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2nd SUNDAY IN LENT
God’s faithfulness is another theme that surfaces in these lesson-in Deuteronomy
26, for instance, and the temptation to distrust God’s faithfulness that forms the
core of the temptations.
GENESIS 15:1-12; 17-18-HOW ABRAM GOT BLESSED
This is the story about how Abram came to be blessed by
God’s presence and friendship through the act of berith, or covenant. Abram
has returned from rescuing his familial interests-a nephew-and the other inhabitants of
Sodom and Gomorrah. He has also tithed the local priest from the booty. With that in mind
chapter 15 opens with God’s promise of the divine Self to Abram. However, being
childless, such a reward lacks the tangibles of posterity, children, so the promise is
given, believed, and ritualized. The final verses delineate the boundaries of the
covenant. Thus, the pieces are in place for an excellent story of God’s promise in
the land of Lent.
PSALM 27-MY LIGHT AND SALVATION
Two famous assertions of trust and rhetorical questions form the
parallelism that opens this psalm of trust: iThe Lord is my light and my salvation; whom
shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid? What
follows are possible scenarios that would turn normal bravado into quick retreat; yet for
the psalmist the rhetorical questions are answered with clear and unequivocal
"yes" and amens. The hymnist shifts to a yearning for divine presence (vv. 4-6),
followed by a petitionary (vv. 7-10), and concluding with an affirmation of trust (vv.
11-14).
PHILIPPIANS 3:17-4:1-EARTH-BOUND, EARTH-MINDED OR OUT OF THIS WORLD?
We don’t hear from this section of Philippians much, though
it is rich with the implications of mentoring others. Paul invites his readers to imitate
him and to also be cognizant of others in relationship to the life the Pauline missioners
have modeled. Enemies are all around, Paul warns them; those who create dangerous
variations on what they have been taught. Earthbound, earth-minded people miss the real
place of action-a citizenship that begins in heaven and from where Christ will come to
transform the earth-bound into heaven-bound.
LUKE 13:31-35-INSIDERS AND OUTSIDERS
A warning-"Herod wants you dead." A response-"you
tell that old fox." A passion-"Jerusalem, Jerusalem . . ." This chapter
ending will make more organizational sense if you think about what immediately precedes
this pronouncement story. In vv. 22-30, Jesus responds to the question, "who will be
saved?" with surprise-the ones we think are in may be further away than we think, and
the ones pushed to the edge maybe sitting at the table! Thus, Jesus’ lament over
Jerusalem is understandable coming on the heels of the possiblitity of all humanity
invited to feast with God.
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