Year B
Jeremiah 31:31-34
Psalm 119:9-16
Hebrews 5:5-10
John 12:20-33<\/p>\n\n\n\n
May the words of my mouth O God\u2026 speak your truth\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Jeremiah lived during one of the most critical periods in the history of the Jewish people\u2026 the destruction of Jerusalem and Solomon’s Temple\u2026 followed immediately by the Babylonian exile\u2026 he witnessed the last years of the kingdom of Judah\u2026 he emerged as one of the major figures who grappled with the theological problems caused by the destruction of the nation\u2026 and he laid the foundations for the restoration of Jerusalem and the Temple\u2026 in the years following the end of the exile\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In his struggle to understand the tragic events of his lifetime\u2026 he tells the reader more about himself than any other prophet\u2026 including his anguish and empathy at the suffering of his people\u2026 his outrage at God for forcing him to speak such terrible words of judgment against his own nation\u2026 and his firm belief that the people of Israel would return to their land\u2026 and rebuild Jerusalem\u2026 once the period of punishment was over\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In today’s reading\u2026 we hear God’s promise of hope\u2026 speaking about a new covenant\u2026 it’s not quite like the covenant they broke after their bondage in Egypt\u2026 although its content will be the same\u2026 it still refers to the restoration of Israel\u2026 this time after the Babylonian exile\u2026 and the reconstruction of the Temple\u2026 but what’s different is how it will be learned… God will place the Teaching… that is\u2026 the Torah\u2026 in the inmost being\u2026 or heart… of the people\u2026 so that the covenant cannot be broken again\u2026 since it will function as God’s inner reference point and not the world’s outer one\u2026 and because of how it will be written\u2026 there’ll be no need for the people to teach each other\u2026 and this idea is later understood as the divine spark which we all have deep within us\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Now Israelite priests were descendants of Aaron\u2026 though Jesus was not a descendent of Aaron\u2026 but in Hebrews\u2026 we read that Jesus became a High Priest… was appointed a High Priest both as God’s Son\u2026 and according to the “order of Melchizedek”\u2026 now Melchizedek is mentioned only twice in the Hebrew Scriptures\u2026 in Psalm 110:4\u2026 and in Genesis 14:18\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In the Psalm\u2026 the word is either a proper name\u2026 or it’s two words… malki<\/em>\u2026 and tzedek<\/em> \u2026 which means a rightful king<\/em>\u2026 though if it’s a proper name\u2026 it refers back to Genesis 14:18\u2026 when Abraham returned from defeating King Chedorlaomer (cheddor-lay-mer)… and Melchizedek brought out bread and wine\u2026 and blessed Abraham\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n Chapter seven of Hebrews describes Melchizedek\u2026 he is also the king of righteousness\u2026 next he is King of Sa-lem\u2026 that is\u2026 king of peace\u2026 without father\u2026 without mother… without genealogy\u2026 having neither beginning of days nor end of life\u2026 ] but resembling the Son of God\u2026 he remains a priest for ever\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n The priestly “order of Melchizedek” then\u2026 includes only Melchizedek and Jesus\u2026 and this description of Melchizedek recalls to mind\u2026 to my mind\u2026 the way Jesus is described in John 1: before time… without beginning or end\u2026 Jesus is both our King and High Priest\u2026 who intercedes for us\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n We’re almost finished with Lent\u2026 but we’re not yet finished with biblical themes of penitence and suffering\u2026 in today’s Gospel\u2026 we hear that some Greeks told Philip they’d like to see Jesus\u2026 we may think there’s some pleasant evangelism going on\u2026 but when Philip and Andrew come to Jesus with this request\u2026 Jesus’ words don’t seem to be in sync\u2026 they seem disconnected\u2026 he doesn’t say whether he’ll see them or not\u2026 he changes the subject\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n I can almost imagine Philip and Andrew going back to these Greeks and saying: You want to see Jesus? we’ll show you Jesus\u2026 this is a Jesus who expects you to die so that you may be reborn again\u2026 this is a Jesus who says that a grain of wheat lying on the ground remains just a grain of wheat\u2026 but if it dies\u2026 it bears much fruit\u2026 and its fruit contains many seeds\u2026 this is a Jesus who says you’ll lose your life if you love it\u2026 but if you love your life less than you love me\u2026 you’ll gain eternal life\u2026 this is a Jesus who says those who follow me\u2026 will BE where I am\u2026 this is a Jesus who is wounded\u2026 so we are healed\u2026 this is a Jesus who performs rites of purification in the Temple of our souls…<\/p>\n\n\n\n Dr. Raj Nadella\u2026 New Testament Professor [ at Columbia Theological Seminary in Decatur, GA. ] wrote\u2026 in this morning’s Gospel\u2026 Jesus says that the hour of his death on the cross is his glorification\u2026 Jesus doesn’t glorify death\u2026 but suggests\u2026 that the act of putting himself on the line for others\u2026 is his finest hour\u2026 the grain of wheat shares a similar path\u2026 Jesus mentions no sower\u2026 only the kernel\u2026 the Greek verb pipto<\/em> \u2026 which means \u201cfalls\u201d \u2026 implies figuratively\u2026 that this grain exercises its agency\u2026 decides to fall to the ground\u2026 and so that raises a question\u2026 does the grain use its privilege… its self-interest and preserve itself… as might be its natural inclination\u2026 or does it fall to the ground and die\u2026 ] and the conclusion is that the grain of wheat chooses the latter\u2026 which requires courage and imagination\u2026 because sacrificing itself for others goes against the instinct of self-preservation\u2026 and paradoxically\u2026 by falling to the ground and dying\u2026 it perpetuates itself\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n And Jesus says\u2026 now the ruler of this world will be driven out<\/em>\u2026 ] because of the things that Jesus will do\u2026 because of Jesus’ obedience\u2026 and love\u2026 because his suffering produces empathy\u2026 the ruler of this world\u2026 the values by which much of the world operates\u2026 will be driven out\u2026 now we’re a people who are generally not very good at talking about the Adversary\u2026 the unholy one\u2026 but there are two lies which are told over and over again\u2026 and which inform and perpetuate our decisions at self-preservation\u2026 that we are unloveable… and that we are alone\u2026 when in truth\u2026 we are loved beyond measure\u2026 and we are connected with each other\u2026 and with all of creation\u2026 <\/p>\n\n\n\n But let’s be clear\u2026 saying “Yes” to Jesus isn’t an insurance policy against pain and suffering\u2026 because sometimes\u2026 when we respond to the silent inner voice of the Holy Spirit\u2026 and heed that call… and follow it\u2026 and grow\u2026 it’s also because something in us has to die\u2026 and out of that pain\u2026 new lives can be born\u2026 sometimes our path towards Jesus takes us dangerously close to what the unholy one wants us to believe\u2026 but we are always dying and rising again… and when we’re standing at the foot of the cross\u2026 that we are transformed more and more into the image of Christ\u2026 <\/p>\n\n\n\n Lutheran pastor Yvette Schock wrote\u2026 Jesus’ last line in today’s Gospel is\u2026 And I\u2026 when I am lifted up from the Earth\u2026 will draw all people to myself<\/em>\u2026 there are at least two ways to read this claim\u2026 are we talking about Good Friday or Easter morning\u2026 if it is good Friday\u2026 it is the moment Jesus dies on the cross and his spirit leaves this world\u2026 but if it is Easter morning\u2026 it is the morning his body ascends\u2026 and the defeat of death is complete\u2026 so which ever way we read it\u2026 it includes the promise that Jesus will draw us close to him\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n We all try to hold onto our lives\u2026 not just in terms of staying alive\u2026 but in terms of what we want and know\u2026 versus what we fear and don’t understand\u2026 Jesus doesn’t deny the fearfulness of death\u2026 but every time\u2026 he turns its uncertainty\u2026 into the promise and hope\u2026 of a new life\u2026<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Year B Jeremiah 31:31-34 Psalm 119:9-16 Hebrews 5:5-10 John 12:20-33 May the words of my mouth O God\u2026 speak your truth\u2026 Jeremiah lived during one of the most critical periods in the history of the Jewish people\u2026 the destruction of Jerusalem and Solomon’s Temple\u2026 followed immediately by the Babylonian exile\u2026 he witnessed the last years of the kingdom of Judah\u2026 he emerged as one of the major figures who grappled with the theological problems caused by the destruction of the nation\u2026 and he laid the foundations for the restoration of Jerusalem and the Temple\u2026 in the years following the end of the exile\u2026 In his struggle to understand the tragic events of his lifetime\u2026 he tells the reader more about himself than any other prophet\u2026 including his anguish and empathy at the suffering of his people\u2026 his outrage at God for forcing him to speak such terrible words of judgment against his own nation\u2026 and his firm belief that the people of Israel would return to their land\u2026 and rebuild Jerusalem\u2026 once the period of punishment was over\u2026 In today’s reading\u2026 we hear God’s promise of hope\u2026 speaking about a new covenant\u2026 it’s not quite like the covenant they broke after their bondage in Egypt\u2026 although its content will be the same\u2026 it still refers to the restoration of Israel\u2026 this time after the Babylonian exile\u2026 and the reconstruction of the Temple\u2026 but what’s different is how it will be learned… God will place the Teaching… that is\u2026 the Torah\u2026 in the inmost being\u2026 or heart… of the people\u2026 so that the covenant cannot be broken again\u2026 since it will function as God’s inner reference point and not the world’s outer one\u2026 and because of how it will be written\u2026 there’ll be no need for the people to teach each other\u2026 and this idea is later understood as the divine spark which we all have deep within us\u2026 Now Israelite priests were descendants of Aaron\u2026 though Jesus was not a descendent of Aaron\u2026 but in Hebrews\u2026 we read that Jesus became a High Priest… was appointed a High Priest both as God’s Son\u2026 and according to the “order of Melchizedek”\u2026 now Melchizedek is mentioned only twice in the Hebrew Scriptures\u2026 in Psalm 110:4\u2026 and in Genesis 14:18\u2026 In the Psalm\u2026 the word is either a proper name\u2026 or it’s two words… malki\u2026 and tzedek \u2026 which means a rightful king\u2026 though if it’s a proper name\u2026 it refers back to Genesis 14:18\u2026 when Abraham returned from defeating King Chedorlaomer (cheddor-lay-mer)… and Melchizedek brought out bread and wine\u2026 and blessed Abraham\u2026 Chapter seven of Hebrews describes Melchizedek\u2026 he is also the king of righteousness\u2026 next he is King of Sa-lem\u2026 that is\u2026 king of peace\u2026 without father\u2026 without mother… without genealogy\u2026 having neither beginning of days nor end of life\u2026 ] but resembling the Son of God\u2026 he remains a priest for ever\u2026 The priestly “order of Melchizedek” then\u2026 includes only Melchizedek and Jesus\u2026 and this description of Melchizedek recalls to mind\u2026 to my mind\u2026 the way Jesus is described in John 1: before time… without beginning or end\u2026 Jesus is both our King and High Priest\u2026 who intercedes for us\u2026 We’re almost finished with Lent\u2026 but we’re not yet finished with biblical themes of penitence and suffering\u2026 in today’s Gospel\u2026 we hear that some Greeks told Philip they’d like to see Jesus\u2026 we may think there’s some pleasant evangelism going on\u2026 but when Philip and Andrew come to Jesus with this request\u2026 Jesus’ words don’t seem to be in sync\u2026 they seem disconnected\u2026 he doesn’t say whether he’ll see them or not\u2026 he changes the subject\u2026 I can almost imagine Philip and Andrew going back to these Greeks and saying: You want to see Jesus? we’ll show you Jesus\u2026 this is a Jesus who expects you to die so that you may be reborn again\u2026 this is a Jesus who says that a grain of wheat lying on the ground remains just a grain of wheat\u2026 but if it dies\u2026 it bears much fruit\u2026 and its fruit contains many seeds\u2026 this is a Jesus who says you’ll lose your life if you love it\u2026 but if you love your life less than you love me\u2026 you’ll gain eternal life\u2026 this is a Jesus who says those who follow me\u2026 will BE where I am\u2026 this is a Jesus who is wounded\u2026 so we are healed\u2026 this is a Jesus who performs rites of purification in the Temple of our souls… Dr. Raj Nadella\u2026 New Testament Professor [ at Columbia Theological Seminary in Decatur, GA. ] wrote\u2026 in this morning’s Gospel\u2026 Jesus says that the hour of his death on the cross is his glorification\u2026 Jesus doesn’t glorify death\u2026 but suggests\u2026 that the act of putting himself on the line for others\u2026 is his finest hour\u2026 the grain of wheat shares a similar path\u2026 Jesus mentions no sower\u2026 only the kernel\u2026 the Greek verb pipto \u2026 which means \u201cfalls\u201d \u2026 implies figuratively\u2026 that this grain exercises its agency\u2026 decides to fall to the ground\u2026 and so that raises a question\u2026 does the grain use its privilege… its self-interest and preserve itself… as might be its natural inclination\u2026 or does it fall to the ground and die\u2026 ] and the conclusion is that the grain of wheat chooses the latter\u2026 which requires courage and imagination\u2026 because sacrificing itself for others goes against the instinct of self-preservation\u2026 and paradoxically\u2026 by falling to the ground and dying\u2026 it perpetuates itself\u2026 And Jesus says\u2026 now the ruler of this world will be driven out\u2026 ] because of the things that Jesus will do\u2026 because of Jesus’ obedience\u2026 and love\u2026 because his suffering produces empathy\u2026 the ruler of this world\u2026 the values by which much of the world operates\u2026 will be driven out\u2026 now we’re a people who are generally not very good at talking about the Adversary\u2026 the unholy one\u2026 but there are two lies which are told over and over again\u2026 and which inform and perpetuate our decisions 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