Joseph was a dreamer and his dream got him into a mess with his brothers (Gen 37). We can imagine how Joseph’s brothers felt when he told them about his dream. He dreamed about sheaves of wheat in a field. His sheaf rose up and stood proud and tall while their sheaves bowed humbly before him. When he was naked and cold in the deep dark cistern, Joseph probably wondered why he had shared his dream with them. Genesis reminds us that things have gone badly for the human family. Murder and mayhem erupted. Cain killed Abel. Here we have another story of sibling rivalry. Reuben and Judah have consciences and try to talk their brothers out of killing Joseph outright. It is a story about forgiveness. Joseph does indeed rise up. He will to power in Egypt. Forgiveness and reconciliation with the brothers who wanted to do away with him lies ahead. Continue reading →

Israel (Dt 4:1, 5-9)began with the conception that God had picked them from all the nations to be his people. I use “his” advisedly because God was a tribal patriarch who gave commandments to the people. Following God’s commandments led to life. Failure to follow God’s commandments led to death. [Much of religion in many traditions is patriarchal.] It does not seem that following commands leads to prosperity (although advocates of the prosperity gospel think it does) Nor does it seem like acting unjustly leads to death. People who feel especially chosen over other peoples will create structures to set themselves apart-circumcision, dietary restrictions, and the Sabbath in Judaism. Continue reading →

See how the faithful city
has become a harlot!
She once was full of justice;
righteousness used to dwell in her—
but now murderers!

Your silver has become dross,
your choice wine is diluted with water.

Your rulers are rebels,
companions of thieves;
they all love bribes
and chase after gifts.
They do not defend the cause of the fatherless;
the widow’s case does not come before them. (Isaiah 1:21-23)

As I read Isaiah for the second Tuesday in Lent, this part of the extended reading struck me. God is telling us that we have not been faithful. God is calling us “to come and reason.” God is calling us to do justice for the widows, the orphans, and the poor—the defenseless, resourceless non-landed people. Continue reading →

In recounting the covenant Yahweh made with Abram, the author caps the covenant off with the promise of land. Land was the source of security in their society. If you did not have land, you were poor and dependent upon others. In Jesus’ time, many of his followers had lost their land to predatory farmers who took advantage of their hard luck. Many of Jesus’ followers were without land and were sharecroppers or day laborers, not unlike the immigrant workers who gather before dawn on street corners in the hope of getting work. Continue reading →

This reading is typical of readings we must take with a grain of salt. “Today you have obtained this declaration from Yahweh: that he will be your God, but only if you follow his ways, keep his statutes, his commandments, his customs, and listen to his voice” (Dt 26:17). The author is saying that God will not be their God if they disobey God’s statutes and commandments. God does want and expect us to respond to infinite love; however, God never writes us off if we miss the mark and fall short. Continue reading →

Jon 3:1-10 The Ninevites hear Jonah’s message and repent. Their king proclaims a time of repentance. Jonah, the reluctant prophet, will resent God’s mercy toward them. Unlike Jonah, we know that our God is always merciful and compassionate. God is nonviolent, in spite of  Old Testament anthropomorphisms. He sends prophets to call us to justice and mercy. We are to be compassionate as God is compassionate. We just have to turn to God and we will be saved. We will be healed. We will be made whole. We need to break out the sackcloth and ashes and turn toward God. Continue reading →

The word of God is a two-edged sword. When god speaks and utters the word, it goes forth and brings about what God wills. God waters us with the word. God nurtures us with the word. God’s ultimate word to us is the Word made flesh. Jesus speaks to us of the mercy, justice and compassion of the Creator. The word was with God from the beginning and will bring about God’s promises and fulfill them. (Is 55: 10-11) In the beginning was the Word.  The Word, Wisdom, danced at the creation of the universe. Continue reading →

This is a teaching about gratitude. God had entered history in a powerful way and had liberated the people in a powerful way. He broke the yoke of their Egyptian captivity. God delivered the people and set them free. Gratitude is a natural response to God’s deliverance. Everything is gift. We must show gratitude to the God who gifts us with unconditional love.

Paul tells us that we must confess with our mouths and believe with our hearts that Jesus is the Christ, the one sent to deliver us from oppression. Some religious people have misunderstood this passage. They fail to realize that confessing and believing with the heart is but a prelude to discipleship. Disciples do what the Master did. As disciples of Jesus, we must be involved in our world. We must live mindfully even if it means being painfully aware of our complicity in the evil. We must live so as to set ourselves and others free. Continue reading →

The message for the Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time is clear. Trust in God and you will prosper like a tree by a bubbling stream. Then, we look around. People who place their trust in mammon or Homeland security seem to be prospering. The wealthy few consume a lion’s share of the world’s resources.

The World Bank reports that in 2005, the wealthiest 20% of the world accounted for 76.6% of total private consumption and the poorest fifth just 1.5%.  The poorest 10% accounted for just 0.5% and the wealthiest 10% accounted for 59% of all the consumption.
http://www.globalissues.org/article/26/poverty-facts-and-stats#src1 (http://www.educationforjustice.org/resources/sixth-sunday-ordinary-time-c-february-14-2010)

Time out! What is going on? Has the Bible got it wrong? Blessed are the poor; however, the rich seem to be the ones who are prospering. Continue reading →