Coming to Passover: God’s Generosity

The kids of our church served pancakes, tonight, just as they always do on Mardi Gras.   Then we stopped by Walmart, to stock up on goodies–so much for a Lenten fast!  The idea behind the pancakes is to purge the larder of fat for forty days.  We postmoderns don’t fast from luxurious food;  our sackcloth is the denial of attitudes which stand between us and God.  I’m going to try to give up Arrogance.  (Lotsa luck.)

Scriptures for the First weekend in Lent speak not of poverty, but abundance.  On the doorstep to the Promised Land, the wandering Hebrews are instructed to bring God the first fruits of their harvest. (Deuteronomy 26:1-11)   This reminds them that there is to be a generous fulfillment after forty years of desert wandering!  What began in slavery has climaxed in Milk & Honey:  past the unknowing and meager rations, past trying to learn and observe a mountain of rules, past the difficulties of diversity…  Through this Lenten season, what shall we discover about being heirs to God’s Generosity?

The few verses in Romans 10:8-13 acknowledge St. Paul’s Jewish appreciation of God’s covenant.  Just as God’s generosity landed the Hebrews in a place where they could develop their future, Paul turns back to Deuteronomy to affirm God’ nearness: “The word is near you, on your lips and in your heart” (30:13)  He sees the Exodus-like spiritual journey as already implanted deep inside, then overflowing in our communication.   “Oz never gave nuthin’ to the Tin Man that he didn’t already have…”

All Lenten activities begin with remembering Jesus’ Wilderness Temptations, this year in Luke’s account (4:1-13).  Full of the Holy Spirit, the Lord went on retreat to think things out.  “Why not”, the Evil Voice wondered, “Why not be Relevant?  You could end world hunger just like THAT!  Doesn’t that sound good?”  “Why not be Powerful?  You could enforce brotherhood, end war, stop global warming…  Doesn’t that sound good?”  “Why not be Spectacular?  EVERYone would recognize you, ‘Jesus’ would be a household name!  Doesn’t that seem right?”  The Evil One is always trying to get us to choose ourselves before God, the Giver of All Good Gifts (see Genesis 3–and note how this didn’t work very well!).

Robert W. Prim shares some concluding wisdom:  “God’s generosity is expansive beyond our imaginations.  Our calling as followers of the One who embodied
God’s generosity is to live generous lives in response.  The Lenten season invites us to self-examination regarding the extent to which God’s generosity is written upon our hearts.”  (FEASTING on the WORD, C 2:43)

God Bless Us, Every One                Horace Brown King

My observations on lectionary readings for the upcoming weekend can be found every Tuesday in this spot on Facebook, or at horacebrownking.com.