church and state, part 1

Good evening/morning friends,
In today's reading we enter an interesting part of Paul's journey, which we've had hints of before. Rome is a background player in most of the story. At this point, Roman authority enters the story as peacekeeper between Paul and the Jewish leaders who want to kill him. Like many religious conflicts, this phase of the conflict between Paul and the Jewish leaders begins with a misunderstanding. Paul tried to smooth things over with his fellow Jews by entering fully into religious ritual. They have already seen him with a gentile Christian in Jerusalem and they assume Paul has brought him into the temple, even though he hasn't. In this section Paul does everything he can and it still doesn't work out. Then the Roman military leader steps in to keep the peace. In the pages to come we'll see this develop into an interesting story, but at this point, it's just an officer breaking up a disturbance. Once again, we see that many in the crowd are just there for excitement and don't really know what's going on.
May your weekend be peaceful and joyous,
Sam

Acts 21:27-36

27 When the seven days were almost completed, the Jews from Asia, who had seen him in the temple, stirred up the whole crowd. They seized him, ²⁸shouting, ‘Fellow-Israelites, help! This is the man who is teaching everyone everywhere against our people, our law, and this place; more than that, he has actually brought Greeks into the temple and has defiled this holy place.’ ²⁹For they had previously seen Trophimus the Ephesian with him in the city, and they supposed that Paul had brought him into the temple. ³⁰Then all the city was aroused, and the people rushed together. They seized Paul and dragged him out of the temple, and immediately the doors were shut.

³¹While they were trying to kill him, word came to the tribune of the cohort that all Jerusalem was in an uproar. ³²Immediately he took soldiers and centurions and ran down to them. When they saw the tribune and the soldiers, they stopped beating Paul. ³³Then the tribune came, arrested him, and ordered him to be bound with two chains; he inquired who he was and what he had done. ³⁴Some in the crowd shouted one thing, some another; and as he could not learn the facts because of the uproar, he ordered him to be brought into the barracks. ³⁵When Paul came to the steps, the violence of the mob was so great that he had to be carried by the soldiers. ³⁶The crowd that followed kept shouting, ‘Away with him!’

tents and meeting

Good morning friends,
Please remember to keep the Gammariello family in prayer as they continue to mourn Dominic's death and celebrate his life. The memorial service will be tomorrow morning at 10:30 with refreshments to follow. It would be great to see you there.

Today's reading gives us a snapshot of everyday life in Israel's traveling camp. Outside the camp was a tent for worship called the Tent of Meeting. It had altars and the ark of the covenant just like a mobile temple. Moses went out to speak with God there because he had a uniquely intimate relationship with God. We also get a glimpse of Joshua, Moses' assistant and successor. Even in those days of travel there were rituals and routines for keeping in touch with God. We don't need an elaborate tent, but finding regular ways to meet with God in our own lives is just as important today.

God bless,
Sam

Exodus 33:7-11

7Now Moses used to take the tent and pitch it outside the camp, far off from the camp; he called it the tent of meeting. And everyone who sought the Lord would go out to the tent of meeting, which was outside the camp. 8Whenever Moses went out to the tent, all the people would rise and stand, each of them, at the entrance of their tents and watch Moses until he had gone into the tent. 9When Moses entered the tent, the pillar of cloud would descend and stand at the entrance of the tent, and the Lord would speak with Moses. 10When all the people saw the pillar of cloud standing at the entrance of the tent, all the people would rise and bow down, all of them, at the entrance of their tent. 11Thus the Lord used to speak to Moses face to face, as one speaks to a friend. Then he would return to the camp; but his young assistant, Joshua son of Nun, would not leave the tent.

outside and inside

Good morning all,
Jesus again shows that he isn't afraid or concerned with upsetting his audience. Here the question is ritual hand washing, though Jesus expands that to include ritual washing of plates and utensils as well. We think of washing things for meals mostly as a health issue; for the Pharisees it was a religious issue. The word Pharisee actually means "separated one," because one of their main concerns was maintaining separation from non-Jews. The Pharisees didn't go as far as a few sects in Judaism at the time and withdraw from society completely, but washing after contact with non-Jews was an important part of their religious practice.

Jesus criticizes them here not for seeking to separate themselves, but for being too concerned with outward ritual and not enough with the inner life of faith. His biggest accusation is that they are "like unmarked graves that people walk over without knowing." The reason this is such a harsh thing to say is that dead bodies were ritually impure, so a grave was seen as a huge source of spiritual contamination that people would avoid. Jesus says that the Pharisees present a clean outward appearance, so they don't give people any warning, but inside they are dangerously impure. The inner life and outer life are both important and they should both point to justice and love for God. May it be so for us today.

Blessings,
Sam


Luke 11:37-44
37While he was speaking, a Pharisee invited him to dine with him; so he went in and took his place at the table. 38The Pharisee was amazed to see that he did not first wash before dinner. 39Then the Lord said to him, “Now you Pharisees clean the outside of the cup and of the dish, but inside you are full of greed and wickedness. 40You fools! Did not the one who made the outside make the inside also? 41So give for alms those things that are within; and see, everything will be clean for you. 42“But woe to you Pharisees! For you tithe mint and rue and herbs of all kinds, and neglect justice and the love of God; it is these you ought to have practiced, without neglecting the others. 43Woe to you Pharisees! For you love to have the seat of honor in the synagogues and to be greeted with respect in the marketplaces. 44Woe to you! For you are like unmarked graves, and people walk over them without realizing it.”