Bread for the Journey, Friday and Saturday in the Nineteenth Week after Pentecost

From the Daily Lectionary for Friday/Saturday October 16-17

Ecclesiasticus 3:17 – 4:10

My child, perform your tasks with humility; then you will be loved by those whom God accepts.

The greater you are, the more you must humble yourself; so you will find favor in the sight of the Lord.

For great is the might of the Lord; but by the humble he is glorified.

Neither seek what is too difficult for you, nor investigate what is beyond your power.

Reflect upon what you have been commanded, for what is hidden is not your concern.

Do not meddle in matters that are beyond you, for more than you can understand has been shown you.

For their conceit has led many astray, and wrong opinion has impaired their judgment.

Without eyes there is no light; without knowledge there is no wisdom.

A stubborn mind will fare badly at the end, and whoever loves danger will perish in it.

A stubborn mind will be burdened by troubles, and the sinner adds sin to sins.

When calamity befalls the proud, there is no healing, for an evil plant has taken root in him.

The mind of the intelligent appreciates proverbs, and an attentive ear is the desire of the wise.

As water extinguishes a blazing fire, so almsgiving atones for sin.

Those who repay favors give thought to the future; when they fall they will find support.

My child, do not cheat the poor of their living and do not keep the needy eyes waiting.

Do not grieve the hungry or anger one in need.

Do not add to the troubles of the desperate or delay giving to the needy.

Do not reject a supplicant in distress, or turn your face away from the poor.

Do not avert your eye from the needy, and give no one reason to curse you;

for if in bitterness of soul some should curse you, their Creator will hear their prayer.

Endear yourself to the congregation; bow your head low to the great.

Give a hearing to the poor, and return their greeting politely.

Rescue the oppressed from the oppressor; and do not be hesitant in giving a verdict.

Be a father to orphans, and be like a husband to their mother;

you will then be like a son of the Most High, and he will love you more than does your mother.

I invite you to come on a journey with me today, a walk into the Apocrypha, which in Greek means “hidden.” This is an apt name for an area of the Bible into which few enter, an area typically located between the Old and New Testaments, if included in the Bible at all (You won’t find it in the King James, New International Version, or New Living Translation of the Bible.). Our reading today is from Ecclesiasticus—not to be confused with the book Ecclesiastes—the Latin title for the book also known as The Wisdom of Jesus Son of Sirach, and as Ben Sira. It was originally written in Hebrew but was not included in the Jewish canon. The Greek translation was widely used by Jews in the Diaspora, and was later included in the Christian Bible. It is one of the apocryphal books and as with all of the fifteen apocryphal books was excluded by the Protestant Reformers from their Old Testament. It is now considered canonical by the Roman Catholics, who refer to the apocryphal books as “deuterocanonical,” and also the Eastern Orthodox Churches. For the Church of England and our Episcopal Church, the Catechism in our Book of Common Prayer (p. 853) defines Holy Scripture as “…the Old and New Testaments; other books, called the Apocrypha, are often included in the Bible,” and then defines “Apocrypha” as “a collection of additional books written by people of the Old Covenant, and used in the Christian Church.” I interpret this to mean that in our catechism the apocryphal books are not “Holy Scripture” but are nonetheless useful and appropriate for instruction. The Book of Common Prayer has, since 1549, included lessons from it, today’s reading from Ecclesiasticus a case in point.

Ecclesiasticus is named after its author Ben Sira or by the Greek name Sirach, and was written during the time of Greek domination and Hellenization in the early part of the second century BCE. (Note that “Jesus Son of Sirach” in the title does not refer to Jesus of Nazareth, but rather is the Greek name for the Hebrew “Yeshua,” a common name among Jews at the time.) The book is part of the Wisdom literature of the Bible, and is similar in some ways to the Hebrew Bible books of Proverbs and Ecclesiastes and Job. This literature is typically applicable to all people, and addresses questions such as what promotes well-being and how one lives a good life. Some Wisdom literature explores deep theological questions such as why innocent people suffer and what that implies about divine justice, as in the book of Job. Wisdom (a feminine noun) is typically seen as a feminine personification associated with God in the beginning of creation. From Proverbs: “Say to wisdom, ‘you are my sister’” (Prov. 7.4) and “The Lord created me at the beginning of his work, the first of his acts of long age. Ages ago I was set up, at the first, before the beginning of the earth… and I was his delight, rejoicing before him always…. And now, my children, listen to me: happy are those who keep my ways” (Prov. 8). The author of Ecclesiasticus writes: “Wisdom was created before all other things” (1.4).

The author was a traditionalist and what we would now call “conservative” Jew who had great faith in the Temple and the Law, believed in a God of retributive justice, and had misogynistic views. Nonetheless, the book is instructional in that it deals with and offers advice for numerous issues, including patience and self-control, duties toward parents, humility, pride, charity for the poor, wealth, modesty, friendship, relations with people, trust in God, and many others. The reading today deals with humility (verses 3.17-25), pride (3.26-29) and charity for the poor (3.30-4.10). Its message rings true for us today. The author tells us that people in authority ought to be especially humble, because God is honored by the lowly: “The greater you are, the more you must humble yourself” (3.18). Humility includes modesty and humbleness of mind. Do we find this in those in authority—in our leaders or in those aspiring to lead us—today? Do we find it in ourselves? Pride leads to trouble: “The stubborn mind will fare badly…. A stubborn mind will be burdened by troubles…. When calamity befalls the proud, there is no healing” (3.26-28). Are we not witnessing this today? Our leaders’ response to the Covid-19 pandemic, specifically the refusal to follow guidelines set forth by our medical experts, comes to mind. The last section of the reading is about care for the poor, about our attitudes toward marginalized citizens, and about performing acts of kindness in a way that allows recipients to retain their dignity. Be “faithful friends” and “rescue the oppressed from the oppressor” (4.9). Jesus personified this ancient wisdom. We see it throughout the gospel. May we the Church hear and respond to these words of Wisdom.

Rev. Bob Donnell

10/17/20

Prayer (“Ancient Words,” song by Michael W. Smith)