Wednesday, March 22, 2006
From AscensionNYC
Wednesday in the Third Week of Lent
Psalm 81, 82
Genesis 45:16-28
1 Corinthians 8:1-13
Mark 6:13-29
The four readings for today serve as a meditation on justice and judgment. The two psalms the lead off as an hymn of adoration to the God who made a pact with His people. Even though they are not faithful in listening to Him, He counsels the rulers (here the "divine council") to "Give justice to the weak and the fatherless, maintain the right of the afflicted and the destitute. Rescue the weak and the needy; deliver them from the hand of the wicked." The is one of the central points of the Judeo- Christian moral code of course, though it is perhaps as consistently ignored today as in the several millennia since this psalm was written.
The Genesis story drops us midway into the long story of Joseph, son of Jacob, who is sold into bondage by his brothers. Later, when the brothers are forced to seek aid in Egypt during a famine in Palestine, they find Joseph employed as the Pharaoh's leading lieutenant, a powerful man. The message here though is that Joseph, rather than seeking vengeance on his brothers, returns their cruel act with forgiveness. Joseph makes a judgment that vengeance is not a proper motive in meting out justice. He follows the example of the merciful God of the psalms.
Paul's letter to the Corinthians turns to another facet of justice. Namely, that our responsibilities to others preclude our freedom to follow and fulfill our own happiness. It's an interesting corollary to the American Declaration of Independence and our "right to the pursuit of happiness." Of course one is a moral code, and the other a political precept. But we run into these sorts of choices on a fairly regular basis. To use a banal example: We can cross the street when no cars are coming even against a red light, because we are mature enough to make a sound judgment. But if a child sees us cross when the light is red, and tries the same thing, the results could be disastrous. Our moral choice is opposed to our practical one.
Finally the gospel story of Herod, Herodias, and the unnamed daughter, Salome, who forces Herod to give her John the Baptist's head on a platter for vengeful reasons (if you don't know Richard Strauss' opera based on this little biblical story, make an effort to hear it. It is a powerful mixture of lust, violence and spirituality). Here we see the opposite of the Joseph's decision in Genesis. Herod knows the choice of murdering John is wrong, but he does not want to embarrass himself before his guests by breaking his word. So personal expediency triumphs, because Herod is more interested in himself than in justice. He allows his better judgment to be superseded by self-interest.
Genesis 45:16-28
1 Corinthians 8:1-13
Mark 6:13-29
The four readings for today serve as a meditation on justice and judgment. The two psalms the lead off as an hymn of adoration to the God who made a pact with His people. Even though they are not faithful in listening to Him, He counsels the rulers (here the "divine council") to "Give justice to the weak and the fatherless, maintain the right of the afflicted and the destitute. Rescue the weak and the needy; deliver them from the hand of the wicked." The is one of the central points of the Judeo- Christian moral code of course, though it is perhaps as consistently ignored today as in the several millennia since this psalm was written.
The Genesis story drops us midway into the long story of Joseph, son of Jacob, who is sold into bondage by his brothers. Later, when the brothers are forced to seek aid in Egypt during a famine in Palestine, they find Joseph employed as the Pharaoh's leading lieutenant, a powerful man. The message here though is that Joseph, rather than seeking vengeance on his brothers, returns their cruel act with forgiveness. Joseph makes a judgment that vengeance is not a proper motive in meting out justice. He follows the example of the merciful God of the psalms.
Paul's letter to the Corinthians turns to another facet of justice. Namely, that our responsibilities to others preclude our freedom to follow and fulfill our own happiness. It's an interesting corollary to the American Declaration of Independence and our "right to the pursuit of happiness." Of course one is a moral code, and the other a political precept. But we run into these sorts of choices on a fairly regular basis. To use a banal example: We can cross the street when no cars are coming even against a red light, because we are mature enough to make a sound judgment. But if a child sees us cross when the light is red, and tries the same thing, the results could be disastrous. Our moral choice is opposed to our practical one.
Finally the gospel story of Herod, Herodias, and the unnamed daughter, Salome, who forces Herod to give her John the Baptist's head on a platter for vengeful reasons (if you don't know Richard Strauss' opera based on this little biblical story, make an effort to hear it. It is a powerful mixture of lust, violence and spirituality). Here we see the opposite of the Joseph's decision in Genesis. Herod knows the choice of murdering John is wrong, but he does not want to embarrass himself before his guests by breaking his word. So personal expediency triumphs, because Herod is more interested in himself than in justice. He allows his better judgment to be superseded by self-interest.
Peter Clark
