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Wrestling with the Word, episode 38: Fifteenth Sunday after Pentecost, Year B (September 13, 2009) August 27, 2009

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Fifteenth Sunday after Pentecost

The cause of suffering in the world has been a question for millennia. Some of the earliest pieces of literature in history have attempted to deal with this mystery. One thing is clear: any answer is too easy. Our lessons for this day look at one aspect of suffering—and only one: suffering because of faithfulness to a commission from God. Such suffering for God’s sake means facing a rebellious world that would rather pursue self-interest than listen to God’s word of grace and love.  While the costs to the world and to our rugged individualism might be too great a price to pay, ultimately the rewards of speaking and living God’s word loom astonishingly high.

Download or listen to Wrestling with the Word, episode 38: Fifteenth Sunday after Pentecost, Year B.

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Psalm 116:1-9
The psalmist expresses love for God as a result of God’s responding to his plea. The worshiper had cried out from the clutches of death and Sheol (v. 3), “O Lord, save my life!” (v. 4); the Lord listened and saved him from death (v. 6b, 8). The verses alternate between statements about God and prayers of thanksgiving to God. God is “gracious” (channûn), “righteous” (tsaddîq), and “merciful” (merachēm), and “protects the simple” (in wisdom teaching, those who are easily deceived). As a result of the Lord’s saving action, the psalmist confesses “I love the Lord” (v. 1) and commits a response to “walk before the Lord in the land of the living” (v. 9).

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Isaiah 50:4-9a
God enables the servant to do what is required to be his witness in a hostile world.

Context
The passage is the third of the so-called “servant songs” in Second Isaiah, the others being (1) 42:1-4; (2) 49:1-6; (4) 52:13–53:12. The speaker of songs 1 and 4 is the Lord, while in 2 and 3 the speaker is the servant himself. The identity of the servant has been the subject of scholarly debate for centuries, answers ranging from the prophet himself, to the king, to the exiled people of Jerusalem, and of course, to Jesus. In this song, the immediate context is interesting since vv. 1-3 speak of the Lord as having the power to deliver the people from their exile and then our verses attest to God’s accomplishing that deed through a servant (see Exod. 3:7-10). Since the poem seems to establish the speaker as one commissioned by YHWH and then faces formidable persecution, the song resembles the laments of Jeremiah (see Jer. 11:18-20; 15:15-21; 17:14-18; 18:18-23; 20:7-18).

Key Words
V. 4.  limmuddîm = “those who are taught”:  Used twice in this verse, the expression does not appear exactly the same elsewhere. The term seems to betray a wisdom background, i.e., those who are wise. Strikingly at the beginning of the verse, the servant indicates the Lord has given him the tongue of a teacher; now he presents himself as the pupil.

V. 4. leda‘at lā‘ût ’et-yā‘ēp dābār = “in order to sustain the weary with a word”: The word translated “sustain” appears only here in the entire OT. Ancient Greek manuscripts understood the word to be one that means “answer.” As for “the weary,” Second Isaiah uses the word to describe the difference between YHWH (Isa. 40:28) and the exiles (Isa. 40: 29, 30) and the results for the salvation promised (40: 31). The prophet’s mission, then, is to fulfill the prophetic office of speaking God’s word of salvation to a disillusioned people.

V. 5.  ’adōnāy YHWH pātach-lî ’ōzen = “The Lord God has opened for me an ear”:  The expression is one more example of the servant being a wise pupil or disciple, but even his willingness to listen to his teacher is an act of God.

V. 6.  gēwî nātattî lemakkîm ûlechāyay lemōretîm = “I gave my back to those who smite and my cheek to those who make bare (by pulling out the beard)”:  This act of violence resembles that at Neh. 13:25. This passage appears to form the background to the saying by Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount about turning the other cheek (Matt, 5:39). In the context of Second Isaiah, the persecution described here will become even more vivid in the Fourth Servant Song at 52:13—53:12.

V. 7.  wā’ēda‘ kî-lô ’ēbôš = “and I shall know that I shall not be put to shame”:  The same expression occurs in the wisdom Psalm 119:6 where the reason is based on the worshiper keeping the commandments. Note the repeated concern about not being put to shame in the face of persecution at Ps. 25:2, 3, 20. The wisdom features are prominent in that psalm, especially in the first half, before it turns to a lament. In the context of Isaiah 50, the reason for not being ashamed is the action of the Lord in helping the servant and in being present as his vindicator in a court of law. The ultimate outcome of this God-imposed suffering on the prophet will appear at 53:12.

V. 9.  kullām kabbeged yiblû = “all of them will wear out like a garment”:  The expression is used of the created order at Ps. 102:26 where it refers to the heavens and the earth, God’s own creation, in contrast to YHWH who remains forever. Here the reference is to the servant’s adversaries who have no power in contrast to the Lord who helps the servant.

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James 3:1-12
Since the tongue can be a source of blessing to God and simultaneously a source of curse, especially when used against those who are made in God’s likeness, we must keep it in check and take care how we use it to influence others.

Context
The author had just finished a section of his lecture in which he appears to oppose Paul’s teaching about faith and works. At 2:18 he provides the teaching that he will then illustrate. “Show me your faith apart from your works, and I by my works will show you my faith.” Citing the examples of Abraham and Rahab the prostitute, the author argues that “a person is justified by works and not by faith alone.” In this pericope, the discussion of “teacher” and “tongue” recall the words from Isaiah 50:4-9a.

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Mark 8:27-38
Having heard from the disciples who people think that he is and who they themselves think he is, Jesus defines himself as one who must suffer and die and rise and disciples as those who must follow him all the way.

Context
The 8th chapter of Mark begins with the second report of Jesus’ feeding the multitudes, this time 4000 people (note there were 5000 at 6:30-44). Following an argument with the Pharisees, Jesus departed in a boat with the disciples who were dismayed over their having forgotten to bring lunch. Jesus chided them for not grasping what the miracles with the 5000 and the 4000 were all about. Then in Bethsaida Jesus gave sight to the man who was blind. (This passage was discussed also in Episode 11 for the Second Sunday in Lent.)

Key Words
V. 28. “John the Baptist … Elijah … one of the prophets”: That people connected Jesus with John the Baptist and Elijah and one of the prophets can be seen at Mark 6:14-15 as a report to Herod. John the Baptist preached a sermon that was quite similar to the one Jesus preached (see 1:4 and 1:15; even closer, see Matt. 3:2 and 4:17). As for the Elijah (and Elisha) connection, Jesus performed feeding miracles (Elijah at 1 Kings 17:14-16; Elisha at 2 Kings 4:42-44), raised from the dead a woman’s only son (Elijah at 1 Kings 17:17-24; Elisha at 2 Kings 4:32-37), and cleansed people of leprosy (Elisha at 2 Kings 5). As a result, the people announced that the prophet has arisen (Matt. 21:11; Luke 7:16; John 6:14). As for the “one of the prophets,” Jesus sounded like a prophet in his teaching and preaching; he resembled Jeremiah in particular in his sermon about the destruction of the temple (see Jer. 7 and 26).

V. 29. apokritheis ho Petros legei autō su ei ho Christos = “Answering, Peter said, ‘You are the Christ/Messiah’”: What Peter meant by this statement is not clear, but unlike the affirming response from Jesus at Matt. 16:16, here Jesus commands silence about this confession.

V. 31.  dei ton huion tou anthrōpou polla pathein = “it is necessary for the Son of Man to suffer many things”:  While the expression Son of Man in Aramaic can refer simply to a personal pronoun (cf. Mark 8:27 and Matt. 16:13), the expression has an eschatological bent. It can indicate either one who suffers and then receives the kingdom of God (Dan. 7:13ff.) or as one who comes in clouds of glory (1 Enoch). Clearly, the context here favors the former option. At v. 8, however, the latter meaning seems obvious.

V. 31. kai apoktanthēnai kai meta treis hēmeras anastēnai = “and be killed and after three days rise again”: Mark repeats the same formula for the timing at 9:31 and 10:34. Matthew (16:21; 17:22; 20:19) and Luke (9:22; 18:33) change the formula to “on the third day.” Paul cites the wording “he was raised on the third day in accordance with the scriptures” (1 Cor. 15:5) as part of the tradition he received and passed on. The only scriptural (OT) reference to God raising any one “on the third day” occurs at Hosea 6:2 (en tē hēmera tē tritē anastēsometha); there resurrection (perhaps metaphorical) follows a judgment from God.

V. 32. kai proslabomenos ho Petros auton ’ērxato epitiman autō = “and taking him, Peter began to rebuke him”: That any one other than God or God’s Son should become the subject of the verb rebuke is forbidden in both testaments.

V. 33.  epetimēsen Petrō … satana = “he rebuked Peter … Satan”:  See Zech. 3:1-2 where YHWH rebukes Satan for standing in the way of the installation of Joshua (in Greek Iēsous) to be the priestly anointed one. Note also the objects of rebuke thus far in Mark’s Gospel:  the unclean spirit (1:25) and the storm (4:39). For a detailed examination of Jesus’ rebuke of Satan, see Foster R. McCurley, Ancient Myths and Biblical Faith: Scriptural Transformations (Minneapolis: Fortress, 1983, 2007: 63-67).

V. 34. kai proskalesamenos ton ochlon syn tois mathētais autou eipen autois = “And calling to him the multitude with his disciples, he said to them”: The discussion Jesus held privately with his disciples regarding his identity now becomes a public matter about discipleship. Once again, the experience of the one takes on universal proportions. Strikingly, Matthew sets a quite opposite direction when he uses the formula “from that time” first to begin Jesus’ public ministry (4:17) and then—precisely where Mark begins the public teaching about discipleship—to begin the “private ministry” at 16:21.

V. 34.  akoloutheitō moi = “let him follow me”:  For Jesus’ calling to follow, see also Matt. 4:19; 18:22; 9:9; Mark 1:17; 2:14; 10:21; Luke 5:27; 9:59; 18:22; John 1:43; 21:19, 22.

V. 35.  heneken emou kai tou euaggeliou = “for my sake and the gospel’s”:  In contrast with Matt. 10:39; Luke 17:33; John 12:25, only Mark adds the words “and the gospel’s.” It connects intimately Jesus and the message about him. It also indicates for the church after Jesus the same expectation through the cross. This submission to Christ and the gospel results in salvation (see the discussion on Isaiah 50:4-9a).

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In our next episode we’ll be looking at the lessons for the Sixteenth Sunday after Pentecost:
Psalm 54
Jeremiah 11:18-20
James 3:13–4:3, 7-8a
Mark 9:30-37

Wrestling with the Word, episode 37: Fourteenth Sunday after Pentecost, Year B (September 6, 2009) August 25, 2009

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Fourteenth Sunday after Pentecost

The words “sight” and “vision” take a variety of interesting twists in the English language, particularly in some of the expressions we commonly use. “You are a sight for sore eyes” is a welcome compliment to receive, but “You are a sight today” is enough to make you hide your head. We speak of “vision” as eyesight, and that you are a treat for someone’s eyes comes out in the compliment, “You are an absolute vision this evening.” In the Bible, “sight” and “vision” seem to portray different realities. “Sight” and “seeing” define present experience, but “vision” unveils the opposite of what is, more like a promise. The New Testament distinguishes explicitly between “sight” and “faith,” but faith and vision are two sides of the same coin. Jesus said, “Blessed are those who have not seen and yet believe” (John 20:29). The author of the Epistle to the Hebrews writes that “faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen” (Heb. 11:1). Vision, like faith, enables us to believe in something or Someone beyond what we see, experience, measure, and calculate day in and day out. If “sight” determines the meaning of life, we are stuck with the local and global news. After all, it is no secret that “the world is a sight” and that “where there is no vision, the people perish” (Prov. 29:18, KJV). By those definitions, our lessons for this Sunday are truly out of sight!

Download or listen to Wrestling with the Word, episode 37: Fourteenth Sunday after Pentecost, Year B.

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Psalm 146
The psalm is one of praise to the Lord who can accomplish what no mortal human can. A beatitude is expressed for those who count on the God of Jacob as their help/strength, for the Creator of the universe is faithful, establishes justice for the oppressed and feeds the hungry. As Savior, the same Lord sets prisoners free and gives sight to the blind (see Isa. 35:3; 61:1-2). Loving the righteous, the Lord exalts the humble, watches over the most vulnerable in the land (sojourner, widow, orphan) and promises ruin to the wicked. The psalmist acclaims this Creator-Redeemer as God as ruler for all eternity. This final verse sets justice and reversal of fortune in the vision of the Reign of God.

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Isaiah 35:4-7a
On the coming Day of the Lord, God will transform the sufferings of the present time into their opposites.
OR
From the confinement of despair, hopelessness, and God-forsakenness, the Lord comes to rescue his people to shalom.

Context
The style and some of the major themes are virtually identical to the material in chapters 40—55. The situation is probably one of exile, that is, a fear of forsakenness by God (see Isa. 40:27; 49:14) and a feeling of being hopeless and cut off (see Ezek. 37:11).

Form Criticism
The passage resembles the idyllic portrayals of the Day of the Lord like those of Isaiah 2:2-4 and 11:6-9, and is called a “portrayal of salvation.” Such a portrayal depicts in vivid imagery a vision completely opposite the experience of present time.

Key Words
V. 4.  chizqû ’al-tîrā’û hinnê ’elōhêkem nāqām yābô’ = “Be strong, do not fear; behold, your God comes with vindication”:  See Isa. 40:9-10 and 62:11. The word nāqām reflects the Lord’s action at 61:2 and 63:14, where the meaning is “vindication” rather than “vengeance.” The vision is positive for Israel but negative toward Israel’s enemies (47:3; 59:17).

V. 4.  hû’  yābô’ weyôša‘akem = “he will come and he will save you”:  The message of salvation is the critical issue for Second Isaiah. No idol cane save the people (45:20; 46:7; 47:13, 15). Only Yahweh can save, and Yahweh has promised to do so (43:12; 49:25; cf. also 59:1).

V. 6.  kî-nibqe‘û … mayim = “for waters will burst open”:  The expression occurs at Exod. 14:21 to describe the act of God in dividing the Reed Sea. Here it promises return from exile as a new exodus (cf. 40:3, 10, 11; esp. 43:14-21; 48:10, 20-22; 50:2; 51:9-11.

V. 6.  bammidbār = “in the wilderness”: In Second Isaiah the wilderness is a place of loneliness and desolation (50:2), but Yahweh comes to change it into a place of joy (41:18-19; 51:13) and to build a highway within it (40:3; 43:19-20).

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James 2:1-17
In contrast to the way of God who chose the poor as heirs of the kingdom, the addressees of this epistle have chosen to honor the rich, thereby failing to obey that royal law of scripture about loving the neighbor as yourself.

Context
In the previous chapter, the author has written what Psalm 146 and Isaiah 35 promised, namely that in the new time of God’s reign, the fortunes of the poor and the rich will be reversed (see 1:9-10) and explained this reversal in terms of the fortunes of nature.(like Isaiah 35). The present pericope picks up the thought in terms of appropriate action toward the poor in the Christian congregation, above all, following the royal law of scripture (see Rom. 13:9; Gal. 5:14).

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Mark 7:24-37
As demonstration that the “kingdom is at hand,” Jesus exorcises a demon from the daughter of a Greek woman and then reverses the fortunes of the man who was deaf and unable to speak, with the result that the witnesses spoke of the deed openly and zealously.

Context
At the beginning of chapter 7, Jesus appears to be on the east side of the Sea (see 6:53). There he responded to the challenge from the Pharisees and scribes who had come from Jerusalem and deplored the fact that his disciples did not follow the tradition of the elders in washing their hands before eating. Then he turned to the people and explained to them that defilement comes from what comes out of the mouth rather than from what enters it.

Key Words
V. 24. “the region of Tyre and Sidon”: The section of the land is far to the west of Jesus’ usual stage of ministry. Jesus’ forays into non-Jewish, that is, Gentile, areas are few. In v. 31 Jesus returns to the area around the Sea of Galilee. The Decapolis, Ten Cities, was a federation of originally Greek-constructed cities that lay in the so-called Trans-Jordan (the area east and southeast of the Sea of Galilee). Several of the cities had once been populated and controlled by Jews, but long before Jesus’ time, the cities of the Decapolis came under Roman authority.

V. 25. all’ euthus = “but immediately”: Mark demonstrates an urgency about the gospel of Jesus Christ by using the word “immediately” forty-two times.

V. 26.  hē de gynē hēn Hellēnis, Syrophoinikissa tō genei = “Now the woman was a Greek, a Syrophoenician by birth”: The author could hardly have taken any more pains to emphasize that the woman was a Gentile. It is her faith in Jesus in contrast to the legalism of the Jews in the preceding paragraphs that forms the focus of this entire story. It is tempting to recall here the story of the widow of Zarephath in Sidon with whom Elijah performed miracles (1 Kings 17:8-24); Luke uses this story as part of  Jesus’ hometown sermon that emphasized God’s grace among Gentiles (Luke 4:26). Mark had earlier indicated that people from the area of Sidon and Tyre had been among the crowds who followed him (3:7-8).

V. 26. hina to daimonion ekbalē ek tēs thygatros autēs = “that he might cast the demon out of her daughter”: According to Mark, Jesus had been exorcizing demons/unclean spirits since his ministry began (1:23-26, 32-34, 39; 3:11-12, 22-23; 5:1-20; 9:14-29). He had also commissioned his twelve apostles to preach and to cast out demons (3:13-15; 6:7; cf. 9:38-39). The battle against demons was in fact the eschatological battle against Satan (see 3:23)—a necessary prelude to the reign of God.

V. 33.  kat idian = “privately”:  The word helps focus on the secrecy with which Jesus has been carrying out miracles. Note in the previous story (v. 24) he did not want anyone to know he was in town.

Vss. 34-35. estenazen kai legei autō Ephphatha, ho estin dianoichthēti kai eutheōs … “he sighed and he said to him, ‘Ephphatha,’ that is, ‘Be opened,’ and immediately …”:  The word for “sigh” usually occurs in the NT as an expression of something undesirable, like anxiety or resignation (see Rom. 8:23; 2 Cor. 5:2, 4; Heb. 13:17). Here, however, Jesus’ sigh paves the way for his word of healing. His word accomplishes “immediately” what it says (see 1:41). The reversal of fortune for those unable to hear or to speak is part of the vision of the Day of the Lord and the Reign of God at Isa. 35:5-6 (cf. Matt. 11:5; Luke 7:22).

V. 36. kai diesteilato autois hina mēdeni legōsin, … de … =  “And he charged them to tell no one, … but …” The crowd on this occasion is no more obedient than the leper who was cleansed earlier (see 1:44-45).

Wrestling with the Word, episode 36: Thirteenth Sunday after Pentecost, Year B (August 30, 2009) August 22, 2009

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Thirteenth Sunday after Pentecost

One of the dangers of “religion” is that it can distort the simple message of the gospel of God. In fact, the announcement that “God was in Christ, reconciling the world to himself” (2 Cor. 5:19) and that Jesus called the reconciled world to “love one another as I have loved you” (John 15:12) can sneak off into dusty corners when the room fills up with superfluous furniture. Our lessons for the day uphold the honor of God and God’s law while simultaneously focusing our attention on the beauty of interior design.

Download or listen to Wrestling with the Word, episode 36: Thirteenth Sunday after Pentecost, Year B.

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Psalm 15
Like other such psalms that deal with entrance into the sanctuary (e.g., 24), this one begins with the question about who may enter and sojourn as a guest within God’s Temple. Apparently, the priests of the various sanctuaries and certainly those of Jerusalem established the requirements for entrance. What is striking here is that the priest’s answer to the question about cultic observances has nothing to do with cultic rites. Almost like the prophets, this psalm establishes purity in moral responsibilities to the neighbor and in honoring the neighbor.

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Deuteronomy 4:1-2, 6-9
Because of God’s commandments, Israelites might live and Gentiles might know of the intimate relationship between God and God’s people.

Context
The first five chapters of Deuteronomy are essentially introductory material that has been added to an original core. That original, perhaps indeed the scroll found by Josiah’s men during the remodeling of the Temple in 621, seems to have begun with 6:4. These introductory chapters tend to provide an introduction not only to the Book of Deuteronomy but to the entire Deuteronomistic history which runs through 2 Kings.

Key Words
V. 1.  lema‘an tichyû = “in order that you may live”:  The expression occurs often in the Deuteronomic material but also in wisdom teachings; e.g., Prov. 4:4; 7:2; 9:6. Life comes also by recognizing the healing presence of God (Num. 21:9); by repentance (Ezek. 18:32); by worshiping the Lord with faithfulness (Amos 5:4, 6); through the healing hand of Christ (Mark 5:23).

V. 1. ûbā’tem wîrištem ’et-hā’āts ’ašer YHWH ’elōhê ’abōtêkem nōtēn lākem = “and go in and inherit the land that the Lord your God is giving to you”: The translation “take possession of the land” (RSV) and “occupy the land” (NRSV) fail to take into account that the Hebrew word yrš, like the word nchl, can convey the meaning “inherit.” The notion of inheriting the land also fits better with the following verb “is giving.”

V. 6. “for this will show your wisdom and discernment to the peoples”: Usually the theme of impressing the nations follows some action of God like judgment or salvation, but here the onus lies on Israel to impress the nations by its honoring the Lord through obeying the law.

V. 7. ’ašer-lô ‘elōhîm qerōbîm ’ēlāw = “for whom God is (so) close”:  God’s nearness and his commandments are attested again near the end of the book:  “the word is very near you, it is in your mouth and in your heart” (30:14). It was a necessary word for those who felt only God’s absence in their lives. Simultaneously, the expression here demonstrates the special—even unique—covenant relationship that God has established with Israel.

V. 9.  “Make them known to your children and to your children’s children”:  The need to teach the statutes and ordinances of God from generation to generation was an essential part of the societal structure in which ancient Israel lived, but at the same time the content of that teaching, namely God’s laws and the reasons for them, is uniquely Israelite.

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James 1:17-27
The person of faith does not simply believe with the lips but acts out that faith in doing the word of God by honoring and serving other people.

Context
The Epistle of James is a collection of teachings instructing Christians how to live out their faith in the world. The collection resembles the Book of Proverbs in contrasting the wisdom that brings God’s pleasure and the folly that destroys. On the other hand, lists of vices and virtues are not common in the OT or in Palestinian Judaism; they are present in Hellenistic Judaism and in the NT (Rom. 1:29-31; 1 Tim. 3:2-4; Gal. 5:20-21). As for authorship, it is difficult to maintain the traditional view that the author was James, the brother of Jesus, primarily because the author seeks authority for his sayings in other literature rather than in his own personal experience. To date the book is difficult because the “letter” is so general and is intended for a widespread audience. It would appear to be a reaction to an exaggerated Pauline understanding which might have arisen toward the end of the first century. If one takes seriously only certain sections of Paul’s letters, then the doing of good in the world is irrelevant. The author of James focused on that problem, and in the process never got around to announce the gospel of justification by grace through faith alone.

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Mark 7:1-8, 14-15, 21-23
In response to those Pharisees who charged that Jesus’ disciples did not observe ritual purity, Jesus charged them with honoring human traditions rather than God’s will.

Context
According to Mark, Jesus had performed the miracle of the feeding of the 5000 on the west side of the Sea of Galilee. Having crossed the sea by walking on it, Jesus cured many people of diseases on the eastern shore of the sea and throughout the whole territory, wherever people sought him (6:53-56). In our pericope, Pharisees and some scribes challenge Jesus because his disciples have been eating their meals without the ritual washing they required. While they come off badly in this scene, the omission of verses 17-20 deprives us of another example of Marks’ emphasis that even his disciples fall in the same legalistic camp and reject Jesus.

Key Words
V. 6. peri hymōn hypokrtōn =  “concerning you hypocrites”: In ancient Greece, the word “hypocrite” described often an actor on stage. The most well known examples of this use occur in Jesus’ words at Matt. 6:2, 5, and 16 where the word points to those who make public demonstrations of their piety. Jesus’ purpose here seems directed against those who use their legalistic interpretations to bring honor to themselves rather than to God and to others.

Vss. 6-7. The prophecy Jesus quotes appears at Isaiah 29:13 where the prophet announces that the result of their dishonoring God by their deeds is the destruction of the city of Jerusalem and the divine obliteration of their wisdom and discernment—precisely what they could demonstrate to the nations by honoring the Lord through obedience to the law (Deut. 4:6-8).

V. 8.  tēn entolēn tou theou = “the command of God”:  While Jesus does not say here which command of God he has in mind, he repeats the same expression in the following verse (v. 9) where Jesus moves on immediately to discuss “Honor your  father and your mother” (v. 10). This commandment seems to provide the key example of the “word of God” that Jesus calls them to respect (v. 13).

Vv. 21-22.  “evil thoughts, fornication, theft, murder, adultery, coveting, wickedness, deceit, licentiousness, envy, slander, pride, foolishness”: Such lists of vices were common in the ancient world of Hellenistic Judaism, some of which found their way into the NT books (see Rom. 1:29-31; Gal. 5:19-21; Col. 3:5, 8; 1 Tim. 1:9-10; 2 Tim. 3:2-5). The sequence of theft, murder, adultery, coveting sounds quite similar to the listing of the Decalogue. Note that the combination of stealing–murder appears also at Hos. 4:2; Rom. 13:9 (the sequence at Matt. 19:18-19 is completely obscure).

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Next week we will talk about the lessons for the Fourteenth Sunday after Pentecost, Year B. You will benefit, I think, from reading in advance of the podcast

Psalm 146
Isaiah 35:4-7a
James 2:1-10 [11-13] 14-17
Mark 7:24-37

Wrestling with the Word, episode 35: Twelfth Sunday after Pentecost, Year B (August 23, 2009) August 5, 2009

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Twelfth Sunday after Pentecost

Commitment is not an unknown commodity in our world. We know about and laud commitment in terms of personal relationships—marriage, family, friends, and we make sacrifices for the sake of those commitments. We rejoice that some people are so committed to their work of serving and caring for people that they call what they do a calling rather than a job. On the other hand, the recent revelations about the financial industry provide abundant evidence that many folks are committed to making money, lots of it. I am not taking about the well publicized scandals, but the accepted way of doing business in the world. How else can we explain that a well-known financial company gave $5.3 billion in bonuses to its managers, more money than it made in profits for the year? If we dare enter the world of the Bible, we find, first and foremost, that God is committed to us. Commitment is primarily God’s pledge to Israel in the Hebrew Bible and to the world according to the New Testament. God’s actions to support that commitment constitute God’s righteousness. As we appropriate that divine commitment to our lives, we discover that God calls us make commitments in return—to God and to one another. The result is abundant and eternal life, even if it means struggling to defy the commitments that would lead us to death.

Download or listen to Wrestling with the Word, episode 35: Twelfth Sunday after Pentecost, Year B.

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Psalm 34:15-22
After the thanksgiving for the Lord’s deliverance from a lamentable situation (vss. 1-8) and the wisdom teaching to those gathered round the psalmist in the temple (vss. 9-15), this section of the acrostic psalm stresses the Lord’s commitment to save the righteous. God hears their cries for help and comes near to those in need. Against the teaching of optimistic wisdom, the psalmist recognizes that the righteous indeed suffer many things, but the Lord is present in the midst of suffering, rescues them from afflictions, and “redeems the life of his servants” … “who take refuge in him.” The conviction that the Lord will not allow a bone of the righteous to be broken (v. 20) became part of the crucifixion tradition at John 19:33-36.

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Joshua 24:1-2a, 14-18
Having heard the recitation of the mighty acts of God, the people of Israel follow Joshua’s lead in committing themselves to serve the Lord alone.

Context
This last chapter of the Book of Joshua brings to an end the so-called Hexateuch. The traditions of the patriarchs, the story of the exodus, the wilderness wanderings, and the gift of the land–all conclude here. Some scholars have called the assembly here at Shechem the “constituting convention” of the twelve-tribe league. In other words, at this point one can begin to speak of Israel historically, for all the traditions and stories before this moment belonged to and were cherished by different groups. At Shechem when they came together, the tribes gave up their former gods and simultaneously brought together under one God their separate histories. When the story-line picks up again at Judges 2:6, the people’s commitment moves elsewhere

Key Words
V. 1.  kol-šibtê yisrā’ēl = “all the tribes of Israel”:  Chapters 13-19 describe the distribution of the land to the tribes.  In all likelihood, these boundaries were the ones that already existed for this or that tribe, and so the descriptions in the Book of Joshua are probably descriptive rather than prescriptive. In terms of structure:  individuals formed families; families bound together to constitute clans; clans formed tribes; tribes formed the league organized here (see Josh. 7:10-18 for the structure).

V. 15.  “the gods which your ancestors served/worshiped in the region beyond the River”:  The “River” is the Euphrates, and so beyond the River is Mesopotamia from which Abraham came (see Gen. 11:27-32). One can imagine that over the course of the second millennium B.C. many other migrations brought people from Mesopotamia to Canaan, and that they brought with them their gods.

V. 15.  “the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are now living”:  The name “Amorite” is variously used in the OT. It would appear that Abraham was an Amorite or at least closely associated with them (see Genesis 14:13; even his name appears to be Amorite). But here and in other cases, the term seems synonymous with Canaanites, and it is their gods — Baal, Asherah, etc — that need to be cast away for the sake of worshiping Yahweh.

V. 18. gam-’anachnû na‘abōd ’et-YHWH kî-hû’ ’elōhēnû = “indeed we will serve the Lord, for he is our God:” The commitment follows the people’s confessional statement that the Lord is the one who brought them out of the bondage in Egypt, guided them though the wilderness, and conquered for them the land of Canaan. Their confession repeats the recital of history delivered by Joshua at vss. 2b-13.

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Ephesians 6:10-20
In the face of evil and spiritual warfare, God provides Christians with the same armor God uses against evil — truth, righteousness, faith, salvation, the Spirit — and offers the gift of prayer to enable us to remain committed to proclaim the mystery of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Context
Between the last reading from this epistle and this pericope, the author discussed relationships among Christians within their households — husbands and wives, parents and children, slaves and masters. In each case, the author emphasizes loyal obedience but not servile capitulation.

Key Words
V. 10. en tō kratei tēs ischyos autou = “in the strength of his might”: The expression sounds quite similar to the LXX at Isa. 40:26 where the prophet points to the Lord’s incomparable strength as evidence of the divine ability to deliver the exiles.

V. 14. perizōsamenoi tēn osphyn hymōn en alētheia = “having girded your loins with truth”: The expression recalls the quality with which the future messianic king will render justice in the land (Isa. 11:5).

Vss. 14-17. “the breastplate of righteousness … the helmet of salvation”: The combination appears at Isaiah 59:17 as the armor of God by which the Lord will judge even the redeemed people of Israel for the lack of justice and righteousness among them.

V. 19 gnōrisai to mysterion tou euaggeliou = “to proclaim the mystery of the gospel”: At 3:3, the author writes that the “mystery” of the gospel was made known to him by revelation. The same word appears for the gospel at Col. 4:3. The Apostle Paul speaks of “a secret and hidden wisdom of God” at 1 Cor. 2:6-13 that the Holy Spirit has revealed.

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John 6:56-69
Having alienated some disciples who were scandalized at his words about being the Bread from heaven, Jesus looked for a commitment on the part of the Twelve, among whom Peter confessed that Jesus was the Holy One of God and that in him are the words of eternal life.

Context
The verses of this pericope pick up the discussion of vv. 35-50, giving the impression that the discussion about the sacrament in vv. 51-59 was a later addition. See the discussion by Raymond Brown, The Gospel according to John I-XII, pp. 281–303.

Key Words
V. 61.  touto hymas skandalizei = “Does this scandalize you?”:  The literal translation is sharper than RSV‘s and NRSV‘s “offend.” The scandal is Jesus’ claim to be the Bread from heaven who is given in order that the eaters might live. Eating flesh and particularly drinking blood was indeed scandalous (see Genesis 9:4; Lev. 3:17), but so also was the claim of Jesus that he is the source of eternal life.

V. 63.  to pneuma estin to zōopoioun, hē sarx ouk ōphelei ouden ta rēmata … pneuma estin kai zōe estin = “the spirit is life-making, the flesh is useless; the words … are spirit and are life”:  The contrast between “flesh” as of no use and “words” being spirit and life sounds like the contrast of Isa. 40:6, 8 which contrasts “flesh” and the Word of the Lord. The life-giving words here are the ones that Jesus had just spoken about his identity as the bread of life.

V. 65. oudeis dynatai elthein pros me ean mē hē dedomenon autō ek tou patros = “no one can come to me unless it is given by the Father”: The need for God to give faith in Jesus has already been stated by John the Baptizer at 3:27. The words are similar to those Jesus said to Peter at his confession at Matthew 16:16-17; there, as here in v. 63, “flesh” and blood are useless as a source for knowing who Jesus is. See also Paul’s teaching at 1 Cor. 15:50; Gal. 1:16. Compare Martin’s Luther’s Explanation of the Third Article of the Apostles’ Creed, Small Catechism: “I believe that by my own understanding or strength I cannot believe in Jesus Christ my Lord or come to him, but instead the Holy Spirit has called me through the gospel….”

V. 69.  su ei ho hagios tou theou = “you are the Holy One of God”:  In Mark’s Gospel, Jesus is identified with these words by the unclean spirit in Capernaum (Mark 1:24). More important, the confession of Peter here sounds like the one he gave on the road to Caesarea Philippi:  “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God” (Matt. 16:16). In LXX the expression “Holy One” is used as a synonym for Nazirite (Judg. 13:7; 16:17), thus describing one who is separate from others on the basis of his vows. However, from the beginning of John’s Gospel, Jesus is distinct from others on the basis of his origin. Since the confession follows Jesus’ teaching at v. 65, only God could have given Peter the faith to make this statement (again, cf. Matt. 16:16-17).

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Bible passages for next week
Psalm 15
Deuteronomy 4:1-2, 6-9
James 1:17-27
Mark 7:1-8, 14-15, 21-23

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Wrestling with the Word, episode 34: Eleventh Sunday after Pentecost, Year B (August 16, 2009) August 3, 2009

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Eleventh Sunday after Pentecost

Contrary to some popular opinion, God is committed to life. Certainly, a person can select this or that passage in the Bible—in both testaments—to demonstrate that God is a severe judge and has no more important thing to do than whack us for the things we do wrong. The bigger picture, if you will look at the whole Bible, portrays a God who is dedicated to giving us life. That life-giving God appears when God acts to save the oppressed people. Life is the object lesson when God instructs through the Torah how to be responsible members of a community rather than rugged individualists. God takes human form so that we might have life, and have it abundantly. All four lessons for the day take a thread of that divine promise of life, one that runs though the whole Bible. That thread is called “wisdom.”

Download or listen to Wrestling with the Word, episode 34, Eleventh Sunday after Pentecost, Year B.

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Psalm 34: 9-14
The psalm is essentially a thanksgiving, as is clear from the first three verses.  In light of vv. 4-6, the thanksgiving follows the experience of a lament:  the Lord answered, the Lord heard. As thanksgiving, it was used in the early church in connection with the sacrament of Holy Communion, particularly because of v. 8:  “O taste and see that the Lord is good, happy are those who take refuge in him.” In verse 9, “wisdom” themes enter the psalm, calling typically on those who “fear the Lord” (cf. Prov. 1:7). The wisdom teacher compares the need for learning to hunger, invites the pupils to learn from the experience of the teacher, and offers specific instructions about the way to life.

The psalm begins to unravel the thread called wisdom. I have mentioned the word many times in these podcasts. This time we will attempt that trick that cats love so much—unravel the whole ball of thread that is called wisdom. What is wisdom?

Wisdom is

  1. What human beings can achieve: as seen in Book of Proverbs (akin to ancient Near Eastern collections such as Babylonian, Egyptian, Canaanite, Aramaic, etc); some Psalms or sections of Psalms like 34, 1, 78, 119, and many others; the essential theology is a simple doctrine: Wisdom teaching had two classrooms: the home and the royal court. The court teachers seem to have become a special class ranked right up there with princes, priests, official prophets.
  2. What humans beings cannot achieve: Ecclesiastes, the Book of Job.
  3. What belongs to God:  Job 28:20-28.
  4. What exists alongside God and speaks in first person: Proverbs 8:22-31; 9:1-6.

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Proverbs 9:1-6
Against all the seductive advances of the world that lead to death and chaos, God invites us to learn true wisdom so that we might live.

Context
The Book of Proverbs consists of maxims by which a person can become wise, walk in the way of insight, and thus live. Here and there wisdom is personified, speaking in 8:22-31 as one who stood beside God at the time of creation and here as a woman who invites people for dinner. Our passage provides a contrast to the seductive woman of 7:6-23 whose advances to the young lead to trouble, for they do “not know that it will cost him his life” (v. 23).

Key Words
V. 4.  mî-petî = “whoever is simple”:  The parallelism with “without sense” indicates the term is a synonym for “fool,” as can be verified by the parallelisms at 1:22, 32; 7:7; 8:5; 9:4; at 9:16 “without sense”; at 19:25; 21:11; 22:3 “scoffer.” The “fool” in wisdom literature is the opposite of the wise person and is, therefore, one who refuses to follow the instructions of the wise teacher.

V. 5.  lekû lachamû belachamî ûšetû beyayin māsaktî = “Come, eat of my food and drink of the wine I have mixed”:  Note the invitation of Isa. 55:1 and Wisdom’s lure at Sirach 51:23ff. (cf. also Matt. 11:28-30).

V. 6.  wichyû = “and live”:  The expression occurs also in Proverbs at 4:4; 7:2 as the reward for seeking wisdom, but life is found in other traditions by recognizing the healing presence of God (Num. 21:9), by keeping the Torah (Deut. 30:19-20), by repentance (Ezek. 18:32), by worshiping the Lord with faithfulness (Amos 5:4, 6), by the healing hand of Christ (Mark 5:23), and Christ himself (John 14:6).

V. 6.  bederek bînâ = “in the way of insight”:  In proverbial wisdom “the way” is the path pursued by the wise (Prov. 4:11; 6:23; 8:20) and which leads to life. Opposite is “the way of the wicked” or “the way of the fool”:  Prov. 1:15; 2:12; 4:14, 19; 8:13; 12:15, 26, 28; 14:12; 15:9, 19. “The way” is also that of the Lord, and the signposts are the Lord’s laws and commandments (Gen. 18:19; Deut. 5:33; 9:12, 16; 11:28; 13:5; 31:29; Judg. 2:17, 22; Ps. 119:27, 30, 32, etc.)

We have been talking about wisdom as what exists alongside God.

Wisdom now is …

5.  What comes out of the mouth of God: Sirach 24:1-12; cf. 51:23-30. Therefore, wisdom is used interchangeably with Word!  Not only in Sirach but elsewhere: compare Psalm 33:6 with Proverbs 3:19.

6.  What Jesus has: Luke 2:41-52; Jesus qualifies as “teacher” (see Matthew 13:34-35); Jesus speaks wisdom at Matthew 11:28-30).

7.  Who Jesus is: 1 Corinthians 1:18-25 (the goal of wisdom to give life); compare Matthew 23:34 with Luke 11:49; see John 1:1-14 (recall that “word” and “wisdom” were used interchangeably).

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John 6:51-58
Following his description of himself as “the bread,” Jesus promises that eating his body and drinking his blood is the sacramental meal that enables the diner to live forever.

Context
What develops here is a movement from the emphasis on faith in the One who is the “Bread which comes down from heaven” to the sacramental participation in the meal which is the way to eternal life. It is often argued that we have two discourses that have been set side by side–one emphasizing faith and the other the sacrament.

Key Words
V. 51.  ego eimi ho artos ho zōn = “I am the living bread”:  note the expression in v. 35:  ego eimi ho artos tēs zōēs = “I am the bread of life.”  In Aramaic the expressions would be virtually identical.

V. 54.  ho trōgōn mou tēn sarka kai pinōn to haima echei zōēn aiōnion = “the one who eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life”:  The introduction of the blood extends the bread imagery of the previous paragraphs and thus suggests strongly the sacrament of the Lord’s Supper, perhaps even serving here as the parallel to the Words of Institution in the synoptics.  Note too the parallels to invitation of Wisdom at Prov. 9:1-6.

Wisdom now is …

8. What Christians use to live and witness in the world: Colossians 1:28; 3:16; 4:5.

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Ephesians 5:15-20
As response to the gift of God’s Son on the cross, the church is called to live wisely and to allow the Spirit to fill it with joy and thanksgiving.

Context
Between the conclusion of last week’s reading and the beginning of this, the author has described the behavior appropriate for the saints. While the vices listed in v. 4 were known among non-Christians of the time, the call to live a continual life of thanksgiving moves the morality beyond the cultural level to a Christian responsibility, a theme which is picked up in our verses. In our pericope, the theme of wisdom appears, particularly in the call to be unlike the “unwise people.” Being wise here is understood, as it is in the Book of Proverbs, as discerning and obeying the will of God. Note how this passage reflects the discussion from Proverbs 9 and Psalm 34 that picks up wisdom themes, especially in terms of giving thanks for the promise of life.

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Next week we will talk about the lessons for the Twelfth Sunday after Pentecost, Year B.
Psalm 34:15-22
Joshua 24:1-2a, 14-18
Ephesians 6:10-20
John 6:56-69

Wrestling with the Word, episode 33: Tenth Sunday after Pentecost, Year B (August 9, 2009) August 1, 2009

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Tenth Sunday after Pentecost

Meals play many important roles in our lives. Primarily, meals of food and drink sustain our bodies from day to day, giving us strength and health to participate in the world. Meals also become the means by which we celebrate various events like birthdays or anniversaries or holidays. Sometimes meals are just a good excuse to get together with family or friends or groups of like-minded people. The Bible contains at least as many reasons for eating and drinking, particularly when God is serving or is otherwise the cause for celebrating. Three of our four lessons for today have to do with diners, servers, or menus to live for.

Download or listen to Wrestling with the Word, episode 33: Tenth Sunday after Pentecost, Year B.

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Psalm 34:1-8
This acrostic psalm is a “thanksgiving” that a worshiper might have used following a situation that led an individual to use a “psalm of lament.” The whole psalm will be used over three consecutive Sundays, and so the first 8 verses comprise our reading today. This section seems to have contributed to the collection of blessings we call the Beatitudes of Jesus that appear at Matthew 5:1-12. (See the words “humble” = “meek” in verse 2 and the “poor” in verse 6 and the “happy are” or “Blessed are” at the end of verse 8.) These first eight verses are appropriate for the day because they conclude with a reference to tasting and eating: “O taste and see that the Lord is good.” The first verses indicate that the worshiper’s whole life belongs to God and that the praise of God provides the purpose for this person’s life. The interplay between the individual and the community of believers is obvious as verses 4 and 6 speak of the psalmist’s experience of deliverance and vv. 5 and 7 relate the general experience of those who fear God. The reference in v. 8 to “taste and see” sounds like an invitation to participate in a todah (thanksgiving) meal that celebrates the Lord’s salvation following the cry for help (v. 6). For other such references to todah meals, see Pss. 22:26; 116:13-17. For the law that establishes the “thanksgiving” offering of food, see Leviticus 7:11-18. For the use of v. 8 in the NT, see 1 Peter 2:3.

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1 Kings 19:4-8
To the weary and frightened Elijah, God provided food in the wilderness so that the prophet might continue his journey toward Mount Horeb.

Context
The Elijah cycle begins at 1 Kings 17:1 and continues through 2 Kings 2 when Elijah ascends in the chariot of fire. Elijah is introduced with a story about the ravens feeding him by the brook Cherith, east of the Jordan (17:3-7). When that food supply dried up, the prophet went to Zarephath where he met the widow of Zarephath and her son, and because of his presence with the family, their oil and meal supply never ran out (17:8-16).

Key Words
V. 4.  bammidbār = “into the wilderness/desert”:  Since Elijah is now only a day’s journey from Beer-sheba (v. 3), we must assume he is somewhere in the Negeb.

V. 6.  ‘ugat retsāphîm = “bread of hot stones”: Not that the bread is hard as a rock but bread that has been baked on hot stones, the way Bedouins bake bread;  wetsappachat mayim = “and a jar of water”: Obviously, water is essential for life, even for a short time in the desert.

V. 8.  bekôach hā’ akîlâ hahî’ ’arbā‘îm yôm we`arbā‘îm laylâ = “on the strength of the food forty days and forty nights”:  The number 40, of course, defines the years that Israel spent in the wilderness where the Lord fed them with manna (see Deut. 8:2-3). The use of forty in the context of no food might be the background for the tradition about Jesus’ temptation in the wilderness. Note the words “ate and drank” in verses 6 and 8.

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Ephesians 4:25–5:2
On the basis of God’s own nature and the love revealed in the death of Christ, God calls the Christian community to a new life of love and gentleness.

Context
Having established the basis for Christian ethics in God’s call to unity, peace, and love, and citing the spiritual gifts God gives to the church, the author now moves into a discussion of personal morality. This morality is not simply a list of virtues but a list of behaviors appropriate for those who have “put on the new nature, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness” (4:24).

Key Words
4:25. laleite alētheian hekastos meta tou plēsion autou = “let everyone speak truth with his neighbor”: The words are a quotation of Zech 8:16 where they address the behavior appropriate for the people of Israel to whom God makes the promise to do good to them. The motive for this instruction is clear: “for we are members of one another.” Truth-telling is essential for life in community.

V. 26. orgizesthe kai mē hamartanete = “Be angry but do not sin”: The words quote Psalm 4:4 (LXX v. 5) where they represent the psalmist’s instruction to the people to honor God by appropriate behavior. The Hebrew word used here refers more to “quiver” and “quake” than to anger, maybe even “perturbed” or “disturbed” (see NRSV).

4:28. ergazomenos … hina echēmetadidonai tō chreian echonti = “let him (the thief) labor … so that he may be able to give to those in need”: The purpose of labor as sharing with the needy is surprising. At 1 Thess. 4:11 work with the hands is  admirable and honorable for the Christian, as Paul himself gave an example (Acts 20:34; 1 Cor. 4:12; 1 Thess. 2:9; 2 Thess. 3:7-10).

V. 30. kai mē lypeite to pneuma to hagion tou theou, en hō esphagisthēte eis hēmeran apolytrōseōs = “And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, in whom you were sealed for the day of redemption”: The sealing by the Holy Spirit refers to the baptism of the people gathered as the congregation in Ephesus. That sealing prepares the community of the future day of redemption when they appear before the judgment seat of God. This divine redemption granted to all who are guilty provides the basis for the command to forgive one another, “as God in Christ has forgiven you” (v. 32; see Matt. 6:12).

5:1.  ginesthe oun mimētai tou theou = “be imitators of God”:  This call reminds the reader of the way in which humanity was created (Genesis 1:26-27). Unlike the story in Gen. 3, however, this call to imitate God does not lie in a desire to be autonomous (the words of the serpent) but in the example of love manifested in the sacrificial death on the cross.

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John 6:35, 41-51
In response to questions about his origin, Jesus indicates that like the manna in the OT wilderness tradition, he came down from heaven, but unlike that manna which nourished mortals, he is the bread of immortality.

Context
John 6 begins with the miracle of the feeding of the 5000. The rest of the chapter deals with various issues relating to that miracle. The first response on the part of some people is to force Jesus to become their king (v. 15). The second is to ask him about when he “came here,” perhaps an allusion to his origin as well as to his arrival on “this side” of the sea (v. 25). The third response is to question Jesus’ reference to himself as “the bread which came down from heaven.”

Key Words
V. 35. ou mē peinasē … ou mē dipsēsei pōpote = “shall not hunger … will never thirst”: The reference to the prevention from eternal hunger is obvious here, but the allusion to “thirst” recalls Jesus’ discussion with the woman at the well at John 3:13-14. Note the connection to the divine provisions for Elijah that the prophet both “ate and drank.”

V. 41.  egogguzon oun = “therefore they murmured”:  cf. the murmuring of Israel in the wilderness (see v. 31).

V. 42.  The question about his origin is similar to the synoptic question about the improbability that anything good can come out of Nazareth (Mark 6:1-6 and parallels).

v. 44. kagō anastēsō auton en tē eschatē hēmera = “and I will raise that person up on the last day”: The words repeat the end of v. 40, thereby emphasizing Jesus’ promise to take believers to his own true hometown.

V. 45.  kai esontai pantes didaktoi theou = “and they shall all be taught by God”:  The quote from Isa. 54:13 throws the discussion about bread into a block of OT material. At  Isa. 55:1, the invitation to drink and eat without cost reflects Wisdom at Prov. 9:5 who is seeking to teach the way of life. Isa 55:2 combines “come to me” with the promise “that you may live.” Isa. 55:10-11 compares the effective word of God to “the rain and the snow … from heaven.” The quote also calls to mind the new covenant passage at Jer. 31:31-34 where God promises to be the teacher in the kingdom to come.

V. 50.  hina tis ex autou phagē kai mē apothan = “so that someone may eat of it and not die”:  The contrast is to the manna in the wilderness (v. 49). Even though a gift from heaven, the people of that generation died. Once upon a time, there was an opportunity for humans to eat food of immortality—that was the tree of life in the Garden of Eden. Having blown that opportunity by eating instead of the “tree of the knowledge of good and evil,” God blocked the way to the food of life. The “tree of life” will be available in the new heaven and new earth (Rev. 22:2) but the taste and benefit are already available in the one who is the “bread from heaven.”

V. 51. kai ho artos de hon egō dōsō hē sarx mou estin hyper tēs tou kosmou zōēs = “and the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh”: The universal scope of Jesus’ sacrificial death  appears once again in John’s Gospel. The word kosmos appears 57 times in the book—sometimes in terms of the reach of God’s grace and at other times of the conflict between God/Jesus and the world.