moses asks why he is to be
the one. God’s answer is not an answer
but a directive: you will go and bring them here. Moses then asks just who this God who is
directing them, and so we are given the divine Name. In Hebrew it is four letters “yhwh,” probably
pronounced “Yahweh,” but Jewish tradition has always held it to be
unpronounceable, therefore wherever it appears in the text it is rendered in
Hebrew “Adonai,” translated “lord” in English, and rendered in capital letters
to signify that it is actually the divine Name.
It’s meaning is something like “I am who I am,” or, perhaps, “I will be
who I will be.”
3:1 Moses was keeping the flock of his father-in-law Jethro, the
priest of Midian; he led his flock beyond the wilderness, and came to Horeb,
the mountain of God. 2 There the
angel of the Lord appeared to him
in a flame of fire out of a bush; he looked, and the bush was blazing, yet it
was not consumed. 3 Then Moses
said, “I must turn aside and look at this great sight, and see why the bush is
not burned up.” 4 When the Lord saw that he had turned aside to
see, God called to him out of the bush, “Moses, Moses!” And he said, “Here I am.”
5 Then he said, “Come no closer!
Remove the sandals from your feet, for the place on which you are standing is
holy ground.” 6 He said further, “I
am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of
Jacob.” And Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look at God. 7 Then the Lord
said, “I have observed the misery of my people who are in Egypt; I have heard
their cry on account of their taskmasters. Indeed, I know their sufferings, 8 and I have come down to deliver them from the
Egyptians, and to bring them up out of that land to a good and broad land, a
land flowing with milk and honey, to the country of the Canaanites, the
Hittites, the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites. 9 The cry of the Israelites has now come to
me; I have also seen how the Egyptians oppress them. 10 So come, I will send you to Pharaoh to
bring my people, the Israelites, out of Egypt.” 11
But Moses said to God, “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh, and
bring the Israelites out of Egypt?” 12 He
said, “I will be with you; and this shall be the sign for you that it is I who
sent you: when you have brought the people out of Egypt, you shall worship God
on this mountain.” 13 But Moses
said to God, “If I come to the Israelites and say to them, ‘The God of your
ancestors has sent me to you,’ and they ask me, ‘What is his name?’ what shall
I say to them?” 14 God said to
Moses, “I am who I am.” He said
further, “Thus you shall say to the Israelites, ‘I am has sent me to you.’” 15
God also said to Moses, “Thus you shall say to the Israelites,
‘The Lord, the God of your
ancestors, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent
me to you’: This is my name forever, and
this my title for all generations.
Psalm
105:1-6, 23-26, 45c (Track 1)
Psalm 105 is one of the “historical psalms” which tells
the story of Israel in lines of poetry (the others are 78, 106, 135, and 136).
In Psalm 105, the first six verses are a general introduction, encouraging the
people to give thanks and praise as they “remember the marvels he has done.” We
then have the verses that apply to the call of Moses, with the concluding
“Hallelujah” (which in Hebrew literally means “Praise the Lord”).
1 Give thanks to the Lord
and call upon his Name; *
make known his deeds among the peoples.
2 Sing to him, sing praises to him, *
and speak of all his marvelous works.
3 Glory in his holy Name; *
let the hearts of those who seek the Lord rejoice.
4 Search for the Lord
and his strength *
continually seek his face.
5 Remember the marvels he has done, *
his wonders and the judgments of his mouth,
6 O offspring of Abraham his servant, *
O children of Jacob his chosen.
23 Israel came into Egypt, *
and Jacob became a sojourner in the land of Ham.
24 The Lord made his
people exceedingly fruitful; *
he made them stronger than their enemies;
25 Whose
heart he turned, so that they hated his people, *
and
dealt unjustly with his servants.
26 He
sent Moses his servant, *
and
Aaron whom he had chosen. [45c] Hallelujah!
1st Reading (Track 2): Jeremiah 15:15-21
This passage is a poem of lament, not unlike many of the
psalms (including today’s). The
background is the reluctance of the prophet, particularly given the message he
knows will be received with hostility. It begins with something of a retort, a
kind of “listen up!” The prophet then proclaims his innocence and his desire to
do God’s work. The metaphor of eating
the words of God are also found in Ezekiel, chapter 3. Verse 18 is pivotal: the prophet goes so far
as to accuse God of deceit. Unlike the
psalms of lament, however, God does not reply with reassurance and the promise
of faithfulness. He tells Jeremiah to do
the work he has given him to do. This is not a time for reassurance, neither
for Jeremiah, nor Israel. This is a time
of adhering to the rigorous demands of God.
15:15
O Lord, you know; remember me and visit
me, and bring down retribution for me on my persecutors. In your forbearance do
not take me away; know that on your account I suffer insult. 16 Your words were found, and I ate them, and
your words became to me a joy and the delight of my heart; for I am called by
your name, O Lord, God of hosts. 17 I did not sit in the company of
merrymakers, nor did I rejoice; under the weight of your hand I sat alone, for
you had filled me with indignation. 18 Why
is my pain unceasing, my wound incurable, refusing to be healed? Truly, you are
to me like a deceitful brook, like waters that fail. 19 Therefore thus says the Lord: If you turn back, I will take you
back, and you shall stand before me. If you utter what is precious, and not
what is worthless, you shall serve as my mouth. It is they who will turn to
you, not you who will turn to them. 20 And
I will make you to this people a fortified wall of bronze; they will fight
against you, but they shall not prevail over you, for I am with you to save you
and deliver you, says the Lord. 21 I will deliver you out of the hand of the
wicked, and redeem you from the grasp of the ruthless.
Psalm
26:1-8 (Track 2)
Psalm 26 is typical of many of the psalms in that there
is a triangle of relationships: the
speaker, his or her enemies, and Israel’s God.
The plea on the part of the speaker is for judgment. In verses 1-3, the speaker gives his initial
petition and reminds God of his or her faithfulness. Verses 4-5 make clear the two sides being
presented. Verses 6-8 are a testimony to
the power and safety of the Temple sanctuary.
The psalm goes on to reiterate the case against the enemies, and repeats
the plea for justice.
1 Give judgment for me, O Lord,
for I have lived with integrity; *
I have trusted in the Lord and have not faltered.
2 Test me, O Lord,
and try me; *
examine my heart and my mind.
3 For your love is before my eyes; *
I have walked faithfully with you.
4 I have not sat with the worthless, *
nor do I consort with the deceitful.
5 I have hated the company of evildoers; *
I will not sit down with the wicked.
6 I will wash my hands in innocence, O Lord, *
that I may go in procession round your altar,
7 Singing aloud a song of thanksgiving *
and recounting all your wonderful deeds.
8 Lord, I love the
house in which you dwell *
and the place where your glory abides.
2nd Reading: Romans 12:9-21
Paul continues in chapter 12 his encouragement to
Christian living. He begins with “genuine love” which produces “mutual
affection,” shown primarily in generosity, hospitality, compassion (in its
literal meaning, “to suffer with”), and humility. He ends this passage with a warning not to
seek revenge when wronged, but instead to respond with kindness which will
bring shame on one’s enemies. The quote
in verse 19 is from Deuteronomy 32:35, and in verse 20, Proverbs 25:21-22.
12:9 Let love be genuine; hate what is evil, hold fast to what is good; 10 love one another with mutual affection;
outdo one another in showing honor. 11 Do
not lag in zeal, be ardent in spirit, serve the Lord. 12 Rejoice in hope, be patient in suffering,
persevere in prayer. 13 Contribute
to the needs of the saints; extend hospitality to strangers. 14 Bless those who persecute you; bless and do
not curse them. 15 Rejoice with
those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. 16 Live
in harmony with one another; do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly;
do not claim to be wiser than you are. 17 Do
not repay anyone evil for evil, but take thought for what is noble in the sight
of all. 18 If it is possible, so
far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. 19 Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave room for the
wrath of God; for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the
Lord.” 20 No, “if your enemies are
hungry, feed them; if they are thirsty, give them something to drink; for by
doing this you will heap burning coals on their heads.” 21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome
evil with good.
Gospel Reading: Matthew 16:21-28
Peter has just confessed
that Jesus is the Messiah, but immediately this produces a
misunderstanding. Jesus tells how he
must suffer, die, and be raised. This
does not jive with Peter’s understanding of “Messiah.” He expects triumph, not suffering. Jesus’ rebuke is strong, using the word
“Satan” (adversary or tempter), and he goes further in that not only he will
suffer, but it will be the cost of discipleship as well. The last verse raises the expectation of a
swift return, and perhaps that was Jesus’ expectation, but he also confesses in
other places that the timing is in God’s hands, and so it has been.
16:21 From that time on, Jesus began to show his disciples that he must go
to Jerusalem and undergo great suffering at the hands of the elders and chief
priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised. 22 And Peter took him aside and began to
rebuke him, saying, “God forbid it, Lord! This must never happen to you.” 23 But he turned and said to Peter, “Get
behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; for you are setting your
mind not on divine things but on human things.” 24
Then Jesus told his disciples, “If any want to become my
followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. 25 For those who want to save their life will
lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake will find it. 26 For what will it profit them if they gain
the whole world but forfeit their life? Or what will they give in return for
their life? 27 For the Son of Man
is to come with his angels in the glory of his Father, and then he will repay
everyone for what has been done. 28 Truly
I tell you, there are some standing here who will not taste death before they
see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom.”
The Scripture quotations (except for the
psalm) are from the New Revised Standard
Version Bible, copyright © 1989 by the Division of Christian Education of
the National Council of Churches of Christ in the U.S.A., and are used by
permission. All rights reserved. The Psalm translations are from The Book of Common Prayer. Commentaries are copyright © 2017
Epiphany ESources, 67 E. Main St., Hornell, NY 14843. www.EpiphanyEsources.com. All rights
reserved. Permission is given to copy for congregational use with this
attribution.
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