ALLEGATIONS ABOUT BERLUSCONI SEX PARTIES

This blog provides a meditation on the Revised Common Lectionary readings along with a headline from the world news

Ephesians 4:17-32

17 Now this I affirm and insist on in the Lord: you must no longer live as the Gentiles live, in the futility of their minds. 18They are darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God because of their ignorance and hardness of heart. 19They have lost all sensitivity and have abandoned themselves to licentiousness, greedy to practise every kind of impurity. 20That is not the way you learned Christ! 21For surely you have heard about him and were taught in him, as truth is in Jesus. 22You were taught to put away your former way of life, your old self, corrupt and deluded by its lusts, 23and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, 24and to clothe yourselves with the new self, created according to the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.

25 So then, putting away falsehood, let all of us speak the truth to our neighbours, for we are members of one another. 26Be angry but do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, 27and do not make room for the devil. 28Thieves must give up stealing; rather let them labour and work honestly with their own hands, so as to have something to share with the needy. 29Let no evil talk come out of your mouths, but only what is useful for building up, as there is need, so that your words may give grace to those who hear. 30And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with which you were marked with a seal for the day of redemption. 31Put away from you all bitterness and wrath and anger and wrangling and slander, together with all malice, 32and be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ has forgiven you.

Don't let the sun go down on your anger

The writer of Ephesians sees Greek social morality from a typically Jewish point of view: as permissive and degraded. An absence of moral commitment leads to a culture which is careless of personal integrity and inter-personal decency. The writer makes good use of Paul’s distinction between the “old humanity” and the “new”, reminding the gentile converts that they have divested themselves of their old selves and put on new selves which have been created in the image of God. This process is not magic however: it means “putting away” lies, anger, stealing, laziness, meanness, malicious gossip; while “putting on” truthfulness, communal responsibility, reconciliation, hard work, generosity and encouragement. The kindness of God in Christ should be a model for the behaviour of believers in society.

Wholesome community life is a benefit to all; unwholesome community life is degrading to all. That’s why Berlusconi’s continuing popularity in Italy is even more worrying than his alleged behaviour. If people are careless about these matters, may they not be careless about even more important matters like the treatment of racial minorities in their society? In Scotland, the acceptance of gross swearing in public places contributes to a climate of violence in our society. The wisdom of Ephesians is challenging still: we are all members of one another.

Mark 3:19-35

Then he went home; 20and the crowd came together again, so that they could not even eat. 21When his family heard it, they went out to restrain him, for people were saying, ‘He has gone out of his mind.’ 22And the scribes who came down from Jerusalem said, ‘He has Beelzebul, and by the ruler of the demons he casts out demons.’ 23And he called them to him, and spoke to them in parables, ‘How can Satan cast out Satan? 24If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. 25And if a house is divided against itself, that house will not be able to stand. 26And if Satan has risen up against himself and is divided, he cannot stand, but his end has come. 27But no one can enter a strong man’s house and plunder his property without first tying up the strong man; then indeed the house can be plundered.

28 ‘Truly I tell you, people will be forgiven for their sins and whatever blasphemies they utter; 29but whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit can never have forgiveness, but is guilty of an eternal sin’— 30for they had said, ‘He has an unclean spirit.’

31 Then his mother and his brothers came; and standing outside, they sent to him and called him. 32A crowd was sitting around him; and they said to him, ‘Your mother and your brothers and sisters are outside, asking for you.’ 33And he replied, ‘Who are my mother and my brothers?’ 34And looking at those who sat around him, he said, ‘Here are my mother and my brothers! 35Whoever does the will of God is my brother and sister and mother.’

Jesus ties up the strong man

Jesus makes bold use of the image of himself as the despoiler of Satan’s house, which describes his ministry of teaching and healing. Some say he is inspired by Satan. Jesus laughs at this opinion. Is there a rebellion going on in Satan’s house, he asks. Far from being inspired by Satan, he suggests, he is inspired to tie him up so that his captives can be set free. He does this through releasing people from their sins and the destructive spirits which damage their lives. It is God’s own spirit which enables him to do this. But if a person scorns this forgiving spirit, how can he ever be forgiven? The church got hung up on the notion that one act of such scorn would damn a person for ever. Jesus does not say that, but he suggests that refusal of forgiveness can become a determining habit.

Mark follows this with the story of how Jesus’ own household may be divided. His family are asking to see him. Is Mark hinting that they agree with those who say he has an unclean spirit? Jesus quickly rejects the idea that his natural family has any special claim upon him. “Whoever does the will of God is my brother and sister and mother.” This brutally clear statement of his option for the family of God’s children was remembered in the churches and found helpful by believers who had to make similar choices.

There may seem to be a tension between the Ephesians passage with its concern for decent community life and the Mark passage with its disturbing radicalism. Both are based however on a commitment to the “new household of God.”