Some notes for Week beginning 5 February 2018.
Ordinary week 5,Year 2 (lectionary vol. 2, p. 512 and following)
General First readings this week range from the promising beginning of King Solomon’s reign to the events which would lead to the division of the kingdom in the time of Solomon’s son Rehoboam. The gospels, from Mark, bring us to near the end of Jesus’ Galilean ministry, ending this week with the feeding of the 4000: the better-known feeding of the 5000 is not read in this sequence from Mark’s gospel., Feast of Sts. Cyril and Methodius, has its own proper readings.
Monday's readings (5 February; Memorial, St. Agatha):
1 Kings 8:1-7. 9-13 The reign of King Solomon is under way and the Temple has been built. This reading describes the celebrations, and says that ‘the glory of the Lord filled the Lord’s Temple’; a biblical way of saying that the presence of God in the Temple was felt by the people.
Mark 6:53-56This part of the narrative of Mark involves successive crossing back and forwad across the Sea of Galilee, not all of which are read about in the liturgy a tthis time. Each time Jesus and companions cross the Sea,there is a change of direction in the narrative, often punctuated, as in this passage, by a reception of people coming for healing: a reminder of the works that Jesus regularly performs to bring the Kingdomof God to the lives of real people.
Tuesday's readings (6 February; Memorial, Sts. Paul Miki & Companions):
1 Kings 8:22-23. 27-30The celebrations around the dedication of the Temple continue, and King Solomon prays that God, whom the heavens cannot contain, let alone the house that Solomon has built, will dwell among his people and will let his eyes watch over this House’.
Mark 7:1-13The narrative heads straight for conflict with Pharisees and scribes over the issue of the human traditions which these had adopted, and which Jesus claimed made them forget the important issues of God’s law.
Wednesday's readings (7 February):
1 Kings 10:1-10In his day, Solomon became world famous for his wisdom, and this passage recounts the visit of the Queen of Sheba, who came to Solomon with immensely rich gifts, but who also wanted to ask questions and benefit from his renowned wisdom in the ways of the Lord.
Mark 7:14-23After Jesus complained about Pharisees and scribes and their human traditions, Jesus makes clear where uncleanness comes from – within; not from dishes in use.Being ‘unclean’ meant being barred from religious observance, but it also applied to evil spirits, Jesus’ enemies since the start of his ministry. Evil, then, comes from people’s intentions, not from their hygiene: from their thoughts rather than from their diet!
Thursday's readings (8 February):
1 Kings 11:4-13Solomon’s wisdom deserted him as he grew older; his wives are blamed here for turning his heart to other gods. Perhaps Solomon began to believe his own publicity, seeing his renowned wisdom as his own doing, rather than a gift from God!
Mark 7:24-30This is the first encounter between Jesus and a pagan – the Syrophoenician woman whose daughter is possessed by an unclean spirit – that term again! The woman’s faith impresses Jesus so much that her wish is granted, and her daughter is freed from her affliction.
Friday's readings (9 February):
1 Kings 11:29-32. 12-19This passage introduces Jeroboam, who played an important part in the division of Israel following Solomon’s death. Jeroboam, was not a good person, but was still the agent of God in fulfilling the words and actions of the Prophet Ahijah.
Mark 7:31-37Jesus, having made his way to the Decapolis region of Herod Antipas’ territory now cures a man unable to hear or to speak, much to the amazement on the onlookers: Jesus does what was hoped would happen when the Day of the Lord came. Also, he does for the man what disciples need to have: the ability to hear and the ability to speak the word of God.
Saturday's readings (10 February; Memorial, St. Scholastica):
1 Kings 12:26-32; 13:33-34Jeroboam has been crowned king Israel, the new kingdom which has broken away from Judah, where Rehoboam, Solomon’s son, is still the successor of David in Jerusalem. Jeroboam realises the Temple in Jerusalem will still draw many good religious people to the old kingdom established by David – so he sets up his own temple, but this is for the worship of two golden calves. This reminds us of the golden calf story in the book of Exodus, when the Israelites made their own god from their own jewellery just as Moses was receiving from God the two stone tablets on which the Law was written.
Mark 8:1-10This is the second account of Jesus feeding a large crowd with, to say the least, very limited resources! It is very similar to the better known feeding of the five thousand, and appears only in the gospels of Mark and Matthew – unlike the other which occurs in all four gospels. The numbers are different: 4,000 are fed from seven loaves and an undisclosed number of small fish. Seven baskets are left over. The miracle takes place in Gentile territory, and the seven baskets symbolise abundance as much as the twelve did in the other account, where the twelve baskets also remind us of the twelve tribes of Israel, and of course Jesus’ twelve apostles.