Commentary on Lectionary for October 3, 2010

19th Sunday after Pentecost

Habakkuk 1:1-4; 2:1-4; Psalm 37:1-9; 2 Timothy 1:1-14; Luke 17:5-10

Both Habakkuk and the Psalmist are asking the same question about their life situations: What’s going on here? Why are we being so oppressed? Why are those oppressing us seeming to PROSPER? Aren’t WE the chosen ones, the beloved of the all-powerful God?

Habakkuk complains to God about this and asks for an answer. God’s answer is: Wait for the vision. You need to have a vision. And in chapter 3, the vision seems to be that God will arrive like a house of fire and level everything in a grand display of retributive justice.

The Psalmist, however, keeps saying: “Be not vexed!” “Do not fret.” Wait for the Lord. In verse 10, the Psalmist assures us that the wicked will “be no more.” Again and again the just, the meek, are assured that they will win, and their winning will translate into possession of the land.

Does the Old Testament vision change in the New Testament? In Luke 17, Jesus acknowledges the evil that even is directed at children and causes them to ‘stumble.’ He hates it. But right after his saying about millstones tied around the necks of those who corrupt little ones, another saying calls for forgiveness. And then he moves on to talk about faith. His vision is of his disciples having faith, even as small as a mustard seed. The vision is that all of the evil in the world cannot cause you to lose faith and once possessed of this gift, you have the power to change things, even impossible things, as difficult to move as trees (Luke) or mountains (Mark). In another place, Jesus makes it clear that 'winning' over evil will not be a matter of acreage, but of transformation.

The Pauline author’s last words to Timothy in his second letter are similar: stay close to God and cowardice won’t get control of you in the face of wickedness. You will be transformed.

Maybe it’s a mistake to attempt to tie these four readings together. But the creators of the lectionary did it in presenting them to us on this Sunday. I mean, we could also ask: is the Old Testament connected with the New Testament? Are the sacraments connected with the commandments? Are the letters connected to the Gospels? --In many ways, yes. Do our attempts to live as people of faith run in separate channels?

No. More and more spiritual leaders are fighting dualistic thinking and trying to get back to that single vision, that unity which is epitomized in Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.