Okay, I now observe that one of the lines in the Gospel reading is, “For mortals it is impossible, but not for God; for God all things are possible.” That may work, for this Sunday, addressed to a congregation with plenty of reason to wonder and doubt. Throw in (from Hebrews) “we are [God’s] house if we hold firm the confidence and the pride that belong to hope,” and maybe a dash of &ldqu;; it may be that the LORD, the God of hosts, will be gracious to the remnant of Joseph,” and we could be cooking.
As a side note to Craig, who wondered why I’d be uneasy to preach on the (positive) comparison of Jesus to Moses, it’s not because I am ashamed of the gospel. It has more to do with the millennia of unbecoming (un-evangelical, I would dare say) preaching of Gentile Christian superiority to Judaism, beginning from when Paul had to scold the Romans not to boast over their sisters and brothers of Israel. Paul repeatedly emphasizes Israel’s precious identity, uniquely belvoed by God, never rejected, not forgotten, the covenant intact. Now, it’s possible to preach on Hebrews 3:1-6 while bearing that in mind, but it calls for caution and precision, and I wasn’t sure I was in a frame of mind that would measure up to the challenge this week.
More later.
Posted by AKMA at October 10, 2003 01:15 PM | TrackBack