I'm so glad the story of the golden calf comes in the middle of all the boring stuff. I really think the original editors of this book must have thought to themselves, "Hmm. We've been describing a lot of fabrics and gems and dimensions. Maybe we should give them a good story for a while." Even if that's not what they were thinking, it is a pretty good story. It's easy for us to look at the Israelites and judge, but I think that we all have our golden calves. This is an old example, but a true one: We willingly follow God's will when we're faced with a spiritual leader (like Moses, or a priest, or a preacher, or a teacher), but as soon as they're up the mountain, we turn to our own ways. It's that I go to church on Sunday and do whatever I want the rest of the week mentality. The thing that really gets me in this story, though, is how much God responds to Moses' intercessions on behalf of his people. It actually says in Exodus 32:14 that "the Lord changed his mind about the disaster that he planned to bring on his people." That's powerful stuff. God listens to us. He's willing to hear our arguments and judge us fairly.
I don't have much commentary on this, but I really love Moses' prayer in 32:13
"Now if I have found favor in your sight, show me your ways, so that I may know you and find favor in your sight."
I had one of those Episcopal "a-ha" moments when I read Psalm 26. I have heard priests say the prayer found at verse 6 before the communion prayer. I know that most of what's said during the Eucharist is Biblical, but it's fun to find it.
---I'm going to rehearsal now, so if you're reading this in real time, I'll be back with more commentary. We're having a sitzprobe for Grey Gardens tonight, so that's exciting. Don't know what a sitzprobe is? Let me Google that for you.
...and we're back:
I really love the way Matthew ends his gospel. It's not quite as detailed as other accounts, but it's message is clear. Jesus gives a final commandment,
"Go...and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you."There's not a lot of hub-bub here. Sure, it may seem less of a human story this way. If my teacher and best friend died and then I saw him resurrected from the dead, I'd probably do more than the disciples do in this account, but to Matthew, that's not what's important. The importance here, and maybe this is the author rationalizing or glorifying his own work, is on telling the story of Jesus. That may seem a difficult task, but notice Jesus' final words: "And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age."
As I begin Mark, I'm reminded of an interesting subject in my college Bible class of which I cannot remember much. How was that for confusing? The preface to Mark in my Oxford NRSV states that most scholars regard Mark as the earliest written gospel, largely due to the brevity of the gospel. I remember in college, though, my professor talking about alternate theories of which order the gospels were written. Which might have borrowed material from others. I don't, unfortunately, remember much else about it. If anyone out there in cyberspace cares to elaborate, please do!
In the first 14 verses of Mark's gospel, it seems like he's really doing his best to show Jesus' place in the world. Mark skips over the story of Jesus' birth, and begins with Isaiah and John the Baptist. This sets up the coming of a messiah, and has John paving the way for "the one who is more powerful". From there we see Jesus recruiting his first followers. Mark's gospel, at least so far, seems one of action and of establishing God's kingdom.
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