Second Sunday in Lent Year A 5th March 2023
Lectionary readings: Genesis 12 v1-4a; Psalm 121; Romans 4 v1-5, 13-17; John 3 v1-17.
Abraham’s example.
Long ago and far away, (about 4000 years ago, in Southern Iraq), God spoke to man named Abram (later Abraham). Abram put his faith in God’s plans for himself, his wife and his community.
God said to Abram, “I will bless you and make your descendants into a great nation. You will be famous and be a blessing to others.” (Genesis 12 v2).
The oral history of Israel was written down some 1500 years after the time of Abraham. By this time, he was celebrated as the ‘father’ of the people of God. His example of faith in God was to be imitated by Jews of every generation.
Over 500 years later, the apostle Paul, writing to followers of Jesus, said, “Everything depends on having faith in God, so that God’s promise isn’t only for Abraham’s descendants who have the Law. It is for all who are Abraham’s descendants because they have faith, just as he did. Abraham is the ancestor of us all.” (Romans 4 v 16).
Today, Abraham’s faith in God is acknowledged by Jews, Christians and Muslims. We all share a faith in the one true God. In that sense, we are all descendants of Abraham.
Paul was arguing that the Jews had lost their way, by putting obedience to the Law of Moses before faith in God and his Son Jesus. He pointed out that Abraham lived hundreds of years before the time of Moses and therefore before the time that the ten commandments were given to the people of Israel. Abraham did not have the ‘Law’ to obey. He simply put his trust in God.
Paul said, The Scriptures say, “God accepted Abraham because Abraham had faith in him.”
(Romans 4 v3, quoting Genesis 15 v6).
Paul continues, “Money paid to workers isn’t a gift. It is something they earn by working. But you cannot make God accept you because of something you do. God accepts sinners only because they have faith in him.” (Romans 4 v4,5).
We cannot ‘earn’ God’s love, we can only accept it with grateful hearts. If we want to please God, we have to do his will, by sharing the love of God with others.
Brian Wren reflects on the birth of our faith and our journey with God,
(Singing the Faith 463 v1,4).
Deep in the shadows of the past, far out from settled lands,
some nomads travelled with their God across the desert sands.
The dawning hope of humankind by them was sensed and shown:
a promise calling them ahead a future yet unknown.
For all the writings that survived, for leaders, long ago,
who sifted, copied and preserved the Bible that we know,
give thanks, and find its story yet our promise, strength and call,
the model of emerging faith, alive with hope for all.
Bible quotations are taken from the Contemporary English Version.