Daily Lectionary | Exodus 20 & Matthew 20:17-34

Exodus 20

Summary

The Lord is making a covenant with his people whom he has brought out of the house of slavery. A covenant is like a marriage. There is ceremony, recitation of vows, and symbols. Israel is Yaweh’s bride. The marriage ceremony goes from chapter 19 through chapter 24. Moses is the officiant of this ceremony. 

It’s in this context that we have the Ten Commandments, the basic obligations Israel will have as Yaweh’s bride. The Ten Commandments begin with a reminder of God’s rescue of the the bride: “I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery.” The Lord is the savior, the deliverer from slavery. Now having been set free, the Lord gives the law of freedom. The first deals with our relationship to God. God’s people are to be exclusively wedded to him and no others. We are to worship him without images and hallow his name above all others. We are to set aside one day a week of rest before the Lord. The Sabbath is a reminder not just of creation but also redemption: the Lord rescues Israel (and us!) from the house of toil and brings them to the house of rest. But there is also a social dimension to the Sabbath. The people of God are to be rest-givers to those around them. 

The second table moves us into our relationships with one another. We are to honor our father and mother. We are to value life by not killing. We are to be sexually faithful by not committing adultery. We are to honor the property of others by not stealing. We are to be truth tellers by not bearing false witness. 

The final commandment goes beyond external obligations to matters of the heart. We are not to covet anything that belongs to someone else,  property or people, and thus be content with what we have. 

As the people experience the thundering mountain, Moses assures the people not to fear, but to know that God has come to test them so that they will have a proper fear of the Lord, “that they may not sin.” Sin is being unfaithful to our wedding vows to the Lord, breaking the Ten Words. 

Moses gives rules about altars. They are to construct an earthen altar and sacrifice burnt offerings and peace offerings. The altars are places of rememberance: “In every place where I cause my name to be remembered I will come to you and bless you.” 

Reflection

Mt. Sinai is enveloped in awesome phenomena: lighting, smoke, thunder, trumpet blasts. How does the setting for the Ten Commandments communicate their importance? Why does Moses tell the people not to fear and the says that the Lord is testing them that they should fear? 

Matthew 20:17-34

Summary

Jesus prepares his disciples for what will happen in Jerusalem, though they hardly understand. He will be crucified and raised on the third day. Suffering awaits Jesus in Jerusalem. So it’s startling when the mother of James and John asks Jesus for her sons to have a priviledged place at Jesus’ right or left hand in his kingdom. Maybe she’s thinking, “You don’t have because you don’t ask!” But Jesus responds to them that they aren’t prepared for what’s coming. They don’t know what it means to have a chief place in kingdom. Greatness in Jesus kingdom will be by putting yourself last and being a servant. This is what Jesus will do in Jerusalem. His kingdom will come through putting himself last and serving all: “even as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many” (Matthew 20:28).

Jesus and his disciples come out of Jericho, that great city that was destroyed in the conquest of Canaan (Joshua 6). Two blind men cry out to Jesus for mercy. A crowd tells them to be silent, but they cry out even louder: “Lord, have mercy on us, Son of David!” This gets Jesus attention. He has compassion on them, touches their eyes, and could then see. 

Outside of Jericho in the conquest, the army raises a loud shout and the walls came tumbling down. Outside of Jericho in the New Joshua’s conquest, the blind raise a shout and their eyes are opened. The blind now see the way of Jesus’ conquest.

These two blind men have their eyes opened, but James and John, two disciples of Jesus earlier in the chapter were blind to the path Jesus must take. They must have their eyes opened. 

Reflection

What expectations did James, John, and their mother have about his kingdom? What does it mean for us to be “great” in Jesus’ kingdom?