Scriptures: Proverbs 1: 20-33; Psalm 19; James 3: 1-12 and Mark 8: 27-38.
God yearns to be known. With generosity and extravagance far beyond human understanding. God reaches out to us, offering joyful, relational, and blessed lives. One of life’s great mysteries is that we not only reject relationship with God, we choose ways of living that bring harm to the planet, to other people, and even to ourselves. Today’s readings from the Wisdom tradition call us back into relationship with God. There are warnings of destruction for those who do not follow God’s way, and there are promises of success for those who do. But Jesus turns even Wisdom upside down, picking up his cross and embracing failure, rejection, and death as the way to eternal life.
Scriptures: Proverbs 22: 1-2, 8-9, 22-23; Psalm 125; James 2: 1-17; and Mark 7: 24-37.
God shows no partiality, loving everyone equally. Proverbs warns the rich not to exploit the poor because they are poor, for the Lord will take up their case. James warns the church not to show favoritism, for those who show partiality for the rich over the poor deny the faithfulness of Christ. While the Gospel reading seems to suggest God’s partiality for Jews over Gentiles, when pressed by the Syrophoenician woman, Jesus gladly heals her daughter and is impressed with her faith. The psalmist lifts up a secondary theme, that God will protect the righteous from the twisted ways of slanderers and evildoers. Proverbs advances this theme with the promise that a good reputation is more to be desired than much wealth. Finally, James urges us to show mercy and live our faith, for faith without works is dead.
Scriptures: Song of Solomon 2: 8-13; Psalm 45: 1-2, 6-9; James 1: 17-27 and Mark 7: 1-8, 14-15, and 21-23.
The human heart and the heart of God are at the center of today’s scriptures: The human passion found in the beautiful poetry of Song of Solomon; the overflowing heart of the psalmist; the heart of care in James; the warning of the risk within the human heart when passion brings acts of anger in Mark. We are called to come away, but we are not summoned to escape the world. Instead, we are called to care for those most in need. We are called to attend to our own hearts, so that our passion may prompt us to live out the words of our faith. We are called to arise from inaction to actions. This day could be a heart check-up. How are we living out our faith through loving acts? (In the United Sates, these readings fall on the Sunday of Labor Day weekend. A theme of “Labors of Love” could tie the scriptures to the secular holiday. For students and academics, this launches a new year and could serve as an opportunity to refocus the “New Year” with loving acts at the center.)
Scriptures: 2 Samuel 18: 5-9, 15, 31-33; Psalm 130; Ephesians 4: 25 – 5:2; and John 6: 35, 41-51.
“Be angry without sinning…only say what is helpful.” This reminder in Ephesians 4: 26, 29 is an echo of God’s teachings throughout both testaments. If only David and Absalom had lived by such teachings, war and sorrow might have been prevented. If we are to live these teachings, we need the bread of life to nourish us and the grace of Christ to restore us, for we are often too angry and sinful to say things that are truly helpful.
Scriptures: 2 Samuel 11: 26 – 12: 13a; Psalm 51: 1-12; Ephesians 4: 1-16; and John 6: 24-35.
Leading a life worthy of our calling, a life worthy of the blessings we have received, sometimes goes sideways. Even with all the blessings King David received from God, he coveted Uriah’s wife and had Uriah killed to claim her as his own. The psalmist pleads for God to wash us clean of our failings. Paul urges us to use our spiritual gifts, that we might overcome forces of disunity and become one body and one spirit. Jesus challenges doubters to forsake the food that doesn’t last and partake of the food that endures to eternal life. In Christ, God is always giving, always strengthening, always feeding our greatest needs. In Christ, we are able to lead lives worthy of our calling.
Scriptures: Acts 10: 34-43; Psalm 118: 1-2, 14-24; 1 Corinthians 15: 1-11; and John 20: 1-18.
Evil may prevail for a day, but the life and the power of God are stronger than death; indeed, death has lost its sting. The steadfast love of God, spoken of by the psalmist, has raised Jesus from the dead. How ill we recognize our risen Savior? Jesus calls us each by name – a call to discipleship and service. The hymn “Christ the Lord Is Risen Today” says it all. Everything else is commentary.