God Is Always Faithful. Am I?

Scripture readings for the upcoming weekend are challenging, and not for the weak at heart. They tell the Good News of God’s Love in a most primal way, and indicate that our God is a Person who can wrestle in the mud, far away from dwelling on a cloud somewhere. Here there’s no question of God’s continued presence, no requirements of passwords or devotional bribes. The God described here is one who will always be part of us, and who wants us to be a part of God…!

If you think that HOSEA 1:2-10 is about sex, you’re only partly right. (Having trouble with the “Scandal” words? Ask your grandchildren: they probably know all about them.) It seems that Hosea was told by God to marry a promiscuous wife, who then had three children–none by Hosea. The rest of the story, which should be included, is that Hosea eventually dissolved his relationship with her–but then takes her back! Did they live happily ever after? Probably not. But this is the analogy: God’s People have cheated on God, are “put away”, but THEN RECLAIMED. The broken covenant is restored…because God loves us. In spite of it all.

Some of us have been taken captive “through philosophy and empty deceit”, says Paul & Co. to the churches of Colossae (COLOSSIANS 2:6-15), “according to human tradition…and not according to Christ.” The Gospel of Reconciliation seems foolish to those who look out for only themselves, whether the fake gods are Baal or Self-Fulfillment. But this old contract has been laid aside by God in Christ, and the old Egyptians within us have been drowned in the sea of Baptism. Will we remember?

LUKE 11:1-13 is important because it gives us the Lord’s Prayer. But then it goes on to say what a prayerful life looks like: if a child asks for a fish, will the Father give him a snake? Or a scorpion for an egg? Certainly not. “So I say to you, Ask, and it will be given to you; Search and you will find it; Knock and the door (to heaven?) will be open for you.” The purpose of prayer is not just to receive what we want, but is an exercise in humility by which we acknowledge that God is God, and we’re not.

These readings picture a God not afraid to wrestle with the everyday problems of God’s People. What God expects of us is that we will see God’s Hand at work in our daily crises. Will we remain faithful to God’s Presence, or will we run off after our own answers?

In the process of unfolding, Horace Brown King

Is it Tuesday already? Time for our weekly travels to be involved in scriptures suggested by the Revised Common Lectionary for the upcoming weekend: come join us at horacebrownking.com.