🦁 Lent 2-3

Readings: Psalm 22:23-31; Genesis 16:7-15; Mark 8:27-30.

Reflection

Good morning. This is Tim Jewell broadcasting from Sacramento, California. Today's readings come to us from Psalm 22 versus 23 to 31, Genesis Chapter 16, verses 7 to 15 and the Gospel of Mark, Chapter eight versus 27 to 30. 

As we revisit Psalm 22. Again, there's in writing, there's something we use. They're called metaphors, similes and analogies. And this is what throws biblical literacy for a loop, because a lot of things in the Bible, you cannot take them literally. It doesn't work because in the art of storytelling, which this is what the Bible is, the Bible is telling the story in the Old Testament. This is the story of the creation of the world. They weren't there then. So their oral tradition stories have been passed down and finally written down. 

But of course we have the history of the Jewish people. So from God's covenant with Abraham, which you've been taught, we'll be talking about through Egypt in that time and in the tale going your escape from Egypt, wandering in the desert, getting into Kanan and their story all the way up. And then we have the coming of Jesus. That story is told. And when we have the letters of the apostles and what they did after the crucifixion, death, resurrection and ascension of Jesus, they were sent out as we are, to spread the word. So there's a lot of when you try to tell a story, so when you're trying to understand something, you use terms and compare it to things that they're familiar with. Years ago, when I was a volunteer firefighter EMT, I used to teach first aid and CPR. When I taught to firefighters, I always talked about the pump analogy because comparing the heart to the pump on your fire engine, these guys understand that. So when I explain how the heart works and all that, they okay, get it. So it helps to understand. It's not that your heart is a pump and the fire engine doesn't work that way. And in other words, when we tell stories and we try to you try to teach people, we try to know your audience and bring things in that your audience understands. So in the song today, one of things that they talk about is that the afflicted shall eat and be satisfied. Those who seek him shall praise the Lord. May your heart's love for us. Verse 26 and the afflicted. So there they're talking about people who have been affected. They are going through tough times and God will take God will give you your fill. You shall eat until you die. You satisfied? And that's the way I'll explain how this works. It's not God's not actually feed us like a buffet is not all you can eat buffet, but this is God will take care of us until we're good. And this is a way of explaining this in the Psalms that people could understand because they understand meal. Eat a meal until you're satisfied. 

And the reading in Genesis today we have the continuing saga. So remember, Sarah, I didn't think she could bear Abraham, a son, so she had a younger female servant slash slave known as Hagar. So she gave Abraham. Hagar or as a wife, he laid with her. She became pregnant. She gave a dirty look to Sarah. Sarah He got pissed off at her. So now she's running away from Sarah because she's worried about how she's been going to be treated and what's going to happen to her. And in today's reading, the Angel Award founders Bring in the wilderness and it was on the way. You sure? S h you are. And he talks to Hagar, tells her that you know why? What are you doing? Well, I'm running away from my mistress. And he says you need to return and submit to her. But he also gives her in that a promise to the angel and also said, I will surely multiply your offspring. They cannot be numbered for a multitude. And then you you're pregnant. You shall bear her son. They shall coals name Ishmael because the Lord has listened to your affliction. There's that word again. He shall be a wild donkey of a man. His hands shall be against everyone and everyone's hand against him. And you should dwell over against all his kings kinsmen So again, a wild donkey of a man. So there's a silly saying that he mama, he's going to be like a wild donkey. And if you've ever seen a wild donkey of the brain and kicking and all that, it's, you know, takes a lot to control them. So she did. She went back. She had her son and it's Abraham. He's still not Abraham yet. So he's Abraham at this point did name him Ishmael. 

So now we move on to the gospel of Mark, and here we have Peter. So this is Saint Peter that we refer to the rock of the church as Jesus will call him later. And they're Jesus is they're walking to the the villages of South Syria and Philippe. And on the way he is talking to his disciples, you know, they're walking down the dirt road talking and saying, all right, so hey, so who do you who people say am who you know, what's going on? What's the you know, he's trying to get some some understanding of what people are going what are people saying about me who they say I am? And there's all these you know, there's a wide variety of answers. John the Baptist, although John Baptist at this point had already been beheaded by Herod, other say Elijah, remember, Elijah transcended to heaven. He did not die. He was lifted up the good because there were people think he was coming back. So he could have been Elijah. The lady didn't die. He just walked with God, as it says in the Scripture and others, just, you know, you're you're one of the prophets. So Jeremiah Daniel, in all those Old Testament Jesus, another one in the line, the prophets use it. All right, so who do you guys think I am? 

And Peter, you are the Christ and always forward. You are the Christ. And then Jesus directly charged him not to tell and no one about him because it was not time yet for him to be revealed. That takes place on Good Friday when he enters into Jerusalem before he is taken and crucified. 

So Peter knows what's going on. And the thing I want, the thing you take that I take away from Peter. Hey, this is Peter. Elizabeth. You are the Christ. This is the Peter who is. Just go, Jesus, go. Jeez, He's Jesus's biggest fan. Biggest. You know, he's all about Jesus. 

And Jesus will also tell him later on, you will deny me three times before the cock crows in the morning. And he did. 

Peter is considered the rock of the church, the rock of Christianity. He is mentioned this. He and Paul are usually Saint Peter, Saint Paul. They're kind of put together. They are the two big names that came out right after the Resurrection and Ascension. They're the two that really rent ran things. 

So yeah, you can and this is this is God, this is, this is the way we work as human beings is with God, understand? And this is the way we are. Yes. Peter, You can be Peter, you can be for God and at the same time and you will deny him, but you will come back. You will be redeemed. Because you will. Because as you will read later, when we do the story of Peter, you'll find out he realized that he repented and came back even stronger. And that's the message to have from this is the appeal. We may be a Peter, we may make mistakes, we atone for them, we confess them, and then we come back stronger than ever. Amen.