Sunday Bible readings for September 5th, 2021

It was just me my youngest daughter at Binacrombi last weekend so there was no boxing bonanza. Even so, Fran and I celebrated the Sunday Eucharist together and she listened to the Bible discussion very patiently, even if she didn't feel confident to add a lot to my monologue.

The first reading was a smattering of verses from the twenty-second chapter of the book of Proverbs (1-2, 8-9, 22-23), indicating a change in theme in our readings from the Hebrew Bible. For the last few months we've been looking at the history of the kings of Israel. Now we transition to the Wisdom literature, much of which was supposed to have been written during the peaceful reign of King Solomon.

There is nothing especially Hebraic about most of the insights we see in the book of Proverbs. Indeed, whole verses from this chapter can also be found in the Egyptian "Instruction of Amenemope". Some scholars think that the Hebrews were plagiarising the Egyptians, and others suggest it was the other way round. Either way, it seems that both the Israelites and the Egyptians realised that all truth is God's truth, and that no country or culture had a monopoly on wisdom!

Our second reading is from the book of James (chapter 2, verses 1 to 17) which is the closest we get to Wisdom literature in the New Testament. Notably, the connection between God and the poor is recognised in both instances. The scenario depicted by James, where a rich member of the church community saying to the poorer members, "sit at my feet" (verse 3) seems outrageous, but has anything really changed?

The Gospel reading from Mark 7:24-37 has been a notoriously troubling one for all modern Christians. It seems to depict Jesus treatment of the Syro-phoenician woman as being both insensitive and racist - two things we do not associate with our Lord at all!

Some people see this as a 'growth moment' for Jesus Himself. I don't feel comfortable taking that track, but I do think that the Gospel writer, Mark, sees a growth moment for the church in this story.

Dave
www.fatherdave.org
www.fighting-fathers.com