17 January 2021: Second Sunday of Ordinary time B

Reading 1	Response	Reading 2	Gospel
1 Sm 3:3b-10, 19	Ps 40:2, 4, 7-8, 8-9, 10	1 Cor 6:13c-15a, 17-20	Jn 1:35-42
RCL: 1 Sm 3:1-10 (and 11-20)		RCL:1 Cor 6:12-20	RCL: Jn 1:43-51

Discipleship: invitation and response

During Ordinary time the Lectionary presents stories and teachings from Jesus’ everyday ministry. This week’s readings focus on discipleship.

The first reading is from the prophet Samuel, and describes Samuel’s call to be God’s prophet. This story takes place before the Jerusalem temple is built. During this time, the Ark of the Covenant resides in the moveable tent (“where the ark of God was”) used since Moses’ time. The story follows a folktale pattern of three repetitions (“You called me”/”I did not call you”) and a final reversal (“Speak, Lord; your servant is listening”), which becomes the traditional response of those whom God calls. The Lectionary editors chose this reading because God’s call of Samuel parallels Jesus’ call of his disciples.

The second reading is the beginning of Ordinary time’s semi-continuous reading from Paul’s first letter to the Corinthian ekklesia. In today’s pericope Paul addresses the ethical problem of sexual immorality. The Corinthians believe that, because the body is transitory, physical satisfaction with food or sex has no consequences. Paul corrects them, using three metaphors to explain their connection to God: believer’s bodies as members of Christ, believer’s bodies as temples of the Spirit, and believers as redeemed slaves (“you have been purchased”). Paul explains that Christ’s bodily resurrection and his promise of human resurrection negates their view of the body as worthless. The Corinthians’ bodies do not belong to them (“you are not your own”), their bodies belong to the God who saved them. Paul concludes by telling the Corinthians to glorify God “in/through their bodies.” That is, the Corinthians only way to worship God is in and through their physical forms. The Lectionary editors chose this reading as part of Ordinary time’s semi-continuous reading from 1 Corinthians.

John’s gospel tells the story of Jesus’ first disciples. John is not simply telling a story, he presents his theology of discipleship through movement and parenthetical translations.

• Movement. The scene opens with the Baptizer and his disciples static (“standing”) while Jesus is in motion (“walked by”). The Baptizer repeats his witness to Jesus (“Lamb of God”), and his disciples respond by moving (“followed Jesus”). The scene’s motion continues as Jesus “turned and saw them.” The two disciples do not understand Jesus’ identity (they think he is simply a “teacher”) and they do not act on their own (they follow because the Baptizer prods them). Their initiative to discipleship lies entirely with Jesus: “What are you searching for?”
• Words and meanings. John’s parenthetical translations of Hebrew and Aramaic words may indicate that his ekklesia didn’t know those languages, but it’s more likely his translations call attention to and emphasize his theology of discipleship. For example, Andrew says that they “had found” Jesus and recognized him as “the messiah,” but John’s earlier narrative shows Andrew’s claims are false: the Baptizer identified Jesus to them; Andrew and the unnamed disciple think Jesus is a “rabbi;” Andrew doesn’t understand what what “messiah” implies. In John’s theology, true discipleship requires a correct understanding of who Jesus is.

This week’s readings ask us to think about our own calling and our own response to discipleship. God calls the boy Samuel, who responds in faith. Paul teaches that we belong to God, not to ourselves. John shows that discipleship begins with Jesus and requires disciples to discern Jesus’ identity. Discipleship starts with God’s unique invitation to each person. How have we answered God’s call? Do we serve at God’s convenience, or our own? Do we serve as God needs, or choose our own form of service? Do we serve only when pushed, or do we seek what God needs us to do?

—Terence Sherlock