This week's lessons: Exodus 20:1-17, Psalm 19, 1 Corinthians 1:18-25, John 2:13-22

Emmanuel Community Church

Inter-generational Lectionary Study;

Sundays from 10:0 to 10:45 in the Board Room

Opening

Opening prayer by leader, or invite another participant to pray, or us:

Almighty God, who has caused all Holy Scripture to be written for our learning, open our ears and hearts today to learn from your word and from one another, we ask in Jesus' Name. Amen

Set the calendar-clock to the right date. Lent is the season of preparation for the great feast of Easter. We spend 40 days in self-denial and solemn prayer, readying our hearts and minds to celebrate Christ's great Easter victory over Death and Sin.

Today, the Gospel reviews for us the story of Christ's baptism, which we will remember from the first week of Epiphany, but adds to that context the story of Christ's 40-day fast in the wilderness.

Review of Last Week

What was the sermon on? - Missions: Demo Crew; and Mexican Orphanages

What was the Gospel lesson? - Christ's temptation in the wilderness

Did anyone have any insights about...

1.What will you be doing, during Lent, to prepare yourself to live the post-Easter life?
2.What experiences for you are, spiritually, “wilderness” experiences?
3.Do you believe that God needs to be reminded of that promise, or of any promise?
4.What power do we have over nature, and how have we used and mis-used that power?
5.What choices do you need to make in order to be in right relationship with God, with the earth, and with all peoples?

Memory Passage

Bible Passage

Exodus 20:1-17

The giving of the Ten Commandments marks the starting point of Israel as a self-defining community. They form a covenant between God and Israel but, unlike God’s agreements with Noah and Abraham, here both parties have a stake in it, and either can break it. (In the earlier covenants, God acts and promises but the recipients passively receive – although they do have obligations.)

Having arrived at Mount Sinai, the Israelites clean themselves physically and ritually, but it is Moses and Aaron who ascend the mountain. God speaks to all, to the whole community. But why does God enter into the agreement? In 19:3-6, Moses is told that he has seen what God did to the Egyptians, and how he has lovingly protected Israel, that “you shall be for me a ... holy nation.” They are to have “no other gods before [or beside] me” (v. 3). In the ancient Near East, people commonly encountered gods in sculpted images, but the Israelites are not to do this (v. 4), because God is different: he demands loyalty to him alone (v. 5); he punishes for a long time those who intentionally “reject” him, but rewards with compassion those who love him and follow his ways. Those who use God’s name for a false or evil purpose (e.g. for casting spells, doing magic) will not be acquitted (v. 7) or held harmless. Each week, time is to be reserved for praying to, and worshipping, God. The Israelites must honour older people; doing so will contribute to their own longevity. Then vv. 13-17: life, marriage and property are sacred. Testifying falsely against another (or even spreading innuendos) is prohibited. Even coveting, desiring greatly, the possessions of others is prohibited.

The Ten Commandments also appear in Deuteronomy 5:6-21. They are an ethical code.

NJBC attributes this passage to the Elohist (E) tradition.

Christians number the commandments in two ways: the Anglican, Greek and Reformed traditions consider vv. 3-6 to be two commandments and v. 17 one, while the Lutheran and Roman Catholic traditions consider vv. 3-6 to be one commandment and v. 17 to be two. [NJBC]

There are two differences between the Exodus and Deuteronomy versions of the Ten Commandments:

The reason for keeping the sabbath: see Exodus 20:11 and Deuteronomy 5:15, and
In Exodus 20:17, “neighbour’s house” precedes “neighbour’s wife” whilst in Deuteronomy 5:21 “neighbour’s wife” comes first. [NJBC]

In the Exodus account, the “house” (household) may well include the neighbour’s “wife”, slaves and animals, so v. 17 appears to be one commandment – and the Anglican, Greek and Reformed traditions make more sense. However, in the Deuteronomy account, “house” seems to have a more limited meaning – and the Lutheran and Roman Catholic numbering make more sense.

Per Jewish tradition, v. 2 is the first commandment; however Christians consider this verse to be a preface that summarizes the meaning of the Exodus – thus setting the Law in the context of God’s redemptive action. [NOAB]

The numbering of the commandments in Christian usage is:

	Anglican, Greek and Reformed	Lutheran and Roman Catholic
1.	vv. 3, 5-6	vv. 3-6
2.	vv. 4, 5-6	v. 7
3.	v. 7	vv. 8-11
4.	vv. 8-11	v. 12
5.	v. 12	v. 13
6.	v. 13	v. 14
7.	v. 14	v. 15
8.	v. 15	v. 16
9.	v. 16	v. 17a
10.	v. 17	v. 17b

Originally each commandment was a short utterance (as are those in vv. 13-15) to which explanatory comments were added (e.g. “for ...” in vv. 5, 6, 9-11). [NOAB]

The commandments in vv. 3-11 concern the relationship of humans to God, while those in vv. 12-17 concern societal relations. In the Lutheran and Roman Catholic numbering, this neatly splits the ten into two groups of five.

Verse 1: “these words”: They are known as the Decalogue or “the ten words”: see 34:28; Deuteronomy 4:13; 10:4. (In all references, “ten commandments” is literally ten words.)

Verse 2: God won a victory over the gods of Egypt.

Verse 2: “I am the Lord your God”: NJBC suggests I, Yahweh, am your God.

Verse 3: Note that Israel is not yet strictly monotheistic. [CAB] V. 5 expands on this verse.

Verse 4: “anything”: Living is implied. This commandment prohibits the common practice in the ancient world of personifying natural powers, making animal or human statues to them, and worshipping these powers.

Verse 5: “jealous”: God tolerates no rivals for his people’s devotion. [NOAB] NJBC suggests impassioned: God is so passionately committed to Israel that he will ensure that all sins are punished even if it is the descendants of the sinners who are punished. This is a reference to those who “reject” God after accepting him (in Chapter 19).

Verse 6: “steadfast love”: The Hebrew word, hesed, means love under the covenant, kindness, mercy.

Verse 7: “wrongful use of the name”: i.e. use of God’s name in magic, divination or false swearing (in legal proceedings). This reflects the ancient idea that knowledge of someone’s name could be used to exert magical control over the person: see Genesis 32:27, 29 (Jacob at Jabbok) [NOAB] [NJBC]

Verse 11: In Deuteronomy 5:15, the reason given for keeping the sabbath is to remember God’s might in freeing Israel from slavery in Egypt.

Verse 12: In a society where traditions were transmitted orally, the elders were the repositories of knowledge. Note that mothers were to be equally honoured with fathers: an unusual idea in a region where women were primarily instruments of male procreation, and expendable slaves. [CAB] See also 21:15, 17; Deuteronomy 27:16.

Verse 13: “murder”: A footnote in the NRSV offers kill as an alternative translation. In Deuteronomy 19:11-13 and Numbers 35:6-21 killing in a holy war is permitted. Unpremeditated killing is tolerated: see 21:12-17. Capital punishment is permitted.

Verse 14: “adultery”: Violation of the marital rights of another man through intercourse with a married or betrothed woman is in view: see Deuteronomy 22:22-37.

Verse 15: “steal”: The Hebrew word used here is the one used of the kidnapping of Joseph in Genesis 40:15. [CAB] The last commandment (v. 17) covers stealing per se. [NJBC]

Verse 16: The “neighbour” here and in v. 17 is probably a fellow member of the Israelite community. [CAB] You shall tell the truth in a lawsuit. See also 23:1; Deuteronomy 19:15-21; 1 Kings 21:8-14 (Jezebel).

Verse 17: “covet”: While FoxMoses considers the Hebrew word. hamad, to mean desire, long for, NJBC suggests that conspire is a better translation.

Verse 18: God’s appearance resembles the appearance of the storm god Baal in Canaanite texts, especially in combining thunder and lightning with earthquake: see also Psalm 18:8 – so this conforms to a known literary pattern. [FoxMoses]

Verse 18: “lightning”: Literally flashing torches. [FoxMoses]

Verse 18: “trumpet”: The Hebrew word is shofar.

Verse 19: “or we will die”: i.e. cease to be human, become divine. [NJBC]

Verse 21: “thick darkness”: FoxMoses translates the Hebrew as fog, suggesting cloud.

Sinai never became an important biblical cult site. It was necessary to demonstrate that Israel’s laws and institutions arose, not out of normal settled political and economic circumstances, but rather as a direct gift and stipulation of God himself – hence the choice of a site removed from the great cultural centres of the ancient Near East. Israel had to start everything anew, free of all previous cultural influences. [FoxMoses]

No other ancient society, to our knowledge, cut a covenant with a people. So the true king is heavenly, not earthly.

FoxMoses translates 19:6 as ... you shall be to me a kingdom of priests, a holy nation ... - so despite there being a priestly group in ancient Israel, the ideal was that each person was an intermediary between God and other people.

FoxMoses wonders whether the materials in Exodus 21-24 (and other texts in the Torah which enumerate laws) should be taken as actual regulations or cases, or as something else, rather more didactic.

The Third Sunday in Lent brings us to the third in the sequence of covenants by which God works to bring blessing to the world as a redemptive alternative to destroying sin. In the first covenant with Noah, God promised never again to destroy the world in order to wipe out sin, but to seek a more creative response to the corruption and violence of the world. In the covenant with Abraham and Sarah, God promised to make them the parents of many nations, peoples who would be formed in intimate relation with God so as to be a blessing for all the families of the earth. In the covenant made with Israel through Moses, God particularizes the universal promise of blessing: God chooses a particular people to form and shape in the life of communal blessing. The Torah, summarized in this reading in the Ten Commandments, is God’s particular instrument for forming this people in the way of blessing. The Ten Commandments are often treated today as if they were general moral principles, rules for life that all people of all cultures could and should recognize. But it is worth noting that some of these commandments are highly specific to the historic people of Israel. The requirement of monotheism, for instance, and the prohibition of images of the divine would have set the Israelites apart from their historical neighbors in a very distinctive way. This became even more true of the commandment to keep the Sabbath during the Babylonian Exile centuries later, when the Sabbath and kosher laws became important means by which the Jews kept themselves distinct from their captors. These laws are not simply general moral principles, but are signs of a particular relationship with God and means to stay faithful in that relationship. Seen through this lens, some of the other commandments among the Ten reveal a particular concern with fidelity, as well. The commandments against adultery, false witness, and covetousness, could be seen as generally useful guidelines for good order in the community; but they can also be understood as requiring an intention to be faithful to the neighbor, and in so doing to mirror the people’s specially faithful relationship with God. The Mosaic covenant with its practical expression in Torah is the specification of God’s covenantal promise to redeem, not destroy, the sin of the world, in that it maps a lifeway that replaces corruption and violence with fidelity and justice.The Third Sunday in Lent brings us to the third in the sequence of covenants by which God works to bring blessing to the world as a redemptive alternative to destroying sin. In the first covenant with Noah, God promised never again to destroy the world in order to wipe out sin, but to seek a more creative response to the corruption and violence of the world. In the covenant with Abraham and Sarah, God promised to make them the parents of many nations, peoples who would be formed in intimate relation with God so as to be a blessing for all the families of the earth. In the covenant made with Israel through Moses, God particularizes the universal promise of blessing: God chooses a particular people to form and shape in the life of communal blessing. The Torah, summarized in this reading in the Ten Commandments, is God’s particular instrument for forming this people in the way of blessing. The Ten Commandments are often treated today as if they were general moral principles, rules for life that all people of all cultures could and should recognize. But it is worth noting that some of these commandments are highly specific to the historic people of Israel. The requirement of monotheism, for instance, and the prohibition of images of the divine would have set the Israelites apart from their historical neighbors in a very distinctive way. This became even more true of the commandment to keep the Sabbath during the Babylonian Exile centuries later, when the Sabbath and kosher laws became important means by which the Jews kept themselves distinct from their captors. These laws are not simply general moral principles, but are signs of a particular relationship with God and means to stay faithful in that relationship. Seen through this lens, some of the other commandments among the Ten reveal a particular concern with fidelity, as well. The commandments against adultery, false witness, and covetousness, could be seen as generally useful guidelines for good order in the community; but they can also be understood as requiring an intention to be faithful to the neighbor, and in so doing to mirror the people’s specially faithful relationship with God. The Mosaic covenant with its practical expression in Torah is the specification of God’s covenantal promise to redeem, not destroy, the sin of the world, in that it maps a lifeway that replaces corruption and violence with fidelity and justice.

Verses 1-2. The classic lines that introduce the Ten Commandments are a reminder of Israel's recent history with the God of the Exodus.

The first three commandments concern the relationship between human beings and God.

There shall be no other gods before Yahweh (verse 3). Keep in mind that the people of Israel had just spent hundreds of years with the Egyptians who worshiped many gods.
There shall be no idols of any kind (verses 4-6). Their worship would be characterized by the absence of idols.
God's name was to be held in reverence (verse 7).

The fourth commandment established the principle of Sabbath rest (verses 8-11). God, who observed a period of work and rest in creation, commands us to do the same.

Commandments 5 through 10 regulate our relationships with one another.

The fifth commandment begins in the home (verse 12). The most basic unit of any society is the family.). Mutual respect begins here. Later, in the New Testament, Paul refers to this commandment as the first commandment that came with a promise (Ephesians 6:2).
Christians and War -- How the sixth commandment applies to war has been the subject of great controversy. Arguments from Thomas Aquinas' Summa Theologica and St. Augustine's letter to Boniface have long been a part of that conversation. For information about the UMC stance on military service, see The Social Principles, "V. The Political Community." As one who preaches, consider yourself an important part of the discernment process for your congregation.
The seventh commandment, concerning adultery (verse 14); the eighth, concerning stealing (verse 15); and the ninth, concerning truth telling (verse 16), are usually not open to much debate.
The tenth commandment extends beyond actions into thoughts. It is just as wrong to intensely desire a neighbor's wife or property as it is to commit adultery or to steal. Jesus deals more directly with the power of inappropriate thoughts in his Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7).

THE TEN COMMANDMENTS (A.K.A. THE DECALOGUE)

About this essay:

We will follow the Protestant/Eastern Orthodox sequence of Exodus 20, since that is the format most familiar to North Americans.

This essay will attempt to explain:

	The original meaning of each commandment.
	How people interpret them today.
	The meaning interpreted by The Westminster Larger Catechism. The latter is still used by the Presbyterian Church (USA) and some other Reform denominations within Christianity. ₁The Catechism was written in 1649 CE. Its authors seem to have enlarged the scope of most of the Commandments way beyond their original intent, to include many other sins. Some are apparently unrelated to the original text. By doing this, they expand the meaning of the Decalogue to incorporate many of the 613 other instructions and prohibitions that form the Mosaic Law.

The individual commandments:

1^st Commandment; Verse 3: "Thou shalt have no other gods before me."

The Israelites were to worship only Jehovah. As in many other passages of the Hebrew Scriptures, other (Pagan) gods are assumed to exist, but are not to be worshipped.

As a purely religious document for Christian churches and Jewish synagogues, it is fine. But if posted as a guide for the behavior of students in a public school, it is much more problematic:

	It conflicts with the beliefs of minority religions in society. It is offensive to followers of Hinduism, Sikhism, Wicca, Buddhism (some traditions), Agnosticism, Atheism, Humanism, etc. These religions worship many Gods, a different single God, two deities or no God.
	If shown in isolation, it is in direct conflict with the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution which guarantees freedom of religious belief and separation of church and state. However, if it is shown as one document in a grouping of religious and secular laws, it may be constitutional.
	It conflicts with the Ethic of Reciprocity, called the Golden Rule in Judeo-Christianity, since it causes distress to followers of other religions.

The Westminster Larger Catechism interprets this Commandment broadly to include worshiping another God, holding false beliefs about God, heresy, pride, "carnal delights and joys...praying to saints, angels, or any other creatures..."

Some people interpret this commandment symbolically: they see it as prohibiting the worship of money, status, success, beauty, etc in place of Jehovah.

2^nd Commandment; Verses 4-6: "Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me. And shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments."

Many liberal theologians believe that the original commandment consisted only of the opening nine-word phrase. The rest was added later to expand the number of prohibitions.

Religious conservatives believe that God wrote the Ten Commandments precisely as they have been passed down to us.

This commandment contains two troublesome clauses:

	Images of any thing in heaven and earth are prohibited. This is interpreted with various degrees of strictness by different Jewish, Christian and Muslim faith groups.
	"....visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children" raises some serious ethical concerns. It implies that innocent descendents are to be held responsible for the sins of their parents, grandparents, great-grandparents, and great-great-grandparents.

Today's implications arising from these clauses are complex, and are described in a separate essay.

This concept of spreading the responsibility for one person's sin among all family members was common in the ancient Middle East. However, most contemporary ethical systems -- both secular and religious -- hold a person responsible only for their own actions. If a person robs a bank, we do not arrest and punish his grand-daughter. Today, it is generally seen as profoundly immoral to punish a person for the sins or criminal activities of others. But this biblical verse not only holds a man -- and perhaps a woman -- responsible for his personal sinful behavior, but also holds his daughters and sons, his grand-children, great-grandchildren and great-great-grandchildren accountable. The stoning to death of Achan and his family for a sinful act which was performed by the father alone is another application of this principle of transferring sin from the guilty party to many innocent parties. See Joshua 7:19-25.

Harry Binswanger a professor at the Ayn Rand Institute's Objectivist Graduate Center takes a very dim view of this commandment. He suggests: "This primitive conception of law and morality flatly contradicts American values. Inherited guilt is an impossible and degrading concept. How can you be guilty for something you didn't do? In philosophic terms, it represents the doctrine of determinism, the idea that your choices count for nothing, that factors beyond your control govern your 'destiny.' This is the denial of free will and therefore of self-responsibility. The nation of the self-made man cannot be squared with the ugly notion that you are to be punished for the 'sin' of your great-grandfather." 4

The Amish and some other conservative and Old Order Mennonites continue to prohibit the taking of photographs, because they view them as a form of graven image.

This is one of the two commandments that religious organizations most often violate. It is very difficult to find a church in North America that does not display some object which is a likeness of a crucifix, dove, host, cross, burning bush, a saint, the Holy Family or some other entity found in heaven or earth. "...our churches are filled with them, from crosses to crucifixes to tabernacles to ambreys to icons to stations of the cross." ₂

The Westminster Larger Catechism interprets this Commandment broadly. It considers "toleration of a false religion" to be a sin. i.e. others must not be given religious freedom to follow their own spiritual beliefs.

Another sin is to place a painting of Jesus on the wall of a home or church -- a common practice by Christians today. ₁

3^rd Commandment; Verse 7: "Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain; for the LORD will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain."

	This is another commandment where religious liberals believe that only the first 13 word phrase was in the original text.
	This verse originally meant that one is not to use the name of God for "any frivolous or malicious purpose or in magic."
	Until recently, the phrase "taking God's name in vain" related to contracts. They were sworn "in the name of the Lord". If the terms of a contract were broken, the offending party was said to have taken "the Lord's name in vain." ₃
	Again, the Westminster Larger Catechism interprets this Commandment broadly to include believing in false doctrines or opposing God's truth.
	Today, it is often mistakenly interpreted as prohibiting swearing. This has nothing to do with its original meaning.

4^th Commandment; Verses 8-11: "Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work: But the seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates: For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it."

	Again, the first sentence (Verse 8) is believed by many liberal theologians to have been the initial commandment. It was later expanded by another author.
	This is another commandment that is violated by almost every Christian denomination. God gave a permanent command that the people rest every Saturday. There are numerous biblical passages to confirm this. Constantine, a Pagan Roman sun-worshiper, moved the day of rest to Sunday. The Christian church, at its Council of Laodicea circa 364 CE, ordered that religious observances be moved from Saturday to Sunday. The Seventh Day Adventists are the only major North American Christian denomination to continue to follow the 4^th commandment.
	Most Christian denominations have simply reinterpreted this commandment as referring to Sunday in place of Saturday.
	The Westminster Larger Catechism states that Christians must not only abstain from all work, but avoid recreation as well. They should spend as much time as possible "in the public and private exercises of God's worship." ₁
	In today's multi-faith society, followers of different religions have different days of rest or days of religious observation. Jews have their Saturday Sabbath which begins at Friday sundown; Christians their Sunday services; Muslims observe Friday evening prayers. Wiccans celebrate at full moons, solstices, equinoxes and 4 other days. Forcing everyone to observe a single day of rest is impractical. it would would be inconsiderate and lack respect for religious diversity.
	With so many commercial establishments and factories open seven days a week, many Christian employees are forced to violate this Commandment.

5^th Commandment; Verse 12: "Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee."

	Again, many religious liberals believe that the original text only included the first 6 words. The rest was added later by a second author.
	The rationale behind this commandment might have been to prevent the neglect of the elderly. In the Middle East, where life was sometimes precarious, those who were unable to contribute to the standard of living of the family were sometimes not adequately supported.
	The Commandment promises a long life to those who honor their parents. It implies that those who do not honor their parents will die young. We have never seen a study designed to check on the accuracy of this proposition.
	Many would feel that it is an unreasonable expectation for a child to honor a parent who was a sexual molester, a physical abuser or was guilty of neglect. Harry Binswanger comments: "The middle commandment, 'Honor thy father and mother,' is manifestly unjust. Justice demands that you honor those who deserve honor, who have earned it by their choices and actions. Your particular father and mother may or may not deserve your honor -- that is for you to judge on the basis of how they have treated you and of a rational evaluation of their moral character. To demand that Stalin's daughter honor Stalin is not only obscene, but also demonstrates the demand for mindlessness implicit in the first set of commandments. You are commanded not to think or judge, but to jettison your reason and simply obey." ₄
	The Westminster Larger Catechism expands this this commandment enormously to include all older people, people who are "superiors in gifts," supervisors, managers, clergy, legislators, police, etc. ₁

Scope of the law:

Most Jews regard the Decalogues as important but not as a complete set of commandments for the guidance of one's life. The full Law of Moses, composed of 613 commands and prohibitions are needed.

6^th Commandment; Verse 13: "Thou shalt not kill."

	The Hebrew word "ratsach" is translated as "kill" in the King James Version, Revised Standard Version, American Standard Version, and some other translations of the Bible. However, it is difficult to apply this in practice. Killing chickens and beef cattle is legal now as it was in biblical times. Nobody today is concerned about pulling vegetables from the garden, even though it kills them. The word "ratsach" is commonly believed to describe the premeditated killing of a human. It requires that the victim be a human being. Many other translations translate "ratsach" as "murder" in this verse.
	This Commandment is not absolute. Not all murders are forbidden. Hebrew Scriptures specify many grounds for which this commandment is to be ignored, and a guilty party executed. Persons found guilty of temple prostitution, engaged women who are seduced by a man other than her future husband, women who practice black magic, some women who are raped in urban areas, children who cursed their parents, some non-virgin brides, Jews who collect firewood on Saturday to keep their families from freezing, persons proselytizing in favor of another religion, persons worshiping a deity other than Yahweh, strangers who entered the temple, etc; all were to be executed.
	A few centuries ago, it was believed that male sperm contained large numbers of tiny babies which only required a woman's womb to grow and be born. Under that belief system, masturbation could be considered an act of mass murder. We now know that pregnancy requires conception, and that a unique DNA is formed at that time. But society has never reached a consensus on the definition of when human personhood begins. Unfortunately, the Ten Commandments and the rest of the Bible appears to be ambiguous on this matter. Thus, it does not help us decide about when, if ever, abortions are acceptable. If the Bible had defined when the start of personhood occurs, there might not be so much conflict over abortion today.
	There are tens of thousands of violations of this commandment yearly in North America. Most are done by criminals who shoot people. A few dozen murders are committed by civil servants, who are employed by the state to kill inmates on death row with premeditation. Soldiers are often called upon to murder other humans, sometimes in self-defense, and other times in order to achieve a military objective. There are other biblical passages and a great deal of theological reasoning which have provided justification for the latter two actions.
	Joshua and his army violated this commandment on numerous occasional as they marched through Canaan, apparently with God's approval. They were often ordered by God to commit genocide by killing every Pagan man, woman, youth, child, and newborn who lived in various cities of Canaan.
	Some pacifist Christians take this commandment very seriously. They will not violate this commandment, even during times of war. Quakers, Mennonites and others are frequently able to volunteer for alternative service during wartime in order to conform to this commandment.
	Historically, many Christian groups interpreted the Commandment as if it read "Thou shalt not murder people inside your group." The Christian Church has committed genocide many times in its history, exterminating such groups as the Cathars and Knights Templar. Starting in the late 15th century and continuing for 300 years, both Protestants and Roman Catholics rounded up heretics. "witches," and suspected Satan worshipers; the church executed many tens of thousands of them -- often by burning them alive. The Crusades against the Muslims are another indication of the misuse of this Commandment. Defenseless Jews and Muslims were massacred by the invading armies. In recent times, Serbian Orthodox Christians organized a major religiously-motivated genocide in Bosnia-Herzegovina, largely against Muslims.
	The Westminster Larger Catechism extends this commandment to include the "immoderate use of meat, drink, labor, and recreations; provoking words, oppression, quarreling," etc. It is not clear how they expanded the meaning of this verse to such an extreme.

7^th Commandment; Verse 14 "Thou shalt not commit adultery."

This referred to a man engaging in sexual intercourse with a woman who was either married or betrothed to another man.

In ancient Israel, a women was considered a piece of property, who was generally owned by her father or husband. If a man seduced a virgin, the transgression was treated as a commercial infraction. The woman would have lost part of her value to her father. Not being a virgin, she might not be able to find a husband in the future, and thus her father could not benefit financially from her marriage. The seducer was required to pay the virgin's father an amount of money, and perhaps to marry the woman. The woman has no say in the matter; some were forced to marry a rapist who they loathed. (Exodus 22:16-17)

None of the Ten Commandments prohibits same-sex relationships. Similarly no commandment or passage in the Hebrew Scriptures forbids a man engaging in heterosexual fornication (i.e. sexual activity outside of marriage) as long as the woman was neither a virgin, or was owned by (i.e. married or betrothed to) another man.

However, some Christian groups expand the scope of the 7th commandment to include an amazing array of behaviors. The Westminster Larger Catechism, still used by the Presbyterian Church (USA) and some other denominations contains the following entry. Like most catechisms this is in a question and answer format:

Q 139: What are the sins forbidden in the Seventh Commandment?

A. The sins forbidden in the Seventh Commandment, besides the neglect of the duties required, are:

	Adultery, fornication, rape, incest, sodomy, and all unnatural lusts;
	All unclean imaginations, thoughts, purposes, and affections;
	all corrupt or filthy communications, or listening thereunto;
	Wanton looks, impudent or light behavior, immodest apparel, prohibiting of lawful, and dispensing with unlawful marriages;
	Allowing, tolerating, keeping of stews, and resorting to them;
	Entangling vows of single life, undue delay of marriage; having more wives or husbands than one at the same time;
	Unjust divorce or desertion;
	Idleness, gluttony, drunkenness, unchaste company;
	Lascivious songs, books, pictures, dancings, stageplays, and all other provocations to, or acts of, uncleanness either in ourselves or others.

A "stew" is a brothel. Since sexual fantasies are a normal part of being human, it would appear that the church would consider adultery to be nearly universal throughout the world. ₁

Masturbation usually involves sexual fantasizing. According to words attributed to Yeshua of Nazareth (Jesus Christ) in Matthew 5:27-28, a man lusting after a woman is equivalent to him committing adultery. Some have argued that the seventh commandment's prohibitions extend to masturbation -- at least for men.

8^th Commandment; Verse 15 "Thou shalt not steal."

	"...this Commandment has been interpreted to refer to only one kind of theft; namely, to someone who kidnaps a person, forces him or her to work for him, and then sells him or her into slavery. This, like the previous prohibitions mentioned in the verse, murder and adultery, is a Capital Crime; that is, punishable by the death-penalty." ₂Since slavery has now been abolished in North America, this commandment is no longer applicable.
	In modern times, the commandment is interpreted to mean the stealing of any piece of property. This is not directly related to its original meaning.
	The Westminster Larger Catechism includes: "The covetousness; inordinate prizing and affecting worldly goods... envying at the prosperity of others; as likewise idleness, prodigality, wasteful gaming..."

9^th Commandment; Verse 16 "Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour."

	This forbids perjury while testifying in a courtroom. In ancient Israel, a person who lies in court receives the penalty that would be due a person guilty of the crime at question.
	The common meaning of this commandment is unchanged today.
	The Westminster Larger Catechism includes the sins of passing unjust sentence, tale bearing, whispering, boasting, etc.

10^th Commandment; Verse 17 "Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor any thing that is thy neighbour's."

	"Covet" is a word that is gradually going out of usage. One set of definitions of the word is: To wish for enviously. To desire inordinately or culpably ~ vi: to feel inordinate desire for what belongs to another. ₃
	Religious liberals believe that the original text included only the first seven words. That is because the word "house" by itself was assumed to include all of a man's possessions: his building, wife, male slaves, female slaves, children, animals, etc.
	A woman, in biblical times, was considered to be the property first of her father and after marriage of her husband.
	Many biblical translations shy away from the term "slave" and use a more ambiguous word like "manservant." We have even heard Christian radio programs refer to slaves as "butlers" and "maids." The Decalogue is not talking about servants here. A master could beat his slave so severely that she/he died within a few days, and not be charged with an offense. With the exception of a very few countries slavery has been abolished today. The many rules and regulations which condoned and governed slavery in the Bible are now ignored. There is a growing world-wide consensus that slavery, the owning of one person by another, is profoundly immoral; it was not considered as such by the Decalogue.
	The Westminster Larger Catechism interprets this commandment, close to its original meaning: "The sins forbidden in the tenth commandment are, discontentment with our own estate; envying and grieving at the good of our neighbor, together with all inordinate motions and affections to anything that is his." It seems to recognize that a man's wife, slaves and children are among his possessions.
	Modern-day society has abandoned many of the biblical concepts mentioned in this commandment. Women are generally regarded as free individuals, with a value and status equal to men; they are not classed as property -- as something to be owned. Slavery has been abolished in all but two countries, although near slavery is still found in many areas of the world.

Harry Binswanger a professor at the Ayn Rand Institute's Objectivist Graduate Center is not impressed by this series of commandments. He says that they are: "unobjectionable but common to virtually every organized society -- the commandments against murder, theft, perjury and the like. But what is objectionable is the notion that there is no rational, earthly basis for refraining from criminal behavior, that it is only the not-to-be-questioned decree of a supernatural Punisher that makes acts like theft and murder wrong. The basic philosophy of the Ten Commandments is the polar opposite of the philosophy underlying the American ideal of a free society. Freedom requires:

	A metaphysics of the natural, not the supernatural; of free will, not determinism; of the primary reality of the individual, not the tribe or the family;
	An epistemology of individual thought, applying strict logic, based on individual perception of reality, not obedience and dogma;
	An ethics of rational self-interest, to achieve chosen values, for the purpose of individual happiness on this earth, not fearful, dutiful appeasement of 'a jealous God' who issues 'commandments'."

Did the ancient Hebrews obey the Commandments?

They frequently deviated from the Ten Commandments:

	Archaeologists have found "figurines of the fertility goddesses of Canaan and the Egyptian amulets" in their houses. ₄
	There are numerous instances in the Bible of individuals being murdered in cold blood in violation of the 6th commandment. In one notable incident, the wife and children of a Achan, a soldier, were executed because of his sins.
	As mentioned above, God-ordained genocide was common at one time during the history of Israel.
	There are other cases where leading biblical characters lied, and thus violated the 9th commandment.

It would seem that biblical figures in the Hebrew Scriptures did not view the Ten Commandments as universal rules of behavior. They seemed to have apply them mainly in their interactions with fellow Jews.

Psalm 19

To the Israelites, the “firmament” was a giant pudding bowl over the earth, beyond which was a hierarchy of “heavens”. God’s glory is told “day” (v. 2) and “night”, yet silently (v. 3a), to all people. He has created the sun as his agent (v. 5); it rises early in the morning, as does the “bridegroom” from his night’s rest, traverses from one edge of the heavens to the other, making God’s presence known with its “heat” (v. 6). Vv. 7-9 present the wonders of the law, as an expression of God’s will for Israel. Here we find synonyms for the Law, characteristics of it, and its benefits for humankind, e.g. it makes”wise the simple”, those immature in understanding and judgement. It warns the psalmist (“servant”, v. 11). If he accidentally break it (“hidden faults”, v. 12), may God forgive him. May God protect him from those who intentionally go against God’s ways (“the insolent”, v. 13), lest he be influenced into sinning intentionally (“great transgression”). May his words and his thoughts be acceptable to God, who restores him to godliness (v. 14).

A hymn to God as creator of nature and giver of the Law. [NOAB]

NOAB suggests that the original poem was vv. 1-6, and that vv. 7-14 praise of the revelation of God in the Law, were added later in order to counterbalance what seemed to be an almost pagan influence upon the revelation of God in nature; however NJBC considers that the thematic connections show that this psalm has always been one poem. He views the Law as one of God’s works.

Verses 1-6: The glory of God is shown in the phenomena of the heavens and especially in the might of the sun. [NOAB] God’s glory is revealed through the splendour and order of creation, especially in the daily cycle of the sun. [CAB]

Verses 1-4a: The sky and successive days and nights are personified as members of a heavenly choir ceaselessly singing God’s praises. [NOAB]

Verse 1: “the glory of God”: For the attribution of glory to God (here El in Hebrew), see also 24:7, 10 (“king of glory”) and 29:3 (“God of glory”). “Glory” suggests both the nimbus of light enveloping the deity and the storm cloud: see Exodus 40:34; Psalm 18:12-13. [NJBC]

Verse 3: The words cannot be heard by human ears. [NOAB]

Verses 4b-6: The skies provide a track along which the sun, like an athlete, runs its daily course. [NOAB]

Verses 7-9: There are six synonyms for the Law in these verses. See also Psalm 119. [NOAB]

Verse 7: “making wise the simple”: For wisdom and Torah, see also 1:1-2. [NJBC]

Verse 10: Observance of the Law is a joy, not a burden. [NOAB]

The psalm is a hymn of praise to the Torah, continuing the theme begun in the reading from Exodus. It is Torah, as God’s guidance for the life of blessing, that rejoices the heart, revives the soul, enlightens the eyes, gives wisdom to the innocent. But the psalm links this life-giving quality of the Torah also to the creative power of God revealed in the heavens. The orderly procession of day and night, the dome of the heavens, the light of the sun, all show forth God’s creating power--and that same power is revealed in the realm of human life in the blessings conferred in living the Torah way. Far from being a set of empty rules or arbitrary legalisms, the Law is deeply linked to the very Way of the world in God.

1 Corinthians 1:18-25

Having heard that there are “quarrels” (v. 11) among Christians at Corinth, Paul has urged them to be “united in ... mind and ... purpose.” (v. 10) Some claim allegiance to him, others to Apollos, to Cephas, or to Christ. He is thankful that he baptised very few there. because “no one can say that you were baptised in my name” (v. 15), for Christ sent him to Corinth to “proclaim the gospel ...” (v. 17).

Divisions within the Church should be avoided, but between believers and others they are legitimate. Now v. 18: the message of the cross makes sense to the faithful: to us, it is the revelation of God's power, but to others, it is nonsense (“foolishness”, vv. 18, 21). In v. 19, Paul recalls a verse from Isaiah referring to events that occurred when Assyria was threatening Judah. The king's counsellor (a “wise” man, one versed in popular philosophy) advised alliance with Egypt, but Isaiah told the king to do nothing but trust in the Lord: God would save Israel and bring to nothing the “wisdom of the wise” and the “discernment” (intelligence) “of the discerning”. From other sources, we know that there were many “wise” citizens of Corinth, each of whom had their own solutions to the world's problems. The Greek philosopher and the Jewish scribe count as nothing before God, Paul says: God's wisdom is different: you can't “know” (v. 21) it in a philosophical way. Knowing God is an experiential matter in which one renders him homage and obeys his will. Jews and Greeks seek knowledge in their cultural ways (v. 22), but we proclaim something different: to those Jews and “Greeks” (v. 24, non-Jews) who are called, the cross makes much sense: he is God’s power working in the world; he shows us God’s intentions for humankind. God’s ways are not human ways (v. 25).

Believers must detach themselves from the standards of fallen humanity – the cause of the divisions at Corinth - if they are to understand the way God relates to them. [NJBC]

Verse 18: The fact of acceptance or rejection of humanity is the basis of division of humanity into two groups. God has not predestined some to salvation and others to condemnation. In the future, the status of a member of either group may change. In 5:5, writing of a sexually immoral man, Paul says “you are to hand this man over to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, so that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord”. Note also 10:12: “So if you think you are standing, watch out that you do not fall”. [NJBC]

Verse 18: “the cross”: Paul writes in 2:1-2: “When I came to you, brothers and sisters, I did not come proclaiming the mystery of God to you in lofty words or wisdom. For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ, and him crucified.”

Verse 19: The quotation is Isaiah 29:14 in the Septuagint translation. There King Ahaz accepts the advice of “wise” counsellors to form an alliance with Egypt rather than trusting in God to deliver Judah from the Assyrians. [NOAB]

Verses 20-25: Proud, self-centred humans want God to be at their disposal, but God’s way of dealing with human sin through the cross of Christ stands in contrast to human power and wisdom. Those who have been “called” (v. 24) by the message of the cross find in it God’s “power” and “wisdom”. [CAB]

Verse 20: The questions are inspired by Isaiah 19:11; 33:18; 44:25; Job 12:17. [NJBC]

Verse 21: “the wisdom of God”: Not a divine plan, but the organization and beauty of creation: see also Romans 1:19-20. [NJBC]

Verse 21: “the world did not know God through wisdom”: Rational speculation, which in the world passes for wisdom, had failed to perceive that God has acted through a suffering saviour. [NJBC]

Verse 22: “demand signs”: i.e. demand miracles. In so doing, Jews refuse to trust in God, thus camouflaging their contentment with the status quo. [NJBC]

Verse 22: “Greeks”: The Greek word is ethnoi, the same word translated as “Gentiles” in v. 23, so Paul means non-Jews in general. In Galatians 3:28 he writes: “There is no longer Jew or Greek, there is no longer slave or free, there is no longer male and female; for all of you are one in Christ Jesus”. [NJBC]

Verse 23: “stumbling block to Jews”: Because of their particular messianic expectations. [NJBC]

Verse 23: “foolishness to Gentiles”: Because of their rationalism. [NJBC]

Verse 24: “those who are the called”: Even though Paul uses kletoi, the called ones, he speaks of those who hear and accept the good news. Paul often calls members of the Church the called ones. In Romans 8:28, he writes: “We know that all things work together for good for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose”. See also 2:2 and Romans 1:6-7. [NJBC]

Verse 24: “Christ ...”: The authentic humanity of Jesus makes visible God’s intention for humans and radiates an attractive force that enables response. [NJBC]

The Epistle reading seems to be chosen largely for its connection to the Gospel: in response to his cleansing the Temple, the bystanders ask Jesus “What sign can you show for doing this?” and Jesus’ answer is to predict his crucifixion and resurrection. This links to Paul’s assertion in 1 Corinthians that “Jews demand signs and Greeks desire wisdom,” but the only true satisfaction for such demands and desires is “Christ crucified.” In Paul’s formulation, both Jews and Greeks look for displays of God’s power. In the Jewish tradition inherited by Paul, “signs” would equate to the “mighty acts” of God, powerful interventions by God on behalf of the chosen people. Greek interest in thaumaturgy, and the practical sophia that could enable one to perfom such wonders, is well documented in this period, along with the more academic schools of philosophy, and likewise reflected a desire for manifestations of divine or numinous power. But over against this general desire for power, Paul sets the particular message of “Christ crucified,” and this revelation of power made perfect in weakness is “a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles.” Paul asserts here that Jesus’ obedience to God’s call and vindication as God’s Risen One is the particular pattern of divine blessing creatively transforming human life. This pattern of living is “wisdom” in the truest sense.

Paul argues for the importance of preaching the message of the cross. For some, it is perceived as foolishness or a stumbling block; but to those who receive it, it reveals both the power and the wisdom of God.

John 2:13-22

Perhaps John contrasts “the Passover of the Jews” with the sacrifice of our “pascal lamb, Christ” (1 Corinthians 5:7). Jesus, as did many Jews, goes “up to Jerusalem” for the feast. In the forecourt of the Temple, he finds merchants selling animals and birds for sacrifices, and money changers exchanging coins bearing idolatrous images for coins used to pay the temple tax. Jesus throws both traders and animals out of the temple precincts, insisting that commercial activities (especially shady ones) have no place here (v. 16). (V. 19 may show that Jesus also speaks against the regulation of the Jewish sacrificial system by the religious authorities: it oppressed most people and enriched the traders and money changers.) Note that Jesus claims that God is his Father and sees the Temple as worthy of respect. The disciples recall Psalm 69:9 - here a prophecy that Jesus’ “zeal” (v. 17) will lead to his death. The religious leaders (“Jews”, v. 18) ask Jesus what authority he has for his (violent) action; his reply (v. 19) is puzzling and perhaps evasive, challenging them to replace temple worship with belief in him. Lacking faith, they take it literally (and misunderstand), but John tells us that Jesus is saying that, by his resurrection (“three days”) he will become a new spiritual temple, replacing the Temple. The disciples only understand this after the first Easter. It helps them to believe in Jesus and his message of good news.

The synoptic gospels include a story of Jesus cleansing the Temple; they place it shortly before Passion week, whereas John presents the story as the opening of Jesus’ public ministry. See Mark 11:15-17; Matthew 21:12-17; Luke 19:45-48. [BlkJn]

NJBC says that there are sufficient differences between John’s version of this story and that in the synoptic gospels to assert that John’s version came from an independent tradition.

Verse 13: “The Passover of the Jews”: John characteristically dissociates himself from Judaism: see also 5:1; 6:4; 7:2; 11:55. [BlkJn]

The annual pilgrimage of Jews to Jerusalem from all over the world recalled God’s great act of deliverance of his people from slavery in Egypt in the time of Moses: see Exodus 14-15. [CAB]

Verse 14: The traders provided a service which was a great convenience for worshippers: the animals they sold were guaranteed as suitable for sacrifice by the Temple authorities; Temple coinage, unlike secular coinage, was free of the image of a man (or god). [BlkJn]

Verses 15-16: Not an outburst of temper, but the energy of righteousness against religious leaders to whom religion had become a business. [NOAB]

Verse 15: It is likely that the fracas involved more than Jesus and the traders. His use of a “whip” and his upsetting of the tables was probably resisted, and this resistance was overcome by force, presumably with the help of Jesus’ disciples and sympathizers. Staves and other weapons were forbidden in the Temple; Jesus improvised a whip out of a handful of cords. It is not mentioned in the other gospels. [BlkJn]

Verse 16: In the other gospels, it is solely the dishonesty of the traders that Jesus attacks, but here Jesus also objects to the trade as such. In Mark 11:17, Jesus recalls the prophecy in Isaiah 56:7: “‘My house shall be called a house of prayer for all the nations’”. [BlkJn]

Comments: V. 19 may show that Jesus also speaks against the Jewish sacrificial system: The Qumran community also objected to Temple worship. [BlkJn]

Verse 17: Psalm 69 is an urgent appeal to God to vindicate the righteous man who has been oppressed for his zeal and faithfulness to God, but v. 9 of the psalm is to be understood as a prophecy that the zeal which Jesus showed would later lead to his destruction. In the synoptic gospels (but not here) the cleansing of the Temple is days before the arrest of Jesus. [BlkJn] John has changed this verse from the present tense to the future, probably looking forward to the bitter hostility that will erupt between Jesus and the religious authorities: see 5:16, 18. [NJBC]

Verse 17: “remembered”: Remembering in John is a technical term for the process by which the community came to see Jesus as the fulfilment of Scripture after the resurrection. [NJBC]

Verse 18: In the synoptic gospels, the disciples join in seeking a “sign”. There, Jesus refuses to give signs: see Mark 8:12; Matthew 12:39; Luke 11:29. Usually in John, Jesus performs signs to confirm faith, not to convince sceptics. [BlkJn]

Verse 19: In John 4:21, Jesus tells the Samaritan woman at the well that the Temple will be superceded; Revelation 21:22 states that there will be no temple in the eternal Jerusalem. Mark 14:58 gives the testimony of false witnesses who claim that Jesus said: “‘I will destroy this temple that is made with hands, and in three days I will build another, not made with hands’”. Mark 15:29-32 presents a taunt based on this testimony. BlkJn suggests that Jesus probably said something about destroying the Temple, but we do not know precisely what he said and what he meant. The most probable explanation is that Jesus challenged “the Jews” to show faith in him: you destroy the Temple and I will in return give you a sign, i.e. raising it again in three days. So we may have here the saying that the false witnesses distorted. [BlkJn]

Comments: The religious leaders ... misunderstand: The religious authorities presume that Jesus threatens to destroy the Temple. Taken literally, Jesus’ saying is absurd. [NJBC] Misunderstanding him is a common theme in this gospel. See also, for example, 3:4 (Nicodemus) and 4:11 (the woman at the well). [BlkJn]

Verse 20: Josephus tells us in his Antiquities that Herod began rebuilding the Temple in the eighteenth year of his reign, i.e. about 20 BC. The events in our reading take place 46 years later, i.e. about 26 AD. However, the word translated as “temple” is naos and Josephus tells us that:

The naos was completed in a year and five months and
The whole complex of temple buildings was only completed in about 63 AD.

The only way of reconciling this data seems to be to assume that:

Josephus means the sanctuary proper by naos while in John it refers to a larger group of buildings, and
Reconstruction was suspended in 26 AD – when this larger group of buildings was almost complete.

But there is another possibility. Perhaps the “forty-six years” is Jesus’ age at the time. Three years later, at the time of the Crucifixion, he would be 49. 49 is the 7 times 7, the perfect number. The Resurrection can then be seen as inaugurating the great Jubilee. This fits well with 8:57, “You are not yet fifty years old ...” – unlike Jesus being in his thirties when he was crucified. It also fits with the tradition preserved by Irenaeus; he says that, on the authority of the elders of Asia who had known John, Jesus lived until he was nearly fifty. But there is nothing in v. 20 to support this interpretation. [BlkJn]

The Temple was finished in 64 AD. [NOAB]

Verse 21: “his body”: While the primary reference is to the body of Jesus which was raised from the tomb, there may be an allusion here to the Church, the new Israel, which may be said to have come into being with the resurrection of Jesus. However, this thought is Pauline, not Johannine. [BlkJn] Jesus’ reply (v. 19) is a prediction of his own death and resurrection. [NOAB] The Dead Sea Scrolls speak of the community as the true “temple” of God’s Spirit; however in John Jesus is the new Temple. [NJBC]

Verse 22: “they believed ...”: For other examples of belief as the response to Jesus’ words and actions, see 2:11 (the disciples at the wedding at Cana); 4:39 (Samaritans at the well),4: 41, 50 (the official with the son who is ill), 4:53; 6:69 (the disciples); 7:31 (many in the crowd); 8:30; 9:38 (the man born blind); 10:42; 11:27 (Martha), 11:45 (“many of the Jews”); 12:11, 42 (“many, even of the authorities”); 16:30; 20:8 (“the other disciple”).

Verse 22: “the scripture”: The word in Greek is in the singular, so John probably means that the disciples understood Psalm 69:9 as applied to Jesus. [BlkJn]

Verses 23-25: Faith which rests merely on “signs” and not on him to whom they point is shallow and unstable. [NOAB]

John’s account of Jesus cleansing the Temple is a kind of variation on the theme of particular ways of blessing introduced in the Exodus reading. John provides the detail that Jesus’ complaint against the merchants is that they are making the Temple “a marketplace” (the Synoptics make the charge that they are turning the Temple into“a den of robbers”); that is, they are failing to respect the holiness of the Temple by treating it like any other space. The Temple is intended to be a place set apart, a consecrated space where the faithful people can come to be mindful of the presence of God. The Temple is the place where God causes the divine Name to dwell; to be in the Temple, therefore, without being responsive to the call to be in co-creative action in the Name, is to refuse the particularity of blessing offered by God. The merchants and money-changers fail to recognize that particularity, and so Jesus drives them out. That makes it even more significant when Jesus makes the symbolic connection between the Temple and his body. Just as the Temple is the place where God’s Name dwells, so Jesus is the presented locus where God’s Word becomes flesh and dwells among us. Jesus’ life and ministry serves for his followers as the particular revelation of God’s blessing guiding and permeating human life, the exemplification of divine ideals embodied in human reality. The life, death, and resurrection of Jesus functions for John as Torah does in the reading from Exodus and the Psalm: it maps God’s way of transforming corruption and violence into fidelity and justice.

Passover was one of the pilgrimage festivals -- untold numbers of Jews would be present in Jerusalem to worship and offer sacrifice.

Those who sold animals suitable for sacrifice provided a much-needed service to those who had traveled from great distances, as did the moneychangers. Temple sacrifices were only accepted in Jewish currency, and many of the travelers came from places where other currencies were used. Why, then, did Jesus drive the merchants and moneychangers from the Temple premises? Some commentators believe that Jesus was attacking the extortionist practices of many of those who sold animals and exchanged money. Others believe that the outrage was over the irreverence of the traffic on Temple grounds. Still others believe that Jesus was outraged because this trafficking took place in the court of the Gentiles, thus hindering them from approaching God in worship. The latter view is supported by the second cleansing of the Temple (Matthew 21:12, Mark 11:15-17) where Jesus proclaims that the Temple should be a place of prayer for all peoples.

Verse 17 is a reference to Psalm 69:9.

It was natural that the religious leaders would ask for an explanation. Jesus' explanation came in the form of a passion prediction. He would be raised on the third day. Both the leaders and the disciples, of course, did not understand what Jesus meant until after the Resurrection.

Pew-work Hand-outs

“Pew-work” is like Home-work, except that it is done in the pews, instead of being done at home. Because it is focussed on the readings (as the sermon, presumably, also is) it can be done during the sermon to help the listener concentrate. Or, it can be done while waiting for everyone else to finish their communion. It isn't done during prayers, or hymns, or the readings, because

During Prayers, we pray
During Hymns, we sing

During the Readings, we listen

Adult Student's Pew-work

Middle-school Students' Pew-work

Elementary-School Students' Pew-work

Pre-Schooler's Pew-work