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<font color="black" size="4"><font face="arial, helvetica">Forwarded: </font><br>
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From: Tom O'Brien <tgobrien@comcast.net></font><br>
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Subject: Scripture in Context 1.29.17</font><br>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: arial, helvetica;">Dear Friends, </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: arial, helvetica;"> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><font face="arial, helvetica">[</font><font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Below] </font><font face="arial, helvetica">is Scripture in Context for January 29, 2017. I hope you and others find it helpful and informative. Please share it with those who might benefit from it. </font></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: arial, helvetica;"> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: arial, helvetica;">This document (and others back to July 2016) are also available at <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="http://www.scriptureincontext.org">www.scriptureincontext.org</a>. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: arial, helvetica;"> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: arial, helvetica;">I have also posted this offering on Facebook. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: arial, helvetica;"> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: arial, helvetica;">Blessings, </div>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: arial, helvetica;">Tom </div>
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<div class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"><b>TODAY’S READINGS IN CONTEXT<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"><b>JANUARY 29, 2017<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><b><u>Micah 6:1-8<o:p></o:p></u></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><u><o:p> </o:p></u></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">Micah was one of the 12 “Minor” Prophets – so called because
their collective works fill only a single scroll. He prophesied from about 725 to 690 BCE, and
was a younger contemporary of “First Isaiah” (Isaiah of Jerusalem). He criticized
empty rituals and injustice in Jerusalem during the years when Assyria
conquered Northern Israel (722) and threatened Jerusalem (701), and when the
Babylonians overcame Jerusalem (597 to 587 BCE).<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">Today’s reading sets out the “reasons” for this sorry state
of affairs. It starts with a divine
lawsuit/complaint by YHWH against Israel in which YHWH/the LORD recounts all
God has done for Israel (vv. 1-5). A
spokesperson for the community then asks what offerings can be made to please
YHWH (vv.6-7) and even asks if child sacrifices would atone for the transgressions
(v.7b)! <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">Micah tells the people that offerings are not sufficient. The
last words of verse 8 in today’s reading are the epitome of the entire
Israelite prophetic tradition – the people (and all of us) are called to do
justice, love kindness/goodness, and walk humbly/wisely with God. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"> <u><o:p></o:p></u></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><u><o:p> </o:p></u></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><b><u>1 Corinthians 1:18-31<o:p></o:p></u></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">Corinth, a large port city in Greece, was among the early
Jesus Follower communities that Paul founded.
Its culture was Hellenistic and emphasized reason and secular
wisdom. In addition to Paul, other Jesus
Followers also taught in Corinth, sometimes in ways inconsistent with Paul’s
understandings of what it means to be a Jesus Follower. This led to contentions
among the Corinthians. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">In today’s reading, Paul criticized the “wisdom of the
world” and asserted that “God’s foolishness is wiser than human wisdom”
(v.25). He explained that the “wisdom of
the world” involves power and noble birth. God’s “foolishness,” on the other
hand, is shown by love, by selflessness (as shown in the cross) and by
humility. God’s “foolishness” will lead
to righteousness (everything in right relation with everything else),
sanctification (making everything holy) and redemption (making everything
whole) (v.30). </div>
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<div class="MsoNormal"> <o:p></o:p></div>
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