Monday • 9/4/2023 •
Monday of the Fourteenth Week After Pentecost (Proper 17)
This morning’s Scriptures are: Psalm 25; 2 Chronicles 6:32–7:7; James 2:1–13; Mark 14:53–65
This morning’s Canticles are: following the OT reading, Canticle 9 (“The First Song of Isaiah,” Isaiah 12:2–6, BCP, p. 86); 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 explore that day’s Scripture readings, as given in the Book of Common Prayer. I’m Reggie Kidd. Thanks for joining me. This Monday in the Season After Pentecost our readings finds us in Proper 17 of Year 1 in the Daily Office Lectionary.
Solomon’s temple prayer, especially as described in 2 Chronicles, represents the summit of Israel’s life. The Shekinah glory cloud had protected Israel at the crossing of the Red Sea. It had appeared over Mt. Sinai at the giving of the law, indwelt the tabernacle, and accompanied Israel throughout the wilderness wanderings. Now the Shekinah glory cloud descends in such effulgence at the close of Solomon’s prayer that the priests can’t even enter the temple, and “all the people of Israel bowed down on the pavement with their faces to the ground, and worshiped and gave thanks to the Lord, saying, ‘For he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever’” (2 Chronicles 7:3; see the refrain in Psalm 136).
At this most sublime and transcendent moment of convergence between heaven and earth, two things stand out to me. First is the fact that, on his knees and with outstretched hands, Solomon prays that Yahweh would hear and answer at the different points of need in his people’s lives: “hear and forgive” (2 Chronicles 6:21). Hear and forgive when his people sin and face various consequences—from returning restitution, coming under attack from enemies, undergoing famine or pestilence, or going into exile. Hear and forgive in sickness, or in any sort of suffering or need. Hear and forgive, “let your eyes be open and your ears attentive to prayer from this place” (2 Chronicles 6:40). Solomon adds a gorgeous coda from Psalm 132:8–10: “Let your priests be clothed with salvation, and let your faithful rejoice in your goodness.”
Second is God’s gracious response. Yahweh appears in the Shekinah glory cloud with fire. The fire consumes the sacrifices, not the people (2 Chronicles 7:1). The consuming fire of judgment falls not on his sinful people, but on their substitutes. In answer, thankful worship—loud and exuberant musical worship—breaks out. No wonder God’s people are inveterate singers and music-makers (2 Chronicles 7:3–6). Yahweh hears and forgives!
Then we turn to Mark’s Gospel. In utter mockery of the prayer that Yahweh’s priests would be clothed with salvation, the high priest, the chief priests, the elders, and the scribes have gathered in the rebuilt temple precincts to look for a reason to condemn Jesus of Nazareth to death. They should be singing (centuries in advance), “Veiled in flesh the Godhead see, Hail th’ incarnate Deity!” But they can’t see what’s right in front of their very eyes. The high priest demands to know: “Are you the Messiah, the Son of the Blessed One?” (Mark 14:61).
And though Jesus has been reticent in Mark’s Gospel to disclose his identity, he acknowledges (I paraphrase): “Indeed, I am the divine-human Son of Man of whom Daniel had a vision. And I am about to come into the heavenly courts to receive all power and dominion at the right hand of God Almighty” (Mark 14:62). They condemn him as a blasphemer worthy of death. At least they have rightly heard his claim.
James highlights for us what folly if it would be to get Jesus’s identity “right” (correctly confessing him as “our glorious Lord Jesus Christ”) but to fail to see how that truth turns the world’s values on their head. To do so would be to get Jesus all “wrong.” The King came as pauper, and in doing so raised paupers to royalty. His followers are followers of “the royal law,” and that law calls us to love our neighbor as ourselves—especially those who most resemble his own appearance among us. Not high and mighty, but lowly and humble. To fail to give special honor to the least among us is to fail to give honor to him. Therein lies the “law of liberty”: the path to freedom from being controlled by appetites of greed, avarice, materialism, and status.
Collect for Proper 17. Lord of all power and might, the author and giver of all good things: Graft in our hearts the love of your Name; increase in us true religion; nourish us with all goodness; and bring forth in us the fruit of good works; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God for ever and ever. Amen
Be blessed this day,
Reggie Kidd+
For reflections on the opening chapter of James’s epistle, see these DDDs:
James 1:1–15 on 11/12/2020, Thursday of Proper 27, Year Two https://tinyurl.com/p7ez9f76
James 1:16–27 on 11/13/2020, Friday of Proper 27, Year Two https://tinyurl.com/3aky47vn