A faith journey
Commentary
Object:
Two players. Two teammates. Same team. One is known for "Tebowing." One is known for murder. Tim Tebow. Aaron Hernandez. So it was for the New England Patriots. One lives by the spirit. One lives by the flesh.
Though the struggle between the old and the new, between the former life of sin and the new life of grace seems to be lived separately in these two New England players, for the rest of us it is a constant internal battle of good versus evil, what we do versus what we desire to do.
There is a common theme in our three lectionary readings for this Sunday. It is being able to give up our former selves to become a new creation. It is the ability to give up the old for the new. It is the ability to accept God's call to welcome and celebrate a new life.
It was for Isaac the acceptance of a new wife and a new journey. For Paul it was giving up a life lived under the law for one lived by grace. For the Jews it was able to surrender the asceticism of John the Baptist for the celebration of Jesus. And for all of those involved, the transformation could only come by faith.
When Pope Francis was speaking at the World Youth Day in August 2013 he said children fall prey to the "false paradise" of drugs. But the false paradise we succumb to is not just drugs, for it is anything that keeps us under the vestige of sin and abhorrent of righteous living.
At the same rally in Rio de Janeiro the pope spoke of the importance of grandparents acting as a "bridge" to preserve our religious heritage. A bridge between the old and the new is the proclamation of all three lessons this day. Isaac was to be the bridge with Rebekah, a wife from his father's Abraham clan to continue the faithful adherence to the covenant. Paul was to bridge the gap from law to grace. Jesus was to bridge the gap from stoicism to the celebration of a living a redemptive life.
The bridge, for all three, could only be crossed over by faith. Isaac had to have faith in his trusted servant that the Lord would lead him to an honorable wife. Paul had to have the faith to accept the revelation experienced on the road to Damascus. Those who jeered at Jesus had to accept by faith that he represented the celebration of the coming kingdom of God.
Genesis 24:34-38, 42-49, 58-67
Isaac's mother has passed away. His father Abraham is on his death bed. As the patriarch of the family and the one to whom God had established his covenant with the chosen people, Abraham knew it was time to pass the mantle of leadership to his son. In order for the Hebrews to be numbered as the stars in the heavens and as the grains of sand on the shores of the sea, Isaac needed a wife. The honorable lady could not be a foreigner but had to come from Abraham's own tribe. To assure this Abraham sent his dutiful servant in search of a bride. It was for Abraham an act of faith for he knew he would be deceased before the betrothed returned to Isaac. Abraham's steadfast obedience and reliance on faith brought Rebekah to Isaac.
Romans 7:15-25a
Paul in this passage is reflecting on his old life lived under the law and his new life lived by grace. Yet even though he has become a new creation in Christ he still struggles with the oppressiveness of sin. He considers that sin has infected the members of his body, but his mind realizes that by grace he has been forgiven. Thus he is struggling between living a life beguiled by sin and one of righteousness. He realizes that he cannot with sure will power cast sin out of his life, for this can only be accomplished by living in faith. Therefore he so aptly describes his spiritual struggle.
Matthew 11:16-19, 25-30
Those gathered around Jesus live in a confused state of mind. They rejected John the Baptist for he was too stoic; yet, they are unable to entertain the celebratory disposition of Jesus. Because of their legalistic orientation they are unable to surrender their entrenched way of thinking and accept the grace that is offered to them by Jesus. They are hindered by hardness of heart to accept on faith that Jesus is the Messiah who will forgive sins and redeem the fallen world.
Application
The sermon could center on the struggle we have to live by faith. The message would be one of letting go and trusting in God's divine guidance. Abraham had to let go and trust God to bring a wife from his clan. Isaac had to let go and trust that Rebekah was the chose wife for him. Paul had to let go of the law and be willing to live by faith. The followers of Jesus had to let go of their preconceived notions and celebrate that Jesus is the true Messiah.
An Alternate Application
In all three lectionary reading there is a personal struggle to live by faith. Each character mentioned had to have to have the trust that can only come by faith. To acquire that trust each had to exercise self-surrendering and self-discipline. In so doing they had to trust that faith would sustain them and that the promises of God were dependable.
Though the struggle between the old and the new, between the former life of sin and the new life of grace seems to be lived separately in these two New England players, for the rest of us it is a constant internal battle of good versus evil, what we do versus what we desire to do.
There is a common theme in our three lectionary readings for this Sunday. It is being able to give up our former selves to become a new creation. It is the ability to give up the old for the new. It is the ability to accept God's call to welcome and celebrate a new life.
It was for Isaac the acceptance of a new wife and a new journey. For Paul it was giving up a life lived under the law for one lived by grace. For the Jews it was able to surrender the asceticism of John the Baptist for the celebration of Jesus. And for all of those involved, the transformation could only come by faith.
When Pope Francis was speaking at the World Youth Day in August 2013 he said children fall prey to the "false paradise" of drugs. But the false paradise we succumb to is not just drugs, for it is anything that keeps us under the vestige of sin and abhorrent of righteous living.
At the same rally in Rio de Janeiro the pope spoke of the importance of grandparents acting as a "bridge" to preserve our religious heritage. A bridge between the old and the new is the proclamation of all three lessons this day. Isaac was to be the bridge with Rebekah, a wife from his father's Abraham clan to continue the faithful adherence to the covenant. Paul was to bridge the gap from law to grace. Jesus was to bridge the gap from stoicism to the celebration of a living a redemptive life.
The bridge, for all three, could only be crossed over by faith. Isaac had to have faith in his trusted servant that the Lord would lead him to an honorable wife. Paul had to have the faith to accept the revelation experienced on the road to Damascus. Those who jeered at Jesus had to accept by faith that he represented the celebration of the coming kingdom of God.
Genesis 24:34-38, 42-49, 58-67
Isaac's mother has passed away. His father Abraham is on his death bed. As the patriarch of the family and the one to whom God had established his covenant with the chosen people, Abraham knew it was time to pass the mantle of leadership to his son. In order for the Hebrews to be numbered as the stars in the heavens and as the grains of sand on the shores of the sea, Isaac needed a wife. The honorable lady could not be a foreigner but had to come from Abraham's own tribe. To assure this Abraham sent his dutiful servant in search of a bride. It was for Abraham an act of faith for he knew he would be deceased before the betrothed returned to Isaac. Abraham's steadfast obedience and reliance on faith brought Rebekah to Isaac.
Romans 7:15-25a
Paul in this passage is reflecting on his old life lived under the law and his new life lived by grace. Yet even though he has become a new creation in Christ he still struggles with the oppressiveness of sin. He considers that sin has infected the members of his body, but his mind realizes that by grace he has been forgiven. Thus he is struggling between living a life beguiled by sin and one of righteousness. He realizes that he cannot with sure will power cast sin out of his life, for this can only be accomplished by living in faith. Therefore he so aptly describes his spiritual struggle.
Matthew 11:16-19, 25-30
Those gathered around Jesus live in a confused state of mind. They rejected John the Baptist for he was too stoic; yet, they are unable to entertain the celebratory disposition of Jesus. Because of their legalistic orientation they are unable to surrender their entrenched way of thinking and accept the grace that is offered to them by Jesus. They are hindered by hardness of heart to accept on faith that Jesus is the Messiah who will forgive sins and redeem the fallen world.
Application
The sermon could center on the struggle we have to live by faith. The message would be one of letting go and trusting in God's divine guidance. Abraham had to let go and trust God to bring a wife from his clan. Isaac had to let go and trust that Rebekah was the chose wife for him. Paul had to let go of the law and be willing to live by faith. The followers of Jesus had to let go of their preconceived notions and celebrate that Jesus is the true Messiah.
An Alternate Application
In all three lectionary reading there is a personal struggle to live by faith. Each character mentioned had to have to have the trust that can only come by faith. To acquire that trust each had to exercise self-surrendering and self-discipline. In so doing they had to trust that faith would sustain them and that the promises of God were dependable.
