These many Sundays after Pentecost track and affirm the growing conviction of holy strength among those who follow Jesus. We read again the challenges and comforts which the Holy Spirit blows into our sails: no longer in the harbor of anticipation, we move into the injustice and selfishness of a material world. Scriptures for this weekend address the immanent Presence of Divinity, which has (again) broken into the once-familiar world with new visions of what yet may be…
The Book of Beginnings takes us to our progenitors’ realization of their own humanity: Genesis 3:8-15 describes the Lord God’s disappointment that Creation’s brief moment of perfection has been tarnished. Adam & Eve acknowledged their nakedness, and God realized that wisdom has been shared as humanity tries to become divine. Along with Wisdom goes Blame: “SHE said it was OK!” “The SNAKE said it was OK!” The Snake/Dragon continues to terrify humans, personifying Evil and as a scapegoat for our own limited vision.
What is worthy, says Paul to the Corinthian church (II 4:16-18), is that which we see only in the eyes of our soul. Our stories and dreams, our wishes and our songs, our commitment to another through marriage & procreation–all are not “factual”, but become powerful signs of what we dare imagine. “So we do not lose heart. Even though our outer nature is wasting away, our inner nature is being renewed day by day.” A caution, here–Paul is known for his rejection of the physical in favor of the spiritual. I’d rather read these verses with a holistic sense of God’s Presence in both the seen and the unseen.
Mark’s Gospel account (3:20-35) is evidently inserted here to accent the humanity of Jesus AND his family. Busy with healing and casting out demons, Jesus is assailed as being possessed himself. His rebuttal is strictly human; no mention of God is made in this passage. But how can an unclean spirit cast out another person’s unclean spirit? Obviously the scribes and even Jesus’ family were seeing only the immediate, whereas Jesus was attempting to point out a Greater Vision of a Perfect Creation.
Each of these readings is an attempt to call the worshiper beyond the moment into a land of greater possibilities. These are probably not escape-clauses, because reality and all its poignancy is rightly acknowledged. Yet in the midst of our daily scrabbling in the dust, there’s something refreshing about going on a holy trip where Godly visions become our security and our bliss…
God Bless Us, Every One Horace Brown King
My exploration of scripture passages assigned to the upcoming weekend can be found every Tuesday at this spot on Facebook; or at horacebrownking.com
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