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

Last Sunday after the Epiphany/Year C 227
urge a congregation to explore the degree to which the actual life of a person
or community is consistent with what is said. Most of the time, “whoever
sets a snare will be caught in it” (Sir. 27:26). Correspondence of
speech and action indicates trustworthiness.
Luke 6:39–49, the end of the Sermon on the Plain, is the Gospel lesson
for today. The image of the fruit revealing the quality of the tree
(Sir. 27:6 and Luke 6:43–45) is a point of connection between the lessons.
However, the two writers use this image in different ways. For Luke it
means that the actions of a person’s life (fruit) indicate whether the person
is faithful or unfaithful.
Isaiah 55:10–13 (Alternate)
For comments on this passage, please see Proper 10/Year A.
Ninth Sunday after the Epiphany/Year C
1 Kings 8:22–23, 41–43
For comments on this passage, please see Proper 26/Year B.
Last Sunday after the Epiphany/Year C
Transfiguration Sunday
Exodus 34:29–35
In chapter 34 YHWH reestablishes the Sinai covenant with Moses
and Israel after Israel’s sin with the golden calf and Moses’ intercession
on its behalf; chapter 34 contextualizes today’s reading. After instructing
Moses to bring two stone tablets up the mountain (vv. 1–4), YHWH
explicates the meaning of God’s name “The Lord [YHWH, adonai]”
(v. 5). “The LORD, the LORD, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger,
and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness, keeping steadfast love
for the thousandth generation . . .” (vv. 6–7). God’s compassion
(rahamim) is a term derived from the word for “womb,” rehem. God loves
Israel with a “womblike love,” as a mother loves her children. God’s love
is hesed, loyalty, and emet, faithfulness. It is this God with whom Moses
speaks. God is all these things “freely”; the adjective is from the noun
hanan, “grace.”