Proper 24
October 20, 2019
No use beating a dead horse
Often the word flogging is used instead of beating. This belies the origin in the 1800s where such a word was in greater use. It is thought to have arisen from the term "dead horse" which referred to work sold in advance, usually to pay a debt. That is to make a promise to pay off a debt. You should not flog someone who owed you labor, lest you rendered them unable to work. Commonly, of course, the proverb counsels against continuing to argue when an argument has been exhausted. Common use appears to apply whether the exhaustion is due to winning, losing or reaching a stalemate.
Luke 18:3-5
In that city there was a widow who kept coming to him and saying,
"Grant me justice against my opponent.'
For a while he refused; but later he said to himself,
"Though I have no fear of God and no respect for anyone,
yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will grant her justice,
so that she may not wear me out by continually coming.
This is another example of Jesus' use of exaggeration. In explaining that God is just and attentive, Jesus describes an unjust judge who simply gives in to persistence. The message is we do not have to be THAT persistent with God. However, there are other passages that point to the value of persistent prayer. (Eg. Psalm 88:1, Psalm 116:2, Acts 1:14 and 1 Thessalonians 5:17) In contrast, we are also told "ask and it will be given." (Matthew 7:7) When it comes to prayer, sometimes it is ok to "beat a dead horse" and sometimes it isn't.
Proper 25
October 27, 2019
There but for the grace of God go I
This phrase is often attributed to Pastor John Bradford who is reported to have called it out at an execution, as a challenge to all others watching in judgment. Ironically, Bradford himself was eventually hung to death. The popularity of this phrase within the Twelve Step movement extends well into popular culture. While used slightly differently in varying circumstances, it usually suggests that it is only a pretension to consider ourselves different from those who do terrible things or find themselves in dire circumstances for whatever reasons. I heard these words frequently in the jail setting. Often someone was acknowledging a friend or acquaintance who had died while following the same lifestyle as their own. I always struck by how,as they spoke about somebody else, I could be saying it about my relation to them. It is like a long chain with each person saying it about the person that they can see below them.
Luke 18:9-14
He also told this parable to some who trusted in themselves
that they were righteous and regarded others with contempt:
“Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector.
The Pharisee, standing by himself, was praying thus,
‘God, I thank you that I am not like other people:
thieves, rogues, adulterers, or even like this tax collector.
I fast twice a week; I give a tenth of all my income.’
But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even look up to heaven,
but was beating his breast and saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, a sinner!’
I tell you, this man went down to his home justified rather than the other;
for all who exalt themselves will be humbled,
but all who humble themselves will be exalted.”
I have quoted the entire pericope so as to let it speak for itself. Does the tax collector look at the Pharisee and say “There but by the grace of God, go I?” Or is the Pharisee looking at the tax collector and saying the same words? Maybe they both are.
Proper 26
November 3, 2019
Bigger is better
Perhaps this notion is as old as a fight between two cave people, where the one with the bigger stick wins. The thought appears in many forms, such as the comment, “Size matters” which usually refers to male genitals. Sadly, size does seem to matter in our world. One study, published by the Journal of Applied Psychology estimates that, on average, a person who is six feet tall will make$166,000 more than a person who is 5'5" over the course of a 30-year career. Another study showed that given two applicants of perfectly matched qualifications, the taller person will get the job more than 70% of the time. But perhaps even more alarming is that 90% of American CEOs are above average height. Pity the diminutive! Heightism rules the day!
Luke 19:3
He was trying to see who Jesus was,
but on account of the crowd he could not,
because he was short in stature.
The New International Version renders this verse, part of the story of Zacchaeus, the repentant tax collector, so that it is clear that Zacchaeus has trouble seeing Jesus through the crowd because it is Zacchaeus, not Jesus,who is short. However, several versions (Good News, New Revised Standard, King James, American Standard English, English Standard and others) do not make it clear whether the words “he was short” refers to Zacchaeus or to Jesus. A direct line of sight is compromised with either Jesus or Zacchaeus being short. The original Greek is unclear as well. While it is reasonable to believe that Zacchaeus was the short one, there is nothing to confirm that. What is interesting is the strength of opposition to the idea that Jesus could be short. It is as if it were impossible that Jesus could be anything but six foot tall or taller. This usually leads me to quote Isaiah 52: 14-15 “But he didn't begin that way. At first everyone was appalled. He didn't even look human – a ruined face, disfigured past recognition. Nations all over the world will be in awe, taken aback, kings shocked into silence when they see him.” If these words are messianic prophecy then Jesus was not only short, but ugly too. Given Jesus’ constant compassion for the overlooked and forgotten, whether he himself was tall or short, homely or handsome, it is hard to imagine he would carry the same “bigger is better” bias that we do!
Proper 27
November 10, 2019
Nothing is certain except death and taxes
Ben Franklin wrote these words but earlier phrases of similar intent can be found. The meaning - certainty is rare - is obvious to some. However it would be ridiculous to others who would be quicker to quote a phrase like “it is as plain as the nose on your face.” Franklin was writing to a friend, excited about the stability he hoped the newly signed United States Constitution would bring. What makes the words even more profound is that they are found in a letter from one scientist (Franklin) to another, Jean-Baptiste LeRoy (of France). These are not abstract philosophers talking about the absence of certainty. They were both working physical scientists in a context of a long and fruitful correspondence.
Job 19:25
For I know that my Redeemer lives, and that at the last he will stand upon the earth;
Certainty and Faith are a combination that can cause a lot of trouble. It is such thinking that leaves us with history like the Crusades and other mass persecutions in the Name of God. Even this verse in Job implies that it is one man's opinion speaking from his own experience. Northrop Frye, Canadian scholar and writer of The Great Code, speaks of the complex relationship of faith and doubt in succinct terms: “Job is vindicated partly because he does protest, and consequently, that doubt is not the enemy of faith. Doubt is the dialectical opposite of faith, and it is an essential part of faith. A faith that never doubts is not worth having. It's in the dialectic of faith and doubt that the reality of faith emerges. The enemy of faith is not doubt, but rather the sheer insensitivity of mind that doesn't see what all the fuss is about.”
Proper 28
November 17, 2019
When the going gets tough, the tough get going
Generally, it means that certain people, defined as "tough," are the ones who rise to the occasion and perform better when circumstances are difficult. Sports coaches often call such people "gamers." Gonzo journalist, Hunter S. Thompson, is known for having said "When the going gets weird, the weird turn pro." He used the phrase in a 1974 Rolling Stone article in which he was describing his "closeness" to infamous Watergate conspirator John Mitchell. The most obvious reading is that while Mitchell was a "pro" at being a crook, Thompson was equally "pro" at being weird.
1 Thessalonians 3:13
Brothers and sisters, do not be weary in doing what is right.
While there is certainly Biblical ascent to the notion that we need to and can "rise to the occasion" when it happens, the idea that it’s done by summoning our private toughness is a much harder sell. In fact the counter idea - that we surrender our toughness and admit our inadequacies and claim "when we are weak we are strong" is presented in 2 Corinthians 12:10. Again, we touch here on one of the great paradoxes of scripture: we don't catch God; God catches us. We don't catch the Spirit; the Spirit catches us. We don't catch Christ; Christ catches us.
Reign of Christ
November 28, 2019
Forgive and forget
This common phrase is associated with a whole host of people. In a 2014 song by The Kooks,someone tells a former partner that he has moved on and he asks her to do the same; he both forgives herand forgets her.The same words are more often used in the opposite way, to say my forgiveness is so complete, I have no memory of the wrong. So, there is a true “clean slate.” Such use can be found in Shakespeare's King Lear Act 4 Scene vii and other literary classics. And physician Norman Cousins is quoted as saying: “I have learned that life is an adventure in forgiveness. Nothing clutters the soul more than remorse, resentment, recrimination.”
Luke 23:34
Then Jesus said, “Father, forgive them;
for they do not know what they are doing.”
And they cast lots to divide his clothing.
These words of Jesus are echoed whenever we say, “Don't take it personally.” In Luke 23:34, Jesus could be talking about everyone who had conspired and allowed him to be crucified. He knows the people are ignorant and in need of forgiveness. He does not consider the people putting him to an unjust death as being evil, in need of retribution. If Jesus is willing to forgive while facing a violent, mean spirited, corrupt and unjust execution, then where do we justify acting on righteous anger or instinct for self protection? Lest I be unclear, I will answer that question: We don’t!
Year A of the Revised Common Lectionary (Click on the season you wish to see)
Advent
Christmas and Epiphany
Transfiguration and Lent
Easter
Pentecost to Proper Sixteen
Proper Seventeen to The Reign of Christ
Year B of the Revised Common Lectionary (Click on the season you wish to see)
Advent
Christmas and Epiphany
Transfiguration and Lent
Easter
Trinity Sunday to Proper Sixteen
Proper Seventeen to The Reign of Christ
Year C of the Revised Common Lectionary (Click on the season you wish to see)
Advent
Christmas and Epiphany
Transfiguration and Lent
Easter
Pentecost to Proper Sixteen
Proper Seventeen to Reign of Christ
For more on Glenn Morison and his book that led to this page, check out The Things We Say.
All this material is copyleft. Feel free to use it however you see fit, with or without attribution.
If you wish to value this page, please make a donation to the Winnipeg Quaker Meeting.
October 20, 2019
No use beating a dead horse
Often the word flogging is used instead of beating. This belies the origin in the 1800s where such a word was in greater use. It is thought to have arisen from the term "dead horse" which referred to work sold in advance, usually to pay a debt. That is to make a promise to pay off a debt. You should not flog someone who owed you labor, lest you rendered them unable to work. Commonly, of course, the proverb counsels against continuing to argue when an argument has been exhausted. Common use appears to apply whether the exhaustion is due to winning, losing or reaching a stalemate.
Luke 18:3-5
In that city there was a widow who kept coming to him and saying,
"Grant me justice against my opponent.'
For a while he refused; but later he said to himself,
"Though I have no fear of God and no respect for anyone,
yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will grant her justice,
so that she may not wear me out by continually coming.
This is another example of Jesus' use of exaggeration. In explaining that God is just and attentive, Jesus describes an unjust judge who simply gives in to persistence. The message is we do not have to be THAT persistent with God. However, there are other passages that point to the value of persistent prayer. (Eg. Psalm 88:1, Psalm 116:2, Acts 1:14 and 1 Thessalonians 5:17) In contrast, we are also told "ask and it will be given." (Matthew 7:7) When it comes to prayer, sometimes it is ok to "beat a dead horse" and sometimes it isn't.
Proper 25
October 27, 2019
There but for the grace of God go I
This phrase is often attributed to Pastor John Bradford who is reported to have called it out at an execution, as a challenge to all others watching in judgment. Ironically, Bradford himself was eventually hung to death. The popularity of this phrase within the Twelve Step movement extends well into popular culture. While used slightly differently in varying circumstances, it usually suggests that it is only a pretension to consider ourselves different from those who do terrible things or find themselves in dire circumstances for whatever reasons. I heard these words frequently in the jail setting. Often someone was acknowledging a friend or acquaintance who had died while following the same lifestyle as their own. I always struck by how,as they spoke about somebody else, I could be saying it about my relation to them. It is like a long chain with each person saying it about the person that they can see below them.
Luke 18:9-14
He also told this parable to some who trusted in themselves
that they were righteous and regarded others with contempt:
“Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector.
The Pharisee, standing by himself, was praying thus,
‘God, I thank you that I am not like other people:
thieves, rogues, adulterers, or even like this tax collector.
I fast twice a week; I give a tenth of all my income.’
But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even look up to heaven,
but was beating his breast and saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, a sinner!’
I tell you, this man went down to his home justified rather than the other;
for all who exalt themselves will be humbled,
but all who humble themselves will be exalted.”
I have quoted the entire pericope so as to let it speak for itself. Does the tax collector look at the Pharisee and say “There but by the grace of God, go I?” Or is the Pharisee looking at the tax collector and saying the same words? Maybe they both are.
Proper 26
November 3, 2019
Bigger is better
Perhaps this notion is as old as a fight between two cave people, where the one with the bigger stick wins. The thought appears in many forms, such as the comment, “Size matters” which usually refers to male genitals. Sadly, size does seem to matter in our world. One study, published by the Journal of Applied Psychology estimates that, on average, a person who is six feet tall will make$166,000 more than a person who is 5'5" over the course of a 30-year career. Another study showed that given two applicants of perfectly matched qualifications, the taller person will get the job more than 70% of the time. But perhaps even more alarming is that 90% of American CEOs are above average height. Pity the diminutive! Heightism rules the day!
Luke 19:3
He was trying to see who Jesus was,
but on account of the crowd he could not,
because he was short in stature.
The New International Version renders this verse, part of the story of Zacchaeus, the repentant tax collector, so that it is clear that Zacchaeus has trouble seeing Jesus through the crowd because it is Zacchaeus, not Jesus,who is short. However, several versions (Good News, New Revised Standard, King James, American Standard English, English Standard and others) do not make it clear whether the words “he was short” refers to Zacchaeus or to Jesus. A direct line of sight is compromised with either Jesus or Zacchaeus being short. The original Greek is unclear as well. While it is reasonable to believe that Zacchaeus was the short one, there is nothing to confirm that. What is interesting is the strength of opposition to the idea that Jesus could be short. It is as if it were impossible that Jesus could be anything but six foot tall or taller. This usually leads me to quote Isaiah 52: 14-15 “But he didn't begin that way. At first everyone was appalled. He didn't even look human – a ruined face, disfigured past recognition. Nations all over the world will be in awe, taken aback, kings shocked into silence when they see him.” If these words are messianic prophecy then Jesus was not only short, but ugly too. Given Jesus’ constant compassion for the overlooked and forgotten, whether he himself was tall or short, homely or handsome, it is hard to imagine he would carry the same “bigger is better” bias that we do!
Proper 27
November 10, 2019
Nothing is certain except death and taxes
Ben Franklin wrote these words but earlier phrases of similar intent can be found. The meaning - certainty is rare - is obvious to some. However it would be ridiculous to others who would be quicker to quote a phrase like “it is as plain as the nose on your face.” Franklin was writing to a friend, excited about the stability he hoped the newly signed United States Constitution would bring. What makes the words even more profound is that they are found in a letter from one scientist (Franklin) to another, Jean-Baptiste LeRoy (of France). These are not abstract philosophers talking about the absence of certainty. They were both working physical scientists in a context of a long and fruitful correspondence.
Job 19:25
For I know that my Redeemer lives, and that at the last he will stand upon the earth;
Certainty and Faith are a combination that can cause a lot of trouble. It is such thinking that leaves us with history like the Crusades and other mass persecutions in the Name of God. Even this verse in Job implies that it is one man's opinion speaking from his own experience. Northrop Frye, Canadian scholar and writer of The Great Code, speaks of the complex relationship of faith and doubt in succinct terms: “Job is vindicated partly because he does protest, and consequently, that doubt is not the enemy of faith. Doubt is the dialectical opposite of faith, and it is an essential part of faith. A faith that never doubts is not worth having. It's in the dialectic of faith and doubt that the reality of faith emerges. The enemy of faith is not doubt, but rather the sheer insensitivity of mind that doesn't see what all the fuss is about.”
Proper 28
November 17, 2019
When the going gets tough, the tough get going
Generally, it means that certain people, defined as "tough," are the ones who rise to the occasion and perform better when circumstances are difficult. Sports coaches often call such people "gamers." Gonzo journalist, Hunter S. Thompson, is known for having said "When the going gets weird, the weird turn pro." He used the phrase in a 1974 Rolling Stone article in which he was describing his "closeness" to infamous Watergate conspirator John Mitchell. The most obvious reading is that while Mitchell was a "pro" at being a crook, Thompson was equally "pro" at being weird.
1 Thessalonians 3:13
Brothers and sisters, do not be weary in doing what is right.
While there is certainly Biblical ascent to the notion that we need to and can "rise to the occasion" when it happens, the idea that it’s done by summoning our private toughness is a much harder sell. In fact the counter idea - that we surrender our toughness and admit our inadequacies and claim "when we are weak we are strong" is presented in 2 Corinthians 12:10. Again, we touch here on one of the great paradoxes of scripture: we don't catch God; God catches us. We don't catch the Spirit; the Spirit catches us. We don't catch Christ; Christ catches us.
Reign of Christ
November 28, 2019
Forgive and forget
This common phrase is associated with a whole host of people. In a 2014 song by The Kooks,someone tells a former partner that he has moved on and he asks her to do the same; he both forgives herand forgets her.The same words are more often used in the opposite way, to say my forgiveness is so complete, I have no memory of the wrong. So, there is a true “clean slate.” Such use can be found in Shakespeare's King Lear Act 4 Scene vii and other literary classics. And physician Norman Cousins is quoted as saying: “I have learned that life is an adventure in forgiveness. Nothing clutters the soul more than remorse, resentment, recrimination.”
Luke 23:34
Then Jesus said, “Father, forgive them;
for they do not know what they are doing.”
And they cast lots to divide his clothing.
These words of Jesus are echoed whenever we say, “Don't take it personally.” In Luke 23:34, Jesus could be talking about everyone who had conspired and allowed him to be crucified. He knows the people are ignorant and in need of forgiveness. He does not consider the people putting him to an unjust death as being evil, in need of retribution. If Jesus is willing to forgive while facing a violent, mean spirited, corrupt and unjust execution, then where do we justify acting on righteous anger or instinct for self protection? Lest I be unclear, I will answer that question: We don’t!
Year A of the Revised Common Lectionary (Click on the season you wish to see)
Advent
Christmas and Epiphany
Transfiguration and Lent
Easter
Pentecost to Proper Sixteen
Proper Seventeen to The Reign of Christ
Year B of the Revised Common Lectionary (Click on the season you wish to see)
Advent
Christmas and Epiphany
Transfiguration and Lent
Easter
Trinity Sunday to Proper Sixteen
Proper Seventeen to The Reign of Christ
Year C of the Revised Common Lectionary (Click on the season you wish to see)
Advent
Christmas and Epiphany
Transfiguration and Lent
Easter
Pentecost to Proper Sixteen
Proper Seventeen to Reign of Christ
For more on Glenn Morison and his book that led to this page, check out The Things We Say.
All this material is copyleft. Feel free to use it however you see fit, with or without attribution.
If you wish to value this page, please make a donation to the Winnipeg Quaker Meeting.