The Seventh Sunday After Pentecost (Proper 9A), July 3, 2005

BCP: Zech. 9:9-12; Psalm 145 or 145:8-14: Rom. 7:21-8:6; Matt. 11:25-30

RCL: Gen. 24:34-38, 42-49, 58-67 or Zech. 9:9-12; Psalm 45:11-18 or 145:8-15; Rom. 7:15-25a; Matt. 11:16-19,25-30

After a series of Sundays in which hard themes have been set forth, at last there is a theme of pure comfort and love. Of course, the previous themes ("when love is a scourge" on June 5, "love implying obligation" on June 12, "the price to be paid for preaching an unwelcome message" on June 19, and "the necessity of destroying the ‘former self’ before finding one’s true self" on June 26) were also about the love of God, but each one included a hard lesson.

Today’s lesson from Zechariah exhorts its hearers to joy and promises the end of war to the ends of the earth. Even prisoners in a waterless pit shall be released, and shall receive abundant compensation for their suffering. The psalm rhapsodizes on the Lord’s kindness shown to his people in many different ways and without measure. Although the lesson from Romans begins with the frank statement of a maddening "rule" in life — that even those who are in Christ and earnestly want to please God still find themselves prisoners of the law of sin — condemnation will never come to God’s people. The law’s requirements are "fully satisfied" by the innocent Christ, who took on "the same human nature as any sinner" and was sent to be "a sacrifice for sin."

Finally, in the gospel, even though the hearers of Jesus’ words are invited to take on a yoke and carry a burden, they are assured that the yoke is easy and the burden is light. Somehow it all feels as if there ought to be a "catch" somewhere. It all sounds so easy. In fact, Jesus even implies that in the first part of the gospel; "these things" that are hidden from the learned and clever but revealed to "little children" are the mysteries of salvation, which those who "refused to repent" (see Matt. 11:20) had failed to discern. What even "little children" could understand, the learned and clever missed. It was too easy. The "catch" is that there is no "catch." The mysteries of salvation are ultimately revealed to those to whom the Son chooses to reveal them.

As the themes in the previous weeks have shown, being loved by God certainly has its demands, but today shows that at its very foundation, once we clear away misconceptions, unclarities, and suspicions, it is the easiest thing in the world — the thing for which we were made.

Look It Up

What theme in today’s psalm is unique among the four lessons? It is especially well expressed in verses 10-13.

Think About It

Contrast how adults — perhaps even oneself — receive a gift with how children receive gifts. Is there something that adults can learn from children about receiving gifts? What is it that we have lost or forgotten by growing up?

Next Sunday

The Eighth Sunday After Pentecost (Proper 10A), July 10, 2005

BCP: Isaiah 55:1-5,10-13; Psalm 65 or 65:9-14; Rom. 8:9-17; Matt. 13:1-9,18-23

RCL: Gen. 25:19-34 or Isaiah 55:10-13; Psalm 119:105-112 or Psalm 65 (1-8), 9-14; Rom. 8:1-11; Matt. 13:1-9, 18-23