I’ve always thought myself a law-abiding person. Well, with a 5 mph margin for speed limits. I don’t bounce checks intentionally, nor do I jay-walk…most often. I play by the rules, ‘cept for occasions which would benefit me. I’m aghast by society’s willingness to create mayhem against tribes and nations far away; and I say “boy’s will be boys” when my friends admit to harmless (?) and anonymous pranks. In short, I revere and uphold all law that doesn’t pinch me too much!
This weekend’s scriptures address the absolutism of The Law, as seen both civilly and morally. I Kings 21 tells the story about how Ahab seized the vineyard of Naboth, his neighbor, by falsely accusing him of treason & blasphemy–punishable by stoning to death. The prophet Elijah, one of the only perceived voices of Godly ethic, called him to accountability for his evil; and Ahab, taking a page from Adam of old, blamed his wife! (Cherchez la femme) Besides, as she said, Ahab was The King!
The passage from Galatians 2:15-21 is a very wordy musing of St. Paul about ethics and the law. “We ourselves are Jews by birth and not Gentile sinners [!!!]; yet we know that a person is justified not by the works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ.” ‘Twas hard for this Pharisee to move from the absolutism of the Jewish law into a situational morality where Right was that action/belief which showed the greatest love. We need to read the paragraphs before these to appreciate the ongoing disagreement between Paul–who extended Grace to the non-Jews–and Peter & Co., who upheld the Jewishness of the Christian movement.
The Gospel is Luke’s remembrance of the fancy dinner where a “woman of the city” poured perfume all over Jesus’ feet, and wiped them with her hair! Simon, the prissy host, was offended, as were all the “good” people. After all, convention (and MAYBE the law) discriminated because she was a woman, and a fallen one at that. Hearers are now left to judge for themselves between Jesus and The Law, a common demand of the gospels.
Back in the last century, we seminarians debated Joseph Fletcher’s concept of Situational Ethics. In the 50 ensuing years, I’ve found that “doing the right thing” isn’t very simple–and can be immensely frustrating. These readings will undoubtedly lift more questions than answers: thanks be to God!
God Bless Us, Every One Horace Brown King
A personal note: as I returned from Annual Conference on Saturday, I mused that 50 years ago, in 1966, I exited a similar Conference newly appointed to a student pastorate at the small yet vital Methodist congregations of Clifford& Lenoxville PA. I celebrate the journey, and what God has done with me during the intervening years!
My thoughts about lectionary readings for the upcoming weekend can be found every Tuesday at this spot on Facebook; and at horacebrownking.com.
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