000 Allen FMT (i-xxii) - The Presbyterian Leader

164 Proper 9 [14]/Year B
community that God will end the exile and restore their life in the
promised land. Not surprisingly, Ezekiel the priest envisions the restoration
climaxing in the building of a new Temple that includes awareness of
the presence of God in a fresh way that would make it less likely that the
people would disobey (Ezek. 40:1–48:35, esp. 43:7–13).
The passage assigned for today is part of the prophet’s call. The purposes
of a call narrative were to (1) assure the listener that the prophet is
actually called by God and (2) reveal the character of the prophet’s mission.
In Ezekiel 1:4–28, the prophet receives a dramatic vision of a storm
in whose center is a chariot containing the glory of God, which as Jon L.
Berquist notes, assures the community that God is not limited to
Jerusalem but is present with them in exile. 53
God speaks to Ezekiel as “Mortal.” The phrase in Hebrew, ben adam,
sometimes translated “son of man” or “son of a human being,” can mean
a representative of a class, so that God’s words to Ezekiel are for the wider
community. The reference to the spirit entering Ezekiel assures readers
that Ezekiel operates as representative of God (Ezek. 2:1–2).God sends
Ezekiel to prophesy to a “nation of rebels,” a community that in past and
present generations has violated the covenant. Ezekiel is to say to them,
“Thus says the Lord,” that is, the prophet is to speak in God’s behalf to
them (Ezek. 2:3–4).
In a statement that should be of enormous encouragement to today’s
minister, God does not insist that Ezekiel succeed in changing the people.
“Whether they hear or refuse . . . , they shall know that there has been a
prophet among them” (our italics; Ezek. 2:5). Ezekiel is called to be faithful
by carrying out the commission from God, who prepares the prophet for
the fact that some in the community will resist the message and tells
Ezekiel not to let fear of them inhibit the preaching (2:6–7).
God then gives Ezekiel a scroll to eat. The scroll contains the message
that Ezekiel is to give; eating it indicates that it becomes a part of Ezekiel’s
own being. Although the scroll contains words of lamentation and woe
(explaining that the community is in exile because of its sin), the scroll
itself is sweet as honey because the exile is discipline preparatory to
restoration (Ezek. 2:8–3:3).
This passage is paired with Mark 6:1–13, the rejection of Jesus at
Nazareth (Mark 6:1–6) and the mission of the Twelve (6:7–13). Mark does
not specifically presuppose this passage from Ezekiel, but thematic similarities
occur between the readings. Both Ezekiel and Jesus face challenges
from their own communities (Ezek. 2:6–8; Mark 6:1–6). Ezekiel is commissioned
to minister, as are the disciples (Ezek. 1–5; Mark 6:7–13).