Inclusive or Exclusive
Friday, February 9, 2007 -- Week of 5 Epiphany; Year One
"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. 946)
Psalms 88 (morning) // 91, 92 (evening)
Isaiah 61:10 - 62:5
2 Timothy 4:1-8
Mark 10:46-52
Last Friday we changed Isaiahs. We finished with the exquisite oracles from Second Isaiah, concluding at chapter 55, and began what some scholars call Third Isaiah (and maybe Fourth). Some of the vision and lyricism of 2 Isaiah is also present in these prophecies. Episcopalians love the beginning of today's reading not only because it is the passage that Jesus referenced in his appearance at the synagogue in Nazareth, but also because it is say popular reading for our funerals.
"The spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me; he has sent me to bring good news to the oppressed, to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and released to the prisoners; to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all who mourn..." Beautiful stuff. But notice -- "the day of vengeance of our God." I sometimes cringe when I read that phrase in the midst of this reading when we use it at a funeral.
There is an edge present in 3 Isaiah that is absent in 2 Isaiah. Second Isaiah visions a Jerusalem which will be open and hospitable to all the nations of the world. Second Isaiah imagines foreigners coming in peace to the Temple which will be a house of prayer for all people. It is a generous and inclusive vision. Third Isaiah contemplates Israel's dominance over the nations. God will accomplish Israel's vengeance, and "strangers shall stand and feed your flocks, foreigners shall till your land and dress your vines; you shall be named ministers of our God; you shall enjoy the wealth of the nations, and in their riches you shall glory."
These two prophetic traditions are only a few decades apart in time, both from the sixth century BCE. Both speak inspiring visions of God restoration of Israel. But they have very different spirits. A universalism that is present in Second Isaiah is absent in Third Isaiah. The latter prophet anticipates judgment, dispoilment, and humiliation for the other nations.
What will God to with the "others"? Will God bless and include or will God judge and punish? You can find both throughout Scripture. You can find both traditions in the New Testament as well as the Hebrew Scriptures.
For me the key is what does Jesus do and say? Not just what did the early church interpret Jesus as saying, but what do we see from the actions of Jesus in particular and what do we hear from the bulk of the remembered saying of Jesus? I would argue that Jesus stands solidly in the tradition of Second Isaiah. His actions are completely inclusive. He performs the same miracles of healing and feeding to Gentiles and even Romans as he does for his own people. And his words of judgment land primarily on those in his own religion who are the most judgmental, strict, and exclusive in their attitude toward the "others".
But if you want religious triumphalism, exclusive salvation, and even tribalism, you can find it and defend yourself biblically. Sometimes I think how we read and interpret the Bible says more about us than it does about God.
Lowell
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posted by Lowell @ 8:04 AM
2 comments
2 Comments:
Those last words: "Sometimes I think how we read and interpret the Bible says more about us than it does about God" are some of the most insightful and profound I've heard. I just recently had the pleasure of reading "The Messiah of Morris Avenue" (a great recommendation from my little brother, Matt) and feel like it took an entire novel to say what you just said in one sentence.
I humbly propose--The problem is not only that many of us do not accept or understand "the Way" that Jesus came to initiate, we fail to keep the emphasis on our own soul. We need to turn from wondering when God will "trample" those OTHERS we think need correction and recognize that we must begin with ourselves first. Jesus came to teach us how each of us can be cleansed and filled with the Holy Spirit, recognizable as unbound Love. The new Way of correction, or "trampling of the vintage" (I believe) involves working on our narcissistic/egoistic selfish earthly desires/concerns. Jesus' Way is an "inside job" each of us must be an active participant in our own transformation. Then our own light will shine and we can light Jesus way, welcoming and signaling His return.
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