‘Where ya going?” “I don’t know.” “When’ll you get there?” “I aint certain; All that I know is I am on my way.” Those who hear these scriptures on the upcoming weekend are invited to Paint Their Wagons and come along…
GENESIS 12:1-3ff tells the story of our Ancestor in Faith, Abram, who was chosen for his faith in God to leave the world behind and move to a yet-unknown land. Haran, the city where he and Sarai began, can be loosely translated as “crossroads”; it was at these crossroads that Abram chose to follow the Lord’s leading and to reject the comforts of the familiar. Abram’s task was to shine on the nations the blessings of God which he now received. Was he afraid of the unknown? Probably. Are you??
We continue to hear Paul’s wisdom to us through the words of the Epistle to the Roman Church. In ROMANS 4:1-5, 15-17 we read of the faith which our ancestor Abraham showed. We are instructed to “blow our trumpet where the text does, on the riches of the unmerited gift of righteousness through faith alone.” (Don Wardlaw, in FEASTING on the WORD, A 2:65) Paul points out that The Law was much after Abraham, and not salvific of itself.
JOHN’s Gospel is unique in that we hear stories about Jesus and his meeting with (as yet) non-believers which the synoptic Gospels don’t tell us! In 3:1-17 we read the story of Nicodemus by Night: he has come out of curiosity (led by the Spirit?) and is told of the New Life–being born again–for those willing, Abraham-like, to explore new territories, to leave the familiar behind. Evidently Nicodemus was willing at some point to make the break, for he’s not heard from again until he joins with Joseph of Arimathea to entomb the lifeless Jesus.
This Second Weekend of Lent is one of self-examination: how and where have we chosen to follow God’s leading where it differs from the known world? Do we believe enough to go to an unknown land? To be “born from above”? Is the unloveable part of the world getting to you? You may be ready…
In the process of unfolding, Horace Brown King
All are invited to join in the conversation about scripture lessons for the upcoming weekend assigned by the Revised Common Lectionary–every Tuesday at horacebrownking.com
My Blog 
Leave a comment