Pericope Study for Epiphany 5C

This is a pericope study presented an effort to assist in studying the lectionary for sermon preparation. Therefore, while I am responsible for the content, it does not necessarily directly reflect my opinions or theology, much less a desire to “be right”, though it might. My intention is to help you to hear God’s Word and to sense the Spirit’s movement.

Collect / Prayer of the Day: O God, from whom all good things come: Lead us by the inspiration of your Spirit to think those things which are right, and by your goodness help us to do them; through your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen (LBW (70) p 22 )

[6] They went through the region of Phrygia and Galatia, having been forbidden by the Holy Spirit to speak the word in Asia. [7] When they had come opposite Mysia, they attempted to go into Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus did not allow them; [8] so, passing by Mysia, they went down to Troas. [9] During the night Paul had a vision: there stood a man of Macedonia pleading with him and saying, "Come over to Macedonia and help us." [10] When he had seen the vision, we immediately tried to cross over to Macedonia, being convinced that God had called us to proclaim the good news to them.

[11] We set sail from Troas and took a straight course to Samothrace, the following day to Neapolis, [12] and from there to Philippi, which is a leading city of the district of Macedonia and a Roman colony. We remained in this city for some days. [13] On the sabbath day we went outside the gate by the river, where we supposed there was a place of prayer; and we sat down and spoke to the women who had gathered there. [14] A certain woman named Lydia, a worshiper of God, was listening to us; she was from the city of Thyatira and a dealer in purple cloth. The Lord opened her heart to listen eagerly to what was said by Paul. [15] When she and her household were baptized, she urged us, saying, "If you have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come and stay at my home." And she prevailed upon us.

16.6-9 The Holy Spirit allowed Paul et al to travel through Phrygia, Galatia, Mysia and Macedonia, but not Asia or Bithynia. Why?

16.9 How do you account for Paul’s vision and his immediate decision to act on it? What would you do if a parishioner has such a vision and wants to act on it?

16.14 Lydia was from Thyatira, a city in Lydia (western Asia), about 200 miles SE of Philippi as the seagull flies. Since the district of Lydia was known for it’s prosperous purple dying trade and household is referred to as hers, it is likely that she was a single woman of some economic and social independence. How might this be significant? What is the significance of Lydia asking Paul et al to come and stay in her home?

Note my non-God-subject-object insertions at the end of the text lines. This psalm is about “us” (God’s people) interceding to God for “them” (the universal “nations” and “earth”).

67.2-5 Why is there a paragraph between 67.3 and 67.4? Why is there a “Selah” break between 67.4 and 67.5? These both seem to me like awkward chopping up of the psalm. What do you think?

67.3.5 A refrain. Note that 67.7 somewhat copies the form: “<statement>, let all <statement>”, though instead of expanding <statement>, it turns it from “may <statement> . . .” to “let all . . . <statement’>”. Significance?

[10] And in the spirit he carried me away to a great, high mountain and showed me the holy city Jerusalem coming down out of heaven from God. [11] It has the glory of God and a radiance like a very rare jewel, like jasper, clear as crystal. [12] It has a great, high wall with twelve gates, and at the gates twelve angels, and on the gates are inscribed the names of the twelve tribes of the Israelites; [13] on the east three gates, on the north three gates, on the south three gates, and on the west three gates. [14] And the wall of the city has twelve foundations, and on them are the twelve names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.

[15] The angel who talked to me had a measuring rod of gold to measure the city and its gates and walls. [16] The city lies foursquare, its length the same as its width; and he measured the city with his rod, fifteen hundred miles; its length and width and height are equal. [17] He also measured its wall, one hundred forty-four cubits by human measurement, which the angel was using. [18] The wall is built of jasper, while the city is pure gold, clear as glass. [19] The foundations of the wall of the city are adorned with every jewel; the first was jasper, the second sapphire, the third agate, the fourth emerald, [20] the fifth onyx, the sixth carnelian, the seventh chrysolite, the eighth beryl, the ninth topaz, the tenth chrysoprase, the eleventh jacinth, the twelfth amethyst. [21] And the twelve gates are twelve pearls, each of the gates is a single pearl, and the street of the city is pure gold, transparent as glass.

[22] I saw no temple in the city, for its temple is the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb. [23] And the city has no need of sun or moon to shine on it, for the glory of God is its light, and its lamp is the Lamb. [24] The nations will walk by its light, and the kings of the earth will bring their glory into it. [25] Its gates will never be shut by day--and there will be no night there. [26] People will bring into it the glory and the honor of the nations. [27] But nothing unclean will enter it, nor anyone who practices abomination or falsehood, but only those who are written in the Lamb's book of life.

[22:1] Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, bright as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb [2] through the middle of the street of the city. On either side of the river is the tree of life with its twelve kinds of fruit, producing its fruit each month; and the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations. [3] Nothing accursed will be found there any more. But the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it, and his servants will worship him; [4] they will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads. [5] And there will be no more night; they need no light of lamp or sun, for the Lord God will be their light, and they will reign forever and ever.

nb: The corresponding LBW (vs RCL) lection was Revelation 21.10, 14, 22-23. Same, only significantly different.

21.11-21 Why have these verses been left out? What does this accomplish? What difference would including them make?

22.2 On either side of the river is the tree of life Ie, the tree of life in the garden of Eden. Humanity, which had disobeyed God in the garden, has not had access to this since the fall. (Genesis 2.33)

22.4 his name will be on their foreheads Compare to the marking foreheads of the servants of God is anticipated in Revelation 7:3; the similar marking of the 144,000 in Rev 14.1; the protective sign God put on Cain (Genesis 4:15); and the tattoos and other cuttings or markings used by some groups to identify themselves, or to assure safe passage through life.

temple, sun or moon, closed gates, uncleanliness, abomination, falsehood, accursedness, night.

Lord God the Almighty, the Lamb, glory and honor of nations of the earth, people written in the Lamb’s book of life, river of water of life, throne of God and the Lamb, tree of life, leaves healing the nations, servants seeing and worshiping God / the Lamb, God as light.

On the assumption that the Kingdom of God has already begun in significant ways, how might we recognize some of these absences and presences in our congregations and communities today?

(alt Gospel: Jn 5.1-9; In this study I am using 14.23-29, the lesson on our pre-printed bulletins)

[22] Judas (not Iscariot) said to him, "Lord, how is it that you will reveal yourself to us, and not to the world?" [23] Jesus answered him, "Those who love me will keep my word, and my Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them. [24] Whoever does not love me does not keep my words; and the word that you hear is not mine, but is from the Father who sent me.

[25] "I have said these things to you while I am still with you. [26] But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you everything, and remind you of all that I have said to you. [27] Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not let them be afraid. [28] You heard me say to you, 'I am going away, and I am coming to you.' If you loved me, you would rejoice that I am going to the Father, because the Father is greater than I. [29] And now I have told you this before it occurs, so that when it does occur, you may believe.

14.23-24a Love Jesus if and only if keep Jesus’ words, Father loves them, and Father & Jesus come to them.

14.25-26 When Jesus gone, Holy Spirit (Advocate) sent by the Father in Jesus’ name, to teach us, and to remind us of Jesus’ words.

Note that part of this passage is contained in the Gospel reading for Pentecost C: Jn 14.8-17 [25-27]. This may be why there is an alternate Gospel for Easter 6C, Jn 5.1-9.

14.23 Jesus answered him See 14.22 (printed in small type); Jesus is answering Judas (not Iscariot).

14.23b-24a Love Jesus if and only if keep Jesus’ words, Father loves them, and Father & Jesus come to them. What are the implications of this? Which comes first, our love for Jesus or the obedience, Father’s love, Father & Son’s presence cluster? What are the implications for universal salvation and/or predestination?

Melina and Rohrbaugh say about this that, “The problem is that ‘the world’ does not love Jesus because it does not keep his word and therefore does not hear the Father who sent Jesus (v. 24).” (Bruce J. Malina and Richard L. Rohrbaugh, Social-Science Commentary on the Gospel of John. Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 1998, p. 232.) From an Aristotelian standpoint, this might be eisegetically forcing temporal order to the logic where it isn’t necessarily there. What do you think?

14.24 What does it mean that Jesus’ words are the Father’s, not his own. Remember that the Johannine Jesus likes to say that he and the Father are one.

14.27 What is this “peace” that Jesus is giving his disciples? Is it the same as the peace in Philippians 4.7: “And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus”?

14.28-29 Is this more related to Good Friday, Easter, or Ascension? Remember that this Sunday (Easter 6) is 6 weeks after Easter, but also the Sunday before the Ascension (coming Thursday), so a case might be made in varying ways for each.

14.28 If you loved me, you would rejoice that I am going to the Father Compare this with 14.23b-24a above.

14.29 before it occurs, so that when it does occur What is the “it” for the Johannine community? In corporate and/or personal terms for us in 21^st Century?

Theological Themes & Threads:	Ac	Ps	Rev	Jn
Outsiders, the Nations, People Other than Insider Men in Authority	x	x	x
Conversion, Baptism, New Life / Creation	x		x
Vision	x		x
Guidance &/o Presence of Holy Spirit	x			x
Baptism	x
Travel	x
Benediction, Spiritual Blessing		x	x	x

Suggested Sermon Titles:*	Ac	Ps	Rev	Jn
On the Road with the Spirit	x
Us and Them Isn’t Always All Bad		x
Goys Are People Too – to the Glory of God			x
I’ve a Feeling We’re Not in Jerusalem Anymore			x
Who Turned the Lights Out? God Did!			x
Whose Name Is on Your Forehead?			x
When Jesus Leaves, He Doesn’t Leave Us Alone				x

*I do not necessarily advocate using these as titles for real sermons, but rather present them in the hope that you might stumble over them and fall on some useful ideas. Actually, I rarely give my sermons titles, but I like to make up hypothetical titles for hypothetical sermons I might hypothetically give someday, or not. Enjoy.