Episcopal Church of the
Incarnation
The Twenty-third Sunday after Pentecost [Proper 27B]
1 Kings 17.8-16 Psalm 146 Hebrews 9.24-28 Mark 12.38-44
1
Kings 17.8-16
1) 1 Kings is a part of the Old Testament section known as the “Former Prophets” (Joshua, Judges, 1–2 Kings,1–2 Samuel).
a) The
focus in these books is on theological history; how
2) Elijah first appears at 1 Kgs. 17. The stories of Elijah’s ministry (1 Kgs. 17–19.21; 21; 2 Kgs. 1–2) involve a narrative of journey through Transjordan into Israel, then out of Israel to the north and then to the south.
a) The setting of the story of the widow in Zarephath is in a Sidonian town, i.e., in an area populated by worshipers of Baal.
3)
The power of the Lord
(to cause drought, and to protect those who serve Him) extends outside
a) When
the widow acts in conformance with Elijah’s instruction of the Lord’s will, the miracle is apparent.
Psalm 146 Lauda, anima mea
1) An individual hymn: God keeps His faith forever.
a) Ps. 146 is part of the last group of “Hallel” psalms, in which each psalm begins and ends with the liturgical acclamation “Hallelujah!”
i) “Hallelujah” [alleluia] means “Praise the Lord!”
2) Ps. 146 shows a preference to use the name of the Lord.
a) When Lord is capitalized, this indicates that in the original Hebrew God’s holy Name is used.
i) This Name is never pronounced by devout Jews, who read aloud the word Adonai (which means “lord” as in “master”) when they see the holy Name in print.
3) The admonition about human mortality (vv. 3-4) is contrasted with the praise of God, who can be trusted in every crisis (vv. 5-10).
a) Divine attributes are catalogued as concrete.
i) Five attributes are characterized, in which God is the subject of poetic participles.
b) God’s character is epitomized in v. 5: “[God] keeps his promise for ever.”
Hebrews 9.24-28
1) In Heb. 8.1-9.28, eternal sacrifice under both the old and new covenants is discussed.
a) Ch. 9 focuses on the sacrifice of Jesus.
i) The death of Jesus is the one really effective sacrifice that atones for the sins of humanity (cf. Eucharistic Prayer I in Holy Eucharist Rite I, at p. 334 of the Book of Common Prayer.)
b) The principal referred to in Hebrews is the ritual of the Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur), as described in Leviticus 16, in which sacrifice is offered for Israel’s sins.
2) The priestly sacrifices were inadequate to take away sin, and had to be repeated every year.
a) Sin continued to be part of peoples’ lives.
b)
3) Jesus’ death was a once-for-all-time sacrifice that takes away the power of sin.
a) Those who understand Jesus’ saving work renounce sin.
i) Jesus, at His return, saves those who “are eagerly waiting for him,” i.e., salvation is available already.
Mark
12.38-55
1) The story of the “widow’s mite” comes immediately before the start of Jesus’ final teaching, and the Passion narrative in Mark.
a) Jesus is teaching His disciples what He wants them to be.
b) Jesus praises the inner generosity and dedication of the widow; qualities which He will display in the Passion.
2) A widow in ancient Israel could not inherit from her husband’s estate. She was, therefore, wholly dependent on charity (and on her children, if she had any).
3) Jesus’ contrast of the scribes’ efforts at self-promotion with the charity of the widow contrasts two kinds of “religious” persons:
a) Those who seek the approval of other people, and those who seek always to know, love and serve God.
b) This contrast is set up immediately before Jesus’ prediction of the destruction of the Temple.
4) The true generosity and piety that exists in God’s people is independent of ritual sacrifice.
a) While Jesus praises the widow’s true heart and generosity, Mark’s recording of this incident immediately before the prediction of the Temple’s destruction may be, actually, a lament.
i) Institutional religion can manipulate the poor to part with what little they have.
b) True faith is not founded on the character of a religious institution.