Through the Bible in one year - Day 23

Psalm 22:9-11

Yet you are he who took me from the womb;

you made me trust you at my mother's breasts.

On you was I cast from my birth,

and from my mother's womb you have been my God.

Be not far from me,

for trouble is near,

and there is none to help.

I see in our Genesis reading today that Abraham enters into a treaty with Abimelech because Abimelech knows God is with Abraham in all he does. Abimelech asks that Abraham not deal falsely with him and the rest of the reading talks about how they work an arrangement between their people. When I read that today, I thought about my own actions, and how they might reflect on the Lord for ill or good. I have a little carved cross that I hang from my rear-view mirror in my car so that I might be reminded that if people were to see my actions (while I am driving for instance) they would see that I do not deal falsely – that my actions are honorable. How do you suppose Abimelech and his people would respond to the Lord God if Abraham does deal falsely, or if he were not honorable?

Heal on the Sabbath?

Today Jesus begins by asking if it is lawful to heal on the Sabbath; he quiets his listeners by asking whether any parent or animal owner wouldn’t act to save a child/ox from harm. The next parables may seem different from this beginning concern – but as I wondered about it, I thought perhaps that the similarity lies in the intent of the questioners. If those coming out to see Jesus and the miracles sought to find him out or reveal some flaw in him or his ministry perhaps that is what Jesus is then talking about in the parable of the wedding feast. Why would one hope to have a place of honor? Why would one hope to put down someone else – in this case it seems it may have been to elevate oneself above others. But then why the parable of the banquet? Is it perhaps that in making excuses we again make ourselves more important than the other-in this case the one giving the banquet? Do we make excuses instead of accepting the great banquet Jesus offers?

Yes, in the end I think I see that there is a common theme here in these parables God first –then ourselves. At what cost would we do it the other way round? At the cost of our very souls.

Today’s readings: Psalm 22, Genesis 21:22-34, 1 Chronicles 26, Luke 14