UNIFORM LESSON FOR August 4, 2019 Scripture passage and lesson focus: 1 Samuel 18:1-5, 19:1-7 Many of us have had friendships and relationships with people who let us down. The biblical stories too speak of both good relationships and bad ones; and the one between Jonathan and David, as least according to my reading, is a bad one. To get a glimpse as to why this relationship is problematic, one has to read the story about David with fresh eyes — a difficult task considering the overwhelmingly favorable portrayal of David in the biblical text. Aligned with Jesus, whom Matthew repeatedly calls the Son of David, this figure is much beloved in the church (see Matthew 1:1, 9:27, 12:23 and 15:2). The reader must remember that David, who becomes the second king of Israel and who establishes a dynasty, was very much a cunning politician. And politicians usually did not successfully climb up the rungs of power without being a bit strategically and politically ruthless. 1 Samuel 18:1-5 … [Read more...]

UNIFORM LESSON FOR July 28, 2019 Scripture passage and lesson focus: Matthew 7:1-6, 15-23 We have now skipped a whole chapter of Jesus’ teachings on the heartfelt covenant, including instructions about practices (almsgiving, prayer and fasting), warnings about treasures and masters and a command not to worry. Again, this covenant is not so much about emotions as motivations; it’s not as interested in words as in actions. Matthew 7:1-5 — Discipleship/discipline From the beginning, Christian discipleship has been difficult. Disciples mess up. Disciples need a community to support and encourage them, and a community that is willing to get them back on the way when they wander off the path. Church discipline, according to the constitution of the PC(USA), “is the church’s exercise of authority given by Christ, both in the direction of guidance, control, and nurture of its members and in the direction of constructive criticism of offenders” (D-1.0101). And so, whatever “judge not, … [Read more...]

UNIFORM LESSON FOR July 21, 2019 Scripture passage and lesson focus: Matthew 5:38-48 If we haven’t already opted out of Jesus’ heartfelt covenant over the past couple of lessons, this week’s lesson may well prove our breaking point. It’s one thing to allow someone to strike one cheek, but two?! It’s one thing to love your neighbor, but your enemies as well?! It’s one thing to compare our perfections to other human beings’, but how dare anyone compare her perfections to God’s?! Matthew 5:38-42 — Cheeks and coats and kilometers Believe it or not, the lex talionis (law for retaliation) was given as a way to restrain our vengeful instincts (Exodus 21:22-25). If a neighbor injured your eye in a weekend brawl, you could not chop off his head: one eye for one eye. If another neighbor knocked out your tooth in an argument over property lines, you could not set this neighbor on fire: one tooth for one tooth. In a culture (much like ours?) where blood feuds could escalate to the point … [Read more...]

UNIFORM LESSON FOR July 14, 2019 Scripture passage and lesson focus: Matthew 5:21-32 Now we really get down to the core of this heartfelt covenant. Let’s remember that we’re not just talking about a shift in our emotions, but a shift in our actions and their motivations. Jesus, the New Moses, wants us to know that we can commit murder and adultery not just in hijackings and hotels, but in our hearts. Thus, this new covenant requires changes not only in the practice of our congregations and courts and not only with the way we use our eyes and our hands, but it requires a cutting/breaking or a removal/replacement of our hearts (see the language of the prophets in Jeremiah 4:4 and Ezekiel 36:26). Matthew 5:21-26 — Murder in our hearts There are places in the 10 Commandments where most of us can feel a little smug. Jesus leads off his application of the Beatitudes with one of the more likely candidates on the list: You shall not murder (which means to kill outside the many boundaries … [Read more...]