A Lenten Reading of Matthew - Day Forty

Scripture Reading: Matthew 27:57-66 (NRSVUE)

On this Holy Saturday, we ponder the burial of Jesus.  Matthew's Gospel is the only one of the four that includes the details of the religious leaders' collusion with Pilate to place soldiers guarding the tomb of Jesus.  This likely was to refute one of the claims with which the early church had to contend: that disciples of Jesus simply took his body which created an empty tomb.

While this would be the simplest explanation in that is requires nothing miraculous, it wouldn't explain the devotion unto death of each of his disciples who attest to the resurrection.

But prior to that we have the somewhat mysterious figure of Joseph of Arimathea.  Luke names this as a Jewish town but scholars are conflicted over the exact location.  Matthew names Joseph as a wealthy disciple of Jesus.  Mark and Luke name him as a member of the council while John declares that he was a disciple in secret for fear of the Jewish leadership.  

A disciple of Jesus would have been more afraid of the Romans at this point since Jesus was crucified as "King of the Jews" which would brand him as a revolutionary.  He goes to the Roman governor Pilate and asks for the body.  The earliest Gospel, Mark, states that he went boldly to Pilate.  This adverb may be understated.  While it was dangerous, Joseph's wealth may have been an influencing factor as classes weren't fluid in the first century.

All of the Gospels agree that Joseph of Arimathea was the one to bury Jesus in a rock-hewn tomb.  Only Mark (the earliest) omits the detail that it was unused.  This was important in that the dead were considered unclean and we see Jesus isn't placed with other corpses.

As a disciple, Joseph likely heard the death and resurrection predictions of Jesus before the crucifixion.  After being a witness to the former, was he hoping for the latter?  He may be no different from modern disciples who bury their loved ones and hope.  I believe it was this faith that helped Joseph to risk confronting Pilate after his Rabbi was crucified as a rebel.

As we wait for Easter, we are all but assured of a celebration on Sunday.  We know what's coming and we expect to hear the resurrection preached!  But it may help us to revisit the surprise if we linger a little longer at the tomb.  The reality of death can overwhelm us just as surely as it did the first disciples.  But the rituals such as proper burial help us to cope.  

The fear of our own mortality is still present in the world today.  But as we linger at the tomb, we may discover that it doesn't hold the power that we sometimes give it.

Prayer for the day:

God, whose eternal love for our weak and struggling race was most perfectly shown forth in the blessed life and death of Jesus Christ our Lord, enable me now so to meditate upon my Lord's tomb that, having fellowship with him in his sorrow, I may also learn the secret of his strength and peace.  Amen.

Prayer adapted from John Baillie, Church of Scotland, 20th Century

Photo by Rob Hurson via Flickr.com.  Used under the Creative Commons license.

A Lenten Reading of Matthew - Day Thirty-Nine

Scripture Reading: Matthew 27:1-56 (NRSVUE)

It is only in Matthew's account that we see the price of Jesus' betrayal named as thirty pieces of silver. This references the prophecy from Zechariah 11:4-14.  Within this text, the prophet is insulted by the wage they pay him (30 shekels of silver) which is the price you would pay for a slave from Exodus 21:32.  Zechariah sarcastically calls it a "lordly price", and he throws it into the treasury of the house of the Lord.  Notice that treasury could also be translated as potter's house.  

We see Judas returning his wages in a similar fashion.  The religious leaders buy the potter's field as a place to bury foreigners which is another tie to the Zechariah text.

Within the prophet's passage, we see God break the staffs named Favor and Unity.  

When Jesus dies, we see the curtain in the Temple - separating the world from the holiest presence of God - torn in two.  As the early church moves forward, we see that God's favor falls upon Jesus and that anyone - even a foreigner or Gentile - may put on Christ and find this favor.  One could say that the staff of favor was broken by the cross.  Any kind of Unity of Judea would have been seen as smashed within the destruction of the Temple forty years after Jesus.

The Gnostic Gospel of Judas presents Judas as a faithful disciple who betrays Jesus at his own insistence.  Gnostics were believers in a strict separation of the earthly and the spiritual.  The earthly was seen as evil while the spiritual was seen as divine.  Gnostics didn't mix the two.  And so, Judas is seen as a hero by setting up the death of Jesus which frees him from this (supposedly) evil sphere and allows him to return to the spiritual.  

Some Gnostic theologies went on to say that Jesus was never here in an earthly body in the first place and only seemed to be present.  According to them, his suffering wasn't real because he wasn't really here physically.  

These theological expressions were branded heretical by the early church, and this is partly why we proclaim in the Apostles' Creed, "he suffered under Pontius Pilate."  

We can see in Matthew's writing that Jesus does actually suffer and die.  His suffering is physical, but it is also spiritual in that he feels forsaken by God.  One could say that God experienced the lows of human experience physically and spiritually through the person of Jesus of Nazareth.  Of course, Jesus also experiences the betrayal of his disciple which would have been a relational low.  

As we experience Good Friday, we may bring our own sense of loss or suffering.  In Matthew's Gospel, we remember that early in the account, Jesus is named Emmanuel which means, "God is with us."  God's solidarity with us during our painful times is expressed in the cross.  

We also remember that Simon of Cyrene carries the cross for Jesus.  This would have been difficult for Peter because he may have felt that it should have been Simon Peter carrying it.  

How might we express our thankfulness to Jesus by carrying his cross today?  

Prayer for the day:

By your wounded hands: teach us diligence and generosity.
By your wounded feet: teach us steadfastness and perseverance.
By your wounded and insulted head: teach us patience, clarity and self-mastery.
By your wounded heart: teach us love, teach us love, teach us love, O Master and Saviour.
Amen.

Prayer by Daphne Fraser, Church of England, 20th Century

Photo by Michal Kosmulski via Flickr.com.  Used under the Creative Commons license.

 

A Lenten Reading of Matthew - Day Thiry-Eight

Scripture Reading: Matthew 26:17-75 (NRSVUE) 

On this Holy Thursday, we remember the institution of the Lord's Supper out of the Passover meal shared by Jesus with his disciples.

When Jesus states that one of you will betray me, it would be shocking to the disciples even after they have heard his predictions of his own death.  As they inquire after who it will be, Jesus gives the cryptic response of the one who has dipped his hand in the bowl with me.  In the first century, all of those feasting together would have used their hands to dip into the common bowl for their meal.  So, it could have been any of them.

Notice that Jesus is aware of this lapse of faithfulness prior to the sharing in the Last Supper.  All of the disciples will fall away and yet, Jesus does not deny them this meal together.  This instructs us today as to the open table in Holy Communion because it is about the grace of God rather than the readiness of the recipient.   

And lest we think that Holy Communion gives us some magical protection against sin, think again!

Sometimes our bodies
overcome our intentions

Peter, James and John keep falling asleep while Jesus is praying at the very moment that Judas is leading a religious mob to arrest him.  The disciples all abandon Jesus.  And then Peter does deny him even though he was warned that this would happen. 

Of course, all of these disciples had dipped their hand into the bowl with Jesus.

I do believe that Holy Communion can help people overcome temptation.  But I think it is helpful to know that nothing is fool proof, and this is a reminder that we all ultimately rely on God's grace.

Another example of this grace is when they seek to arrest Jesus.  He makes the statement when his disciples use violence to defend him that he could call down angels to his aid.  Matthew is the only Gospel that includes this detail and we see that Jesus is still in charge and submits willingly (if not without reservation from his prayer in the garden).  

His obedience unto death is the final sign-act of God's grace for the world.  And for those with a Trinitarian viewpoint, this states that there is nothing that God wouldn't do for you.

May this thought be enough for today.

Prayer for the day:

O Lord, that lends me life,
Lend me a heart replete with thankfulness. 
Amen.

Prayer by William Shakespeare, England, 17th Century

Photo by Richard Masoner via Flickr.com.  Used under the Creative Commons License.

A Lenten Reading of Matthew - Day Thirty-Seven

Today's Reading: Matthew 26:1-16 (NRSVUE)

Jesus has finished his time of teaching (in the last chapter) as he notes that the crucifixion is coming.

We then see the plotting - this time by the chief priests and the elders rather than the scribes and Pharisees.  These priests and elders would likely have been Sadducees.

Jesus seems to be disruptive of the religious status quo wherever he goes.  When he is in the surrounding towns and rural areas, the scribes and Pharisees would have been the religious leaders.  Now that he's entered Jerusalem, it is the chief priests of the Temple who find Jesus to be troublesome to the point of removal.

They would prefer to eliminate Jesus without causing a disturbance.  We will see that in Matthew's Gospel, an earthquake will occur at his death so they will create a violent response whether they know it or not.

The scene is moving toward crucifixion just as Jesus has predicted.

We seek to express grief
in different ways

It seems that an unnamed woman (John identifies her as Mary of Bethany, sister of Martha and Lazarus) is aware of his impending death more than his closest disciples.  She anoints him for burial, pouring it on his head rather than his feet as in John's account.  This would also remind the reader of Psalm 23 where God anoints the head with oil.  Jesus will later eat with his enemy as reflected in this psalm as well.

The disciples were at least listening when Jesus was just talking about righteousness and the sheep and the goats.  Not wanting to be goats, they complain about how this could have been used for the poor.  Unfortunately, while they are in sync with his teachings, they continue to remain oblivious to his coming crucifixion.  Jesus uses the anointing as a sign-act of his imminent death.

The betrayal of Judas - one of the twelve inner disciples - contrasts the woman's generosity with an act that is self-serving.  Judas is declining to be poor in spirit and misses entirely the kingdom of heaven.  He does not hunger and thirst for righteousness and so remains empty.

Judas may have been disrupted by Jesus' ministry just like the Pharisees or the Sadducees.

How do we respond to the disruption of Jesus in our lives?  We may seek to evade it in different ways.  But Lent (and especially Holy Week) is the time for self-reflection rather than self-service.  What is the one thing that holds us back the most?

Prayer for the day:

God, I'm glad to be alive - to breathe and walk; to laugh and cry; to see life's beauty and its grandeur.  I know, too, its beastliness, squalor; its poverty, disease and hate.  As I give thanks for all my blessings, give me, Lord, the will to share with others what I have so undeservedly been given.  Make me loving, courteous, considerate; give me a listening ear, a compassionate heart and a generous mind.  Let me live my life in your sight for others so that they, too, may find you and give thanks.  Amen.

Prayer by John Charles Vockler, Anglican Bishop, 20th Century

Photo by Thomas via Flickr.com.  Used under the Creative Commons license.

A Lenten Reading of Matthew - Day Thirty-Six

Scripture Reading: Matthew 25:31-46 (NRSVUE)

This is one of the most famous passages from Matthew and it only occurs in his Gospel.  We don't see any doctrinal assertions, professions of faith in Jesus, or even repentance by those ushered into heaven.

Those who are favored are named righteous.

This reminds us of the early use of the word righteous in Matthew's Gospel which referred to how people generously treated those in need.  In this day, it is important that we never confuse it with "self-righteous" which would be heavily problematic considering how Jesus felt about hypocrisy.

We can see that Jesus was serious about the end of the Sermon on the Mount in chapter seven.  Jesus lays out the Golden Rule for us and those who are named righteous live this out.  Jesus also told us, "A good tree bears good fruit and a bad tree bears bad fruit."  In case we were wondering what constitutes fruit, Jesus lays it out for us in today's reading.

Jesus also declared in the Sermon on the Mount, "Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven."

It appears that the goats have deceived themselves into believing that they would enter heaven - maybe even ahead of those they had ignored in life.

If we see the buzzards circling, we seek
to help.  But first we check to make sure
that we are not among the circling!

The sheep have truly built their houses upon a rock - the rock of the teaching of Jesus.

This isn't an easy teaching.  Sometimes we may complain of compassion fatigue due to the amount of help needed by people.  But it is important that we do not complain of it before we begin!  When we discover that there are more people that need help than we can possibly help, we must continue to help as we can, but our priority then turns to justice as we seek to ask the question, "Why are so many people hungry?"  For these situations, compassion is important, but justice will eventually lessen the need for it.

This passage is incarnational.  If we are waiting for the return of Jesus, we may not be looking in the right places.

How will you help Jesus today?

Prayer for the day:

Make us worthy, Lord, to serve our neighbors throughout the world who live and die in poverty and hunger.  Give them, through our hands, this day their daily bread, and by our understanding love, give peace and joy.  Amen.

Prayer by Mother Teresa of Calcutta, 20th Century

Photo by Richard W via Flickr.com.  Used under the Creative Commons license.

A Lenten Reading of Matthew - Day Thirty-Five

Scripture Reading: Matthew 25:1-30 (NRSVUE)

These two parables are about who is in and who is out.  We may feel a little sorry for the foolish women or the servant who hid his money in the ground.  If we take into account the compassion of Jesus through the Sermon on the Mount but especially in his solidarity with those in need later in this very chapter, the endings of these two parables seem a bit disingenuous.  

With the bridesmaids, shouldn't the wise women share their oil with the foolish?  Wouldn't those who enter the kingdom of God want to do this?

And when the foolish do make an effort to gather the oil they need, the bridegroom makes no effort to forgive but rather forgets he ever knew them.  This doesn't fit well with our understanding of the forgiveness that we believe God offers as outlined earlier in Matthew's Gospel.

So, what does the oil represent?

Similarly, we have the servants who take care of their master's money.  He diversifies his investment by splitting his talents with three different servants.  Two of them double his money but the third takes no risks.  He doesn't lose it either, but this affords him no praise.  It is noted in the parable that they were given the differing amounts based on the master's estimation of their ability.  He already thought the third servant was the weakest of the bunch.  So why is he surprised at the outcome?

What do the talents represent?

I would see the oil and the talents as the actions of righteousness.  This fits with the ending of the Sermon on the Mount where Jesus expects us to act upon his teaching.  We can't really share our actions with others - they have to do them for themselves.

And as we've received blessings such as the talents, we must be willing to risk on behalf of others.  If we bury it, we miss out on what they really mean.

Inherently, the blessings we receive may come from the enlightenment we get from actually doing good things for others.  If we never help someone in need, we never experience the joy of transformation.  We are not shaped by love.

As you go through today, what might you do to fill your oil?  What risk might you take with the talents you've received so that they might be multiplied?

Prayer for the day:

Lord, make us to walk in your way:

  where there is love and wisdom, there is neither fear nor ignorance;

  where there is patience and humility, there is neither anger nor annoyance;

  where there is poverty and joy, there is neither greed nor avarice;

  where there is peace and contemplation, there is neither worry nor restlessness;

  where there is mercy and prudence, there is neither excess nor harshness;

this we know through your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

Prayer by Francis of Assisi, 13th Century

Photo by Evan via Flickr.com.  Used under the Creative Commons license. 

A Lenten Reading of Matthew - Day Thirty-Four

Scripture Reading: Matthew 24:29-51 (NRSVUE) 

As we see things change all around us, we may long for a time of stability.  When we see injustice happen, but especially if we feel it happening to us, we may pray for God to set things right again.

The looking toward the end of time is something all religions express.  It is a movement of hope to say that in the end, God will set all things right.  We like to imagine a world where sighing and sorrowing will be no more.

This may have especially been needed for Matthew's community in the 1st century after being rocked by the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple.  

As Jesus calls us to watchfulness, this can be used as a fear tactic to keep us on the right path.  Or it may be used as a tool for mindfulness.  How many times have we missed what is right in front of us because we were looking at something captivating on our little gods screens?  It may be difficult to live in the moment and think deeply of who we are called to be when the notification chime keeps demanding our attention.

Once again, Jesus calls us to lives of integrity.  We are to do the right thing even when no one is looking.

In fact, we are to be caught doing the right thing!

For some, this may sound like a tedious existence - always watching out for slipping up.  But I would rather us think about it as resting in the love of God.  This is an accepting love that forgives faults and seeks to point out what is positive and encouraging.  So rather than berating ourselves when we don't pass this demeanor on to how we treat others, we simply nudge ourselves back to true.

Be as good to yourself as you are called to be to your neighbor.

Prayer for the day:

O God, make us more thankful for what we have received, more content with what we have, and more mindful of other people in need: we ask it for his sake who lived for us in poverty, Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

Prayer by Simon H. Baynes, Church of England, 20th Century

Photo by Ed Yourdon via Flickr.com.  Used under the Creative Commons license.