Food for Thought
Many congregations will celebrate a Fall Kickoff or a Rally Sunday this week. The Sunday after Labor Day marks the beginning of a new school year and ministry season.
I can’t think of a better word and theme to start a new season.
FORGIVENESS.
The Gospel reading marks the end of Jesus’ discourse on community. The conversation started with the disciples asking “who is the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven?” Jesus replied by showing them a child. “The little ones are the greatest, and woe to any who hurt them.” I sense some serious mama bear vibes in Jesus’ words.
Last week we saw the heart of the discourse where Jesus urges his people to seek forgiveness and reconciliation over condemnation and excommunication.
This week Peter, in classic Peter fashion, pushes back against Jesus’ call to forgiveness. “How many times should we forgive? Seven?” I’m sure Peter thought he was exaggerating with that large of a number. Seriously, who would ever forgive someone seven times before getting rid of the troublemaker for good?
Jesus responded with an outrageous number and a story. Not seven times, but seventy times seven. In other words…you just keep forgiving, because that is how God treats you.
The parable Jesus tells is harsh. True. I think he’s trying to show how incredulous it is to think that someone who has been forgiven so much would not be willing to forgive someone else so little. Remember Jesus’ earlier words…better a millstone be tied around your neck and be thrown into the lake than to harm one of the little ones.
The Gospel is paired with the story of Joseph who forgives his brothers (no small task), Psalm 103 that reminds us of God’s forgiveness for us, and Romans 14 that reminds us to not judge each other, but to offer grace to those who see things differently than we do.
This seems like a good reminder for us as we begin a new ministry season and as we approach another election. My prayer is that we would be filled with God’s grace and overflow it to one another this year.
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Food for Thought
The Narrative Lectionary begins the new season with the story of Noah, the Flood, and the Promise held in a rainbow.
What do you see when a rainbow appears in the sky? This misty swath of color has taken on many meanings for many people over the history of humanity. In our modern, scientific world we can explain the rainbow. It is the refraction of light that happens when sunlight shines through droplets of water suspended in the air.
Even though I know the scientific explanation, it doesn’t take away the mystical, ethereal quality of the rainbow for me. Imagine what it must have been like for people in the ancient world to experience a rainbow, free of the cynical lens of modern rationalism.
Rainbows always happen right after a big rainstorm.
Most ancient Mesopotamian cultures had a story in which the world was destroyed and reformed through a flood. Most of those cultures also had very violent gods who did not have positive relations with humans.
The Genesis story of the flood gives us the opportunity to introduce two important themes in the Bible. First, we see a repeated pattern in the stories. God creates something good and beautiful. Humanity messes it up and it eventually falls apart. God, in God’s mercy, recreates it and starts over.
Creation-Uncreation-Recreation.
Second, the rainbow is a symbol of God’s promise to be at peace with humanity. The shape of the color swath is a bow. It is the shape of a weapon: the bow and arrow. When God hangs the bow in the sky it is like a warrior hanging up his weapon. It is a promise to not attack. It is a sign of peace.
This is God’s promise that runs throughout the story of the Bible. No matter how many times Israel rebelled against God—and it was many—God is faithful to God’s promise. Yes, natural consequences lead to disaster, but never to total destruction. God will relentlessly pursue peace with humanity. Eventually, God’s rainbow promise gets carried out on a Roman cross…but that is getting ahead of the story.
I think the rainbow promise is a good way to start a new year. Blessings on your Fall Kick Off or Rally Sunday.
Read all the commentaries and get downloads HERE.
Every week I compile all the visual resources on cartoonistbible.com for the lectionary readings on both the Revised Common Lectionary and the Narrative Lectionary. Get them in your inbox every Monday morning.