The story of Abram\u2019s call is an archetypal narrative that is repeated again and again throughout the biblical record. Artistic in its presentation, this text also presents deep spiritual truths. Notice, for example, the author\u2019s use in verse 1 of a literary device called hendiadys: \u201cyour country and your kindred.\u201d A single idea is cleverly expressed through the use of two words. We also see that the number of blessings Abram will receive is the classical biblical number signifying perfection: seven.<\/p>\n\n
Beyond its beautiful, artistic form, this passage invites us to follow in Abram\u2019s footsteps \u2013 to abandon ourselves to the guidance of God; to prepare ourselves to commence the great journey; to leave what is familiar, comfortable, but ultimately small and limiting and go to \u201ca land that I will show you.\u201d Our spiritual life is this archetype \u2013 going from what we know to what we don\u2019t know; from the secure to the insecure. God calls us to follow God into the unknown. Where this journey will take us we cannot know, but we can be confident that by surrendering ourselves (i.e., our ego and all its small needs), we will be a blessing to many.<\/p>\n\n
This psalm takes the form of a dialogue between a worshipper and a Temple priest. We notice a shift from first to second person within verses 1-4. The psalmist expresses confidence in the protection of God, reminiscent of the blessing of Numbers 6:24-26: \u201cThe Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face to shine upon you, and be gracious to you; the Lord lift up his countenance upon you, and give you peace.\u201d<\/p>\n\n
This text continues the theme begun in our first reading from Genesis \u2013 the great spiritual pilgrimage of life. The \u201chills\u201d of verse 1 represent both the heavenly dwelling place of God as well the holy city. The journey to this spiritual place will require protection and sustenance, and will not be without challenges. (For example, the sun of verse 6 will be hot!) Above all, the God who calls us to this journey will not forget us; will not fall asleep on us, unlike Baal of 1 Kings 18:27, whom Elijah mocked, \u201cMaybe he\u2019s asleep!\u201d<\/p>\n\n
While we will face dark nights and times of doubt, this psalm invites us to trust that God is sustaining us, shading us, supporting us as our pilgrim road bends over the horizon.<\/p>\n\n
We see the thematic links in today\u2019s reading from Romans with the first reading from Genesis. To understand Paul\u2019s thought here, some background might be helpful. First, Paul did not found the church at Rome and, when he dictated this letter, had not yet visited the city. \u201cRomans\u201d was his way of introducing himself to the Christian community there and making his travel arrangements.<\/p>\n\n
Second, Paul strongly believed that because we are now living in the age of the Messiah, the Mosaic Law is no longer necessary. Paul, in fact, spent a great deal of time in conflict with some Christians who felt otherwise about the Law. It is this issue of the necessity and validity of the Mosaic Law that Paul speaks to in this passage.<\/p>\n\n
Paul points back to Abraham as the example par excellence that obedience to the law does not earn one God\u2019s favor. The Grace of God is a gift. The promise to Abraham of many descendants and blessings was not because Abraham followed any law, but because of Abraham\u2019s trusting faith. If God rewarded people simply because they observe a law, faith would mean nothing.<\/p>\n\n
Furthermore (and this is one of Paul\u2019s favorite issues to hammer), the presence of the Law only makes things worse. As the great biblical scholar Joseph Fitzmyer, S.J., noted about Paul\u2019s thought on this, \u201cThe prescriptions of the law are honored more in than in observance; in thus furthering transgressions, it promotes the reign of sin.\u201d In other words, when there are more laws, there are more opportunities to break them. Paul saw this as a vicious circle that brought people nowhere.<\/p>\n\n
A key to understanding today\u2019s text lies in the previous chapter, John 2:23: \u201cWhen he was in Jerusalem during the Passover festival, many believed in his name because they saw the signs that he was doing.\u201d<\/p>\n\n
Faith cannot be based on signs and wonders, just as God\u2019s grace and blessing cannot be earned through obeying laws and performing works. In this passage, the author of this gospel uses one of his favorite literary devices \u2013 misunderstanding. Both those who believed in Jesus because of his miracles, and Nicodemus, misunderstand Jesus. Nicodemus thinks that Jesus\u2019 performing of miraculous deeds is a sign of God\u2019s approval. Jesus, however, explains to Nicodemus that Jesus has come from God\u2019s presence.<\/p>\n\n
Our gospel text is thematically linked with our previous readings through Jesus\u2019 observation about the work of the spirit in verse 8. Entrance into God\u2019s Kingdom cannot be earned by human beings; it requires the outpouring of the Spirit. The final verses of the reading provide the answer to Nicodemus\u2019 question about being reborn of the Spirit \u2013 this occurs through the Crucifixion, Resurrection and Ascension of Jesus. Once again, a grand biblical archetype is tapped here \u2013 the way of ascent is descent; the way to life is through wounding and death; God has the power to transform death. Our challenge is to let God\u2019s Spirit into to our broken hearts in order that the transformation, the rebirth, might begin.<\/p>\n\n
Genesis 12:1-4a The story of Abram\u2019s call is an archetypal narrative that is repeated again and again throughout the biblical record. Artistic in its presentation, this text also presents deep spiritual truths. Notice, for example, the author\u2019s use in verse 1 of a literary device called hendiadys: \u201cyour country and your kindred.\u201d A single idea…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":201221,"template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_tec_requires_first_save":true,"_kad_blocks_custom_css":"","_kad_blocks_head_custom_js":"","_kad_blocks_body_custom_js":"","_kad_blocks_footer_custom_js":"","_EventAllDay":false,"_EventTimezone":"","_EventStartDate":"","_EventEndDate":"","_EventStartDateUTC":"","_EventEndDateUTC":"","_EventShowMap":false,"_EventShowMapLink":false,"_EventURL":"","_EventCost":"","_EventCostDescription":"","_EventCurrencySymbol":"","_EventCurrencyCode":"","_EventCurrencyPosition":"","_EventDateTimeSeparator":"","_EventTimeRangeSeparator":"","_EventOrganizerID":[],"_EventVenueID":[],"_OrganizerEmail":"","_OrganizerPhone":"","_OrganizerWebsite":"","_VenueAddress":"","_VenueCity":"","_VenueCountry":"","_VenueProvince":"","_VenueState":"","_VenueZip":"","_VenuePhone":"","_VenueURL":"","_VenueStateProvince":"","_VenueLat":"","_VenueLng":"","_VenueShowMap":false,"_VenueShowMapLink":false,"_tribe_blocks_recurrence_rules":"","_tribe_blocks_recurrence_description":"","_tribe_blocks_recurrence_exclusions":"","_kad_post_transparent":"","_kad_post_title":"","_kad_post_layout":"","_kad_post_sidebar_id":"","_kad_post_content_style":"","_kad_post_vertical_padding":"","_kad_post_feature":"","_kad_post_feature_position":"","_kad_post_header":false,"_kad_post_footer":false,"_kad_post_classname":"","ep_exclude_from_search":false,"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[23,51,52,3],"tags":[151],"class_list":["post-767070","bible_study","type-bible_study","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-bible-studies","category-lent","category-sermons-that-work","category-worship-and-prayer-menu","tag-lent-2a"],"acf":[],"taxonomy_info":{"category":[{"value":23,"label":"Bible Studies"},{"value":51,"label":"Lent"},{"value":52,"label":"Sermons That Work"},{"value":3,"label":"worship_and_prayer_menu"}],"post_tag":[{"value":151,"label":"Lent 2A"}]},"featured_image_src_large":false,"author_info":[],"comment_info":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/staging.episcopalchurch.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/bible_study\/767070","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/staging.episcopalchurch.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/bible_study"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/staging.episcopalchurch.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/bible_study"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/staging.episcopalchurch.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/bible_study\/767070\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":951922,"href":"https:\/\/staging.episcopalchurch.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/bible_study\/767070\/revisions\/951922"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/staging.episcopalchurch.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=767070"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/staging.episcopalchurch.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=767070"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/staging.episcopalchurch.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=767070"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}