Lent 3BLent 3BMarch 8, 2015March 8, 2015

Exodus 20:1-17Exodus 20:1-171 Corinthians 1:18-251 Corinthians 1:18-25

John 2:13-22John 2:13-22

Geoffrey Anketell Geoffrey Anketell Studdert-KennedyStuddert-Kennedy

Anglican Priest & Anglican Priest & PoetPoet

1883 - 19291883 - 1929

St. John’s Episcopal Church, Centreville VA Adult Lectionary Forum 2015

Collect for Lent 3BCollect for Lent 3BO God, whose glory is always to have mercy: Be gracious to all who have strayed from your ways. O God, whose glory is always to have mercy: Be gracious to all who have strayed from your ways. Bring them again with penitent hearts & steadfast faith to embrace & hold fast Your Word’s Bring them again with penitent hearts & steadfast faith to embrace & hold fast Your Word’s unchangeable truth, Jesus Christ your Son; who with you & the Holy Spirit lives & reigns, one God, unchangeable truth, Jesus Christ your Son; who with you & the Holy Spirit lives & reigns, one God, forever & ever. Amen.forever & ever. Amen.

 

St. John’s Episcopal Church, Centreville VA -- Adult Lectionary Forum 2015

Prayer for Lent 3B [Geoffrey A. Studdert-Kennedy]Prayer for Lent 3B [Geoffrey A. Studdert-Kennedy]Glorious God, we give thanks not merely for high & holy things, but for the common things on earth Glorious God, we give thanks not merely for high & holy things, but for the common things on earth you created: Wake us to love & work, that Jesus, the Lord of life, may set our hearts ablaze & that you created: Wake us to love & work, that Jesus, the Lord of life, may set our hearts ablaze & that we, like Geoffrey Studdert-Kennedy, may recognize you in your people & in your creation, serving we, like Geoffrey Studdert-Kennedy, may recognize you in your people & in your creation, serving the holy & undivided Trinity; who lives & reigns throughout all ages. Amen.the holy & undivided Trinity; who lives & reigns throughout all ages. Amen.

When Jesus came to Golgotha they hanged Him on a tree,When Jesus came to Golgotha they hanged Him on a tree,They drove great nails through hands and feet, and made a Calvary;They drove great nails through hands and feet, and made a Calvary;

They crowned Him with a crown of thorns, red were His wounds and deep,They crowned Him with a crown of thorns, red were His wounds and deep,For those were crude and cruel days, and human flesh was cheap.For those were crude and cruel days, and human flesh was cheap.

When Jesus came to Birmingham they simply passed Him by,When Jesus came to Birmingham they simply passed Him by,They never hurt a hair of Him, they only let Him die;They never hurt a hair of Him, they only let Him die;

For men had grown more tender, and they would not give Him pain,For men had grown more tender, and they would not give Him pain,They only just passed down the street, and left Him in the rain.They only just passed down the street, and left Him in the rain.

Still Jesus cried, “Forgive them, for they know not what they do,”Still Jesus cried, “Forgive them, for they know not what they do,”And still it rained the wintry rain that drenched Him through and through;And still it rained the wintry rain that drenched Him through and through;

The crowds went home and left the streets without a soul to see,The crowds went home and left the streets without a soul to see,And Jesus crouched against a wall and cried for Calvary.And Jesus crouched against a wall and cried for Calvary.

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[Fr.

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LENT 3B

: JUST FO

LLOW

THE R

ULES! [EXO

DU

S 20:1-17]LEN

T 3B: JU

ST FOLLO

W TH

E RU

LES! [EXOD

US 20:1-17]

Time Stamp: 1491 BC

God delivers the Law to Moses on Mount Sinai. Above all else, we are to love God & treat each other with honor & respect. God essentially uses human agents to achieve divine purposes.

God’s Covenants with Moses •OT laws virtually ignored in NT world•Exceptions include:•--Decalogue [today’s reading]•--Shema [Deut 6:4-9]•--Love thy neighbor… [Lev 19:11-17]•Positive side to thou shall not…•--Provided discipline•--Promoted good•--Preserved life•Covenant rules sealed in stone•--Reminds what God did for them•--Highly personal statements•--In Israel’s best interests•--Holds Hebrews account able •--Do what I say & you’ll be OK•--Reminder God is with them always

7You shall not make wrongful use of the name of the Lord your God… 8 Remember the Sabbath day & keep it holy…12Honor your father & your mother…13You shall not murder. 14You shall not commit adultery. 15You shall not steal. 16You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor. 17You shall not covet…your neighbor's wife, or… anything that belongs to your neighbor.

2I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the house of slavery; 3you shall have no other gods before me. 4You shall not make for yourself an idol…5You shall not bow down or worship them; for I the Lord your God am a jealous God, punishing children for the iniquity of parents, to the 3 rd & the 4th generation of those who reject me, 6but showing steadfast love to the 1,000th generation of those who love me & keep my commandments.

St. John’s Episcopal Church, Centreville VA Adult Lectionary Forum 2015

Time Stamp: 66 AD

Christ’s suffering may seem foolish to many, but to faithful Christians, it reveals God's infinite & redeeming power.

Dual Message to Corinthians•Rome’s capital sentence: Crucifixion•--Warning to those who defied Rome•--Shameful public spectacle•--Degrading, slow, painful death•--Torture before & during process•To some Jews: a sign of divine curse•An unlikely marketing image to push•--Word of the cross (1:18)•----Turns convention on its head•----Unlikely means of initiating salvation•--Proclaims Christ crucified (1:23)•----Offensive to Jewish sensibilities•----Defies rational Gentile intelligence•God seeks man not on our terms, but on His•--Jews seek signs•--Greeks seek wisdom•--God mocks both: inverts our rules•--Reality of The Cross shocks us into divine reality•What does the Cross convey to you? •--Offensive & senseless symbol?•--Divine joy & salvation?

Lent 3B: It’s a M

atter of Faith [1 Corinthians 1:18-25

Lent 3B: It’s a M

atter of Faith [1 Corinthians 1:18-25 ]]

St. John’s Episcopal Church, Centreville VA Adult Lectionary Forum 2015

18 For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. 19For it is written, “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise & the discernment of the discerning I will thwart.” 20Where is the one who is wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Hasn’t God made foolish the wisdom of the world? 21The world did not know God through wisdom, so God decided, through the foolishness of our proclamation, to save those who believe.

22For Jews demand signs & Greeks desire wisdom, 23but we proclaim Christ crucified, a stumbling-block to Jews & foolishness to Gentiles, 24but to those who are the called, both Jews & Greeks, Christ the power of God & the wisdom of God. 25For God’s foolishness is wiser than human wisdom & God’s weakness is stronger than human strength.

Time Stamp: c. 29 ADJesus drives merchants & money changers from God's temple. He likens his body to a Temple & reveals he must die & rise again.

See also: Matthew 21:12-17, Mark 11:15-19, Luke 19:45-48

Jesus’ Sobering Reminder•John cuts to chase--incident earlier in his account than in other 3 Gospels•Jesus’ early signs are one thing, but cleansing the Temple further validates his identity for disciples & readers alike•Sadly, Jesus & Jewish audience speak past one another [Vv 18-20]•--Trade legitimate/necessary for pilgrims & others who lacked suitable coins to buy animals needed for temple worship•--Jesus declares self as prophet with a message: Lord's house is his "Father's" house•Lenten interpretive/reflective context•--2x disciples recall Jesus’ cting OT •----Zechariah 14:20-21 & Psalm 69:9.•----Temple cleansing in prophetic terms decrying Temple’s misuse for trade•--Lent a time to reflect & be attentive

13 The Passover of the Jews was at hand & Jesus went to Jerusalem. 14 In the temple he found those who were selling oxen, sheep & pigeons, & the money-changers sitting there. 15 Making a whip of cords, he drove them out of the temple with the sheep & oxen. He poured out the money-changers’ coins & overturned their tables. 16 He told those who sold the pigeons, “Take these things away; do not make my Father's house a house of trade.”

LENT 3B

: A DEN

OF TH

IEVES [JOH

N 2:13-22]

LENT 3B

: A DEN

OF TH

IEVES [JOH

N 2:13-22]

St. John’s Episcopal Church, Centreville VA Adult Lectionary Forum 2015

18 So the Jews said to him, “What sign do you show us for doing these things?” 19 Jesus answered them, “Destroy this temple & in 3 days I will raise it up.” 20 The Jews then said, “It has taken 46 years to build this temple & will you raise it up in 3 days?” 21 But he was speaking about the temple of his body. 22 When he rose from the dead, his disciples remembered he said this, & they believed the Scripture & the word Jesus had spoken.