Fifth Tuesday after Pentecost
St. Alban--Color: Red
Lectionary Texts:
1 Samuel 25
Mark 5:21-43
For Wednesday:
1 Samuel 26
2 Corinthians 8
The 1 Samuel 25 reading tends to be preached differently now from the way it was 50 years ago. 50 years ago Abigail, described in the text as "clever," was seen as making a calculating risk. Knowing that David's army would defeat her husband Nabal's forces, and that she might likely be killed, she bets on David. She takes gifts of food, and kneels before David in submission, seducing him to marry her. Nowadays preachers see Abigail as desperately trying to escape an abusive husband--not fearing that David's troops would kill her but that her own husband would. How would you interpret Abigail?
St. Alban was the first British martyr, dying in 305 A.D., after having established a church in England. Today there is a St. Alban's Institute, which publishes literature and has retreats on preaching.
Thanks to Chris for sending me a great picture he took of the Nike of Samothrace. Thanks to Glen for a mass of suggestions for future blogs.
Today we return to our Acts Bible Study. Please read Acts 21:27-36.
Paul's reasons for going to Jerusalem are not entirely clear. Although Luke does not mention the collection (Wednesday's Lectionary Epistle reading), that would seem to be a motivation. In Acts Paul wants to go to the Temple to undergo purification rites. This should prove to doubters that is a pure Jew, even though he believes in Christ.
All of his carefully planned efforts backfire. Ephesian Jews have either followed him or sent word to Ephesian Jews in Jerusalem that Paul needs to go. "Away with him," shouts the crowd. They foment a false charge against Paul that he has brought a gentile into the inner courts of the Temple. This was not allowed.
This time period (late 50's and early 60's AD) was a time of high Jewish sensitivity to anything having to do with the Temple. Construction on this newly remodeled "Herodian" Temple, which began in 19 BC would be completed five years after Paul's arrest here in 57. Temple mob scenes over the slightest breach in Temple protocol had resulted several times in the recent years, as is attested by Josephus.
Beyond the immediate Temple precincts the Romans on the opposite corner of the Temple Mount had the Antiona Fortress, with over 400 Roman troops ready to quell any disturbance. That's what they did here. The Roman authorities, in this case the Tribune, likely had Temple informants who were constant sources of information.
The Temple Mount is often a hot spot throughout the last 3,000 years, as it is today. In Paul's time it was the Jews on top and the Romans on the north side. In our day it's the Muslim Palestinian Arabs on top and the Israel Jews down and to the west at the Western Wall (a.k.a. Wailing Wall) of the Temple, a literal stone's throw from each other.
In v. 31 Luke says that the Temple mob was trying to kill Paul just outside the Temple, when the Roman soldiers intervened. Paul had undergone a severe beating by this time, though he was still quite conscious and able to speak. The Romans put him in chains and led him off.
Paul would never be a free man again. He would be either imprisoned, in transport from one prison to another, or under house arrest for the rest of Acts and for the rest of his life. The Tribune does give Paul a chance to speak briefly to the mob. That will be the subject of our next study.
O Lord our God,
Your gift of courage to the Apostle Paul is in good measure the reason we have our Christian faith today. For Paul's life of faith, for his courage, for his writings, we give you thanks. Grant us some small measure of that courage to speak up for our faith in a world that is becoming more faithless. In the name of the Christ, whom we believe in. Amen.
Faithfully
Christian
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