Revelation 22:12-14, 16-17, 20-21
Easter 7 - Year C
In the end mercy trumps judgment.
Do note the elided verses. They are overtly judgmental and make no bones that life is a quid pro quo game and some arbitrary end position will trump anything else along the way. So, you want a reward . . . sit up and beg.
What a refreshingly open image is the washing of robes. Imagine washing your robe so often (because it has gotten dirty so often) that eventually you have washed it away. Then it is we look up to find a tree of life right before our eyes.
This sort of robe washing, of washing away what Richard Rohr calls “False Self” to reveal a “True Self”. Isn’t this a return to Eden again, this time with eyes open. This washing away is resurrectional. If all this time between leaving Eden and now is some Eighth Day when G*D said, “Let us learn to live together in your context”, imagine, further, what must Day Nine be like — like resurrection? Like finally tasting of the Tree of Life long since thought lost forever, but oh so “to umami and beyond”!
http://kcmlection.blogspot.com/2013/05/revelation-2212-14-16-17-20-21.html
Everyone's work gets repaid. According to some reports this gets done according to a formula of beginning with those who worked less to those who worked more.
This formula is based on - "Come, all of you."
Come, a wage of daily bread for you, and you, and you.
This lection deliberately leaves out the other perspective of a warning to all outsiders and "incompatibiles" that they will not only not receive any daily bread but that which they still had as leftovers would be removed from them.
Without trying to get into the ways in which we pick and choose what we see and hear or render invisible from scripture and life, how would you want the story of faith to pause before being picked up through your experience and witness?
http://www.kairoscomotion.org/lectionary/2004/may2004.html
"The grace of the Lord Jesus be with all the saints. Amen."
"The grace of the Lord Jesus be with the saints. Amen."
"The grace of the Lord Jesus be with with all. Amen."
"The grace of the Lord Jesus be with all the saints."
How many different ancient authorities are needed to realize that we are dealing with mystery here at the end as well as all the journey long?
Perhaps we might simply say, "The grace of the Lord Jesus is."
Blessed Be Being! Yours! Mine! Ours! All!
What a wonderfully indeterminate way to close this part of the story that continues into your life and mine.
http://www.kairoscomotion.org/lectionary/2004/may2004.html
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What is omitted in this reading? "Outside are the dogs and sorcerers and fornicators and murderers and idolaters, and everyone who loves and practices falsehood." And, "I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: if anyone adds to them, God will add to that person the plagues described in this book; if anyone takes away from the words of the book of prophecy, God will take away that person's share in the tree of life and in the holy city, which are described in this book."
One way of justifying this elision is that this is Easter-time. This is a time of new life. It is enough to have a positive pull toward the water of life. A push away from a tree of life is not threat enough to make a needed difference in people's lives.
The omitted portions run contrary to a jail's open doors. In fact it relocks them. It denies the effectiveness of Jesus' testimony in the lives of people, his having been joined with people, and the divisions in the omissions would be a division of Jesus himself.
There may be times when focusing on punishment would be an effective tool, but it runs so contrary to the Easter message that it, here, gets in the way.
Questions: What other scripture passages need to be silenced during a season of Easter? Would that argue for their being silenced during other seasons as well, or would they be acceptable during a penitential season? When are we not basically in an Easter season?
- - -
come
come echoes
come comes
http://kcmlection.blogspot.com/2007_05_01_archive.html
Scripture is not always scripture. Here we have a debate between the selected and omitted verses. Which is it for you? If you want to keep both, how do you hold them together without finding yourself being omitted?
Whether a robe-washer (selected) invited to come inside or a falsehood-practicer (omitted) kept at bay, we run into Paul and Silas in a prison that became open-doored. This openness is fearful for many until they experience Paul's invitation, "Do not harm yourself (or others), for we (including you) are all here."
We are all here, "Let anyone who wishes take the water of life as a gift."
In the selected verses we hear the invitation and blessing of the Tree of Life still being available; a big door is more widely opened to include you.
In the omitted verses we hear about a share in the Tree of Life being taken away; a big door is slammed shut in your face.
This side of a New Jerusalem, do you want to spend your time affirming that a Tree of Life is still available as a prevenient grace and is attractive enough to draw its deniers nearer?
Would your rather spend your time warning people about what they will lose if they keep on the way they are going?
While they both do have their place, I hope to be spending more time with the beauty of Life as an attractant than with warning folks about something outside their experience base.
http://kcmlection.blogspot.com/2010/05/revelation-2212-14-16-17-20-21.html