Saturday, February 20, 2010

Genesis 3.1-24, Mark 2.1-17 - Lectionary for 2/20/10 - Saturday after Ash Wednesday

Today's readings are Genesis 3.1-24 and Mark 2.1-17.

There are so very many ways we can go in talking about Genesis 3.  This is one of the fuller chapters of the Bible.  We'll leave it at this.

Recall that the man and the woman were together, naked, and unashamed?  Now with their entrance into sin by disobeying God they are ashamed.  They may not know where their shame comes from at first, but they feel this terrible desire to hide.  We likewise have need to hide.  We can look at our lives and see that behind even the most apparently upright one of us there is reason to hide.  We have much to be ashamed of, principally tha twe have inherited Adam's sin.  We have shame because our lives bear the sin of Adam, that sin of mistrust in God's promises, commands, and perfect provision.

Do we fail to trust our Lord?  Every day.  Do we think and even act as if God is not lovingly caring for all our world?  Every day.  Do we take matters into our own hands and do what seems best to us, particularly if we have trouble believing that God really said what he said?  Every day.  Is there reason for us to try hiding?  Though we cannot hide from God we are daily tempted to do so.  Our sins separate us from our Creator.  We are afraid that he will notice.

What's the good news in all this?  It is exactly what we dread.  God does notice.  He sees us in our sin and shame.  He sees us trying to hide under a rock.  Though this is exactly what we fear it is the best good news we can receive, for our Lord himself cares for us.  He knows what we need.  He knows how to guard us.  It is he who clothes us in the righteousness of the second Adam, Jesus.  It is he who grants us protection from ourselves by his Church, administering means of grace to point us to Christ rather than to ourselves and our sinful patterns.  It is he who has provided the cure for sin.

Thanks be to God that we cannot hide from him.


1 comment:

  1. quite interesting that much of what you said could also be applied to the scribes in Mark 2, who thought they could hide in the thoughts of their hearts. But the Lord came seeking them as well.

    ReplyDelete