Thoughts on Today’s Lessons for Sunday, Aug. 11, 2013.
Jesus teaching, icon
In recent weeks we have heard from the Prophets Amos and Hosea, and now we come to perhaps the greatest of all the prophets, Isaiah, who came a generation later and prophesied to the Kingdom of Judah, while his predecessors had preached to Israel, the Northern Kingdom. His message is consistent, though, in its lament that the people will lose the land and the temple and be forced into exile because they have failed to keep God’s covenant to “do good; seek justice, rescue the oppressed, defend the orphan, and plead for the widow.”
First Reading (Track Two): Genesis 15:1-6
We drop into the middle of a story today: “After these things …” Um, after what things? Most of us remember the Old Testament in fragmentary memorable vignettes: God promises Abram and Sarai – later called Abraham and Sarah – that their heirs will inherit the Promised Land. Abraham bargains with God over Sodom and Gomorrah’s fate, and stands ready to sacrifice his son, Isaac, at God’s command. But those stories lie ahead. At this point, Abram has followed God’s call and done battle for the people. But he has been waiting a long time for his promised heir and hopes for God’s reassurance. Know, God responds, that your descendants will be as numerous as the stars.
Psalm (Track One): Psalm 50:1-8, 22-23
Today’s Psalm fits right in with Isaiah’s prophecy: God is pleased to have our offerings of thanksgiving, but God expects us to keep our covenant to be faithful, to be thankful and to practice righteousness – justice to others – in our lives. The Psalmist warns Israel that insincere thanksgiving won’t do, and those who forget God risk being “torn apart.” This language is a far cry from the sweet reassurances of Psalms like the 23rd!
Psalm (Track Two): Psalm 33:12-22
Imagine how Abram must have felt after receiving God’s reassurance. Relief, joy and gratitude for God’s love and care: These are the themes of Psalms of thanksgiving and praise. God sees us, God protects us, God loves us. Our souls wait for God, our help and shield. Our hearts are glad in God who loves us; we trust in God’s holy name.
Second Reading: Hebrews 11:1-3, 8-16
Hebrews holds an unusual place in the New Testament: Probably written late in the first century, perhaps around the same time as Matthew’s Gospel, its intended audience was probably a group of Jewish Christians who, facing severe persecution, were considering a return to Judaism. Hebrews argues that Christianity is the better way. Still, in these verses, the author takes care to speak well of the Abrahamic tradition, and argues that Jews and Christians will inherit the city of God through faith, beautifully described as “the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.”
Gospel: Luke 12:32-40
Do not be afraid, Jesus assures his little flock. God’s kingdom is coming. Still, anyone listening to the next few lines might get a little nervous, at least. Sell your possessions, make durable purses, and be ready to go when Jesus calls. We don’t know when a thief might come into our house at night – who wouldn’t be afraid about that? But this is Jesus’s way of telling the apostles to be ready. The Kingdom may come when we least expect it, bringing us “unfailing treasure in heaven, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys.”