Lectionary Readings for February 17th

Psalm 121 This is a Psalm of Ascents, I suspect that this title indicates that they were performed as people went up(ascended) Mt. Zion to the temple. The temple singers(and the people?) may have first performed them at the dedication of the temple and probably repeated them at major festivals. A Song of Ascents. 1 I will lift up my eyes to the mountains; from where will my rescuei come? 2 My rescue comes from Adonai, Maker of Heaven and Earth. 3 He will not let your foot to shake; Your Guard will not slumber. 4 Behold, Israel’s Guard will not slumber or sleep. 5 Adonai is your Guard; Adonai is your shade on your right hand. 6 The Sun will not strike you down in the daytime, nor the Moon by night.ii 7 Adonai will guard you from all evil; He will guard your life. 8 Adonai will guard your exit and entrance now and forever.iii	Genesis 12 1 Now Adonai said to Abram, "Go from your country, and your relatives and your father's household, to the land which I will show you; 2 Then I will make you into a large nation, and I will bless you, and make your name great; and you shall become a blessing; 3 And I will bless those who bless you, And I will curse the one who curses you And all the families of the earth will be blessed through you." 4 So, Abram left --as the LORD had told him-- and Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he left Haran.iv
John 3 This is a big text with big problems. Jesus is speaking almost entirely in words with double meanings. By the end of the conversation, Nicodemus is probably hearing Jesus say that the Kingdom consists of randomly chosen people, the author of the gospel, however, probably meant for us to hear that position and pious action are not factors in the people the Spirit chooses, though we are meant to hear baptism and The Spirit. 1 Now there was a certain Pharisee, named Nicodemus, a leader of the Jews; 2 he came to Jesus at night and said to him, "Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher from God; for no one can do these miraclesv that you do unless God is with him." 3 Jesus answered and said to him, "I am about to give you a reliable word to live by vi unless a person is born againvii he cannot see the kingdom of God." 4 Nicodemus said to Him, "How can a man be born when he is old? Can he go back into his mother's womb and be born?" 5 Jesus answered, " I am about to give you a reliable word to live by,viii I say to you, ‘unless someone is born of water and the Spirit he cannot enter into the Kingdom of God’. 6 ‘That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.’ix 7 Do not be amazed that I said to you, 'You must be born again.' 8 ‘The wind blows where it wants to and you hear its voice, but do not know where it comes from and where it is going; so is everyone who is born of the Spirit.x’ 9 Nicodemus said to Him, "How is this possible?" 10 Jesus answered and said to him, "You are The Teacherxiof Israel and do not understand these things? 11 Pay attention,xiiwe speak of what we know and testify of what we have seen, and you do not accept our testimony. 12 If I told you earthly things and you do not believe, how will you believe if I tell you heavenly things? 13 ‘No one has gone up into heaven, but he who Descended from Heaven: the Son of Man.’ 14 ‘Just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up;’xiii 15 so that whoever believes will in him have eternal life. 16 ‘For God loved the world in this way, he gave His unique Son, so that whoever believes in him shall not be destroyed, but have eternal life.’ 17 Since God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved by him.”	Romans 4 It is quite likely that Paul had to write this to people who believed that God would only save the most “godly.” 1 What then will we say that Abraham, our ancestor according to the flesh, has found? 2 Because, if Abraham was declared innocentxiv because of things he did, he has something to be proud of, but not before God. 3 For what does the Scripture say? "Abraham believed God and it was recorded for him as righteousness." 4 Now, the one who works does not receive payment as a favor, xv but as an obligation. 5 But to the one who does not work, but believes in the one who justifies the ungodly, his faith is marked down as righteousness
	John 15 Jesus is saying that his sacrifice is for those who love each other in the same way that made him give his life. If you are not willing to sacrifice your life, the sacrifice of his life is not for you. 12 "This is my command: ‘you must love one another, just like loved you.’ 13 No one has greater love than this, love that requires one to lay down his life for his friends. 14 You are my friends if you do what I command you. 15 I do not call you servants anymore, for the servant does not know what his Master is doing; but I have called you friends, for I have let you know all the things that I have heard from my Father. 16 You did not choose me but I chose you, and appointed you to go and bear fruit, and that your fruit would last, so that whatever you ask of the Father in my name he may give to you. 17 I command this: you must love one another.

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iThe normal gloss is “helper,” in context the one performing the action is a defender, so I believe rescue is a better rendering.

ii Probably referring to the Sun and Moon as supernatural beings that God opposes on Israel’s behalf.

iii Probably a reference to protection for those entering to worship him.

ivHaran had very powerful cults devoted to idolatry, it is remarkable that Abraham found an alternative.

vMiracles or “signs” are miraculous performances that signal something supernatural is at work.

vi“Truly, truly, I say to you. . .”

viiThere is a double meaning here, “born again,” also means, “born from above.” I think that Nicodemus believes that context excludes “born from above,” at this point, since it seems too selective, but by the end he may have a different understanding, since Jesus seems to say that few people will make it and those will be chosen at random.

viii See note 6.

ix It looks like Jesus was still playing on the “born from above” double meaning to say that people have a dual nature, “water” (indicating human birth), and “spirit” (indicating a supernatural birth). The disciples likely only understood the meaning that we read in this text, baptism and receiving the spirit, long after Jesus said it.

x “wind” is the same word as “spirit.” Jesus is saying that Nicodemus is asking the wrong questions, the Spirit does not choose people by merit (it does not respect people based on position or special acts of devotion, it cannot be manipulated, but makes its own choices)

xi Nicodemus called Jesus “a teacher,” Jesus is playing on that description and using a more respectful title, “the teacher,” and playing on Nicodemus higher position, to illustrate one of the possible reasons the Spirit makes its own choices.

xii See note 6

xiii A reference to the cross.

xiv “Rightoeusness” and “justice” have a legal connotations of being found not guilty or being aquitted.

[xv] Or a “Grace”