Wednesday's thoughts

"What Zechariah Said When He Didn't Speak"
The father of John the Baptist was a priest. He was given the responsibility to conduct worship. This is what Biblical scholar Martin Noth has to say:
"
the father of John the Baptist was a righteous priest of the division of Abijah. At one time, when this division assembled for duty in the temple, the lot fell to him to burn incense. While he was performing this service, an angel of the Lord appeared to him and announced that his old supplication for a son would be answered. The son, to be called John, would be filled with the Holy Spirit and would prepare the people for God's rule."

What is interesting about the flow of this text (Luke 1:5-23) is the indication that Zechariah was reduced to silence. He was so taken and shaken by the news that he couldn't speak.

The other thing that is interesting about this text is the supposition that the people who were waiting to come into the sanctuary were held out of the sanctuary until the old priest got himself together.

The invitation to burn the incense and lead in worship would have been a highlight in his life. For a preacher to be reduced to silence; for a worship leader to be so paralyzed that he held up the beginning of worship indicates that something unusually special was happening.

It was the beginning of a new hope. It was the fulfillment of an old promise.

Advent is a time to stand and sit in silence. It is a time to learn to lift up the most important things as most important.

In the sermon I will try to do that.

In following up Dr. Kelly's concern about the importance and the impossibility of a "tithe" I have discovered some interesting research on the subject.

Dr. Kelly is right to suggest that a tithe is really about the people who lived outside Israel and the 10% they were asked to give came in the form of food or livestock.

The Biblical scholar Eissfeldt has this observation concerning "Tithing in Later Judaism"

"In line with the tendency to regard the entire Law as binding, two tithes were required in later times. In accord with the Priestly Code, the tithe for the Levites was collected, and was the chief source of their income. The Mishna stipulated that everything used for food, that was cultivated and grew from the earth, was subject to the tithe. How strictly this could be observed is seen by Jesus' condemnation of the Pharisees for their lack of a sense of proportion with regard to what was important in religious observances. In addition to the tithe for the Levites, a second tithe, which was consumed by the offerer in accord with the provisions of Deuteronomy, was required. The cattle tithe was thought of as a second tithe. the charity tithe, in effect, a third tithe, was also levied annually for the relief of the poor."

Dr. Kelly, who has responded to the 'Build a sermon' has objected to the way the word 'tithe' was applied by our bishop. Kelly is a scholar whose doctoral work has been focused on this very subject, and his observations, which can be found in the "comments" section below, have provoked interesting thoughts.

We can all agree with his basic conclusion that giving should never be arbitrary or forced, but must be freely given and given with a sense of joy and grace.

I thank him for his observations.

What are your thoughts about tithes or the importance of silence? I'd like to hear from you. Write me at charlesschuster@fcfumc.net. If you are willing to participate in dialogue with others who read this column click on the box below.

I look forward to hearing from you.


Charles Schuster