Month: October 2018

Reflections on the Readings for the 31st Sunday of the Year, Cycle B

Deuteronomy 6:2-6; Psalm 17: 2-4, 47-51a; Hebrews 7:23-28; Mark 12:28-34

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The theme of our readings today is that our love of God is to include love of our neighbour. The passage we read from Deuteronomy is known as the Sh’ma from the command, in Hebrew, “Hear/Listen”.  It is central in Jewish tradition and liturgy, repeated morning and night, as well as in moments of gravest crisis and at the hour of death. It has sustained every generation of Jews and deepened their commitment to the one saving and caring God. In Torah scrolls the last Hebrew letters of Sh’ma/Listen and Ehad/One are written large.  One explanation given is that, together, these two letters form another Hebrew word, Aid/witness, to emphasize that the Jew who pronounces the Sh’ma witnesses to the Holy One.  When a Jew recites these verses, he/she is said to “take upon him/herself the yoke of the kingdom of heaven”, which means that entry into God’s kingdom is only possible through selfless, active love – for love is to show itself in deeds:  “keep and observe”.

We only read a few verses of Psalm 17, which is almost identical to 2 Samuel 22.  It begins with the words, “I love you, LORD, my strength”, which are better translated as “I am impassioned of You, LORD, my strength.”  Such a translation brings home the depth of feeling that is called for in the Sh’ma of Deuteronomy.  As the great medieval commentator, Maimonides, says, “What, then, is the way to love God? When human beings contemplate God’s works …. they will be seized by a keen longing passion to know God – as David said, ‘My soul thirsts for God, the living God’ (Psalm 42:3)…. The lovers of God experience this constant obsession in their heart, as we are bidden to love ‘with all your heart and with all your soul’ and as Solomon expressed allegorically, ‘I am lovesick’ (Song of Songs 5:8).”

The story of Jesus and the scribe is told by all the synoptic gospel writers, but with different emphasis.  Mark’s account, which we read today, is probably the oldest.  He says nothing about the scribe wishing to “tempt” or “test” Jesus, but simply reflects a sincere desire to express the whole covenant relationship between God and Israel in a simple all-inclusive statement.  It’s significant that Jesus appeals to the Torah in his answer:  he endorses what the scriptures say.  There is no conflict between the commands of God which are set out there and the demands of the gospel.  The challenge to love God and to love one’s neighbour, once addressed to Israel, is addressed now to Mark’s readers and is as appropriate for them as it was for the scribe in the story.  The question put to Jesus, “Which is the first of all the commandments?” was one that was commonly discussed by the rabbis.  The issue was whether there was some basic principle from which the whole Law could be derived.  In reply, Jesus quotes the opening words of the Sh’ma – and adds the passage from Leviticus 19:18, “You must love your neighbour as yourself”.  Certainly they belong together and are held together in the concluding comment:  “There is no commandment greater than these.” Others among Jesus’ contemporaries quoted these passages in reply to similar questions.  Rabbi Hillel is said to have taught, “What is hateful to yourself, do not do to your neighbour; this is the whole Law, the rest is commentary”.  Mark’s account of this story makes an interesting theological point:  the teacher of the Law assumes that he is entitled to approve Jesus’ teaching, but in fact the roles are reversed, and it is Jesus who approves his.

The living out in all its fullness of this “first of all the commandments” is, of course, seen in the person of Jesus, which is at the heart of the passage we read today from the Letter to the Hebrews – “the Son who is made perfect for ever”.

This week’s Sunday Readings Commentary was prepared by

Sr Margaret Shepherd, NDS, London, UK

margaretashepherd@gmail.com

[Copyright © 2018]

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PLEASE NOTE: The weekly Gospel commentaries represent the research and creative thought of their authors, and are meant to stimulate deeper thinking about the meaning of the Sunday Scriptures. While they draw upon the study methods and sources employed by the Bat Kol Institute, the views and conclusions expressed in these commentaries are solely those of their authors, and do not necessarily represent the views of Bat Kol.  Questions, comments and feedback are always welcome.

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Bat Kol Institute for Jewish Studies, Jerusalem

1983-2018

“Christians Studying the Bible within its Jewish milieu, using Jewish Sources.”

gill@batkol.info Website: www.batkol.info

The 30th Sunday in Ordinary Time (28 October 2018)

Jer 31.7-9; Ps 128; Heb 5.1-6; Mk 10:46-52

Theme: Hoping to reach for Home

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A hopeful return to their homeland was Jeremiah’s prophesy to the Israelites who were in exile and assures G-d’s presence in Israel because he is their father – Abba. If we scrutinize Abba in Hebrew, each of the letters (in Kabbalah) creates a consolidated meaning, the aleph means “strength” or “leader”, while the bet means “household”. Taken together, could also mean that G-d, their strength will lead them home, or with G-d, they have a strong sense of home. What has such understanding to do with our gospel today?

The story of Bartimeaus is commonly taken as healing, or Jesus who took pity towards the blind or blindness read as a metaphor. Focusing merely on the physical or sensory condition of the sightless has created a negative toll on them by equating sightlessness to “moral/spiritual blindness” that is a negative metaphorical association. In the narrative, it can be said that Bartimeaus was not only located at the fringe, but he was treated by the people as insignificant. Where does the narrative locate him? Presumably he was beside a wall, because this will aid him to navigate around the place. How did he know of Jesus’ arrival? He “smells” something unusual in the air around him, an affirmation that Jesus is on the way. Obviously, he wants to be seen, thus his “cry-out”, but the sighted people shut him up, taking his action and himself to be a disturbance. Wow! Bartimeaus was on the fringe, and still the sighted people see him a disturbance. He is ignored, but when he tried to make his presence felt, he becomes an inconvenience. Good thing that Jesus called for him. Has anyone aided him to Jesus? The story is silent about this, but we can assume that alone, he walked his way to Jesus, perhaps by touching the wall, the people, and “smelt” his way towards Jesus. His cry for mercy and Jesus’ healing cements our interpretation and even our focus on curing the sightless; in turn today, they remain an object of pity, we see a loss/defect, and ascribe a negative metaphorical associations. They are a condition, and we forget they are humans. Can we not consider sightless positively? How are we to connect Jeremiah’s promise of return to “home” and the sightless Bartimeaus? Both seek and hope to reach “home”. Interestingly, Jericho seems to point at a sightless person’s means of seeing; looking beyond its geographical  mark, Jericho also means “fragrance” as well as it alludes to the wall/fenced city in Joshua. Hence, the “fragrance” of the wall (its touch) bespeaks of how a sightless perceives “home”. Similarly, Abba can also mean “freshness” or “safe-keeping”. Freshness or safety/security of a home can be as “fragrant” as a home-cooked food or the soft sofa, warm bed, but more so, “home” is where you feel safe, be this a place, people, or our self. The gospel challenges us to re-think about how to treat the sightless people, or those people seem far from being safe/secure, or the disabled people whose disability could be seen or unseen. In medicalizing, or metaphorizing sightless people, we internalize an ableist perspective, which effectively galvanizes our “othering” tendencies. The sighted people who want Bartimeaus to shut-up, treated him as an insignificant “other”. This ableist and “othering” tendencies do to make the sightless and those with disability sense home, but they hope that in the future, sighted people will see them not a loss or defective human being. Rather, they hope that we listen to their stories, smell their authenticity and be touched by their being because their experience today could be ours in the future. A possibility that is difficult to admit, but indeed a human reality.

For Reflection and Discussion: 1. How did the story of Bartimeaus influence your thinking about the sightless people? Are you in one way an ableist? 2.  How can you make the sightless or the disabled feel at home? 3. What can we gain from being sightless?

This week’s Sunday Gospel Commentary was prepared by

Kristine Meneses, Ph.D.; Philippines; Bat Kol Alumna 2016

Email address: krstn.rw@gmail.com

[Copyright © 2018]

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PLEASE NOTE: The weekly Gospel commentaries represent the research and creative thought of their authors, and are meant to stimulate deeper thinking about the meaning of the Sunday Scriptures. While they draw upon the study methods and sources employed by the Bat Kol Institute, the views and conclusions expressed in these commentaries are solely those of their authors, and do not necessarily represent the views of Bat Kol. Questions, comments and feedback are always welcome.

…………………………………………………………….………

Bat Kol Institute for Jewish Studies, Jerusalem

1983-2018

“Christians Studying the Bible within its Jewish milieu, using Jewish Sources.”

gill@batkol.info  Website: www.batkol.info

REFLECTIONS ON THE READINGS FOR THE 29th SUNDAY OF THE YEAR,

 21st October 2018   CYCLE B

Isaiah 53:10-11;    Psalm 32:4-5, 18-20, 22;    Hebrews 4:14-16;    Mark 10:35-45

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The first reading today is the final part of the fourth Servant Song in Isaiah.  It speaks of the servant’s suffering and the reaction of his contemporaries towards him, leading to the concluding verse of this whole section, words of thanksgiving for God’s wonderful deliverance of God’s faithful servant from the power of death.  The servant is likened to an offering for sin.  What is striking here is the use of the root of the Hebrew word for ‘righteous’, (‘tzadak’), used at the beginning of Isaiah as a requirement of human behaviour, whereas from chapter 40 onwards, it has been descriptive of God’s action.  Here the two are combined:  God’s righteousness is now to be a characteristic of the whole community.  This whole section needs to be seen as a dramatic reversal of the state of affairs described at the beginning of Isaiah, in 1:4, where the people were “laden with iniquity”;  now the servant will “bear their iniquities”.  It is understandable that the writers of the New Testament should see these verses as playing a prominent part in Christian expressions of their faith, applying the sufferings of the servant to Jesus, and understanding his sufferings as effective for all human sin.  However, we must remember that the words translated “infirmities” and “diseases” were used originally to express the broken state of the nation after the destruction of Jerusalem in 587 BCE.  At one level the servant was himself the suffering community;  at another, the figure of the servant was used of that part of the community which was being restored through God’s saving power.

The theme of God’s love of ‘righteousness’ is continued in the verses we read from Psalm 32 today, a psalm which calls us to praise and declare God’s greatness, describing God as creator and defender of God’s people, watching over those who trust in the love of the Eternal One.

The writer of Hebrews, having worked with the theme of fidelity, exemplified by Jesus and called for in his followers, now speaks of mercy. The combination of “mercy” and “grace” is common in both the Hebrew and Christian Scriptures and should inspire us with confidence.  The summons to approach God “with boldness” calls for such confidence before God, which is exemplified in Christ’s prayer.

The suffering of the servant in Isaiah is echoed in our reading from Mark, for this section has been preceded by the third prediction of the passion.  Once again, the failure of the disciples to grasp Jesus’ meaning is demonstrated; they fail to see the implications of his teaching for their own lives.  The attitudes which Jesus demands of his disciples are based on his own life of service and his acceptance of death.  It’s significant that this incident is recorded immediately after the statement that Jesus was now going up to Jerusalem.  No sooner is the end in sight, than the disciples begin to ask for a share in Jesus’ future kingly power.  Mark reminds his readers that Jesus is indeed going to be proclaimed king in Jerusalem, but it will involve shame and crucifixion.  The application of this teaching to the life of Mark’s own early Christian community, where the threat of persecution was a very real one, would have been clear to them.  There may well have been church leaders there whose attitude was similar to that of James and John, seeing leadership in terms of status and privilege and who needed to be reminded that true greatness is seen in service.  Jesus’ reply speaks again of the necessity for suffering.  The metaphor of “the cup” is used in the Hebrew Scriptures of what God has in store for an individual, whether this is good (Ps 23:5) or bad (Ps 75:8).  Water was another metaphor used of calamity in the Hebrew Bible (e.g. Ps 42:7;  Isaiah 43:2) and the verb “to be baptized” was used in contemporary Greek of being flooded with calamities.  The disciples’ ready answer, “We can”, shows that they do not understand what Jesus is asking them, any more than they understand the implications of their own request to “sit at” Jesus’ “right and left”, for there is a hint here of the account of the death of Jesus, when two robbers are crucified on his right and left – perhaps deliberate irony on Mark’s part.

This week’s Sunday Readings Commentary was prepared by

Sr Margaret Shepherd, NDS, London, UK

margaretashepherd@gmail.com

[Copyright © 2018]

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PLEASE NOTE: The weekly Gospel commentaries represent the research and creative thought of their authors, and are meant to stimulate deeper thinking about the meaning of the Sunday Scriptures. While they draw upon the study methods and sources employed by the Bat Kol Institute, the views and conclusions expressed in these commentaries are solely those of their authors, and do not necessarily represent the views of Bat Kol.  Questions, comments and feedback are always welcome.

……………………………………………………………

Bat Kol Institute for Jewish Studies, Jerusalem

1983-2018

“Christians Studying the Bible within its Jewish milieu, using Jewish Sources.”

gill@batkol.info Website: www.batkol.info

The Sunday Liturgy Commentary

The 28th Sunday of Ordinary Time – 14th October 2018

Lectionary readings: Wis 7:7-11; Ps.90:12-17; Heb. 4:12-13; Mark 10:17-30

Theme: Obey the word of God and share life with others; specially the marginalized.

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The word of God is permanent and eternal while gold, silver and our other possessions are transitory. In Marks 10: 17-30, God is looking at the young man with deep love and affection which was very enticing, calling him to a deeper conversion to follow him totally with whole heart. As in the Book of Exodus, Moshe is instructing the people to follow the Word of God and His commandments and not to make gods of silver or gold and the children of Israel hearken to Moshe. Hebrews 4:12-13 is one of the great biblical texts on the power of God’s Word. The author has been warning the Hebrew church of the danger of cultural Christianity. It is clearly told that “Because God’s Word is powerful to expose our sin and God Himself sees everything, we must be diligent to have our hearts right before Him.” Many early commentators interpreted “the word” here as referring to Jesus Christ whom John (1:1) calls “the Word.” Granted, the author begins Hebrews by stating, “God, after He spoke long ago to the fathers in the prophets in many portions and in many ways, in these last days has spoken to us in His Son: (1:1-2).

The word of God is permanent and eternal. In Psalm 90:12-17, it is clearly said “Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.” It is also said that more than silver or gold and any priceless gem, I prayed to God and the spirit of wisdom came to me. More than wealth and beauty I chose to have her (Wisdom).

“One ran to him, knelt before him” (v.17b). We think of this man as the Rich Young Ruler, but Mark identifies him only as a man who had many possessions and mentions his possessions only at the conclusion of this encounter (v.22). Mathew says that he is young (19:20), and Luke identifies him as a ruler (18:18).

Exodus 20:12-16 and also Deuteronomy 5:16-20 are repeated in St. Marks 10:17-30. All these commandments, one through four, have to do with our relationship to God. After that, it seems to have to do with human relationship. “One thing you lack, Go, sell whatever you have, and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me”. This is a shocking call to discipleship – especially shocking in a culture that assumed that riches constituted an endorsement by God of the rich person’s life. This man has probably gone through his life believing that he has tried to please God and that his riches demonstrate that God is pleased with him. To covet material possessions is to invest them with great importance – to let them fill our hearts – to allow them to fill the God-space in our lives. In a sense, a violation of the tenth commandment is also a violation of the first and second commandments – making a god of material possessions.

For Reflection and Discussion: 1. Have we experienced pain when God demands detachments in our day to day lives from power, position, money and fame or comfort? 2. What place do we have for the poor in our lives? 3. Do we give importance to the word of God, trust in God and obey his words rather than worrying about different things that the culture demands?

Bibliography: 1) Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. (2) Jewish Annotated New Testament by Amy‐Jill Levine and Marc ZviBrettler, New York: Oxford University Press, 2011 (3) The Five Book of Moses by Everett Fox, Schocken Books, New York (4) Deuteronomy, Chapter 5:16-20 (5) https://www.sermonwriter.com/biblical-commentary/mark-1017-31/

This week’s teaching commentary was prepared by

Dr. Joan Chunkapura, Ph.D., MMS, TRADA, Kerala, India. Bat Kol alumna, 2006.

Email: joanc.mms@gmail.com

[Copyright © 2018]

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PLEASE NOTE: The weekly Gospel commentaries represent the research and creative thought of their authors, and are meant to stimulate deeper thinking about the meaning of the Sunday Scriptures. While they draw upon the study methods and sources employed by the Bat Kol Institute, the views and conclusions expressed in these commentaries are solely those of their authors, and do not necessarily represent the views of Bat Kol. Questions, comments and feedback are always welcome.

………………………………………………………………

Bat Kol Institute for Jewish Studies, Jerusalem

1983-2018

“Christians Studying the Bible within its Jewish milieu, using Jewish Sources.”

Mail to: gill@batkol.info; Website: www.batkol.info

The Sunday Liturgy Commentary

The 27th Sunday of Ordinary Time – 7th October 2018

Lectionary readings: Gen. 2:18-24; Ps. 128:1-6; Heb. 2:9-11; Mark 10:2-16

Theme: Words and Ideals … not everything is as it seems!

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ἐπηρώτων, in Mark 10:2 is translated in the NRSV as the Pharisees ‘test’ Jesus, but it can also be translated as ‘inquire’. The former suggests a challenging tone whereas the latter encourages curiosity and allows the potential for discussion and new insights for all involved. An example of this latter style of engagement can be found in 10:10 where the same Greek word is translated in the NRSV as ‘asked’, when used of the disciples’ approach to Jesus. If the word were to be translated the same on both occasions then, instead of seeing the Pharisees in a negative light, we might experience more the potential held within their discussion with Jesus.

This one word, ἐπηρώτων, depending on how we translate it, influences our understanding and perception. It can, on the one hand, tap into negative emotions and narrow our view of others and our capacity to hear God’s word (e.g. ‘test’). It can, on the other hand, suggest a relational quality that supports curiosity about others, their thoughts and God’s word in their lives (e.g. ‘asked’). The Catholic Church, for example, invites the latter reading when it states, ‘… Jewish understanding of the Bible can be of assistance in the Christian understanding and study of the Bible. … ways to study Sacred Scripture together are being developed … providing occasion to learn from each other … efforts need to be made to eliminate every form of anti-Semitism. … we can and should become a source of blessing for each other and the world.’ (Paragraph 55)

In part of our reading from Mark, Jesus turns to scripture to argue against divorce (see Dt. 24:1-4 and Gen. 1:27; 2:24). However, Jesus seems to be presenting an ideal and scripture, in other places, provides us with exceptions (see Mt 5:32; 19:9; 1 Cor 7:10-16). Jesus’ prohibition of divorce might have served to ‘protect women from being abandoned without support’ or ‘addressed the situation of those who were separating for celibacy (Mt 19.10-12; Lk 18:29-30; 1 Cor 7.5).’ (Jewish Annotated New Testament, p80) Any one ideal, whether life-long commitment, service or obedience to God’s word can, if not well managed, result in negative consequences such as judgements of others. If well managed however, with a recognition and appreciation of the complexities of being human, ideals can prove supportive and life-giving. The text certainly invites reflection on ideals and our human efforts to achieve them and how we support ourselves and each other when we come face to face with our limitations as we endeavour to reach any ideal.

Hebrews 2:10 mentions being made ‘perfect through sufferings’. How might this speak to our engagement with ideals and our experience of our human limitations? As human beings we suffer, whether our suffering results from our own limitations or from our experiences in life. Suffering can potentially lead to us shutting down and becoming smaller by, for example, judging ourselves and others for not reaching certain ideals. Or, it can widen the space within our hearts, inviting us to rise to the challenge suffering offers for our growth and development by, for example, being compassionate towards ourselves and others when we don’t quite meet the ideals we set ourselves. The Church’s invitation to read the Bible from an open, spacious place within ourselves allows us to use our own suffering to inform our reading of the text.

For Reflection and Discussion: [1] How might I support myself further in understanding Biblical texts in light of more recent Church teaching? [2] How might I show myself and others compassion when I’m acutely aware of the complexities and limitations involved in being human and the suffering to which this can give rise?

Bibliography: Levine & Zvi Brettler (eds.), The Jewish Annotated New Testament, (Oxford, 2011); Plaut (ed.), The Torah, A Modern Commentary (New York, 1981); Stuhlmueller, Biblical Meditations for Ordinary Time, (New York, 1984); The Word of God in the Life and Mission of the Church, Vatican City, 2008 (Paragraph 55); NRSV.

This week’s teaching commentary was prepared by

Thérèse Fitzgerald, nds, Dublin, Bat Kol alum 2015, 2018

theresefitzgerald7@gmail.com

[Copyright © 2018]

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PLEASE NOTE: The weekly Gospel commentaries represent the research and creative thought of their authors, and are meant to stimulate deeper thinking about the meaning of the Sunday Scriptures. While they draw upon the study methods and sources employed by the Bat Kol Institute, the views and conclusions expressed in these commentaries are solely those of their authors, and do not necessarily represent the views of Bat Kol. Questions, comments and feedback are always welcome

……………………………………………………………

Bat Kol Institute for Jewish Studies, Jerusalem

1983-2018

“Christians Studying the Bible within its Jewish milieu, using Jewish Sources.”

Mail to: gill@batkol.info; Website: www.batkol.info