Genesis 32:22-31*
22 The same night he got up and took his two wives, his two maids, and his eleven children, and crossed the ford of the Jabbok. 23 He took them and sent them across the stream, and likewise everything that he had. 24 Jacob was left alone; and a man wrestled with him until daybreak. 25 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. 26 Then he said, "Let me go, for the day is breaking." But Jacob said, "I will not let you go, unless you bless me." 27 So he said to him, "What is your name?" And he said, "Jacob." 28 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." 29 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. 30 So Jacob called the place Peniel, saying, "For I have seen God face to face, and yet my life is preserved." 31 The sun rose upon him as he passed Penuel, limping because of his hip.
2 Timothy 3:14-4:5*
14 But as for you, continue in what you have learned and firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it, 15 and how from childhood you have known the sacred writings that are able to instruct you for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. 16 All scripture is inspired by God and is useful for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, 17 so that everyone who belongs to God may be proficient, equipped for every good work. 4:1 In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and in view of his appearing and his kingdom, I solemnly urge you: 2 proclaim the message; be persistent whether the time is favorable or unfavorable; convince, rebuke, and encourage, with the utmost patience in teaching. 3 For the time is coming when people will not put up with sound doctrine, but having itching ears, they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own desires, 4 and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander away to myths. 5 As for you, always be sober, endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist, carry out your ministry fully.
Luke 18:1-8
1 Then Jesus told them a parable about their need to pray always and not to lose heart. 2 He said, "In a certain city there was a judge who neither feared God nor had respect for people. 3 In that city there was a widow who kept coming to him and saying, "Grant me justice against my opponent.' 4 For a while he refused; but later he said to himself, "Though I have no fear of God and no respect for anyone, 5 yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will grant her justice, so that she may not wear me out by continually coming.' " 6 And the Lord said, "Listen to what the unjust judge says. 7 And will not God grant justice to his chosen ones who cry to him day and night? Will he delay long in helping them? 8 I tell you, he will quickly grant justice to them. And yet, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?"
*Pastor Roger is planning to preach from the Old Testament scripture and the 2 Timothy text this week. Pastor Kristen's texts are TBD.
Tying the three passages together is proving to be difficult after even my second reading. I am seemingly more able to wrap my brain around the passgaes from 2nd Timothy and Luke.
ReplyDeleteThe passage from 2nd Timothy portrays our era perfectly. I understand that these challenges have been consistent through history, but modern media is such an effective way for people to "wander to myths." It is particuarly difficult for clergy and laypeople alike to compete with the popular messages in the media. It is encouraging to hear or read the words that we are to be "persistent" and "teach with the utmost patience."
I'm thinking about Jacob "wrestling with God." And I'm thinking about God wrestling with Jacob.
ReplyDeleteAnd I'm thinking about God changing Jacob's name to "Israel" - which basically renames him and thus defines him as a "wrestler with God." And I'm thinking of Jacob's descendants - the people whose story will be the story of the rest of the Old Testament - being called "Israelites" - i.e. "wrestlers with God" too. And I'm thinking of how often God's will is done in the world, but only after a lot of wrestling is done - by him, on us...by us, "fighting" him.
I'm thinking of Jacob limping from this time on...I'm wondering how much limping I do because of the fighting I've done with God.
And I'm thinking of the fact that Jacob, when we first meet him earlier in a Genesis, is a deceitful, conniving, whatever-it-takes-to-get-what-I-want kind of guy. But by the end of the story, well...he does grow. And I'm wondering about how much of that growing was growth from the wrestling God did with him.
I'm thinking that God's chosen people are nevertheless real people.
I'm thinking that sometimes that path to growing into our calling is painful.
I think there's a strong relation between the Gospel and the Genesis text - the widow in Jesus' story is certainly wrestling with the unjust judge, and Jesus seems pretty clearly to link that feeling she has to the feeling many of us sometimes have in prayer.
ReplyDeleteI just noticed the note above saying I'm preaching from the OT and Timothy Text. Actually, I'm thinking it will mostly be the OT text - with perhaps a mention of the Gospel. We're presenting Bibles to 3rd graders, and I'm going to read the first part of II Timothy in conjuction with that, but probably not go that direction in the sermon.
ReplyDeleteWell, here are my thoughts. . . . . .
ReplyDelete16 All scripture is inspired by God and is useful for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, 17 so that everyone who belongs to God may be proficient, equipped for every good work.
- I wonder if this is true why so many people these days seem to think they can make up their own interpretation of the Bible. So many statements are clear as can be but it seems we try to "change them or reinterpret them" to fit our needs. I'm not a big fan of that, guess I am just too literal some times.
Next thought. . . . from the Luke reading. Justice is a tough thing, isn't it?!?!?! If only we could leave finding "justice" to God but unfortunately, we live in a world where there is a need for justice to be served here on earth. I pray often for those people who have to make "justice" decisions for others destiny!!