Second Sunday After Trinity (10 June, 2018)

Smartest thing since sliced bread

Wisdom has built her house; she has hewn her seven pillars.  She has slaughtered her beasts; she has mixed her wine; she has also set her table.  She has sent out her young women to call from the highest places in the town, "Whoever is simple, let him turn in here!" To him who lacks sense she says, "Come, eat of my bread and drink of the wine I have mixed.  Leave your simple ways, and live, and walk in the way of insight."  Whoever corrects a scoffer gets himself abuse, and he who reproves a wicked man incurs injury.  Do not reprove a scoffer, or he will hate you; reprove a wise man, and he will love you.  Give instruction to a wise man, and he will be still wiser; teach a righteous man, and he will increase in learning.  The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight.  Proverbs 9:1-10

What man is there who desires life and loves many days, that he may see good?  Keep your tongue from evil and your lips from speaking deceit.  Turn away from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it.  The eyes of the LORD are toward the righteous and his ears toward their cry.  The face of the LORD is against those who do evil, to cut off the memory of them from the earth.  When the righteous cry for help, the LORD hears and delivers them out of all their troubles.  The LORD is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit.  Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the LORD delivers him out of them all.  He keeps all his bones; not one of them is broken.  Affliction will slay the wicked, and those who hate the righteous will be condemned.  The LORD redeems the life of his servants; none of those who take refuge in him will be condemned.  Psalm 34:12-22

But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.  For He Himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in His flesh the dividing wall of hostility by abolishing the law of commandments expressed in ordinances, that He might create in Himself one new man in place of the two, so making peace, and might reconcile us both to God in one body through the cross, thereby killing the hostility.  And He came and preached peace to you who were far off and peace to those who were near.  For through Him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father.  So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus Himself being the cornerstone, in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord.  In Him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit.  Ephesians 2:13-22

Do not be surprised, brothers, that the world hates you.  We know that we have passed out of death into life, because we love the brothers. Whoever does not love abides in death.  Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him.  By this we know love, that He laid down His life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers.  But if anyone has the world's goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God's love abide in him?  Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth.  1 John 3:13-18

When one of those who reclined at table with Him [Jesus] heard these things, he said to Him, "Blessed is everyone who will eat bread in the kingdom of God!"  But He said to him, "A man once gave a great banquet and invited many.  And at the time for the banquet he sent his servant to say to those who had been invited, 'Come, for everything is now ready.'  But they all alike began to make excuses. The first said to him, 'I have bought a field, and I must go out and see it. Please have me excused.'  And another said, 'I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I go to examine them. Please have me excused.'  And another said, 'I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come.'  So the servant came and reported these things to his master. Then the master of the house became angry and said to his servant, 'Go out quickly to the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in the poor and crippled and blind and lame.'  And the servant said, 'Sir, what you commanded has been done, and still there is room.'  And the master said to the servant, 'Go out to the highways and hedges and compel people to come in, that my house may be filled.  For I tell you, none of those men who were invited shall taste my banquet.'"  Luke 14:15-24

Bread and wisdom.  Two things that don't stereotypically get listed together.  Not because they are mutually exclusive, but because they usually are not part fo the same thought.

Except when speaking of the Wisdom and the Bread.  Or, simply put, Christ.

The readings are all about bread and wisdom, or aspects of the two.  The teacher in Proverbs describes wisdom as a wise woman who manages her household, and provides bread for others.  As is common with Proverbs insights are given.  We are told that scoffers, those who wish not to be told the truth, will be angered when corrected.  The Psalmist doubles down on that sentiment, and even spins it on an introspective level.

Both Paul and John speak about our unity with Christ.  And how to we get this unity?  By what path?  The bread we partake in Holy Communion.

Sharing meals has always been an important sign of unity throughout the world.  The Jews understood this, but did not understand what unity with Jesus actually meant.  They expected a kingdom like Solomon's, run with wisdom.  Instead, Jesus promised one like no other, run by Wisdom.

Those who had been raised in the promise of the kingdom had rejected it, so God sent out servants to call all peoples to Himself.  The unifying factor is the bread we share, since it is our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.