Thursday • 6/15/2023
Thursday of the Second Week After Pentecost (Proper 5)
This morning’s Scriptures are: Psalm 70; Psalm 71; Ecclesiasticus 44:19–45:5; 2 Corinthians 12:1–10; Luke 19:28–40
This morning’s Canticles are: following the OT reading, Canticle 8 (“The Song of Moses,” Exodus 15, BCP, p. 85); following the Epistle reading, Canticle 19 (“The Song of the Redeemed,” Revelation 15:3–4, BCP, p. 94)
Welcome to Daily Office Devotions, where every Monday through Friday we consider some aspect of that day’s Scripture readings, as given in the Book of Common Prayer. I’m Reggie Kidd, and I’m grateful to be with you. We are in the 2nd Week After Pentecost, and our readings come from Proper 5 of Year 1 in the Daily Office Lectionary.
Ecclesiasti-what?! The Old Testament readings for today through Sunday come from latter chapters in the Book of Ecclesiasticus, otherwise known as the Wisdom of Ben Sirach. Ecclesiasticus provided the curriculum for Jewish scribes-in-training in the second century before Christ. This book is regarded as fully Scripture in the Catholic and Orthodox traditions, but as having a lesser authority in Jewish and Protestant circles. Our Daily Office selections offer a brief summary of Israel’s history from Abraham through Samuel in anticipation of this coming Monday’s launch into the history of the kingship in Israel.
The overall theme of this portion of Ecclesiasticus is stated at the beginning of this chapter: “Let us now sing the praises of famous men, our ancestors in their generations.” Abraham was found faithful. Isaac received assurance. Jacob distributed the inheritance. Moses was godly and beloved of God, and he was consecrated because of his faithfulness and meekness. Always good to keep such things in mind.
Image: Hortus Deliciarum, Public Domain.
2 Corinthians: reluctant self-revelations. For his part, the apostle Paul is embarrassed to have to keep talking about what it is about his own life that should command a following from the Corinthians (a church which he himself had founded!). Chiefly, he has been at pains to talk about his apostolic sufferings, in imitation of Christ.
Nonetheless, so much is at stake with these Corinthian believers whom he loves, that he reluctantly, even with significant embarrassment, speaks of something that eclipses anything his opponents could offer. He has been taken up into the very abode of God (the “third heaven,” beyond the first heaven of our atmosphere and beyond the second heaven of the stars in the sky). There he has seen and heard things he can neither describe nor explain. To imagine the scenario, I suppose we have to think in terms of the imagery of the Book of Revelation, especially chapters 4 and 5. Though of such things Paul himself will not speak.
There is a tradition of mystical experiences that are called apophatic, meaning, “unspoken” or “unspeakable.” Experiences that make a person say, not to put it too colloquially, “Well, shut my mouth!” Experiences that can only be responded to with stunned and awestruck silence. Paul has been there. His opponents haven’t. So, maybe they should shut their mouths!
Then Paul turns on a dime. He insists that to keep him from being overly impressed with himself, “to keep me from being too elated, a thorn was given me in the flesh” (2 Corinthians 12:7). This “messenger from Satan” Paul will describe no further. That fact hasn’t kept interpreters from speculating: an affliction of the eye? a besetting temptation? a guilt-ridden conscience? Perhaps Paul’s silence on the matter is good, because it means every one of us can more easily relate. Every person I know can write themselves into this story! We all have things we’d just as soon be rid of. But we nonetheless sense that the Lord does deeper work in us by ministering to us through them than he would if he were to rescue us from them. In other words, he allows us to see the necessity of dependence upon him.
Paul’s thrice-prayed prayer for deliverance has been answered simply: “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is made perfect in weakness” (2 Corinthians 12:9). I offer my own paraphrase: “You don’t need less of that, my child. You need more of me.” The invitation is there for each of us to write ourselves into this story, and along with Paul, to exclaim: “I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me. Therefore I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities for the sake of Christ; for whenever I am weak, then I am strong” (2 Corinthians 12:9–10).
Luke: into Jerusalem. We readers know that Jesus’s triumphal entry into Jerusalem is deeply ironic and full of pathos, for it will lead in less than a week to the ignominy and apparent defeat of the cross. However, Luke’s version of the entry encapsulates some preciously enduring truths that transcend the irony. Here, indeed, is the King that Psalm 118 had envisioned as Savior of God’s people. Joyful praise is altogether appropriate to his advent: “the whole multitude of the disciples began to praise God joyfully with a loud voice for all the deeds of power that they had seen” (Luke 19:37). And their song of joy forms a gorgeous inclusio to the angels’ song for the shepherds of Bethlehem: “Peace in heaven, and glory in the highest heaven!” (Luke 19:38—see Luke 2:14).
At Luke 19:40, Jesus says even the rocks will cry out in praise if we can’t. But we can! We can cry out in praise while seeking to emulate the faithfulness of old covenant saints. We can praise in “shut-my-mouth” visions or in “dear-Lord-deliver-me” trials. May we never outlive our wonder at the King who comes to save!
Be blessed this day,
Reggie Kidd+