Revised Common Lectionary: Deuteronomy 34:1-12 or Leviticus 19:1-2, 15-18; Psalm 90:1-6, 13-17 or Psalm 1
Matthew 22:34-46; 1 Thessalonians 2:1-8
Both choices from the Old Testament this week come from the Penteteuch; Deuteronomy concludes the Penteteuch with the death of Moses, just outside of reaching the Promised Land. Moses was told earlier on by God that while he would lead the people to the land, he himself would not enter it. Moses has done so much–called by God to deliver the people from Egypt, to demand that Pharaoh let them go, to lead the people away from Pharaoh’s army across the Red Sea, then into the wilderness for forty years, receiving the law of God including the Ten Commandments among many other commandments, statutes, ordinances, codes and laws, and finally, after all this time, will not see the fruit of what has been promised to his people. Moses’ journey, however far off in history, culture and distance from our own lives, parallels the faith journey of many of us: we live our lives according to Christ’s teachings, we do our part to help build up the community of faith, the reign of God here on earth; but most of us do not see the fruits of that journey in our lifetime. Yet we continue to participate in God’s reign and in the family of God, knowing that we play a part in something much greater than our own lives; but it would not be complete without our part. As Paul says in 1 Corinthians 13, we see now in a mirror, dimly, we see only in part–then we shall see face to face, we shall see the whole.
Leviticus gives us a bit of the holiness codes of Israel, on how to live in community with one another. Leviticus is one of the most difficult books to read in the Bible, mainly for the listing of codes and laws that do not necessarily make sense in today’s society, and we are missing the context, both historically and culturally for understanding the application of them. However, the theme of how to live together in community is a theme that transcends some of the cultural and historical context–when decisions or judgments have to be made in the context of community, you can’t show partiality, but you have to be just. The law and holiness codes call for people to aid and help the poor, the widowed and the orphaned, but in the greater context of the community (and of reading this passage), decisions and judgments need to be just for the entire community, not just one group. The context of community continues in the passage with calls to love one’s neighbor, stay away from slander and gossip, hate and vengeance.
Psalm 90 is a prayer for God to make our days count, to make our part in the greater family of God more integrated into the reign of God. “Prosper the work of our hands,” the psalmist cries in verse 17–may the work we do have meaning and fulfillment in the reign of God. Our lives are not long, but they are long enough to do what God has called us to do, and it is up to us to live out that fulfillment. Psalm 1 is also a psalm about how we should live our lives, as people of faith who follow the paths of right-living. It is a warning against following the ways of the wicked–those who seek their own interests above the well-being of the community. The righteous meditate on the law and desire to follow the ways of God so that they can live in the community of faith, “the congregation of the righteous.”
Matthew’s passage is on the Greatest Commandment. Jesus has been leading up to this pinnacle teaching in his parables and teachings about the kingdom or reign of God. After the Pharisees and the Sadducees have questioned him, a lawyer asks him which is the greatest commandment. And Jesus sums up the commandments in the recitation of the Shema, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind,” and with the call “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” Both of these commandments sum up the Ten Commandments, for the first four are about relationship with God and the last six are about relationship with each other in the community. But Jesus goes further in saying, “On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.” In Jesus’ day, the Bible that the Jews knew had the Torah, the Law, the first five books–and it contained the books of the prophets (the Psalms and other writings were still being compiled). Basically, Jesus is saying that this is the point of the whole Bible. Everything else hangs on it. All other laws, codes, rules, ordinances and such fall under these two commandments. This is the point of the whole thing.
After answering this question, however, Jesus poses a question to the Pharisees about whose son the Messiah is. Jesus is trying to emphasize that the Messiah is the son of God, not just of David–in other words, the Messiah, while prophesied about in Hebrew scripture and understood in Jewish culture, is a Messiah for the world, not just for the people. Jesus is not just the son of David as a descendant of David, but Jesus is the Son of God, and therefore a Messiah for all people. And therefore Jesus’ teachings about loving others and loving God are beyond the community present but are teachings to be lived out by all who follow Jesus. They are beyond the law and culture of one people, but for the whole world.
In 1 Thessalonians 2:1-8, Paul shares about his journey to Thessalonica, not physically, but rather how he has come to be there on his journey of faith–coming not to judge or to trick them or to test them, nor to please them or flatter them, but simply coming as they are, people who follow God. Echoing back to the passage in Leviticus, Paul is coming as a person of the community of faith–treating the Thessalonians as such, and expecting the same treatment in return. Paul tells them “so deeply do we care for you that we are determined to share with you not only the gospel of God but also our very selves” (vs 8). To Paul, telling about God is one thing–living it out is what we are called to do, by sharing ourselves fully with the members of the faith community–being our honest and true selves, without trickery or deceit, without slander or gossip or hate in our hearts–but to be genuine people that follow Christ.
The Christian journey is not an easy one. We do not see the fulfillment of our work in this lifetime. We hope for better days for our children and grandchildren. We have moments when we see God’s reign breaking through in this world–moments of justice, of hope, of peace–and other times, it seems like war, poverty and famine will continue forever. But we do not lose hope, and we know that our part counts in the reign of God. All in all, if we can live our lives as part of a community of faith, we know we do not go it alone, and we know that at least in our communities we can begin to build up the reign of God here and around the world.
Call to Worship:
Leader: When the world seems to weigh down on our shoulders,
People: We do not lose heart.
Leader: When war, oppression, poverty and famine fill the news,
People: We do not lose heart.
Leader: When greed and injustice seem to be the law,
People: We do not lose heart.
Leader: When sin enters our lives personally or systemically,
People: We do not lose heart.
Leader: Jesus the Christ continues to walk with us.
People: We have hope in the resurrection, the promise of New Life in Christ.
All: Come, let us follow our God’s ways.
Prayer of Confession:
Loving Lord, we confess that we have a problem with sin. We allow our relationships to become distorted and exploitative, even destructive. We slander and gossip, we hate and desire vengeance. But we also forget that sin is systemic, entering our lives through the power of entitlement, greed, lust, and earthly success. We benefit from sin by allowing others to suffer in our world so we can live how we want to. Forgive us, O God, when we distort and destroy relationships in our lives with our friends, our family, and our faith community. Forgive us, O God, when we distort and destroy relationships with our sisters and brothers in the world by not caring about their needs, not being concerned about their toil and hardships. Forgive us, O God, for not following the greatest commandment to love You and to love others. In the name of Jesus, who forgives us and walks with us, we pray. Amen.
Assurance of Pardon:
We do not lose heart. We are renewed and restored, reconciled and forgiven by Christ, and called to live in new ways of loving God and loving our neighbors as ourselves. There is nothing we can do and no place we can go where we will be separated from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. Go as forgiven people, and forgive others. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
Prayer:
Almighty God, we live in relationship with You and with each other, a triune relationship, mirroring the relationship of You, our Creator, Redeemer and Sustainer. Help us to do our part to seek healing in relationships that are broken, to seek forgiveness where we have gone wrong and to forgive those who have wronged us. Call us into the paths of righteousness by right-living–loving our neighbor, caring for the poor, and standing with the oppressed. As we journey in life, remind us always that the journey is not complete, the work is not finished, but that the part each of us play is integral to Your creation and Your love. We are all part of Your family–help us to seek out those who are lonely and lost, exiled and outcast, so that they might know how much they are a part of Your family. Let us seek out the teens who are contemplating suicide, the alcoholics who have no place to go, the mentally ill who cannot cope, all who are on the margins and outskirts and have been forgotten by the world, but remembered always by You. May we share in Your Living memory of all people and seek out the lost and the least, so they will be lost and least no more. In the name of Christ, who calls us into a life’s journey of faith, until we reach the other side. Amen.
Music Suggestions:
“Amazing Grace” fits the theme of seeking out the lost and least, knowing that all of us at one point or another have felt on the outside. “I have decided to follow Jesus,” and “What a friend we have in Jesus” would also fit well with the themes. The Taize song “I am sure I shall see the goodness of the Lord” also fits the theme of being faithful in our lifetime.
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