Archive for the ‘Isaac’ Tag
Above: Abraham and Lot Separate
Image in the Public Domain
Legalism and Fidelity
MARCH 10 and 11, 2022
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The Collect:
God of the covenant, in the mystery of the cross
you promise everlasting life to the world.
Gather all peoples into your arms, and shelter us with your mercy,
that we may rejoice in the life we share in your Son,
Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord, who lives and reigns
with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.
–Evangelical Lutheran Worship (2006), page 27
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The Assigned Readings:
Genesis 13:1-7, 14-18 (Thursday)
Genesis 14:17-24 (Friday)
Psalm 27 (Both Days)
Philippians 3:2-12 (Thursday)
Philippians 3:17-20 (Friday)
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The LORD is my light and my salvation;
whom then shall I fear?
the LORD is the strength of my life;
of whom then shall I be afraid?
–Psalm 27:1, Book of Common Worship (1993)
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Sometimes the portrayal of Abram/Abraham in the Bible puzzles me. In Hebrews 10:8-22 the patriarch is a pillar of fidelity to God. Yet he hedges his bets and lies in Genesis 12, and the only people who suffer are the Pharaoh of Egypt and members of the royal household. Abram exiles his firstborn son, Ishmael, in Genesis 21:8-21. The patriarch intercedes on behalf of strangers in Genesis 19 yet not for his second son, Isaac, three chapters later. Abram, who is wealthy, refuses even to appear to have enriched himself by means of the King of Sodom in Genesis 14. In so doing the patriarch, who has just paid a tithe of war booty to Melchizedek, King of Salem (Jerusalem) and priest of El Elyon, a Canaanite sky deity, invokes YHWH, not El Elyon. I do not know what to make of Abram/Abraham.
Circumcision is a major issue in Philippians 3. St. Paul the Apostle refers to rival missionaries who favor the circumcision of Gentile male converts to Christianity. He calls these Judaizers “dogs,” a strong insult many Jews reserved for Gentiles. One can find the mandate for circumcision of males (including some Gentiles) in Genesis 17:9-14, where it is a sign of the Abrahamic Covenant. It has been, for Jews, a physical sign of the covenant for millennia. It has become an emotional issue for people who favor it as a religious obligation and a mark of identity as well as for those who consider it cruel.
In Philippians 3 circumcision is, for St. Paul the Apostle, a physical sign of righteousness based on law, not on active faith in God. The line between legalism and righteousness can be difficult to locate sometimes. One should obey certain commandments out of fidelity and love and respect for God. One loves and honors God, so one keeps the commandments of God.
If you love me you will obey my commands…,
John 14:15 (The Revised English Bible, 1989) quotes Jesus as saying. But when does keeping commandments turn into a fetish of legalism? And when does the maintenance of one’s identity transform into exclusion of others? Where is that metaphorical line many people cross?
One sure way of knowing if one has crossed that line is catching that person obsessing over minute details while overlooking pillars of morality such as compassion. If one, for example, complains not because Jesus has healed someone but because he has done this on the Sabbath, one is a legalist. If one becomes uptight about personal peccadilloes yet remains unconcerned about institutionalized injustice (such as that of the sexist, racial, and economic varieties), one is a legalist. If one’s spiritual identity entails labeling most other people as unclean or damned, one is a legalist. If one thinks that moral living is merely a matter of following a spiritual checklist, one is a legalist. If one becomes fixated on culturally specific examples of timeless principles at the expense of those principles, one is a legalist.
May we who claim to follow and love God eschew legalism. May we also care for our close friends and relatives at least as much as we do suffering strangers for which we harbor concern.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
NOVEMBER 14, 2015 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF JOHN AMOS COMENIUS, FATHER OF MODERN EDUCATION
THE FEAST OF THE CONSECRATION OF SAMUEL SEABURY, FIRST EPISCOPAL BISHOP
THE FEAST OF WILLIAM ROMANIS, ANGLICAN BISHOP AND HYMN WRITER
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https://blogatheologica.wordpress.com/2015/11/14/legalism-and-fidelity/
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Above: The Sacrifice of Isaac, by Caravaggio
Image in the Public Domain
To Argue Faithfully
FEBRUARY 26 and 27, 2024
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The Collect:
O God, by the passion of your blessed Son you made an instrument of shameful death
to be for us the means on life.
Grant us so to glory in the cross of Christ that we may gladly suffer shame and loss
for the sake of your Son, Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and forever. Amen.
–Evangelical Lutheran Worship (2006), page 27
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The Assigned Readings:
Genesis 21:1-7 (Monday)
Genesis 22:1-19 (Tuesday)
Psalm 105:1-11, 37-45 (Both Days)
Hebrews 1:8-12 (Monday)
Hebrews 11:1-3, 13-19 (Tuesday)
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For he remembered his holy word
and Abraham, his servant.
–Psalm 105:42, The Book of Common Prayer (2004)
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The New Testament defines faith three ways, for that anthology is the product of more than one writer. Faith, in the Pauline sense, is inherently active, hence justification by grace. Yet, in the Letter of James, faith is intellectual, hence that book’s theology of justification by works. Those two schools of thought affirm active faith, so they are two ways of making the same point. Then there is faith according to Hebrews 11:1:
Now faith is the assurance of things not hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.
—The New Revised Standard Version (1989)
Faith, according to this definition, which overlaps with the Pauline meaning, keeps one going in the absence of evidence in support of or in contradiction to a proposition.
Abraham, the author of the Letter to the Hebrews tells us, was an exemplar of that kind of faith. As we have read in Genesis in this lectionary-based series of devotions, this was not always true. (The author of Hebrews glossed over some content from Genesis.) And I argue that, in Genesis 22, the patriarch failed the test of faith, for the faithful response was to argue.
Did I hear you correctly? Do you want me kill my own son? Have I not sacrificed Ishmael already by sending him away with Hagar? What kind of God commands me to kill my son?
The near-sacrifice of Isaac by Abraham must have caused psychological damage to the son (how could it not?), for he became a passive, minor figure and the least of the patriarchs.
My favorite aspect of Judaism is arguing faithfully with God. In Islam one is supposed to submit to God, but Jews get to confront the deity in good conscience. This ethic is evident in the Psalms, with frequent complaints to God. I recall, decades ago, reading a review of a translation of the Psalms. The new translation avoided King James-style politeness, as in
Lord, I beseech thee,
preferring
Look, Yahweh.
The review, from a Christian magazine, was favorable. I have kvetched to God with great honesty often. Is not honesty essential to any healthy relationship?
Pondering the art of faithful arguing led me to remember an incident from the Gospels. The four Gospels are wonderful texts, but they lack any description of tone of voice at some crucial points in the narratives. Tone of voice, of course, can change the meaning of dialogue. In Matthew 15, for example, Jesus was in Gentile country–the region of Tyre and Sidon. There a Gentile woman begged our Lord and Savior to heal her daughter. He replied,
It is not right to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs.
–15:26, The Revised English Bible (1989)
She answered,
True, sir, and yet the dogs eat the scraps that fall from the master’s table.
–15:27, REB
Jesus replied,
What faith you have! Let it be as you wish.
–15:28a, REB
The context if that story tells me that Jesus said what he did to prompt her to reply as she did. She passed the test. All she had to do was argue. Isaac would have been better off had Abraham been as faithful as that Gentile woman.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
DECEMBER 8, 2014 COMMON ERA
THE NINTH DAY OF ADVENT, YEAR B
THE FEAST OF SAINTS AMATUS OF LUXEUIL AND ROMARIC OF LUXEUIL, ROMAN CATHOLIC MONKS AND ABBOTS
THE FEAST OF MARTIN RINCKART, ARCHDEACON OF EILENBURG
THE FEAST OF RICHARD BAXTER, ANGLICAN THEOLOGIAN
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https://blogatheologica.wordpress.com/2014/12/11/to-argue-faithfully/
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Above: Christ and the Woman of Samaria at Jacob’s Well
Image Creator = N. Currier (Firm)
Image Created Between 1835 and 1856
Image Source = Library of Congress
Reproduction Number = LC-USZC2-2099
Living Water in the Wilderness
MARCH 13 AND 14, 2023
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The Collect:
Merciful God, the fountain of living water,
you quench our thirst and wash away our sin.
Give us this water always.
Bring us to drink from the well that flows with the beauty of your truth
through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord, who lives and reigns
with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.
–Evangelical Lutheran Worship (2006), page 27
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The Assigned Readings:
Genesis 24:1-27 (17th Day)
Genesis 29:1-14 (18th Day)
Psalm 81 (Both Days)
2 John 1-13 (17th Day)
1 Corinthians 10:1-4 (18th Day)
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Oh, that my people would listen to me!
that Israel would walk in my ways!
–Psalm 81:13, The Book of Common Prayer (1979)
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The daily lectionary I am following in this series of posts focuses on the Revised Common Lectionary, building up to a Sunday’s readings Thursday through Saturday then glowing from those readings Monday through Wednesday. Thus, for the purpose of this post, one needs to know that the Gospel lection for the Third Sunday in Lent, Year A, is Jesus speaking to the Samaritan woman at the well. This is the longest recorded conversation of our Lord and Savior in the Gospels. And it was, I have mentioned, not only with a woman but with a Samaritan–a radical step in that social milieu. That Jesus, what will he do next? Which social norm will he violate tomorrow?
I bring the discourse on living water in John 4 into this post, for that content belongs here also. At a well a servant of Abraham found Isaac’s future wife and Jacob’s mother, Rebekah. At a well Jacob met one of his future wives, Rachel. Wells were crucial sources of life-giving and life-sustaining water, especially in an arid environment. And, elsewhere in the biblical narrative, God provided water for the wandering Israelites in the desert after the Exodus and before the settlement of Canaan under the leadership of Joshua, son of Nun. The tie between water and the sense of God providing for the people was palpable.
The metaphorical living water of which Jesus spoke in John 4 brings me to 2 John 6:
To love is to live according to [God’s] commandments: this is the commandment which you have heard since the beginning, to live a life of live.
—The New Jerusalem Bible (1985)
As we journey through the wilderness of anxiety, fear, animosity, misunderstanding, and perhaps even hatred, may we drink deeply of the living water of Christ-like love–agape–which accepts others unconditionally and self-sacrificially. May we trust that God will provide sufficiently and on time. May we have the grace and strength to seek the best interests of others–also our own best interests–for we are all in in this life together and dependent on God. May this living water enable us to help others–therefore ourselves–and to love and glorify God, regardless of how bleak the wilderness seems or is.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
NOVEMBER 25, 2013 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF SQUANTO, COMPASSIONATE HUMAN BEING
THE FEAST OF JAMES OTIS SARGENT HUNTINGTON, FOUNDER OF THE ORDER OF THE HOLY CROSS
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http://blogatheologica.wordpress.com/2014/01/14/living-water-in-the-wilderness/
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Above: Isaac Blessing Jacob, by Govert Flinck
Genesis and Mark, Part XIV: Huh? What?
MARCH 1 and 2, 2024
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Blessed Lord, who caused all holy scriptures to be written for our learning:
Grant us so to hear them, read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest them,
that we may embrace and ever hold fast the blessed hope of everlasting life,
which you have given us in our Savior Jesus Christ;
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
–The Book of Common Prayer (1979), page 236
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The Assigned Readings:
Genesis 24:32-52, 61-67 (15th Day of Lent)
Genesis 27:1-29 (16th Day of Lent)
Psalm 22 (Morning–15th Day of Lent)
Psalm 43 (Morning–16th Day of Lent)
Psalms 107 and 130 (Evening–15th Day of Lent)
Psalms 31 and 143 (Evening–16th Day of Lent)
Mark 8:1-21 (15th Day of Lent)
Mark 8:22-38 (16th Day of Lent)
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Some Related Posts:
Prayers:
http://gatheredprayers.wordpress.com/2011/01/30/prayer-for-friday-in-the-second-week-of-lent/
http://gatheredprayers.wordpress.com/2011/01/30/prayer-for-saturday-in-the-second-week-of-lent/
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And the LORD answered her [Rebekah],
“Two nations are in your womb,
Two separate peoples shall issue from your body;
One people shall be mightier than the other,
And the older shall serve the younger.”
–Genesis 25:23, TANAKH: The Holy Scriptures
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Rebekah, sister of Laban, was generous, unlike her brother. And, according to the narrative, she became an instrument of God’s will. (She was also a trickster.) Just as the divine promise favored Isaac, the second son of Abraham, it also favored Jacob, the second son of Isaac. The human means of granting this favor in each case were morally difficult, to state the case simply. And so I scratch my head and ask myself what I am supposed to make of such stories.
Now I consider the sequence of events in Mark 8:
- Jesus feeds “about four thousand people” with seven loaves and a few small fishes. He has leftovers afterward. (1-10)
- Some Pharisees ask for a sign. Jesus refuses. (11-13)
- Jesus speaks metaphorically about the yeast of Pharisees and of Herod Antipas. His Apostles take him literally. (14-21)
- Jesus cures a blind man at Bethsaida. (22-26)
- Jesus confesses Jesus to be the Christ. (27-30)
- Jesus predicts his death and resurrection. Peter rebukes him. Jesus rebukes Peter then says that anyone who would follow must take up his own cross. (31-38)
Jesus was surrounded by people who were oblivious–metaphorically blind–to his identity. Peter grasped that Jesus was the Christ–the Messiah–yet misunderstood what that meant. And, as for Pharisees demanding a sign, why was another multiplication of food insufficient?
God comes to us in many ways, including Bible stories. As I reflect on my childhood Christian education, I do not recall many discussions of the nuances of morally difficult stories. There was a great biblical whitewashing in Sunday School. I prefer the Bible straight up, a stiff drink of narrative theology, if you will. This good, stiff drink can prove uncomfortable sometimes, but so be it. Even when I scratch my head and ask myself,
Huh? What?,
I prefer that reality to comfortable ignorance.
We meet Jesus in print via Bible stories yet others encountered him in the flesh. And many of them were confused. You, O reader, and I have the advantage of hindsight. But we are also subject to confusion. Nevertheless, such confusion can turn into knowledge of the truth, as it did in the case of Peter. He, of course, took up his cross (literally). Our crosses might not prove as costly, but what if they do? Are we prepared for that?
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
MAY 16, 2012 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF SAINTS ANDREW FOURNET AND ELIZABETH BICHIER, COFOUNDERS OF THE DAUGHTERS OF THE CROSS; AND SAINT MICHAEL GARICOITS, FOUNDER OF THE PRIEST OF THE SACRED HEART OF BETHARRAM
THE FEAST OF SAINT JOHN NEPOMUCENE, ROMAN CATHOLIC PRIEST
THE FEAST OF THE MARTYRS OF SUDAN
THE FEAST OF TE WERA HAURAKI, ANGLICAN MISSIONARY
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http://blogatheologica.wordpress.com/2013/01/20/genesis-and-mark-part-xiv-huh-what/
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Above: The Sacrifice of Isaac, by Caravaggio
Genesis and Mark, Part XIII: Arguing for Compassionate Deeds
FEBRUARY 28 and 29, 2024
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Blessed Lord, who caused all holy scriptures to be written for our learning:
Grant us so to hear them, read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest them,
that we may embrace and ever hold fast the blessed hope of everlasting life,
which you have given us in our Savior Jesus Christ;
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
–The Book of Common Prayer (1979), page 236
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The Assigned Readings:
Genesis 22:1-19 (13th Day of Lent)
Genesis 24:1-31 (14th Day of Lent)
Psalm 5 (Morning–13th Day of Lent)
Psalm 38 (Morning–14th Day of Lent)
Psalms 27 and 51 (Evening–13th Day of Lent)
Psalms 126 and 102 (Evening–14th Day of Lent)
Mark 7:1-23 (13th Day of Lent)
Mark 7:24-37 (14th Day of Lent)
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Some Related Posts:
Behind the Lines, a.k.a. Regeneration (1997):
http://neatnik2009.wordpress.com/2011/06/03/behind-the-lines-a-k-a-regeneration-1997/
Prayers:
http://gatheredprayers.wordpress.com/2011/01/30/prayer-for-wednesday-in-the-second-week-of-lent/
http://gatheredprayers.wordpress.com/2011/01/30/prayer-for-thursday-in-the-second-week-of-lent/
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What can I say or write about the near-sacrifice of Isaac in Genesis 22 without repeating myself? Nothing! I refuse to make apologies for it. There is no record in Genesis that father and son spoke again after that incident. They must have had conversations afterward, but Isaac’s relationship to Abraham must not have been the same as before. How could it have been? Really, O reader, if you were Isaac, how much would you want to say to your old man after such an incident?
One traditional lesson drawn from Genesis 22 is that God does not desire human sacrifice. And narrative praises Abraham for his faithfulness. Really? But should not Abraham have pleaded for the life of his son? He begged God to save the lives of strangers in Genesis 18:22-33. Sometimes we are supposed to argue; sometimes that constitutes passing the test of faithfulness. The Syro-Phoenician woman in Mark 7:24-30 passed the test with flying colors.
Abraham apparently loved his son and sought a wife for him in Genesis 24. The patriarch was not a villain, but his record as a parent was troublesome. (What about his treatment of his first son?) But Abraham did take care of his second son–at least after trying to kill him.
Jesus, in Mark 7, presents a great lesson in several parts.
- Food does not make one unclean.
- Ritual purity–in this case, in the form of the ceremonial washing of pots–is irrelevant.
- Being a Gentile or a disabled person ought not to marginalize one. (People with major disabilities and deformities were impure. A blind man or a man with crushed genitals or a deformed arm could not serve as priest, according to the Law of Moses. The Law of Moses did not anticipate the Americans with Disabilities Act.)
- No, bad attitudes and resulting sins of commission and/or omission made one unclean.
- All foods are clean. (Mark 7:19)
- A Gentile woman impresses Jesus with her faith and debating skills.
- But manipulating the Law of Moses and interpretations thereof to the detriment of others does make one unclean.
The standard (once more) is compassion. Any human tradition which contradicts it is wrong.
To point to such violations from long ago is easy, and does not cost one anything or cause one even the slightest discomfort. So I invite you, O reader, to look around. Consider your present reality. Where are violations (considered respectable and proper) of compassion? And will you argue with them? What will that cost you? What will not arguing with them cost you?
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
MAY 15, 2012 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF THE FIRST U.S. PRESBYTERIAN BOOK OF COMMON WORSHIP, 1906
THE FEAST OF CAROLINE CHISHOLM, HUMANITARIAN
THE FEAST OF PIRIPI TAUMATA-A-KURA, ANGLICAN MISSIONARY
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http://blogatheologica.wordpress.com/2013/01/20/genesis-and-mark-part-xiii-arguing-for-compassionate-deeds/
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Above: Celtic Cross Over a Church Door
The Narrow Door
MARCH 13, 2022
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Genesis 15:1-12, 17-18 (New Revised Standard Version):
The word of the LORD came to Abram in a vision,
Do not be afraid, Abram, I am your shield; your reward shall be very great.
But Abram said,
O Lord GOD, what will you give me, for I continue childless, and the heir of my house is Eliezer of Damascus?
And Abram said,
You have given me no offspring, and so a slave born in my house is to be my heir.
But the word of the LORD came to him,
This man shall not be your heir; no one but your very own issue shall be your heir.
He brought him outside and said,
Look toward heaven and count the stars, if you are able to count them.
Then he said to him,
So shall your descendants be.
And he believed the LORD; and the LORD reckoned it to him as righteousness.
Then he said to him,
I am the LORD who brought you from Ur of the Chaldeans, to give you this land to possess.
But he said,
O Lord GOD, how am I to know that I shall possess it?
He said to him,
Bring me a heifer three years old, a female goat three years old, a ram three years old, a turtledove, and a young pigeon.
He brought him all these and cut them in two, laying each half over against the other; but he did not cut the birds in two. And when birds of prey came down on the carcasses, Abram drove them away.
As the sun was going down, a deep sleep fell upon Abram, and a deep and terrifying darkness descended upon him.
When the sun had gone down and it was dark, a smoking fire pot and a flaming torch passed between these pieces. On that day the LORD made a covenant with Abram, saying,
To your descendants I give this land, from the river of Egypt to the great river, the river Euphrates.
Psalm 27 (Revised English Bible):
The LORD is my light and my salvation;
whom should I fear?
The LORD is the stronghold of my life;
of whom then should I go in dread?
When evildoers close in on me to devour me,
is my adversaries, my enemies,
who stumble and fall.
Should an army encamp against me,
my heart would have no fear;
if armed men should fall upon me,
even though I would be undismayed.
One thing I ask of the LORD,
it is the one thing I seek:
that I may dwell in the house of the LORD
all the days of my life,
to gaze on the beauty of the LORD
and to seek him in his temple.
For he will hide me in his shelter
in the day of misfortune;
he will conceal me under cover of his tent,
set me high on a rock.
Now my head will be raised high
above my enemy all about me;
so I shall acclaim him in his tent with a sacrifice
and sing a psalm of praise to the LORD.
Hear, LORD, when I cry aloud;
show my favour and answer me.
Come,
my heart has said,
seek his presence.
I seek your presence, LORD;
do not hide your face from me,
nor in your anger turn away from your servant,
whose help you have been;
God my saviour, do not reject me or forsake me.
Though my father and my mother forsake me,
the LORD will take me into his care.
Teach me your way, LORD;
do not give me up to the greed of my enemies;
lead me by a level path
to escape the foes who beset me:
liars breathing malice come forward
to give evidence against me.
Well I know that I shall see the goodness of the LORD
in the land of the living.
Wait for the LORD; be strong and brave,
and put your hope in the LORD.
Philippians 3:17-4:1 (Revised English Bible):
Join together, my friends, in following my example. You have us for a model; imitate those whose way of life conforms to it. As I have often told you, and now tell you with tears, there are many whose way of life makes them enemies of the cross of Christ. They are heading for destruction, they make appetite their god, they take pride in what should bring shame; their minds are set on earthly things. We, by contrast, are citizens of heaven, and from heaven we expect our deliverer to come, the Lord Jesus Christ. He will transfigure our humble bodies, and give them a form like that of his own glorious body, by that power which enables him to make all things subject to himself. This, my dear friends, whom I live and long for, my joy and crown, this is what it means to stand firm in the Lord.
Luke 13:22-35 (Revised English Bible):
He [Jesus] continued his journey through towns and villages, teaching as he made his way towards Jerusalem. Someone asked him,
Sir, are only a few saved?
His answer was:
Make every effort to enter through the narrow door; for I tell you that many will try to enter but will not succeed.
When once the master of the house has got up and locked the door, you may stand outside and knock and say, “Sir let us in!” but he will answer, “I do not know where you come from.” Then you will protest, “We used to eat and drink with you, and you taught in our streets.” But he will repeat, “I tell you, I do not know where you come from. Out of my sight, all of you, you and your wicked ways!” There will be wailing and grinding of teeth there, when you see prophets, in the kingdom of God, and you yourselves are driven away. From east and west, from north and south, people will come and take their places at the banquet in the kingdom of God. Yes, and some are now last who will be first, and some who are first will be last.
At that time a number of Pharisees came and warned him [Jesus],
Leave this place and be on your way; Herod wants to kill you.
He replied,
Go and tell that fox, “Listen: today and tomorrow I shall be driving out demons and working cures; However, I must go on my way today and tomorrow and the next day, because it is unthinkable for a prophet to meet his death anywhere but in Jerusalem.”
O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, city that murders the prophets and stones the messengers sent to her! How often have I longed to gather your children, as a hen gathers her brood under her wings; but you would not let me. Look! There is your temple, forsaken by God. I tell you, you will not see me until the time comes when you say, “Blessings on him who comes in the name of the Lord!”
The Collect:
O God, whose glory it is always to have mercy: Be gracious to all who have gone astray from your ways, and bring them again with penitent hearts and steadfast faith to embrace and hold fast the unchangeable truth of your Word, Jesus Christ your Son; who with you and the Holy Spirit lives and reigns, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
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Some Related Posts:
Prayer of Praise and Adoration:
http://gatheredprayers.wordpress.com/2011/01/25/prayer-of-praise-and-adoration-for-the-second-sunday-in-lent/
Prayer of Confession:
http://gatheredprayers.wordpress.com/2011/01/25/prayer-of-confession-for-the-second-sunday-in-lent/
Prayer of Dedication:
http://gatheredprayers.wordpress.com/2011/01/25/prayer-of-dedication-for-the-the-second-sunday-in-lent/
Prayer:
http://gatheredprayers.wordpress.com/2011/01/26/prayer-for-the-second-sunday-of-lent/
Hope of the World:
http://gatheredprayers.wordpress.com/2011/08/02/hope-of-the-world/
A Prayer for Compassion:
http://gatheredprayers.wordpress.com/2010/09/24/a-prayer-for-compassion/
A Prayer to Embrace Love, Empathy, and Compassion, and to Eschew Hatred, Invective, and Willful Ignorance:
http://gatheredprayers.wordpress.com/2010/08/03/a-prayer-to-embrace-love-empathy-and-compassion-and-to-eschew-hatred-invective-and-willful-ignorance/
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Who were the “enemies of the cross” in Philippians? They could have belonged to more than one camp, including early Gnostics, who thought that matter was evil, so the human body was evil. So Jesus could not have died on a cross or then risen from the dead, according to Gnostics. Hence Gnostics were not Christians. And, since they considered the human body to be evil, some favored starving it. Others gorged it.
Meanwhile, in Genesis, elderly Abram trusted God’s promise of progeny.
And because he put his trust in the LORD, He reckoned it to his merit.
–Genesis 15:6, TANAKH: The Holy Scriptures
The Lukan reading requires some textual context. In Chapter 13:1-21 alone we find the following happening:
- Jesus encourages repentance. (1-5)
- Jesus tells a parable about giving a non-productive fig tree extra fertilizer and one more chance to avoid destruction. (6-9)
- Jesus heals a crippled woman on the Sabbath. He incurs criticism for doing this deed on that day. (10-17)
- Jesus compares the Kingdom of God to a small mustard seed, which produces a very large weed. (18-19)
- Jesus compares the Kingdom of God to a small amount of yeast which produces enough to feed 150 people. (20-21)
Then we read about entering by the narrow door. The Kingdom of God is generous, even weed-like, beyond human control, but the portal to it is narrow.
Who are the excluded? Among them must be the “enemies of the cross,” those who are materialistic (even if some of them regard matter as evil, ironically). And I propose that among the excluded are so persnickity about religious matters (such as the Sabbath) that they do not live compassionately. They have the outward forms yet lack the substance. God welcomes the repentance of all. So God does not exclude anyone. Yet the excluded define themselves as such by not repenting.
As we continue to read we find that our Lord’s life is at risk (31-35). In the Gospel of Luke’s narrative Jesus had
resolute turned his face towards Jerusalem. (9:51, The New Jerusalem Bible)
So all of Chapter 13 occurs in the shadow of the cross to come.
To pass through a narrow door one must establish priorities. Some items will never make the cut, for they are too large. So one must travel lightly through the narrow door. May we leave behind the bulky furniture of hatred, greed, resentment, prejudice, discrimination, and legalism, among other things. And may we take compassion with us; it nullifies the items from the preceding sentence.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
MAY 14, 2012 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF FRANCIS MAKEMIE, FATHER OF U.S. PRESBYTERIANISM
THE FEAST OF NGAKUKU, ANGLICAN MISSIONARY
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http://blogatheologica.wordpress.com/2013/01/20/the-narrow-door/
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Above: Jesus Healing a Bleeding Woman
Genesis and Mark, Part X: The Promise of New Life
FEBRUARY 24, 2024
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Blessed Lord, who caused all holy scriptures to be written for our learning:
Grant us so to hear them, read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest them,
that we may embrace and ever hold fast the blessed hope of everlasting life,
which you have given us in our Savior Jesus Christ;
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
–The Book of Common Prayer (1979), page 236
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The Assigned Readings:
Genesis 15:1-21
Psalm 43 (Morning)
Psalms 31 and 143 (Evening)
Mark 5:21-43
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A Related Post:
Prayer:
http://gatheredprayers.wordpress.com/2011/01/25/prayer-for-saturday-of-the-first-week-of-lent/
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The readings for today concern the promise of new life. The daughter of Jairus was dead. The woman with a hemorrhage was socially marginalized, declared ritually unclean. Hers was a social death. And Abram was elderly and the end of his lineage. Then God intervened.
The Book of Genesis tells us what happened to Isaac, Abram’s son. Yet the scriptural narrative does not continue the accounts of the woman and the girl. Surely the daughter of Jairus knew what Jesus had done for her. And woman knew what our Lord had done for her. The healed woman, restored to society, had the option of no longer being destitute. Bud did she heal psychologically. Toward what end did she dedicate the rest of her life? I wonder. And what about the girl, with her new lease on life?
Life is precious. May each of us, having drawn new life from God each day, seek to pend that day (or the portion thereof we have) for the glory of God and the benefit of others. There are many ways to help others, so that task is relatively easy. Specifically, may we dedicate each day (or the portion thereof we have) glorifying God and helping others as God calls us to do so. Here the variety of gifts will become apparent. May we welcome them, not scorn any of them.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
MAY 14, 2012 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF FRANCIS MAKEMIE, FATHER OF U.S. PRESBYTERIANISM
THE FEAST OF NGAKUKU, ANGLICAN MISSIONARY
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http://blogatheologica.wordpress.com/2013/01/20/genesis-and-mark-part-x-the-promise-of-new-life/
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LENTEN AND EASTER DEVOTIONS 
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