Dearest e-votees-
For the Wednesdays of Lent at Christ the Good Shepherd this year we are using the epistle texts from the preceding Sunday in our midweek worship.
For e-vos we will be doing the same thing. Blessings on your experience of Lent this year.
This week's lesson comes from Paul's letter to the church at Rome distinguishing justification by works from justification by faith.
Peace,
Karl
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For the Wednesdays of Lent at Christ the Good Shepherd this year we are using the epistle texts from the preceding Sunday in our midweek worship.
For e-vos we will be doing the same thing. Blessings on your experience of Lent this year.
This week's lesson comes from Paul's letter to the church at Rome distinguishing justification by works from justification by faith.
Peace,
Karl
----------
1 What then are we to say was gained by Abraham, our ancestor according to the flesh? 2 For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God. 3 For what does the scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness.” 4 Now to one who works, wages are not reckoned as a gift but as something due. 5 But to one who without works trusts him who justifies the ungodly, such faith is reckoned as righteousness.
13 For the promise that he would inherit the world did not come to Abraham or to his descendants through the law but through the righteousness of faith. 14 If it is the adherents of the law who are to be the heirs, faith is null and the promise is void. 15 For the law brings wrath; but where there is no law, neither is there violation.
16 For this reason it depends on faith, in order that the promise may rest on grace and be guaranteed to all his descendants, not only to the adherents of the law but also to those who share the faith of Abraham (for he is the father of all of us, 17 as it is written, “I have made you the father of many nations”)—in the presence of the God in whom he believed, who gives life to the dead and calls into existence the things that do not exist.
Romans 4:1-5, 13-17, NRSV
In the economy of this world we work for things (paychecks, respect, people's attention, positions on sports teams, degrees and certificates, etc., etc.) When we think we have completed what is required we believe we are entitled to our due. We are aware that such things can be lost if we perform poorly, get caught in bad situation or just lose our edge. If we embrace this world view too tightly we become competitive, possessive and willing to tear others down that we might appear to shine a little brighter.
When this world view slips into the realms of faith and justification we start looking like a Pharisee who went into the Temple one day:
9 He also told this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous and regarded others with contempt: 10 “Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. 11 The Pharisee, standing by himself, was praying thus, ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other people: thieves, rogues, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. 12 I fast twice a week; I give a tenth of all my income.’...
Luke 18:9-12, NRSV
We feel that God owes us something for our good life. We feel God owes other something when we think they don't measure up. We see specks in the eyes of others but miss the logs in our own eyes. We make up rules and apply them to others and to God in order to be able to judge and dismiss others. We create a system that makes us and everyone else fit for hell. We seek out to know good and evil and end up bringing curse upon curse on all of us.
Jesus came into the world to bring forth a different economy. There are glimpses of this coming into being in the faith of Abram (aka Abraham). God makes promises (about new lands, about generations to come (numerous as grains of sand and stars of night), covenants and unquenchable loving regard). God calls into existence in Abraham's life things that do not exist. Forgiveness and new starts and right standing are given as gift.
When this world view slips into the realms of our broken and fallen world we start relating to a tax collector who went into the Temple one day:
...13 But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even look up to heaven, but was beating his breast and saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, a sinner!’ 14 I tell you, this man went down to his home justified rather than the other; for all who exalt themselves will be humbled, but all who humble themselves will be exalted.”
Luke 18:13-14, NRSV
We realize that we cannot save ourselves and are undeserving to stand in God's house let alone in the presence of God. We are saved by gift from God--pure grace. Because the giver is faithful we need not fear losing the gift. Because God chooses us we don't need to worry so much about how well we chose God. Because God's economy calls into being those things which weren't we have a sure and certain hope.
Because we have been washed into this promise through baptism we just might be able to shine a little brighter so others might see our good works and glorify our Father in heaven. Thanks be to God.
God, help us lean hard into the gift that you purchased for us at so great a price. Amen.
13 For the promise that he would inherit the world did not come to Abraham or to his descendants through the law but through the righteousness of faith. 14 If it is the adherents of the law who are to be the heirs, faith is null and the promise is void. 15 For the law brings wrath; but where there is no law, neither is there violation.
16 For this reason it depends on faith, in order that the promise may rest on grace and be guaranteed to all his descendants, not only to the adherents of the law but also to those who share the faith of Abraham (for he is the father of all of us, 17 as it is written, “I have made you the father of many nations”)—in the presence of the God in whom he believed, who gives life to the dead and calls into existence the things that do not exist.
When this world view slips into the realms of faith and justification we start looking like a Pharisee who went into the Temple one day:
9 He also told this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous and regarded others with contempt: 10 “Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. 11 The Pharisee, standing by himself, was praying thus, ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other people: thieves, rogues, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. 12 I fast twice a week; I give a tenth of all my income.’...
We feel that God owes us something for our good life. We feel God owes other something when we think they don't measure up. We see specks in the eyes of others but miss the logs in our own eyes. We make up rules and apply them to others and to God in order to be able to judge and dismiss others. We create a system that makes us and everyone else fit for hell. We seek out to know good and evil and end up bringing curse upon curse on all of us.
Jesus came into the world to bring forth a different economy. There are glimpses of this coming into being in the faith of Abram (aka Abraham). God makes promises (about new lands, about generations to come (numerous as grains of sand and stars of night), covenants and unquenchable loving regard). God calls into existence in Abraham's life things that do not exist. Forgiveness and new starts and right standing are given as gift.
When this world view slips into the realms of our broken and fallen world we start relating to a tax collector who went into the Temple one day:
...13 But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even look up to heaven, but was beating his breast and saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, a sinner!’ 14 I tell you, this man went down to his home justified rather than the other; for all who exalt themselves will be humbled, but all who humble themselves will be exalted.”
We realize that we cannot save ourselves and are undeserving to stand in God's house let alone in the presence of God. We are saved by gift from God--pure grace. Because the giver is faithful we need not fear losing the gift. Because God chooses us we don't need to worry so much about how well we chose God. Because God's economy calls into being those things which weren't we have a sure and certain hope.
Because we have been washed into this promise through baptism we just might be able to shine a little brighter so others might see our good works and glorify our Father in heaven. Thanks be to God.
God, help us lean hard into the gift that you purchased for us at so great a price. Amen.
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