This Fellow Welcomes Sinners
Now all the tax collectors and sinners were coming near to listen to him. 2 And the Pharisees and the scribes were grumbling and saying, “This fellow welcomes sinners and eats with them.”
3 So he told them this parable: 4 “Which one of you, having a hundred sheep and losing one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness and go after the one that is lost until he finds it? 5 And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders and rejoices. 6 And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and neighbors, saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found my lost sheep.’ 7 Just so, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance.
8 “Or what woman having ten silver coins, if she loses one of them, does not light a lamp, sweep the house, and search carefully until she finds it? 9 And when she has found it, she calls together her friends and neighbors, saying, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found the coin that I had lost.’ 10 Just so, I tell you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.” Luke 15:1-10
In response to the accusation that Jesus welcomes sinners, he tells two parables in this week's lectionary passage. In both stories, a person searches earnestly and diligently for their lost item – a sheep and a coin. And they rejoice when they find what was lost. More concern for what is lost, what is not in the right place, what is missing. Less concern for what is already in place, already present.
Extravagant welcome. Finding your place. Rejoicing.
Why Focus on Isaiah During Advent?
It is never too early to begin to plan for Advent. I am including an excerpt below from my book, Unto Us A Child is Born: Isaiah, Advent, and Our Jewish Neighbors published by Eerdmans in 2020.
Christian readings of Isaiah did not begin yesterday or with the creation of the season of Advent. The book has gripped the Christian imagination for centuries, providing a wellspring of images to help relay the events of the Christian story. The process began in the first-century CE world: the New Testament quotes or alludes to the book of Isaiah more than any other part of the Old Testament (with the possible exception of the Psalms). The Gospels, the Epistle to the Romans, and the book of Revelation also show a particular interest in the book. These New Testament books, written across multiple decades, by numerous authors, and in various locales, shared a striking concern for Isaiah. Moving beyond the New Testament to later Christian literature, art, music, and liturgy, we learn that no other book in the Hebrew Scriptures, except the Psalter, has generated as much commentary and theological interpretation in the Christian tradition as Isaiah. Today, Isaiah continues to influence the way Christians paint, sing, write, and worship. The message of Isaiah helps believers find a pew within the church’s more substantial edifice of Scripture and seems a natural fit for the Christian story.
This natural fit partially explains the book’s nickname: the Fifth Gospel. The moniker places Isaiah alongside the revered Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, and it also highlights Isaiah’s honored seat at the Christian theological table. Saint Jerome, the fourth- and fifth-century CE theologian and priest, affirmed Isaiah’s exalted status and summarized well the prophet's role in what became the Christian tradition, saying that Isaiah “should be called an evangelist rather than a prophet.” Isaiah, through an enduring process of interpretation surrounding the prophet’s book, has become an evangelist for the good news of Jesus in a way unique among Old Testament prophets. The Christian tradition took Isaiah from his seat at the table of prophets, where he dined with Jeremiah and Amos, and placed him alongside Matthew and Mark. In this Christian understanding, Isaiah is not merely the most celebrated or beloved of the prophets; heheralds the good news of Christ.
We could explore many more stories about Isaiah’s intersections with Christianity through the years, but our concerns lie elsewhere. This book focuses on contemporary interpretations of Isaiah as we celebrate Advent as Christians; it focuses on how we read faithfully and ethically in our time and place. In truth, at times our readings have been harmful. An excellent example comes from the earliest long-form instance of anti-Jewish polemic, Justin Martyr’s Dialogue with Trypho the Jew. In this second-century CE Christian work, Saint Justin, a theologian, engaged in an imaginary dialogue with Trypho, a Jew. Justin argued Jesus was the Messiah and Christians were the people of God. It is apparent from the beginning Justin intendedto convert Trypho, so “dialogue” might not be the best title for his work, but in the course of laying out his case for Christ, Justin quoted Isaiah more frequently and at greater length than any other book in the whole Christian Bible. He showcased Isaiah more than the Gospels! The irony is thick: a Christian using a Jewish prophetic book to proselytize a Jew. Irony aside, it is astounding how quickly the prophetic book of Isaiah became Christian evidence.
We do not see this type of harsh polemic in modern-day celebrations of Advent, nor do most Christians engage in such explicitly anti-Jewish polemics or the desire for the conversion of Jews. Additionally, we do not use the sacred Scripture of Isaiah against the Jews to refute their claims or to highlight heresies. Fortunately, Jewish-Christian relations are not stuck in the second century CE. In light of the Holocaust, Christian have taken steps to rid ourselves of anti-Jewish statements in our official documents and unofficial educational materials. We do not engage in polemic. However, our liturgy and preaching occasionally still fall into the traps of unintentional anti-Judaism. Our actual, on-the-ground practices have not caught up to our official statements and good intentions.
We could explore several practical examples here, but again, the focus of this book is Isaiah. A version of anti-Judaism, using Isaiah as if this prophetic book belongs solely to Christians, requires a subtle erasure of our sister religion. It entails an ignorance or silencing of Judaism’s claim to Isaiah as Scripture. During Advent, it is tempting to regard Isaiah as Christian, as one of us. However, as we envision Isaiah’s role, past and present, in Christianity, shifting our lens from Isaiah-as-prophet to Isaiah-as-evangelist no longer seems the appropriate posture for our religiously pluralistic world. Isaiah-the-evangelist transforms the prophet we share with Judaism into a Christian whom Jews do not share. Isaiah cannot be read as another Gospel such as Matthew, Mark, or Luke. By using Isaiah’s rhetoric without care for Judaism’s proper appreciation of their Jewish Bible, we may participate in harm toward our sisters and brothers.
In fact, and hopefully in practice, when Isaiah is appreciated as shared Scripture, it can function as an excellent model for learning between Jews and Christians. Isaiah has always had a prominent position within the Christian tradition; we should continue that legacy in preaching, worship, and study.
Gospel of Luke Coming in September
Uncle Ishmael will focus its commentary on the Luke passages in the Revised Common Lectionary passages during September.
September 18 Luke 16:1-13
September 25 Luke 16:19-31
A Benediction (Or Miscellaneous Thoughts)
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