Tuesday March 22 Lent 3
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Psalm 78 Part 1
This poem speaks of how God showered the people with constant protection and generosity as God held the sea back so they could escape from their slavery in Egypt, and continued to protect them and miraculously feed them in the desert. But the people continued to distrust this God of justice and inclusion for all. There are consequences, as always, for unjust exploitative behaviour, but God does not abandon the people, even though they have abandoned God’s call to justice. So God continues to care because God makes care of the weakest a priority.
In effect, this is the basic creed of the ancient Israelites. If it were our basic belief today, what a difference that would make to our personal and international life.
Genesis 45.1-15 What’s Genesis about?
When Joseph sees the genuine care by his brothers for their father, and Judah’s willingness to be enslaved to keep the youngest brother free, their transformation has been completed – they take the responsibility which they had not taken when they planned Joseph’s murder.
Finally the outcome we have been expecting for so long: Joseph shows himself to his brothers. Joseph emphasizes the point of the whole story—all along God has been ensuring that God’s people are taken care of regardless of their treachery. Even though God never actually appears in the story, behind the scenes and without obvious intervention this all powerful God ensures that the covenant will be kept—the landless people will become a great nation. This is a very sophisticated understanding of God—that God can work effectively without dramatic intervention.
In our day God’s covenant with humanity may be that humanity will always be given the opportunity to become what we were created to be—a full example of God’s love to one another. Like the writers of Genesis, are we anticipating ways that God is enabling that to happen in our time?
Mark 6.1-13 What’s Mark about?
The opposition to Jesus is starting to grow. First his own home town rejects him, and when he sends out his disciples they are prepared for rejection on their travels even though the kingdom is breaking in around them. Soon King Herod will execute Jesus’ cousin—a very threatening event in the ancient world—anyone related to someone who has been beheaded is in imminent danger of execution themselves.
Like Jesus, our society may also ask us to leave when we challenge our society’s selfish priorities, but the good news is that God’s justice will prevail regardless. Trust in that enables us to be active disciples.
This week’s collect:
Father of mercy,
alone we have no power in ourselves to help ourselves.
When we are discouraged by our weakness,
strengthen us to follow Christ,
our pattern and our hope;
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever. Amen.
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It does indeed! And it doesn’t require a whole lot of effort—we just ask (if necessary, even just “I wish I wanted that”)—that’s all that’s needed, and the new life begins.
The Collect for the 22nd was a powerful but gentle reminder that when our own weakness weighs on us, Jesus’ life set the pattern, offered the example and following him lifts us up and renews us. Needed to hear that again!