When you think about it, the entire Biblical story is one of God’s grace amidst impossible situations. So lessons to be heard on the upcoming weekend are all about incredible intercessions and a Presence which can be acknowledged by all of us. People in the pews may have heard these stories before–or maybe not!–and they should remind the hearers of their own spiritual journeys and revelations.
The Book of ESTHER, of which we’ll explore several verses in chapters 7 & 9, may or not be an account of an actual happening. But that doesn’t matter: the story addresses the reclamation of the Diaspora Jews through God’s empowerment of Queen Esther and the receptivity of King Ahazueras. Here again is a tale of God’s rescuing and restoring YHWHs People, of Divine Justice and a care for the community. We think of Mary’s Magnificat, centuries later, where “God has stretched out [a] mighty arm and scattered the proud with all their plans…” (Luke 2:51)
JAMES 5:13-20 is good advice despite its lack of Christology: whenever things get tough, PRAY. “The prayer of the righteous is powerful and effective.” (v.16) A word of caution: the pray-er may not get all that he or she requests, and it’s too easy to assume that the afflicted one “didn’t pray hard enough”. This all is cast within the understanding of the Church community: confession to one another, a gathering of elders, the restoration of those who may have wandered off…
The Gospel of MARK isn’t designed as a narrative, although we see a timeline of Jesus’ ministry and teachings unfold here. In 9:38-50 we find more references to the Business of Gathered Disciples: acceptance of others, the purging of the un-Godly in order to remain pure (Mark WAS Jewish), and the living in peace with one another. How much can we give up our own standards and keep our Christian identity? Some groups have isolated themselves from the Rest of the World–but that seems not to work. As the Disciples followed Jesus to Jerusalem, there were many decisions to be made.
These are not comfortable passages for the Church: contemporary Christians are urged to make these decisions on a daily basis. Yet the questions which may arise tend to stretch our ideas into further realms of witness. Ancient and more modern stories illuminate the journey of the Church, and serve to remind us that it’s not an easy path.
In the process of unfolding, Horace Brown King
Please join in the discussion every Tuesday at horacebrownking.com, as we examine–and are examined by–scriptural passages to be shared on the upcoming weekend.
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