1 Samuel 1:4-20 and 1 Samuel 2:1-10

In one of those funny twists of the Lectionary, near the end of Ordinary Time, it suddenly jumps to the beginning of one of the books that was covered this year. It's like another origin of Batman movie or something. We studied David, who was chosen by Samuel, so let's meet Samuel's mother. You can find less cynical accounts of her at websites like. Reading this, you would swear there are resources beyond the scant verses of these two chapters, but there are not. This is one of many women in the Bible who cry because they have not born a son, but then do, and that man goes on to do something important.

Daniel 12:1-3

Daniel was written sometime around the 2nd century BC. It has had tremendous influence ever since on those who read these scriptures and try to make sense of them. We get a prophecy here of someone named Michael. The prophecy should be familiar, although at the same time not quite equal to what we see in the gospels. Theologians have attempted to reconcile the two forever, it could be that this story inspired the gospels. Of course, many things need to be "fixed", the predicted dates and names, but the pattern is there.

This short text, which avoids the even stranger text surrounding it, is usually not heard in mainline Protestant churches. It's the meat of the apocalyptic, fire and brimstone preachers. They have no problem talking about heaven vs. hell. The gospels do that too, but they tend to bury it in between parables and sage advice. For some, the message is clear, follow that advice to the path of righteousness, and you will be rewarded. For others, the message is to first believe, even to fear the wrath, and that will put you on the path.

Some look at when this was written, and see it as a story about the triumph of the Maccabeans over the Seleucids. Rather than a prediction for the future, it's a fulfillment of a prior prediction from the angels. Victory for God is always the predicted "end". Unfortunately, it never lasts, and a few generations down the line people are left wondering where God went and what those scriptures must have "really" meant.

Hebrews 10:11-14, (15-18), 19-25

Hebrews was likely written in the 1st century AD and is well written in Greek. It might pre-date the gospels. David Madison calls it a "standout document in the Christian canon" in his book "Ten Tough Problems in Christian Thought and Belief". Its authorship has been disputed since the 3rd century, although it is traditionally attributed to Paul. Noteworthy is that the Jesus in this book does not have the earthly encounters from the gospels. It speaks of the Temple sacrifices, but when it says Christ was offered "for all time a single sacrifice for sins", there is no Pilate or empty tomb.

The explanation of the power of the sacrifice and how it will cleanse all sins and do away with the need for the Temple sacrifice is clearly the central message. There are no parables here. The teachings that it gives come from the Old Testament.

Mark 13:1-8

In the 28th week of Ordinary for year C, I said these "signs" were not intended to be signs of the end at all, rather they were meant to say these are events that recur and they should not be something to worry about. But if you read on in this chapter or in the Luke chapter, you might find the prediction of an apocalyptic ending is pretty clear; the sun will go dark and stars will fall. But, the good news is, Jesus will return. So this is both a warning to not be fooled by signs that are not really signs or messiahs that are not really messiahs, and also it is a description of the correct signs, so you will know the true return of Christ.

As above, with the Daniel passage, the apocalyptic visions are not preached in mainline churches. Nor do they offer any explanation for why they don't. One clue, that some see that makes this another story about something that happened instead of a prophecy, is verse 2. The "great buildings" would include the Temple that was destroyed by the Romans during the Jewish uprising in 70 AD. So either this is a prophecy that came true, or it's a story of why the revolution failed and why the Temple was destroyed.