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Tuesday, October 3, 2006 -- Week of Proper 21

"Morning Reflections" is a brief thought about the scripture readings from the Daily Office of Morning and Evening Prayer according to the practice found in the Book of Common Prayer of the Episcopal Church.

Morning Prayer begins on p. 80 of the Book of Common Prayer.
Evening Prayer begins on p. 117
An online resource for praying the Daily Office is found at www.missionstclare.com
Another form of the office from Phyllis Tickle's "Divine Hours" is available on our partner web site www.ExploreFaith.org at this location -- http://explorefaith.org/prayer/fixed/index.html

Today's Readings for the Daily Office (p. 987)
Psalm 97, 99, [100] (morning) // 94, [95](evening)
Hosea 4:1-10
Acts 21:1-14
Luke 5:12-26

How do we interpret what is good and what is bad?

Hosea shocks his listeners by calling them prostitutes. He is addressing men exclusively. They live in a patriarchal society where a wife's unfaithfulness would be an ultimate shame to them. Hosea goes through a list of things not unlike the list from the ten commandments, and he shocks this proud and pious group by telling them they are as unfaithful to God as a prostitute wife is to a husband.

There are consequences for their behavior -- environmental consequences ("the land mourns," the animals, birds and fish are perishing); they lack knowledge (especially religious leaders); they are unsatisfied even though they have food, wealth and power. These people think they are God's chosen -- pious and powerful -- Hosea tells them they are whores. The whole earth is suffering for their sins. More than one interpreter has said Hosea's words sound with clarity to our day.

Paul is finishing his journey toward Jerusalem. In Caesarea a prophet tells the congregation that the Holy Spirit has given warning. If Paul goes to Jerusalem, he will be imprisoned and mistreated. The whole congregation urges him to heed the Spirit's warning and forego his trip. No, says Paul. I am willing to "be bound" and "even to die in Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus." In resignation, they all say, "The Lord's will be done."

How do you know what is the Lord's will? Paul is convinced that the Lord's will is done in the midst of rejection, so he faces hostility, conflict and potential violence -- all bad things -- for the sake of his good work of witness.

A leper is unclean. The Hebrew scripture is full of warnings. Stay away. Do not touch. Jesus chooses to touch, and the leper is healed. A man is paralyzed. (A good metaphor for being "stuck.") In healing, Jesus forgives his sin. "Bad," say the religious teachers. Only God can forgive sins. Jesus reinterprets the teaching by showing them. The "Son of Man" is given power to forgive; and he heals the paralysis. (What is this "Son of Man"? The endtime judge of Daniel's vision, or just another word for a human being?)

Who is right? Hosea or his proud listeners? Paul or his worried friends? Jesus or the defenders of the Scriptures? Depends on your interpretation.

Lowell
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The Rev. Lowell Grisham
St. Paul's Episcopal Church
Fayetteville, AR