Reflections on Revised Common Lectionary readings for 8/3

The same night Jacob got up and took his two wives, his two maids, and his eleven children, and crossed the ford of the Jabbok. He took them and sent them across the stream, and likewise everything that he had. Jacob was left alone; and a man wrestled with him until daybreak. When the man saw that he did not prevail against Jacob, he struck him on the hip socket; and Jacob's hip was put out of joint as he wrestled with him. Then he said, "Let me go, for the day is breaking." But Jacob said, "I will not let you go, unless you bless me." So he said to him, "What is your name?" And he said, "Jacob." Then the man said, "You shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel, for you have striven with God and with humans, and have prevailed." Then Jacob asked him, "Please tell me your name." But he said, "Why is it that you ask my name?" And there he blessed him. So Jacob called the place Peniel, saying, "For I have seen God face to face, and yet my life is preserved." The sun rose upon him as he passed Penuel, limping because of his hip.

Genesis 32:22-31

Jesus withdrew in a boat to a deserted place by himself. But when the crowds heard it, they followed him on foot from the towns. When he went ashore, he saw a great crowd; and he had compassion for them and cured their sick. When it was evening, the disciples came to him and said, "This is a deserted place, and the hour is now late; send the crowds away so that they may go into the villages and buy food for themselves." Jesus said to them, "They need not go away; you give them something to eat." They replied, "We have nothing here but five loaves and two fish." And he said, "Bring them here to me." Then he ordered the crowds to sit down on the grass. Taking the five loaves and the two fish, he looked up to heaven, and blessed and broke the loaves, and gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the crowds. And all ate and were filled; and they took up what was left over of the broken pieces, twelve baskets full. And those who ate were about five thousand men, besides women and children.

Matthew 14:13-21

One of the themes of this blog is how God interacts with humankind. I don't normally do this, but both the readings in the Revised Common Lectionary deal with God's interaction with humans, so I'll offer a reflection.

In Genesis, Jacob is about to meet his brother Esau. Actually, Jake is about to meet Esau's army. Jake cheated Esau out of his birthright some time ago. Jake expects Esau to be incensed, and indeed, he sees an army coming his way. He sends his wife and kids across the river. He's also scattered his flocks.

It's night, and someone comes to wrestle with Jacob. That someone is God.

Jake takes God down.

OK, he wrestles the Almighty to a draw. Or, at least, the Almighty allows himself to be wrestled to a draw.

Up to this point, God has interacted with humans with booming voices from the heavens, burning bushes, massive flooding, and fire. The latter two interactions, as told in Genesis, led to what we would now call genocide. With Jake, though, God allows himself to be wrestled to a draw.

In God's interactions with humankind as personified by Christ, God goes one step further. In this reading, God feeds the flock, directly. Where sinners were once annihilated, they are now welcomed.

Liberal theologians will tell you that humanity's knowledge of God has changed with history. But, parents are always changed by their interactions with their children. What if it is God that has changed with us?

Good Friday

"I have named this icon “Christ of Maryknoll” because Maryknoll and Orbis Books mean so much to me. Both endeavor to see the Christ among the least of us, and to serve the Christ that lives in the margins of this world. Maryknoll priests, brothers, sisters and lay people have been imprisoned in China and elsewhere for their work among the poor, the broken, the oppressed; Orbis has taken great risks to extend the Maryknoll vision. I hope this icon will bring inspiration to all those who share in that vision."
Robert Lentz

Christianity is about Christ, victorious, risen, and ascended to heaven. Christ is easy to worship. He's washed your sin away in his blood. If you're not so much into the penal substitution theory of atonement, then delete "in his blood." But that's a minor quibble, really.

It's minor, because Jesus was spat upon, beaten, crucified, and died. He knows what it's like to suffer. God can understand our suffering, our flaws. God weeps with us. God is, in fact, broken, just as we are broken.

Lentz does not make it clear which side of the fence Jesus is on. Is He inside the compound, or outside it? Asking us to free Him, or looking in? Either way, this isn't a very powerful Jesus.

This Lenten season starts off on the same day as Malcolm X's feast day. He condemns America's racism. But... Americans aren't ready to listen. We prefer to deny racism while still holding prejudices in our hearts, and ignoring the social structures that perpetuate racism.

Martin Luther King's practically ends Lent. Martin died helpless, before he could accomplish his goal. And worse, Americans Americans today have dumbed down his witness, made him powerless. Nationally, we may celebrate his life, but most Americans still aren't ready to hear what he had to say. He condemned the Vietnam War, and would almost certainly have condemned the Iraq War. He condemned our economic system, which hasn't changed all that much since his day. If anything, it's gotten worse, with our offshoring to countries that lack labor and environmental standards.

We can only trust in God. Jesus' disciples failed to do so. They betrayed Him and scattered to the winds. But they had not experienced the Resurrection...

After this, when Jesus knew that all was now finished, he said (in order to fulfill the scripture), "I am thirsty." A jar full of sour wine was standing there. So they put a sponge full of the wine on a branch of hyssop and held it to his mouth. When Jesus had received the wine, he said, "It is finished." Then he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.
John 19:28-30

The Annunciation

Icon by Dan Paulos


An Angel went from God
To a town called Nazareth
To a woman whose name was Mary.
The angel said to her,
"Rejoice, O highly favored!
For God is with you.
You shall bear a child,
And his name shall be Jesus,
the Chosen One of God Most High."
And Mary said,
"I am the servant of my God.
I live to do God's will.

"My soul proclaims your greatness, O God,
And my spirit rejoices in you.
You have looked with love on your servant here,
And blessed me all my life through!
Great and mighty are you, O Faithful One,
Strong is your kindness evermore,
How you favor the weak and lowly one,
Humbling the proud of heart!

"You have cast the mighty down from their thrones,
And uplifted the humble of heart.
You have filled the hungry with wondrous things,
And left the wealthy no part!
Great and mighty are you, O Holy One,
Strong is your justice, strong your love.
As you promised to Sarah and Abraham,
kindness forevermore!"

Marty Haugen's Annunciation ... I can't find the lyrics online and am quoting from memory, so I hope I got most of it right.

If you want to buy the icon:

Link