Lectionary for Nov. 3, 2024
24th Sunday after Pentecost
Ruth 1:1-18; Psalm 146;
Hebrews 9:11-14; Mark 12:28-34
One of my best friends just started a degree program in New Testament. She is learning a lot but misses the academic kindness that characterized her previous studies. Sadly, her experience is not uncommon in and around the church. All too often, Christians check kindness at the door when they/we vociferously advocate our beliefs or theology. Too many churches love to talk about Jesus overturning tables once (or twice) and completely neglect all the times that he sat at tables and enjoyed—yes enjoyed—parties with people who were different, thought differently and even worshiped differently.
Kindness is one of the fruits of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23). Where kindness is perpetually absent, we should be suspicious if the Spirit of God is fruitfully present and active. In this week’s lectionary readings, we focus on the kindness of Jesus.
The author of Hebrews has been setting up an argument for a couple chapters (since 7:1) that Jesus is a better high priest in a better tabernacle. The author argues that God won’t change God’s mind about appointed high priests (Psalm 110:4, Hebrews 7:21). So the paths of redemption aren’t done away with completely, but renewed and updated as needed. But just as God created a high priesthood—and Melchizedek as high priest before the high priesthood—God also established Jesus as the new and better high priest. And just as God developed a tabernacle during the Israelites’ wilderness wanderings, so God has established a heavenly tabernacle. It is this better tabernacle in which the better High Priest officiates.
The good news of this reading is that Jesus has come to announce good tidings of things that are already at hand! This isn’t a high priest who announces that it’s time to give another sacrifice or that dues need to be paid for temple upkeep. Instead, Jesus announces that God has already ordained a system by which uncleanliness can be repaired by the spilling of blood of animals. The even better news is that Jesus, for once and for all, obtains clean consciences for all through his own unblemished blood. If you feel guilty before God, there’s great news: Jesus in his kindness has wiped uncleanliness away so that we can inherit without delay God’s eternal inheritance (Hebrews 9:15)! Jesus gives three layers of kindness—inheritance, welcome and guiltless good news!
At least for this one scribe, Jesus receives a question with kindness, answers with kindness, then closes the conversation with kindness.
In the Gospel of Mark, we have a lovely example of kindness between Jesus and his interlocutors. A scribe, having heard Jesus defend the concept of resurrection of the dead, was pleased with Jesus’ answer and wanted to ask a follow-up question (Mark 12:28). Of the hundreds of laws in the Torah, the scribe wanted to know which one was the most important. We need to understand this as an identity and affiliation question. The scribe wanted to see in what religious camp Jesus situated himself. Think of it as if someone is asking what political issue is the most important to you—it’s less that they want to establish a fact and more like they are trying to evaluate if you think similarly and are in the same camp.
Jesus answered the scribe’s question by citing Deuteronomy 6:4-5 as the most important commandment and Leviticus 19:18 as the second most important. We must note for our own discipleship and instruction that Jesus didn’t pick any of the so-called Ten Commandments of Exodus 20 or Deuteronomy 5 as the most important (there are, of course, more than 10, that’s why numberings differ!). The scribe is a good guide for us here, as he received with gladness Jesus’ assessment and weighting of the laws. It will be worthwhile for our communities to emulate the scribe, to reflect on Jesus’ prioritization and canon of laws.
Jesus, it seems, appreciated the scribe’s enthusiastic response to his ranking of the laws and complimented him, saying, “You are not far from the kingdom of God.” Perhaps Jesus challenged the wise scribe to recognize his physical proximity to the prince of the kingdom? After all, his next move will be to invite the scribes to see that one greater than David stands among them. At least for this one scribe, Jesus receives a question with kindness, answers with kindness, then closes the conversation with kindness.
As a national election occurs this week, may we be like Jesus—announcing good news of love and inclusion; having conversations seasoned with kindness; and generating the fruit of the Spirit as a result of God’s gracious work within us.
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