Our Gospel reading begins with a warning from the Pharisees, who are generally seen in a more positive light in Luke’s Gospel.
1st Reading: Genesis
15:1-12, 17-18
By
now God’s promise to Abram has become old and stale. This brings up the frequently perceived
distance between God’s promises and what we human beings experience. God
responds to Abram’s lament by reiterating the promise—and Abram believes
(again)! Then there is a strange covenant ceremony, the origin of which we do
not know. It may have something to do
with the fact that the Hebrew word for “make a covenant” literally means “cut a
covenant.” Verse 6, “He believed the
Lord, and the Lord reckoned it to him as righteousness,” is a critical moment
both in the Abraham story, but for biblical faith as a whole.
15:1 After these things
the word of the Lord came to Abram
in a vision, “Do not be afraid, Abram, I am your shield; your reward shall be
very great.” 2 But Abram said, “O
Lord God, what will you give me, for I continue childless, and the heir of my
house is Eliezer of Damascus?” 3 And
Abram said, “You have given me no offspring, and so a slave born in my house is
to be my heir.” 4 But the word of
the Lord came to him, “This man
shall not be your heir; no one but your very own issue shall be your heir.” 5 He brought him outside and said, “Look
toward heaven and count the stars, if you are able to count them.” Then he said
to him, “So shall your descendants be.” 6 And
he believed the Lord; and the Lord reckoned it to him as
righteousness. 7 Then he said to
him, “I am the Lord who brought
you from Ur of the Chaldeans, to give you this land to possess.” 8 But he said, “O Lord God, how am I to know that I shall possess it?” 9 He said to him, “Bring me a heifer three
years old, a female goat three years old, a ram three years old, a turtledove,
and a young pigeon.” 10 He brought
him all these and cut them in two, laying each half over against the other; but
he did not cut the birds in two. 11 And
when birds of prey came down on the carcasses, Abram drove them away. 12 As the sun was going down, a deep sleep
fell upon Abram, and a deep and terrifying darkness descended upon him. 17 When the sun had gone down and it was dark,
a smoking fire pot and a flaming torch passed between these pieces. 18 On that day the Lord made a covenant with Abram, saying, “To your
descendants I give this land, from the river of Egypt to the great river, the
river Euphrates.
Psalm 27
Psalm 27 (attributed to David) begins
as a song of trust, then in verse seven becomes a cry for help, but ends with
an expression of confidence. This echoes
the reality dealt with in the first reading of our need to trust in the promise
in spite of present circumstances.
1 The Lord is my
light and my salvation; whom then shall I fear? *
the Lord is the strength of my life; of whom
then shall I be afraid?
2 When evildoers came upon me to eat up my flesh, *
it was they, my foes
and my adversaries, who stumbled and fell.
3 Though an army should encamp against me, *
yet my heart shall
not be afraid;
4 And though war should rise up against me, *
yet will I put my
trust in him.
5 One thing have I asked of the Lord;
one thing I seek; *
that I may dwell in
the house of the Lord all the days of my life;
6 To behold the fair beauty of the Lord
*
and to seek him in
his temple.
7 For in the day of trouble he shall keep me safe in his shelter;
*
he shall hide me in
the secrecy of his dwelling
and set me high upon
a rock.
8 Even now he lifts up my head *
above my enemies
round about me.
9 Therefore I will offer in his dwelling an oblation
with sounds of great gladness;
*
I will sing and make
music to the Lord.
10 Hearken to my voice, O Lord, when I call; *
have mercy on me and
answer me.
11 You speak in my heart and say, “Seek my face.” *
Your face, Lord, will I seek.
12 Hide not your face from me, *
nor turn away your
servant in displeasure.
13 You have been my helper; cast me not away; *
do not forsake me, O
God of my salvation.
14 Though my father and my mother forsake me, *
the Lord will sustain me.
15 Show me your way, O Lord;
*
lead me on a level
path, because of my enemies.
16 Deliver me not into the hand of my adversaries, *
for false witnesses
have risen up against me,
and also those who
speak malice.
17 What if I had not believed
that I should see the
goodness of the Lord *
in the land of the
living!
18 O tarry and await the Lord’s
pleasure;
be strong, and he shall
comfort your heart; *
wait patiently for
the Lord.
2nd Reading:
Philippians 3:17—4:1
Paul
begins this passage by setting himself up against the “enemies of the cross of
Christ.” We do not know who these people
are. “Their God is the belly” is too vague to tell us much. Their minds, Paul says are “set on earthly
things.” The church’s identity is in
heaven, i.e., it lives by a vision outside of itself. This is not, however, to say only heaven
matters. Quite the contrary, Paul is stating emphatically that it is our vision
of the future that enables our lives in the present.
3:17 Brothers and sisters, join in
imitating me, and observe those who live according to the example you have in
us. 18 For many live as enemies of
the cross of Christ; I have often told you of them, and now I tell you even
with tears. 19 Their end is
destruction; their god is the belly; and their glory is in their shame; their
minds are set on earthly things. 20 But
our citizenship is in heaven, and it is from there that we are expecting a
Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. 21 He
will transform the body of our humiliation that it may be conformed to the body
of his glory, by the power that also enables him to make all things subject to
himself. 4:1 Therefore,
my brothers and sisters, whom I love and long for, my joy and crown, stand firm
in the Lord in this way, my beloved.
Gospel Reading:
Luke 13:31-35
Our Gospel reading
begins with a warning from the Pharisees, who are generally seen in a more
positive light in Luke’s Gospel. Yet Jesus dismisses their warning, saying “I
am headed for Jerusalem.” There, he implies, he will meet his death. He then
laments over the city, citing Psalm 118:26, which the crowds will shout as he
enters the city on Palm Sunday. Note Jesus’ use of feminine imagery in
describing his work.
13:31 At that very hour
some Pharisees came and said to him, “Get away from here, for Herod wants to
kill you.” 32 He said to them, “Go
and tell that fox for me, ‘Listen, I am casting out demons and performing cures
today and tomorrow, and on the third day I finish my work. 33 Yet today, tomorrow, and the next day I
must be on my way, because it is impossible for a prophet to be killed outside
of Jerusalem.’ 34 Jerusalem,
Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to
it! How often have I desired to gather your children together as a hen gathers
her brood under her wings, and you were not willing! 35 See, your house is left to you. And I tell
you, you will not see me until the time comes when you say, ‘Blessed is the one
who comes in the name of the Lord.’”
The
readings are taken from The New Revised Standard Version of the Bible ©
1989 by The Division of Christian Education of The National Council of Churches
of Christ in the U.S.A. The translation
of the Psalm is from The Book of Common Prayer. Commentary on the
readings is copyright © 2019, Epiphany Esources, 67 E Main St, Hornell, NY
14843, www.epiphanyesources.com.
All rights reserved. Permission granted to copy for group study. Bulletin inserts
are available. For information go to our website.
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