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The Gospel of Matthew Bible Studies
The Gospel of Mark Bible Studies
The Book of Acts Bible Studies
January 2009
February 2009
March 2009
April 2009
May 2009
June 2009
July 2009
August 2009
September 2009
October 2009
November 2009
December 2009
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Fifth Sunday in Lent (B) Text: Genesis 9:8-17 March 1, 2009 You may notice this year, during the next five Sundays of Lent, that all five of our “First readings” (the Old Testament Scripture readings) will each focus on a separate “covenant” from the Old Testament Hebrew Scriptures. I’m drawing your attention to this now, on the first Sunday of Lent, so that you might pay particular attention to all these readings in the weeks ahead. The lectionary cycle during this Lent is designed so that we might read and contemplate these ancient biblical stories of salvation history, and use them … as a lens through which we can view and better understand the covenant of our own baptism. That is to say simply that the God who made covenants with people throughout history, which are documented in the Old Testament, is the same God who made a covenant with you in your baptism… So, what can we learn about ourselves and our own relationship with God, by looking at the salvation history – the covenants God made with people in the past? There is a lot we can learn actually. And here we are in Lent. What better season—as we follow Jesus through the Gospel readings, from the beginning of his ministry with his baptism by John (which is what I just read to you), all the way up to Jerusalem, where on Good Friday he will reveal himself as the image of God’s sacrificial love—what better season to explore how we are part of this story. That through our baptism, somehow, God has made a covenant with us—and that we too have a role to play in this story of God’s salvation, which has been unfolding throughout time. Now, what does the Bible mean when it says “covenant?” The word is used seven times in this short passage and many, many times throughout the whole Bible. We don’t use the word ourselves very much out on the street, so, what exactly is it? (This is a teaching sermon) Covenants in Biblical times often took the form of agreements, or binding contracts between nations. The cutting of a covenant often indicated solemn promises of loyalty between Patrons and vassals (sometimes with stipulations, sometimes not). But what is really helpful in my mind, when it comes to understanding what a covenant is, is to look up the word itself used in the Hebrew language. The word for covenant is “Berit”, which is the same exact word in Hebrew originally meaning “Shackle” or “Chain.” What a brilliant and yet simple way of understanding the biblical concept of covenant. A covenant is that which binds us together, as if we were shackled together--inseparable! So, whenever you hear the word covenant from now on, you can think about it in terms of “who is bound to whom?” And here in Genesis 9, it is Noah who is shackled, connected, and forever attached to God and God’s story, because God made it that way, saying, “I establish my covenant with you…” Now think about this for a second. Can we, as mortal human beings, reach up to shackle ourselves to our heavenly father in heaven? No, biblically and truly, covenants between God and people are always instituted by God. Just like with our baptism, while we cannot reach up to heaven to attach ourselves to God, God can and does choose to come “down” (like a dove) to attach himself to us. Brothers and sisters, this is what Jesus is about… Just like the rainbow serves as an emblem of the covenant in this story, so does Christ, Crucified and risen, mediate for us a covenant that God promises to never, ever forget. The significance of that rainbow is interesting. It’s meaning to Noah, in fact, is remarkably similar to the meaning that Jesus Christ has for us. The bow pointing up to heaven, used as a symbol of God’s covenant, is a very clever and meaningful symbol, indeed. What do you think of this message of a bow (in Biblical times) pointing up into heaven? What was a bow used for in biblical times? According to Nelson’s Bible dictionary, “Bows were the most characteristic weapons of warfare in the Old Testament period, serving often as the decisive element in a battle.” So, when God is said to have used the bow as a symbol or sign of his covenant, it certainly would have brought to mind, the bow and arrow—a weapon. So the message, while it may even seem humorous in a way (because a rainbow is not actually a weapon) the symbolic message is a wonderful one. For Noah and all of humanity the bow which points up into the heavens became a powerful sign that God would rather know destruction himself than break his covenant with Noah and all life on the earth. Now, isn’t this virtually the same message we proclaim when we proclaim Christ crucified! There is great continuity between this covenant and that found in our baptismal covenant. In Jesus Christ—the son of God-- we find, with his self-giving sacrifice, essentially the same message for us. God’s love is so profound, so great for us, that he would rather know death himself than separate himself from his people forever. In the garden of Gethsemane… Jesus Christ, the son of God, chose not to run away. Even when all the other disciples broke their bond to Jesus and fled, he did not choose to save himself. No, Jesus was not in it for himself. Rather, he allowed himself to be arrested so that the world (you and me and everyone else) might know God’s covenant loyalty. The shackle… was made… of love. Brothers and sisters, created by God… even when you, like the first disciples, break your bond with Jesus, and run away from God, Jesus… does not abandon you. You are loved. And with the testimony of Christ, which is his sacrifice, we have been given a sure and permanent testimony—a sign—of God’s love for us. And this is the basis of our baptismal covenant. We teach it to our children… “Jesus loves me, this I know…” Thanks be to God, for Jesus Christ, for like a rainbow in the sky, he stands out in history as the seal of our baptismal covenant. -------------------- Pastor Joshua W. Magyar 418 W. Main St. Sidney, MT 59270
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