WEDNESDAY OF KINGDOM 1
30 October 2013
Readings:
Key Verses (using the World English Bible):
Rom. 3:23-24: “For all have sinned, and fall short of the glory of God; being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.”
Mark 9:49: “For everyone will be salted with fire, and every sacrifice will be seasoned with salt.”
Reflection
We continue today with the theme of the Reformation, and who better else to continue it with than Paul? Paul, by his own account, was a “Hebrew of Hebrews… a Pharisee” (Php. 3:5), but when he came to believe that a man who died an ignominious (and even biblically cursed) death was actually the Savior of the world, all of that changed, and reform became the center of Paul’s life.
Sadly, I think if Paul were alive today, he would shudder at our perception and use of his writings. Today’s Key Verse from Romans is one which I’m sure we’ve all encountered one way or another—from a street-corner Bible tract, a televangelist’s sermon, a church bulletin, etc. Usually the tone of it goes something like this: “You need to repent of your sins and be saved by accepting Jesus Christ into your heart as I/we have, and start coming to church, preferably ours.” And I don’t think Paul would completely disagree with this. He certainly argued for his particular interpretation of “the Way”—even to Peter’s face, as we saw last week (23 Oct). But to stop here is to miss Paul’s point entirely.
Paul’s reform, then, so clearly stated in today’s Key Verse, is that no one has an advantage with God, no one can boast better or higher favor, neither because of what they do or don’t do, or where they come from. All have sinned; all fall short. Read today’s passage side by side with Philippians 3:1-12, and you’ll see what I mean. There, Paul lists all of his credentials, his resume, if you will—and it’s an excellent one. If anyone can boast, he can. And yet there, too, Paul confesses that he’s not yet perfect. Elsewhere he calls himself “the least of the apostles”, “a child born at the wrong time”, “not worthy”, and even when he says he’s “worked more than all of them”, he seemingly catches himself and adds instead, “not I, but the grace of God which was with me” (1 Cor. 15:8-10).
We are, therefore, all on equal standing before God—the Bible tract author, the televangelist, the pastor, the Christian and non-Christian, and yes, even the apostle—because we are all imperfect; because we all sin and miss the mark. And in today’s reading from the Gospel, Jesus shows us exactly how severe the problem is. In one of his most strikingly gruesome uses of hyperbole, Jesus commands us to sever any part of our body that causes us to sin. Thankfully, not many Christians have taken this literally. I don’t believe Jesus wants us to mutilate that which has been created in the image of God and called “good”. But what human hand or foot or eye hasn’t sinned? We’ve all mishandled God’s creation, stepped on someone to get ahead, and even looked at others with prejudice or contempt. And no matter who does what to whom, salt gets rubbed on every wound, those we inflict and those we suffer.
The whole point of the Reformation is that we cannot earn God’s love and favor. God gives these freely to whomever God wills. And the whole point of Scripture, I would add, is that God never tires of giving these to all that God has created. Whenever we begin to think otherwise, may Paul’s humility remind us to resist taking credit for our deeds, but instead to ascribe the glory to God, and to use God’s free gift of grace to reach out to our neighbors, who need us as much as we need them.
Prayer of the Day
Gracious Father,
we pray for your holy Christian Church.
Fill it with all truth,
in all truth with all peace.
Where it is corrupt, purify it;
where it is in error, direct it;
where in anything it is amiss, reform it;
where it is right, strengthen it;
where it is in need, provide for it;
where it is divided, reunite it;
for the sake of your Son, Jesus Christ,
our Lord and Head of the Church,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever.
Amen.
—Prayer “For the Church”, #7 in the Book of Common Prayer, p. 816, adapted.
Hymn: “Christ, your church throughout the ages”
(Words: "Tusind år stod Kristi kirke" by N.F.S. Grundtvig, 1836; original, adaptive translation to English by Joseph A. Soltero, 2013
Tune: ‘Tusind år’, by Thomas Laub, 1916)
Christ, your church throughout the ages
Has been our confession’s rock,
And through time, the church’s sages
In your name have led your flock.
Storms and floods have come and gone,
And yet still your Word lives on.
Savior, in all times and places
We your faithful sing your praises.
God, your years are never ending,
Close of day you never see.
But one year for leaves descending
Is like an eternity.
Every season has its time,
Even summer’s sunny clime,
In like wisdom so you nourish
All your people, that we flourish.
Thank you for all Christian teachers,
Whom you sent us in your love.
Now, reborn as holy creatures,
Thank you for the heav’nly blood,
Which becomes our healing flood,
Flowing through each generation,
Linking every new creation.
Thank you for the lilies growing,
Thank you for the rivers flowing,
Drink to farmers’ fields to bring;
For the birds, which sing their praise,
For the lights, which count our days;
For your saints on earth and heaven,
For your grace and mercy given.
Now your people in thanksgiving
Take our leave in Jesus’ name,
As all generations living
Have through hist’ry done the same
Till we reach that heav’nly gem,
Your divine Jerusalem,
Where our sole and free endeavor
Is to dwell with you forever.
