Text Study for the Sixth Sunday in Pentecost –

Year C
The Rev. Joseph Winston
July 3, 2010

Commentary
Isaiah 66:10-14
Using the image of a nursing mother and her child, the prophet tells of the day
when great abundance will be given to all those people who love Jerusalem. Next
the prophet gives an feminine image of God, one who loves her child and takes
care of it.

Isaiah 66:10 Rejoice with Jerusalem, and be glad for her – The city of Jerusalem
is promised a blessing that she will be rich.

Isaiah 66:11 that you may nurse and be satisfied – Jerusalem is presented as a
surrogate mother that fills the most basic needs of her young children. She

:Ě̀ŠŹ˘ˆ`{˚ˇŹˆ`Ž̌ ŊĽ̋Ń́`ŸˇĄ̋`-Ň{´Ě̌ Ě`ĂŹ̀¯Ř̂`Ž̋ ČŰ́-Ň{´ ŊŽ̃`Ů̌Ř́Ľ˘Ě˝

feeds them from her breast. When they hurt, she comforts them.

Isaiah 66:12 I will extend prosperity to her like a river – A river brings life. Its
waters provide irrigation necessary for agriculture. Livestock drink deeply
from the stream. People bathe and just like most animals, they need water
everyday.
Jerusalem carries the same benefits to her population. She support life.
and you shall nurse and be carried on her arm, and dandled on her knees –
The text in Hebrew reads:

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 ČŠ{´Ű́Źˆ-`ŇẮ
can be translated as “on hip” as suggested by the BDB.1 The pro-
noun “her” was added so the reader knows that the hip refers to the mother.
was translated as “fondled” since the entry was given in the BDB.2 The
real problem stringing together the action of nursing, lifting, and fondling.
The solution was the phrase “You nurse on her hip, you are lifted up, and
on the knees you shall be fondled.” rather than separating the verbs using
“and” as done in the NRSV.

Isaiah 66:13 As a mother comforts her child, so I will comfort you – The clear
association of the image of God with the attributes of human women is strik-
ing in verse 13.3 This text is helpful for two different groups: the women in
the congregation who have children and love their children and the individ-
uals who have experienced this type of love from either their mother or a
mother figure. The benefit comes to these two groups since this image of
God is lifts up the calling of motherhood. God feeds, carries, and entertains
the child.4 These images remind God’s followers God cares about all as-
pects of one’s life from providing food to eat, to transporting one when one
cannot move oneself, to providing play.

Isaiah 66:14 your heart shall rejoice – This is not an emotional response instead
the person’s mind will know goodness.
your bodies shall flourish like the grass – Soft fields of green bring with it
an image of the good life.
his indignation is against his enemies – The L ORD executes judgment against
those that oppose His plan.

Psalm 66:1-9
God’s power brings happiness. God feeds the people from their slavery through
mighty acts. Additionally, God cares for everyone since God keeps His people
from falling.
1
F. Brown, S. Driver and C. Briggs, editors, The Brown–Driver–Briggs Hebrew And English
Lexicon, (Hendrickson Publishers, Inc., 1999), p. 841.
2
Ibid., p. 1044.
3
Westermann notes this is the first time that this happens in the Old Testament. Claus Wester-
mann, Chap. Chapter 66 In ‘Isaiah 40-66’, 1st edition. (The Westminster Press, 1969), p. 420.
4
Susan Ackerman; Carol A. Newsom and Sharon H. Ringe, editors, Chap. Isaiah In ‘Women’s
Bible Commentary Expanded Edition’, (Westminster John Knox Press, 1998), p. 176.

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 Psalm 66:1 Make a joyful noise to God, all the earth – Praising God is not limited
to only the human race but extends to the ends of creation.
Psalm 66:2 sing the glory of his name – The One who brings existence into
being is certainly worthy of praise. But the L ORD Almighty does more than
simply creating the universe. God sustains the world, breaks the chains of
bondage, give sight to the blind, heals the sick, feeds the hungry, and loves
the earth.
Psalm 66:3 Say to God – By reminding the L ORD of His actions, you rehearse
for the community sake what God does.
Psalm 66:4 All the earth worships you – The reality is that creation lifts up the
L ORD’s Name in praise. That might be hard for you to believe but take a
close look at the beauty found in life and you can see that the world gives
God praise.
Psalm 66:5 Come and see – For the psalmist, faith comes by vision and not by
hearing.
Psalm 66:6 There we rejoiced in him – When the works are manifest, it is easy
to praise God. During more difficult times, it is another question altogether.
Psalm 66:7 whose eyes keep watch on the nations – God is not blind. He sees
what the rulers and their people do.
Psalm 66:8 Bless our God – Thank God for what has happened in your life.
Psalm 66:9 who has kept us among the living – There is no reason at all for your
existence. God has let you come into being.

Galatians 6:1-16
Paul tells the congregation at Galatia that forgiveness should be received in a spirit
of gentleness. Then he goes on to tell the members that they are help others by
picking up their cares. This does not mean that anyone should shirk their own
duties in this matter. Paul calls for growth. Everyone needs to mature. Paul then
turns the matter of his boasts on himself and proclaims that his only flaunting has
been to tell the story of the Lord who died. Next, Paul informs the congregation
that a new time has broken into the present age. Finally, Paul tells them that those
who follow the law of Christ will be given peace and mercy by God.

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 Galatians 6:1 if anyone is detected in a transgression, you who have received the
Spirit should restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness. – Discipline in the
community known as the Church should be reserved for those people who
have been given the gift of humility.

Galatians 6:2 Bear one another’s burdens – The cost of belonging to this com-
munity is the calling by Jesus to share in the suffering and the pain of the
other.5
you will fulfil the law of Christ – This portion of the summary of the law
is attributed in the New Testament to Jesus. Paul has somehow been taught
this message is associated with Jesus.

Galatians 6:3 if those who are nothing think they are something, they deceive
themselves – “For if a man thinks he exists when he is nothing then he
misleads himself” (εἰ γὰρ δοκεῖ τις εἶναί τι μηδὲν ὤν φρεναπατᾷ ἑαυτόν
ἑαυτοῦ). No one comes into existence without God. This basic fact must be
understood otherwise this verse denies the fact that God blesses people with
covenants. Of course, these agreements are not the doing of humanity but
the indisputable case remains that the Jews are God’s chosen people.

Galatians 6:4 All must test their own work – This part of the letter from Paul
(τὸ δὲ ἔργον ἑαυτοῦ δοκιμαζέτω ἕκαστος) is difficult to understand given
Paul’s unrelenting attacks on those people or groups that want to add any-
thing to the Gospel as a requirement of salvation.
Perhaps this verse needs to be read as a corrective to those people who make
poor interpretations of the Good News. If this is true, then Paul is telling
them to actually understand the complete ramifications of their logic. This
is the approach that Luther takes in his commentary on Galatians.

Galatians 6:5 For all must carry their own loads. – Just as with the previous
verse, this sentence is problematic. Paul’s theme in Galatians is that Jesus
does everything needed for salvation. Now, Paul makes the appeal that peo-
ple do something.
5
Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Life Together, (Harper San Francisco, 1954), p. 100-101; Ronald H. Sun-
derland; Earl E. Shelp and Ronald H. Sunderland, editors, Chap. The Character of Servanthood In
‘The Pastor as Servant’, (The Pilgrim Press, 1986), p. 32; Galatians 3:29; Titus 3:7; Hebrews 6:17;
1 John 4:7-12; John 13:34-35.

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 Luther in the Commentary on the Epistle to the Galatians reads this as a
judgment over one’s life. In this method, the verse means that you have
attempted to do what God demands and you have failed.

Galatians 6:6 Those who are taught the word must share in all good things with
their teacher. – One understanding is that people must financially support
their instructor. Another interpretation is that when logical flaws are found
in the arguments of the teacher, it is the responsibility of the student to point
out the mistakes.

Galatians 6:7 God is not mocked, for you reap whatever you sow. – A common
problem is that humanity believes that God is death, dumb, and blind. We
think that we can get away with our latest get rich quick gimmick. Paul
reminds his audience that judgment comes to everyone.

Galatians 6:8 if you sow to the Spirit, you will reap eternal life from the Spirit.
– Once again, the on first reading the text appears to support the idea that a
person does something in order to receive the benefits of the Gospel. This
understanding is in direct opposition to the major idea found in the letter
that Christ’s death is enough for the gift of life.
Luther in his Commentary on the Epistle to the Galatians makes the move
that the line refers to the proper support of pastors.
Farming is an activity that requires faith. You must trust that the ground,
the seed, and the weather all work together in a way that brings you at the
very least something to eat. A person can continue to trust in what they have
already seen in their lives or that can believe in the fruit of the Spirit

Galatians 6:9 not grow weary in doing what is right – The world does not like to
hear that it eats people up and then spits them out. Telling this truth grinds
you down.

Galatians 6:10 work for the good of all, and especially for those of the family of
faith. – A follower of Jesus devotes their energy to helping others because
that is what you do. There is no other reason than this.

Galatians 6:11 See what large letters I make when I am writing in my own hand!
– No longer is Paul’s secretary transcribing the message for the church in
Galatia. Paul is placing pen to paper and the result is clearly different than
what came before.

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 Galatians 6:12 It is those who want to make a good showing in the flesh that try
to compel you to be circumcised – only that they may not be persecuted for
the cross of Christ. – There is a penalty for killing God: death. The hope
of the party that supports circumcision is to somehow excluded from this
sentence that falls on the entirety of humanity.

Galatians 6:13 Even the circumcised do not themselves obey the law – The reality
is that everyone, even the most observant, stumbles.

Galatians 6:14 May I never boast of anything except the cross of our Lord Jesus
Christ, by which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world. –
The cross of Christ brings death to the person and it separates them from the
world. All that God wants is you. Jesus does not desire the world, He already
has it. What is missing is you. That is why the world must be removed from
you.

Galatians 6:15 For neither circumcision nor uncircumcision is anything – This

act of the covenant does not fundamentally change anything.

Galatians 6:16 peace be upon them, and mercy, and upon the Israel of God –
Paul’s prayer is that God grants certainty to the Christians.

Luke 10:1-11, 16-20

If pressed to identify a tune with God, many would give God the song, “My Way,”
which was made famous by Frank Sinatra. These lyrics written by Paul Anka tell
of a self-reliant man who looks back on his life and is generally pleased at what he
has accomplished. The song specifically tells us that he completely planned every
step of his life. It goes on and says that all by himself he faced every one of life’s
trials and tribulations. Through the bad and the good, he lived life “My Way.”
At first glance, it might seem that this song accurately describes God. In the
creation accounts in Genesis, you hear how God alone created the universe. Our
teachings tell you that God sustains the world daily. And by you confession you
receive absolution of all of your sins from God. However, if you listen carefully
to today’s Gospel lesson, you will hear that God has a completely different tune
in mind. God does not do things “My Way.” Instead, God works with each of us –
the believer and the non-believer alike – to accomplish God’s will.
Jesus tells us today, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore
ask the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest” (Luke 10:2).

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This single sentence gives us an important insight into the way that God works
in the world. God literally incorporates us into God’s plan of salvation. God has
provided us with fields ripe for harvest but God does not send workers out into the
field unless we ask.
Carefully unpacking this idea will show us how that God’s song is not “My
Way;” rather it is “You and Me Babe.” Your Christian duty, your job if you will,
is to ask God to place the correct people in the right place. This can be seen by
returning back to the farming imagery. It is commonly known that any manager
concerned about the bottom line would not send cotton pickers to work in the rice
field nor would they tell the field hands to go into an area that has already been
harvested. The job of bringing in the harvest also requires careful planning. Some-
times you must work around the clock to pick the onions before the rain comes
while at other times you have the leisure of making multiple passes through the
tomatoes. Finally, it is obvious that the successful completion of the harvest re-
quires workers. We need people to take the ripe products out of the fields. There-
fore, your job as Christian is no different. We are the ones doing God’s work.
We select the appropriate group for the task at hand and we identify what area
of the field needs our attention. Then we ask the Lord of the harvest to bless our
decisions and to send these workers into the fields.
Likewise, except for two phrases, Jesus does not tell us what we are supposed
to say to the people who are waiting to hear the lifesaving Word. He expects that
we know what to do. How does this happen? For the author of Luke and Act,
there are two interrelated parts to the answer. First, the Holy Spirit will teach you
what you need to say (Luke 12:12). Next, like all good teachers, you need to learn
the subject matter and how to effectively deliver that message to our students. For
Christians, you need to learn what salvation means. This word has its roots in the
medical profession. Salvation is helping in the healing process by applying a salve
to a wound. With God’s help, you do the same thing. Sometimes helping a person
get through a hard time might heal the hurt. At other times it could be staying with
them during the difficult times of life. And yet during other occasions, you might
be asked to give a witness to God.
Some Christians might balk at the idea that salvation includes a physical por-
tion. But that is exactly what Christ preached. In His first sermon in Luke, He
proclaims that “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to
preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives
and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, to
proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord” (Luke 4:18-19). According to today’s
Gospel lesson, this is your work also. You are free. You bring light to those who

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cannot see. You remove the systems and structures that oppress people. And you
speak God’s Word to the world. This is what is meant when Jesus says the king-
dom has come near.
Luke 10:1 seventy others – The best texts are split between seventy and seventy-
two.6 The number seventy could reference Jesus as the new Moses since
Moses since 70 elders in Numbers 11:16-17. Other references would in-
clude Numbers 11:25 and Exodus 24:1, 9-14.
sent them –
Let’s first agree that God can do anything, anywhere, anytime
God wants. Self-sufficient omnipotence is the very essence of
deity? Right?
Wrong.
There is something about the Trinity that refuses to work alone.
One of the medieval rabbis, in his commentary on the Exodus,
stood amazed that Yahweh refused to work wonders without Is-
rael. The Creator of the Universe needs help? Whatever God
wants to do for the world, God chooses a ragtag family like Is-
rael to do it. Though God does not need Israel or anybody else to
work wonders, something in this God desires to work synergisti-
cally.7
in pairs – The Greek has an extra two – ἀνὰ δύο δύο.
Luke 10:2 – The harvest is plentiful – Similar texts in Matthew 9:37-38 and John
4:35.
The question before each of us is, “Why then do we do nothing? What are
we letting the crop ruin instead of bringing it into the barn?”
Luke 10:3 See, I am sending you – The Greek has ἰδοὺ ἀποστέλλω ὑμᾶς, which
means that the seventy are sent with the full authority of the one who com-
missioned them.8
like lambs into the midst of wolves – The danger is real for the seventy.
6
Luke Timothy Johnson; Daniel J. Harrington, S.J., editor, The Gospel of Luke, Volume 3,
Sacra Pagina, (The Liturgical Press, Collegeville, MN: The Liturgical Press, 1991), p. 166-167.
7
William H. Willimon, Blogging toward Sunday, (http://theolog.org/2007/07/
blogging-toward-sunday_02.html, July 2007).
8
Johnson, Luke, p. 167.

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Luke 10:4 Carry no purse, no bag, no sandals – By leaving behind purse and bag,
the men are dependent on the kindness of others. Sandals are an ancient way
of knowing who owns property. Their omission gives the clue that these men
are not just down on their luck, they have nothing else in the world.
greet no one on the road. – By prohibiting conversation on the way, the men
cannot find out who might welcome them into their homes.

Luke 10:5 Whatever house you enter – Let the Holy Spirit move you to approach
this one specific residence.

Luke 10:6 if anyone is there who shares – The metric is to see if you feel wel-
comed.

Luke 10:7 Remain in the same house – Do not move around looking for better
accommodations.

Luke 10:8 eat what is set before you – Remember, the men are guests and must
observe basic manners.

Luke 10:9 cure the sick who are there – It is curious that during this time the
followers of Christ could “cure the sick.” Why is it that today Christians
have “lost” this ability?
The kingdom of God has come near to you A better translation of ἤγγικεν
ἐφ΄ ὑμᾶς ἡ βασιλεία τοῦ θεοῦ would be that “the Kingdom of God has
reached you.”9

Luke 10:10 they do not welcome you – This is a reality that any emissary must
face. Unlike the powers of the world, do not destroy the people of the city.
Just leave after telling them what happened.

Luke 10:11 the kingdom of God has come near ἤγγικεν ἡ βασιλεία τοῦ θεοῦ A
better translation would be that the “Kingdom of God has arrived.”10

. . . (Missing from the lectionary)

Luke 10:16 Whoever listens to you listens to me – The men function just like
ambassadors. They carry the full authority of the power that sent them and
it is expected that the men will report back to the one in charge.
9
Johnson, Luke, p. 166.
10
Ibid.

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 Luke 10:17 The seventy returned with joy – The population accepted the fore-
runners of the kingdom of God.
Luke 10:18 Satan fall from heaven like a flash of lightning – This is the first use
of Satan in Luke/Acts. The comparison to a “flash of lightning” is troubling
since lightning falls to the ground many different times.
Luke 10:19 I have given you authority – The passing on of responsibility natu-
rally occurs when a king or an empire sends an ambassadors.
Luke 10:20 your names are written in heaven – The seventy, which more than
likely includes Judas, are told that God knows their names. This makes
sense when the account is interpreted as a kingdom dispersing its ambas-
sadors out into the world. The power must know who it sent otherwise there
will be charlatans that just pretend to represent the state.

References
Ackerman, Susan; Newsom, Carol A. and Ringe, Sharon H., editors, Chap. Isa-
iah In ‘Women’s Bible Commentary Expanded Edition’, (Westminster John
Knox Press, 1998), pp. 169–177.
Bonhoeffer, Dietrich, Life Together, (Harper San Francisco, 1954).
Brown, F., Driver, S. and Briggs, C., editors, The Brown–Driver–Briggs Hebrew
And English Lexicon, (Hendrickson Publishers, Inc., 1999).
Johnson, Luke Timothy; Harrington, S.J., Daniel J., editor, The Gospel of Luke,
Volume 3, Sacra Pagina, (The Liturgical Press, Collegeville, MN: The
Liturgical Press, 1991).
Sunderland, Ronald H.; Shelp, Earl E. and Sunderland, Ronald H., editors, Chap.
The Character of Servanthood In ‘The Pastor as Servant’, (The Pilgrim
Press, 1986), pp. 20–45.
Westermann, Claus, Chap. Chapter 66 In ‘Isaiah 40-66’, 1st edition. (The West-
minster Press, 1969), pp. 411–429, ISBN 0-664-20851-7.
Willimon, William H., Blogging toward Sunday, (http://theolog.org/
2007/07/blogging-toward-sunday_02.html, July 2007), Last
accessed on July 4, 2010.

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