Of the readings in the
Revised Common Lectionary for 27 January 2014 (Monday after the Third Sunday after Epiphany), I chose to reflect on Ephesians 5:6-14.
Let no one deceive you with empty words Ephesians 5:6a
I realize that given the format of the RCL, they sometimes have to pick shorter passages than would be desirable. Yet the chosen passage when taken without context essentially condemns itself. For all that is left are empty words that we should do good and expose evil without ever once mentioning what is good or evil.
If I were doing a lectionary from scratch, I could see including Ephesians 5:1-14 as a passage or even abbreviating it to Ephesians 5:1-7 if that was seen as too long. Yet by their choice of what to omit one wonders if Gordon Gekko was on the committee since they chose to omit even Ephesians 5:5: "For of this you can be sure: No immoral, impure or greedy person—such a person is an idolater—has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God." Given how American society idolizes greed, I can see where the temptation would come from to minimize disparaging it.
