You can view this week’s Revised Common Lectionary texts here: http://lectionary.library.vanderbilt.edu/texts.php?id=18 (if you right-click the link you can pull them up in a separate tab or window).
Deuteronomy 30:15-20
“Deuteronomy” literally means “Second Law,” but in the Jewish tradition the book is called by the Hebrew phrase meaning “These are the words” – a phrase that begins the book and is repeated at points throughout (see 29:1). Deuteronomy is presented as a recapitulation of the Law by Moses at the point when God’s people are about to enter the promised land. Today’s OT reading is Moses’ summation after he has finished speaking to the people. I think it’s helpful to back up just a bit and start with verses 11-14. Moses tells the people that, after all, God has laid it all out for them, not hiding the ball but instead making very plain what God expects. So “the word is very near to you…in your mouth and in your heart for you to observe.” (v. 14) Now, he says, it’s in their hands: they can choose to follow the Law and they will enjoy a good, long life in the promised land; or they can ignore the Law and consequently “you shall not live long in the land…” (v. 18). Moses’ last appeal: “Choose life so that you and your descendants may live...” (v. 19).
This reading reflects a theological perspective (referred to, conveniently, as “deuteronomic theology”) that took hold after the Exile, as God’s people struggled with how and why the Exile happened. They settled on the interpretation that the Exile was the consequence of their disobedience and heedlessness of God’s law. So here’s Moses telling the people at the outset, on the edge of the promised land, that if they follow God’s law they will be blessed, and if they don’t they will be cursed. On a certain level this point of view makes some sense – it’s kind of an extension of, “If you play with fire you’ll likely get burned.” On the other hand, it can be taken too far: as the story of Job points out in another part of the OT, just because someone is suffering (or prospering) doesn’t mean it’s the result of disobedience (or faithfulness).
It’s helpful to note that, even in Deuteronomy, the “curses” aren’t the end of the story. At the beginning of chapter 30, Moses tells the people how to repair the broken relationship with God: “Even if you are exiled to the ends of the world, from there the Lord your God will gather you, and from there he will bring you back.”
1 Corinthians 3:1-9
In this week’s Epistle reading, Paul circles back around to the point that prompted his reflections on the power of weakness and the wisdom of foolishness. He says, the reason he’s stuck to the basics with these folks – the cross, say – is that loftier subjects such as spiritual gifts are only appropriate for mature, spiritual people – and they are neither. “I could not speak to you as spiritual people, but rather as people of the flesh, as infants in Christ.” (v. 1) (He doesn’t spare their feelings, does he?) And he says, as long as they’re quarreling, trying to one-up and outdo each other, they won’t ever be ready for spiritual things. Paul’s advice: look beyond the differences between the human authorities – “Paul”, “Apollos”, etc. – that are dividing them. Paul and Apollos, after all, are just laborers in the field who each played a small role their faith – Paul planting the seeds, Apollos watering – but it’s God who has really been growing their faith the whole time.
The above is a pretty deft rhetorical move on Paul’s part, as it diminishes what divides the Corinthians (differences between Paul and Apollos) and brings to the fore what unites them (God). But as anyone who has tried to get people with differing theological views to put them aside and “focus on God” knows, it’s really hard. And I think the reason it’s hard is that the ways we understand “God” may also differ in some profound ways. Maybe the trick is to remember that God is ultimately mysterious and beyond our intellectual grasp, as is our unity in God.
Matthew 5:21-37
More from the Sermon on the Mount in this week’s Gospel text: these “you have heard it said…but I say” pieces are often referred to as the “antitheses.” This reading covers the antitheses dealing with murder/anger, adultery/lust, divorce, and oaths. It’s important to remember that Jesus has set these up by saying he hasn’t come to destroy the law, but to fulfill it (vs. 17-20). So Jesus isn’t saying here “Law bad, my words good”; rather, if anything he’s telling his followers to take the law farther, to follow the requirements of the law to their logical conclusions. Rather than just “not murdering,” he says, why don’t we also avoid anger and work on reconciling with each other before things get out of hand (saves legal expenses too! (vs. 25-26)). Rather than “not committing adultery,” how about avoiding the lust that leads to adultery? Instead of “at least give a certificate of divorce,” try staying married; instead of “not swearing falsely,” avoid the whole problem by just leaving it at “yes” and “no” and then doing what we say we’re going to do. As E.P. Sanders says, this section isn’t “opposition” to the law but, if anything, a heightening and intensifying of the law. More to come next week, when we get the rest of chapter 5.
Works Consulted:
Rhonda Burnette-Bletsch, Studying the Old Testament: A Companion
E. P. Sanders, The Historical Figure of Jesus
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