Job 42:1-6, 10-17

Job gets his audience with God. Since this is translated from an ancient text that didn't have the benefit of modern grammar and punctuation, it can be hard to tell who is speaking at times. Verse 3, (Who hides counsel) is either God speaking, or Job repeating God. Job responds in that verse and the next three with a confession of how his own words were out of ignorance.

This Lection skips over three verses where God is angry with Job's friends and demands a sacrifice. Maybe they didn't want to mention sacrifices, or maybe they didn't want to deal with the complex possibilities of just what these friends had done wrong. At times, they did speak well of God. They also said Job should lie to appease God. They said Job must have done something wrong despite Job's counter argument that bad men sometimes get rich. It's up to you to try sort all that out. When the Lection picks up the passage again, Job is rewarded, at least in part because he prayed for these friends.

The rest is just the hyperbole of a myth.

Jeremiah 31:7-9

Jeremiah is covered in detail next summer, but pops in now and again in other years. Crying out for the return of joy seems to be the theme today. These verses are also used every Christmas because this is a turning point in the book of Jeremiah, a new covenant. Things have not been going well for most of this book, but now they are ready to celebrate the return of the lost and the return of their nation to greatness. That doesn't work out, but they are cheering for it for now.

Hebrews 7:23-28

Chapter 7 gives us a more detailed recounting of what we know about Melchizedek, which ain't much. The reference to "High Priest" brings to mind the annual Day of Atonement. This epistle is getting to Jesus, the one whose sacrifice will be "once for all". It tries to explain that Jesus was perfect first then sacrificed himself. At least I think that's what it is saying. It's something about being a high priest, but being a very special one.

Mark 10:46-52

We're nearing the end of Mark, the remainder of the book is the Passion story. Just a little more wandering, preaching and healing to be done, so they go to Jericho. Why Jericho? No reason is given. Jericho was cursed by God and destroyed by Joshua. It is barely mentioned after that. Is this another symbolic reckoning with old enemies? And, as before we see the disciples acting as protectors of the words of Jesus, telling the crowd to be quiet. Jesus of course ignores this and has his followers call the blind man to him. A teaching perhaps, of how a person in need should be treated.

And what is Bartimaeus' part? He asks for mercy and acknowledges Jesus as the messiah, descended from David. Jesus asks him what he wants, which seems pretty obvious to everyone hearing the story by now. Shouldn't Jesus know this anyway? Does he need him to say it, to make a confession of his need for the savior? Is he making sure the blind man is honest? The blind man throws off his cloak, probably his most valued possession, his shelter, his protection. If he were a rich man, this would be the equivalent of giving away all his wealth. Apparently he doesn't even go back for it after getting his sight and following Jesus on the road. He won't need it now that he "sees the light".