Readings for Sunday, November 4, 2007

Reading 1, Wisdom 11:22-12:2   In the earlier works of the Old Testament, God is presented as being vengeful, easily upset by sins, and reacting with a desire to destroy the offenders. Little wonder. That’s how people tend to react, and it would take centuries for people to understand that God is different from ourselves…a God of love, understanding and forgiveness. The book of Wisdom was written about 100 years before the birth of Christ, by which time Jewish understandings of God had changed dramatically.

Reading II, 2 Thessalonians 1:11-2:2   Due to a public agitation against him led by influential Jews of the city, Paul had to leave Thessalonica before building a strong foundation for the fledgling community. He sent Timothy to complete that work and sustain them in a time of persecution. Perhaps due to the persecution, there was a great deal of speculation within the Thessalonian community regarding the dating of Jesus’ imminent return. Some people were claiming a word of knowledge from God on the topic. Apparently someone had even written a letter to the effect in Paul’s name. You can imagine the correspondence not included in the Bible…a letter from the Thessalonians asking Paul if the letter really was from him.

Luke 19:1-10  Predating the pyramids of Egypt by over 4,000 years, the city of Jericho is one of the oldest as well as the lowest city in the world, nearly 900 feet below sea level in the great rift of the Jordan Valley. Seven miles from the river and surrounded by desert, Jericho is an oasis watered by natural springs of which the main one, known today as Ein al-Sultan, has a fairly constant output of 180,000 gallons an hour used for drinking and irrigation. Chief tax collectors like Zacchaeus contracted with the Roman government, bidding for a given region. They then figured out how much they had to collect to cover their bid, hire a staff, grease the palm of some public officials, and guarantee a good return on investment for themselves. Zacchaeus was a shrewd businessman and had become one of the wealthiest men in the Jericho area. Nevertheless, his wealth wasn’t bringing him happiness. He had heard about Jesus (news about Jesus passed through Jericho every day). Was it only curiosity that motivated Zacchaeus to climb that tree? Did he consciously hope Jesus could help him find some more fulfilling pathway for his life?