The Historical Situation: In the late eighth century B.C.E., God's people in the promised land had become divided into a northern kingdom, Israel, and a southern kingdom, Judah (where Jerusalem was the capital). Assyria was the dominant power in the region, and lay especially heavily on the northern kingdom. Concerned about both kingdoms, Isaiah prophesies relief for both in this way: A new king will come to the throne in the southern kingdom, Judah, and will see to the reunion of the north and south and the expulsion of the Assyrians from the north. However, in the early chapters of this book, the prophet is not criticizing the foreign oppressors, but his own unfaithful people.
A Favorite Literary Devices of the Prophets: A footnote in The New Jerusalem Bible says this of the vineyard image:
The theme of Israel as a vine, chosen and then rejected, had been broached by Hosea, 10:1, and was to be taken up by Jeremiah, 2:21; 5:10; 6:9; 12:10, and Ezekiel, 15:1-8; 17:3-10; 19:10-14; cf. Ps 80:8-18; Is 27:2-5. Jesus was later to give it a new twist in the parable of the wicked husbandmen, Mt 21:33-44 and [parallel gospel passages] (see also the barren fig tree, Mt 21:18-19 and [parallels]). In Jn 15:1-2 he unfolds the mystery of the 'true' vine. Other aspects of the vine theme appear in Dt 32:32-33 and [Sirach] 24:17.
Isaiah's Plan and Your Proclamation: So the grapevine images in this reading and today's gospel stand for real people defying their real God. The prophet feels God's frustration in his own heart, and expresses that emphatically. What you want to convey, as lector, is Isaiah's feeling, "I've got to let these people know the seriousness of their sin." Follow the prophet's lead:
- Isaiah starts by sneaking up on his audience, rhetorically speaking, rather casually telling a story: "My friend" went about the routine task of planting wine grapes.
- Isaiah routinely describes normal agricultural tasks for several sentences. The lector should sound matter-of-fact.
- Then, an unexpected twist!: the yield is only wild grapes! Let the lector sound surprised.
- It becomes a first-person narrative then, with the indignant "What more was there to do for my vineyard?" The lector should practice sounding outraged.
- There follow three dramatic sentences about "my" utter rejection of the vineyard. As lector, deliver these rapidly. Then pause.
- Finally comes the personal application, the indictment of unfaithful Israel. A slow, determined speaking of these sentences will be right, like a judge pronouncing sentence on a convict at the end of trial.
The Historical Background: The Christians at Philippi had received the gospel enthusiastically and continued to support Paul after he had evangelized them. The Apostle had great affection for the Philippians, as the intimate tone of this letter shows. In today's passage he shows his high expectations for them. (Paul loved all his congregations, but didn't have the same deep affection or high expectations for them all. See the letters to the Galatians and the Corinthians.) Prior chapters have some theological highlights and a moving autobiographical passage. This last chapter, as with most of Paul's letters, contains moral instruction and particulars that pertain to individuals in the addressed community.
The phrases "whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is gracious, ..." are a kind of list used by Greek moralists of the time. But Paul returns to his usual style when, in the next sentence, he says "Keep on doing what you have learned and received and heard and seen in me."
Proclaiming It: To capture the Apostle's tone when you proclaim this, imagine yourself saying a fond farewell (Paul was in prison, perhaps facing execution, when he wrote this) to a small group of beloved intimates. You need not imagine your deathbed; you could pretend to be a beloved college professor at retirement time, or a parent on the eve of your child's wedding. Just do what it takes to make your congregation feel loved, that you believe in them, that they're capable of whatever is true, honorable and gracious.
Several other commentaries on these passages. All are thoughtful, all
quite readable, from the scholarly to the popular.
Links may be incomplete more than a few weeks before the "due date."
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Lutheran pastor and college teacher Dan Nelson's notes for a study group. Dan explains the texts verse-by-verse, and sometimes word-by-word, with cross-references to other Bible passages. Especially useful if you're puzzled about the meaning of a word or phrase in the readings.
On his page for today, Dan covers our first reading and gospel.
And on his page for next Sunday, Dan treats our second reading of today.
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Father Roger Karban's 1999 syndicated column about these readings,
and his 2002 column
The 2002 column of Jesuit Father Francis X. Cleary, From the site of the Saint Louis Review.
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The Text This Week; links to Lectionaries of many churches, homilies, art works, movies touching scriptural themes, and other resources on the week's scripture
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Saint Louis University's excellent new liturgy site
Most welcome here are
Reginald Fuller's commentaries.
This site posts its pages only a week before the given Sunday, and keeps its back issues posted for only about eight weeks.
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The Lectionary selections in the frame at the left, if any, are there for your convenience. The publishers of the page in that frame have no connection, except for membership in the one Body of Christ, with the publisher of this page. Likewise the publishers of the pages on the links above.
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Last modified: Sat Sep 10 18:24:12 CDT 2005
