The Worship Bulletin for Sunday morning, the Sixth
Sunday after Pentecost We hope you find this helpful in
following along with the service. You are encouraged to respond in the
appropriate places. The service is taken from the Book of Common Prayer. If you
do not have a copy, you can access it at either https://www.anglican.ca/wp-content/uploads/BCP.pdf or http://prayerbook.ca/resources/bcponline/.
St. Stephen’s Anglican Parish
11:00 am St. Stephen’s On-line Service, Chester
Sixth Sunday after Pentecost
12 July 2020
Our mission is to worship God and care for
God’s
people in the spirit of Christ….
Archdeacon
Ian Wissler, Rector
902. 275. 8627 ian.wissler@gmail.com
Rev.
Canon Dr. Stephen Paul Booth, Honorary Assistant
Jon
Waddell 902.275.4630 jwadell@bellaliant.net
Bill
Hilchie 902.275.7779 billhilchie@gmail.com
Choir
Director: Dawn
Harwood-Jones
Organist: Margaret Machum
Parish
Office Hours:
Monday-Thursday, 9:00 am – 1:00 pm
54
Regent Street Chester NS B0J 1J0
902.275.3804
MORNING PRAYER
(Book of Common
Prayer)
*A Note from the Rector about Morning Prayer. - The Daily Offices of
Morning and Evening Prayer are some of the treasures of our Book of Common
Prayer. In “saying” the Office, any person can read the prayers, especially in
the privacy of their own home, without the presence of a priest – with the
exception of the Prayer of Absolution, which normally follows the Confession at
the start of the service. Everything else can be led by any Christian person.
And so, if you are praying this service, YOU are the “Officiant”, or
“Minister”, and can even read those parts that say “Priest”. I would encourage
you to read the “Mutual Salutations” (“The Lord be with you”. “And with thy
spirit.”) as a reminder that, even if you are praying this service physically
alone, you are praying in unity with your whole parish family, and the whole
family of Christ’s Church on earth.
O
worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness: let the whole earth stand in awe of
him.
Psalm 96. 9.
Psalm 96. 9.
Prayer of Confession
Officiant: ALMIGHTY
and most merciful Father, We have erred and strayed from thy ways like lost
sheep, We have followed too much the devices and desires of our own hearts, We
have offended against thy holy laws, We have left undone those things which we
ought to have done, And we have done those things which we ought not to have
done; And there is no health in us. But thou, O Lord, have mercy upon us,
miserable offenders. Spare thou them, O God, which confess their faults.
Restore thou them that are penitent; According to thy promises declared unto
mankind in Christ Jesu our Lord. And grant, O most merciful Father, for his
sake, That we may hereafter live a godly, righteous, and sober life, To the
glory of thy holy Name. Amen.
OUR
Father who art in heaven, Hallowed be thy Name, Thy kingdom come, Thy will be
done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread; And
forgive us our trespasses, As we forgive them that trespass against us; And
lead us not into temptation, But deliver us from evil. For thine is the
kingdom, the power, and the glory, For ever and ever. Amen.
Minister. O Lord, open thou our lips;
People. And our mouth shall show forth thy praise.
Minister. O God, make speed to save us;
People. O Lord, make haste to help us.
People. And our mouth shall show forth thy praise.
Minister. O God, make speed to save us;
People. O Lord, make haste to help us.
Minister: GLORY be
to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
People. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.
Minister. Praise ye the Lord;
People. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.
Minister. Praise ye the Lord;
People. The Lord’s Name be praised.
“Venite” (Psalm 95)
O
COME, let us sing unto the LORD: / let us heartily rejoice in the strength of
our salvation.
Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving, / and show ourselves glad in him with psalms.
For the LORD is a great God, / and a great King above all gods.
In his hand are all the corners of the earth: / and the strength of the hills is his also.
The sea is his, and he made it: / and his hands prepared the dry land.
Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving, / and show ourselves glad in him with psalms.
For the LORD is a great God, / and a great King above all gods.
In his hand are all the corners of the earth: / and the strength of the hills is his also.
The sea is his, and he made it: / and his hands prepared the dry land.
O COME, let us worship, and fall down, / and kneel before
the LORD our
Maker.
For he is the Lord our God; /
and we are the people of his pasture, and the sheep of his
hand.
TO-DAY, O that ye would hear his voice: / ‘Harden not your hearts as in the
Provocation, and as in the day of Temptation in the wilderness;
When your fathers tempted me, / proved me, and saw my works.
Forty years long was I grieved with that generation, and said, / “It is a people that do err in their hearts, for they have not known my ways”;
Unto whom I sware in my wrath, / that they should not enter into my rest.’
When your fathers tempted me, / proved me, and saw my works.
Forty years long was I grieved with that generation, and said, / “It is a people that do err in their hearts, for they have not known my ways”;
Unto whom I sware in my wrath, / that they should not enter into my rest.’
GLORY be to the Father, and to the Son, / and to the Holy
Ghost;
As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, / world without end. Amen.
As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, / world without end. Amen.
The Proclamation of the Word
Psalm 119:105-112
THY word is a lantern unto my
feet, / and a light unto my path.
106 I have sworn, and am steadfastly purposed, / to keep thy righteous judgements.
107 I am troubled above measure: / quicken me, O LORD, according to thy word.
108 Let the free-will offerings of my mouth please thee, O LORD, / and teach me thy judgements.
109 My life is alway in my hand; / yet do I not forget thy law.
110 The ungodly have laid a snare for me; / but yet I swerve not from thy precepts.
111 Thy testimonies have I claimed as mine heritage for ever; / and why? they are the very joy of my heart.
112 I have applied my heart to fulfil thy statutes, / alway, even unto the end.
106 I have sworn, and am steadfastly purposed, / to keep thy righteous judgements.
107 I am troubled above measure: / quicken me, O LORD, according to thy word.
108 Let the free-will offerings of my mouth please thee, O LORD, / and teach me thy judgements.
109 My life is alway in my hand; / yet do I not forget thy law.
110 The ungodly have laid a snare for me; / but yet I swerve not from thy precepts.
111 Thy testimonies have I claimed as mine heritage for ever; / and why? they are the very joy of my heart.
112 I have applied my heart to fulfil thy statutes, / alway, even unto the end.
GLORY be to the Father, and to the Son, / and to the Holy
Ghost;
As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, / world without end. Amen.
As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, / world without end. Amen.
Lesson:
Genesis
25:19-34
These
are the descendants of Isaac, Abraham's son: Abraham was the father of Isaac,
and Isaac was forty years old when he married Rebekah, daughter of Bethuel the
Aramean of Paddanaram, sister of Laban the Aramean. Isaac prayed to the Lord
for his wife, because she was barren; and the Lord granted his prayer, and his
wife Rebekah conceived. The children struggled together within her; and she
said, "If it is to be this way, why do I live?" So she went to
inquire of the Lord. And the Lord said to her, "Two nations are in your
womb, and two peoples born of you shall be divided; the one shall be stronger
than the other, the elder shall serve the younger." When her time to give
birth was at hand, there were twins in her womb. The first came out red, all his
body like a hairy mantle; so they named him Esau. Afterward his brother came
out, with his hand gripping Esau's heel; so he was named Jacob. Isaac was sixty
years old when she bore them. When the boys grew up, Esau was a skillful
hunter, a man of the field, while Jacob was a quiet man, living in tents. Isaac
loved Esau, because he was fond of game; but Rebekah loved Jacob. Once when
Jacob was cooking a stew, Esau came in from the field, and he was famished.
Esau said to Jacob, "Let me eat some of that red stuff, for I am
famished!" (Therefore he was called Edom.) Jacob said, "First sell me
your birthright." Esau said, "I am about to die; of what use is a
birthright to me?" Jacob said, "Swear to me first." So he swore
to him, and sold his birthright to Jacob. Then Jacob gave Esau bread and lentil
stew, and he ate and drank, and rose and went his way. Thus Esau despised his
birthright.
The
Word of the Lord
All: Thanks be to God
“Te Deum”
WE praise
thee, O God; we acknowledge thee to be the Lord.
All the earth doth worship thee, the Father everlasting.
To thee all Angels cry aloud, the Heavens and all the Powers therein.
To thee Cherubim and Seraphim continually do cry,
Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God of hosts;
Heaven and earth are full of the Majesty of thy glory.
The glorious company of the Apostles praise thee;
The goodly fellowship of the Prophets praise thee;
The noble army of Martyrs praise thee;
The holy Church throughout all the world doth acknowledge thee,
The Father, of an infinite Majesty;
Thine honourable, true, and only Son;
Also the Holy Ghost, the Comforter.
All the earth doth worship thee, the Father everlasting.
To thee all Angels cry aloud, the Heavens and all the Powers therein.
To thee Cherubim and Seraphim continually do cry,
Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God of hosts;
Heaven and earth are full of the Majesty of thy glory.
The glorious company of the Apostles praise thee;
The goodly fellowship of the Prophets praise thee;
The noble army of Martyrs praise thee;
The holy Church throughout all the world doth acknowledge thee,
The Father, of an infinite Majesty;
Thine honourable, true, and only Son;
Also the Holy Ghost, the Comforter.
THOU art the King of
Glory, O Christ.
Thou art the everlasting Son of the Father.
When thou tookest upon thee to deliver man, thou didst not abhor the Virgin’s womb.
When thou hadst overcome the sharpness of death, thou didst open the kingdom of heaven to all believers.
Thou sittest at the right hand of God, in the glory of the Father.
We believe that thou shalt come to be our Judge.
We therefore pray thee, help thy servants, whom thou hast redeemed with thy precious blood.
Make them to be numbered with thy Saints, in glory everlasting.
Thou art the everlasting Son of the Father.
When thou tookest upon thee to deliver man, thou didst not abhor the Virgin’s womb.
When thou hadst overcome the sharpness of death, thou didst open the kingdom of heaven to all believers.
Thou sittest at the right hand of God, in the glory of the Father.
We believe that thou shalt come to be our Judge.
We therefore pray thee, help thy servants, whom thou hast redeemed with thy precious blood.
Make them to be numbered with thy Saints, in glory everlasting.
Epistle:
Romans 8:1-11
There is
therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of
the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of
death. For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do: by
sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and to deal with sin, he
condemned sin in the flesh, so that the just requirement of the law might be
fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the
Spirit. For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things
of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the
things of the Spirit. To set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the
mind on the Spirit is life and peace. For this reason the mind that is
set on the flesh is hostile to God; it does not submit to God's law indeed it
cannot, and those who are in the flesh cannot please God. But you are not
in the flesh; you are in the Spirit, since the Spirit of God dwells in you.
Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him. But if
Christ is in you, though the body is dead because of sin, the Spirit is life
because of righteousness. If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead
dwells in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will give life to your mortal
bodies also through his Spirit that dwells in you.
The
Word of the Lord
All: Thanks be to God
“Benedictus”
BLESSED
be the Lord God of Israel; / for he hath visited and redeemed his people;
And hath raised up a mighty salvation for us, / in the house of his servant David;
As he spake by the mouth of his holy Prophets, / which have been since the world began;
That we should be saved from our enemies, / and from the hands of all that hate us;
To perform the mercy promised to our forefathers, / and to remember his holy covenant;
To perform the oath which he sware to our forefather Abraham, / that he would grant us
That we being delivered out of the hands of our enemies / might serve him without fear,
In holiness and righteousness before him, / all the days of our life.
And hath raised up a mighty salvation for us, / in the house of his servant David;
As he spake by the mouth of his holy Prophets, / which have been since the world began;
That we should be saved from our enemies, / and from the hands of all that hate us;
To perform the mercy promised to our forefathers, / and to remember his holy covenant;
To perform the oath which he sware to our forefather Abraham, / that he would grant us
That we being delivered out of the hands of our enemies / might serve him without fear,
In holiness and righteousness before him, / all the days of our life.
AND thou, child, shalt
be called the Prophet of the Highest: / for thou shalt go before the face of
the Lord to prepare his ways;
To give knowledge of salvation unto his people / for the remission of their sins;
Through the tender mercy of our God; / whereby the day-spring from on high hath visited us;
To give light to them that sit in darkness, and in the shadow of death, / and to guide our feet into the way of peace.
To give knowledge of salvation unto his people / for the remission of their sins;
Through the tender mercy of our God; / whereby the day-spring from on high hath visited us;
To give light to them that sit in darkness, and in the shadow of death, / and to guide our feet into the way of peace.
GLORY be to the Father,
and to the Son, / and to the Holy Ghost;
As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, / world without end. Amen.
As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, / world without end. Amen.
Gospel Lesson:
Matthew 13:1-9, 18-23
That same day Jesus went
out of the house and sat beside the sea. Such great crowds gathered around him
that he got into a boat and sat there, while the whole crowd stood on the
beach. And he told them many things in parables, saying: "Listen! A sower
went out to sow. And as he sowed, some seeds fell on the path, and the birds
came and ate them up. Other seeds fell on rocky ground, where they did not have
much soil, and they sprang up quickly, since they had no depth of soil. But
when the sun rose, they were scorched; and since they had no root, they
withered away. Other seeds fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked
them. Other seeds fell on good soil and brought forth grain, some a
hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. Let anyone with ears listen! Hear then
the parable of the sower. When anyone hears the word of the kingdom and does
not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what is sown in the
heart; this is what was sown on the path. As for what was sown on rocky ground,
this is the one who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy; yet
such a person has no root, but endures only for a while, and when trouble or
persecution arises on account of the word, that person immediately falls away.
As for what was sown among thorns, this is the one who hears the word, but the
cares of the world and the lure of wealth choke the word, and it yields
nothing. But as for what was sown on good soil, this is the one who hears the
word and understands it, who indeed bears fruit and yields, in one case a
hundredfold, in another sixty, and in another thirty."
The
Word of the Lord
All: Thanks be to God
Reflection
– See Commentary at the End of the Bulletin
Apostles’
Creed
I BELIEVE in God the Father Almighty, Maker of
heaven and earth:
And in Jesus Christ his only Son our Lord, Who was conceived by the Holy Ghost, Born of the Virgin Mary, Suffered under Pontius Pilate, Was crucified, dead, and buried: He descended into hell; The third day he rose again from the dead; He ascended into heaven, And sitteth on the right hand of God the Father Almighty; From thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Ghost; The holy Catholic Church; The Communion of Saints; The Forgiveness of sins; The Resurrection of the body, And the Life everlasting. Amen.
And in Jesus Christ his only Son our Lord, Who was conceived by the Holy Ghost, Born of the Virgin Mary, Suffered under Pontius Pilate, Was crucified, dead, and buried: He descended into hell; The third day he rose again from the dead; He ascended into heaven, And sitteth on the right hand of God the Father Almighty; From thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Ghost; The holy Catholic Church; The Communion of Saints; The Forgiveness of sins; The Resurrection of the body, And the Life everlasting. Amen.
Minister: The Lord be with you;
People. And with thy spirit.
Minister. Let us pray.
People. And with thy spirit.
Minister. Let us pray.
Lord, have
mercy upon us.
Christ, have mercy upon us.
Lord, have mercy upon us.
Christ, have mercy upon us.
Lord, have mercy upon us.
OUR Father who art in
heaven, Hallowed be thy Name, Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done, on earth as
it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread; And forgive us our
trespasses, As we forgive them that trespass against us; And lead us not into
temptation, But deliver us from evil. Amen.
Priest: O Lord, show thy mercy upon us;
People. And grant us thy salvation.
Priest. O Lord, save the Queen;
People. And mercifully hear us when we call upon thee.
Priest. Endue thy Ministers with righteousness;
People. And make thy chosen people joyful.
Priest. O Lord, save thy people;
People. And bless thine inheritance.
Priest. Give peace in our time, O Lord;
People. And evermore mightily defend us.
Priest. O God, make clean our hearts within us;
People. And take not thy Holy Spirit from us.
People. And grant us thy salvation.
Priest. O Lord, save the Queen;
People. And mercifully hear us when we call upon thee.
Priest. Endue thy Ministers with righteousness;
People. And make thy chosen people joyful.
Priest. O Lord, save thy people;
People. And bless thine inheritance.
Priest. Give peace in our time, O Lord;
People. And evermore mightily defend us.
Priest. O God, make clean our hearts within us;
People. And take not thy Holy Spirit from us.
Collect:
God of the earth, all creation awaits your gift of new life.
Prepare our hearts to receive your Word so that it may grow within us and yield
a hundredfold harvest; through Jesus Christ, the Sower. Amen.
Collect for Peace
O GOD, who art the author of peace and lover of concord, in
knowledge of whom standeth our eternal life, whose service is perfect freedom:
Defend us thy humble servants in all assaults of our enemies; that we, surely
trusting in thy defence, may not fear the power of any adversaries; through the
might of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Collect for Grace
O LORD our heavenly Father, Almighty and everlasting God, who
hast safely brought us to the beginning of this day: Defend us in the same with
thy mighty power; and grant that this day we fall into no sin, neither run into
any kind of danger; but that all our doings may be ordered by thy governance,
to do always that is righteous in thy sight; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Prayer for the Queen
O LORD God Almighty, who rulest the nations of the earth, we
humbly beseech thee with thy favour to behold our Sovereign Lady, Queen
ELIZABETH, that in all things she may be led by thy guidance and protected by
thy power. We pray thee also to bless and all the Royal Family. Endue with
wisdom the Governor-General of this Dominion, the Lieutanant-Governors of the
Provinces, the Legislators of the Commonwealth and Empire, and all who are set
in authority; that all things may be so ordered and settled by their endeavours
upon the best and surest foundations, that peace and happiness, truth and
justice, religion and piety, may be established among us for all generations;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Prayer for the Clergy and People
ALMIGHTY and everlasting God, from whom cometh every good and
perfect gift: Send down upon Ronald our Archbishop, all Clergy, and all
Congregations committed to their charge, and especially this Parish of St.
Stephen, Chester (with this community of St. George’s/All Saints) the
healthful Spirit of thy grace; and that they may truly please thee, pour upon
them the continual dew of thy blessing. Grant this, O Lord, for the honour of
our Advocate and Mediator, Jesus Christ. Amen.
A Prayer for All Conditions
O GOD, the Creator and Preserver of all, we humbly beseech
thee for all sorts and conditions of humanity; that thou wouldest be pleased to
make thy ways known unto them, thy saving health unto all nations. More
especially we pray for the good estate of the Catholic Church; that it may be
so guided and governed by thy good Spirit, that all who profess and call
themselves Christians may be led into the way of truth, and hold the faith in
unity of spirit, in the bond of peace, and in righteousness of life. Finally we
commend to thy fatherly goodness all those, who are any ways afflicted or
distressed in mind, body, or estate; [*name here any who are in your heart and on your
mind who stand in need of God’s help] that it may please thee to comfort and relieve them,
according to their several necessities, giving them patience under their
sufferings, and a happy issue out of all their afflictions. And this we beg for
Jesus Christ his sake. Amen.
The General Thanksgiving
ALMIGHTY God, Father of all mercies, We thine unworthy
servants do give thee most humble and hearty thanks For all thy goodness and
loving-kindness To us and to all people; [*Name here any particular thanks
you have to offer to the Lord.] We bless thee for our creation,
preservation, and all the blessings of this life; But above all for thine
inestimable love In the redemption of the world by our Lord Jesus Christ; For
the means of grace, And for the hope of glory. And we beseech thee, give us
that due sense of all thy mercies, That our hearts may be unfeignedly thankful,
And that we show forth thy praise, Not only with our lips, but in our lives; By
giving up ourselves to thy service, And by walking before thee in holiness and
righteousness all our days; Through Jesus Christ our Lord, To whom, with thee
and the Holy Ghost, be all honour and glory, world without end. Amen.
A Prayer of St. Chrysostom
ALMIGHTY God, who hast given us grace at this time with one
accord to make our common supplications unto thee; and dost promise that when
two or three are gathered together in thy Name thou wilt grant their requests:
Fulfil now, O Lord, the desires and petitions of thy servants, as may be most
expedient for them; granting us in this world knowledge of thy truth, and in
the world to come life everlasting. Amen.
The Grace
THE grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and
the fellowship of the Holy Ghost, be with us all evermore. Amen.
Announcements
The Rector continues his vacation, through
Monday, the 3rd of August (inclusive). If there is any emergency
which requires a priest, please contact the Parish Office or the Wardens
(numbers are on the cover of this bulletin), and they will put you in touch
with the clergy “on-call”.
Re-Gathering for Worship – We will begin
physically gathering once more for worship on Sunday, 9 August.
Please note that at St. Stephen’s, Chester, there will be
one service on Sunday Mornings, 10:30 a.m. It will be a “said” Service
of the Word (no Communion), and will take place in Tuck Hall, St. Stephen’s
Community Centre. Please note that seating will be limited, as we can only
have as many people in the hall as will allow for sufficient physical
distancing, up to a maximum of 50 in attendance. Also, all those who will be in
attendance MUST wear face-masks. Watch for more information in the first week
of August.
There will be a Service of the Word also at St. George’s, East
River, that day, at 9 a.m. Once more, all attendees must wear masks. If
there are more than 10 in attendance, physical distancing must be maintained.
The first gathering at All Saints’, Canaan will take place
on Sunday, 16 August, 7 p.m. with a Service of the Word. Masks and possible
physical distancing requirements will need to be applied for that celebration
as well.
Commentary
(Compiled from Commentaries by Chris Haslam – Diocese of Montreal)
1st Lesson - Genesis 25:19-34 - Abraham has taken
another wife, Keturah, who has borne him sons; they found the Arabic tribes
(vv. 2-4). He sends these sons eastward: they will not compete with Isaac (v.
6). Abraham has died (vv. 7-10). Ishmael, his son by Hagar, has twelve sons who
become the fathers of tribes between Egypt and Arabia (vv. 12- 18). Now vv.
19-20 recall Isaac’s Aramean lineage. The story implies that Rebekah was barren
for 19 years: see vv. 20 and 26. Isaac, mostly shown as a bridge between
Abraham and Jacob, prays for her to conceive (v. 21), but when the pregnancy
proves difficult, it is she who visits a shrine, seeking a divine oracle
(“inquire of the Lord”, v. 22). Contrary to Israelite custom, “the elder shall
serve the younger” (v. 23). A scholar suggests that Esau is ruddy rather than
“red” (v. 25). His abundance of body hair is important later when Isaac is
fooled into blessing Jacob rather than Esau. The Hebrew for “hairy” (se'ir)
reminds the reader of Seir, the land where Esau later lives. “Jacob” (v. 26)
probably means May God protect. Within the name is a syllable which on its own
means “heel”. The two boys are indeed “divided” (v. 23) as God has foretold:
Esau, like Ishmael, becomes nomadic while Jacob lives a settled life (“living
in tents”, v. 27).
Vv. 29-34 are a second story. Jacob may well be cooking up a stew,
i.e. stirring up trouble. When Esau returns from hunting “famished” and weary,
he wants to gulp down whatever Jacob is cooking. (“Edom”, v. 30, meaning red
one, is another name for Seir). But Jacob thinks fast, to his own advantage; he
demands Esau’s favoured status (and greater inheritance) as first-born. Esau
will give anything for a meal (v. 32). So Jacob is able to extract from him a
legal agreement (v. 33). And so we learn how Abraham’s line, the line of God’s
people, continues through Jacob and not Esau, and how Israel became a greater
power than Edom. God chooses; whom he chooses is his affair.
Romans 8:1-11 Paul has written of the inner conflict which
arises within the believer. Whether an adherent to the Law or a Christian, one
wills to follow God’s ways, but somehow one does otherwise. Something within
one causes one not to follow through from “mind” (v. 6) to action. One’s body,
one’s “flesh”, seems naturally inclined to do evil. Paul has thanked God for
rescuing us from this state: for we who are incorporated “in Christ Jesus” (v.
1) there are no dire consequences (“condemnation”) of our mistakes. Why?
Because God’s “Spirit” (v. 2), in the new way of being, has freed us from the
finality of physical death. God has overcome our inclination to sin by lovingly
“sending his own Son” (v. 3): he who suffered the effects of human sin in order
to do away with it through rising again, thus enabling us to attain oneness
with God (v. 4). There are two mindsets (vv. 5-6): one self-oriented and the
other Spirit-oriented, one leading to the finality of “death”, and one to
spiritual “life”. Self-orientation is inherently in opposition to God (v. 7).
But Christians are motivated by the Spirit (dwells”, v. 9), belong to God.
“Spirit” and “Christ” come together. Vv. 10-11 say: if Christ (or the Spirit)
is in you, though you may be a corpse because of all the wrong you have done,
you are actually very much alive – because of the Spirit. If God’s Spirit is in
you, God will resuscitate your bodies (from being corpses) through the Spirit,
in raising you to new life at the end of time.
Matthew 13:1-9,18-23 - The crowd that has come to
hear Jesus is so large that he teaches from a boat on the Sea of Galilee. He
tells several parables; the first one (vv. 3b-8) he explains in vv. 18-23, but
only partially. People were familiar with Palestinian farming; sometimes
seeding preceded ploughing. The “sower” (v. 3) and the seed are constant; where
it lands varies: in three unfruitful places (“on the path”, v. 4, among rocks,
v. 5, “among thorns”, v. 7) and in one fruitful place (v. 8). V. 9 tells us
(and the crowd) that this is a story with a deeper meaning. People naturally
thought of the sower as God and the various soils as the people of the world;
knowing the prophecy of the fate of Jeroboam’s household in 1 Kings, they
probably linked “birds” (v. 4) with evil. Perhaps here the sower is anyone who
tells the good news. Growth represents receptivity. While Jesus has invited
listening (v. 9), understanding (vv. 19, 23) is required in order to be
fruitful: reflect on Jesus’ message. Those who brush off the message are
seduced by evil (v. 19). Vv. 20-21 also speak of lack of understanding: of
superficiality, of reflecting insufficiently to withstand “persecution”.
Discipleship is demanding. Then v. 22: following Christ requires undivided
loyalty, single-mindedness. Finally v. 23: only those who adequately reflect
(thus coming to understanding), who meet the demands of the faith, and who are
truly dedicated are fruitful and bring others to Christ.
