Kids’ shows will try to teach importance of numbers and letters by focusing on them.
If scriptures did that, our reading from the Book of Genesis today (and echoed in Paul’s letter to the Romans would be brought to us by the letter H!The Hebrew letter H – pronounced Hey!
Not in the attention-grabbing way our society might use that sound…
Some Jewish scholars point out:
The letter itself carries with it symbolism of divinity, of creation, of the union of earthly and heavenly realms, of completion and fullness, of being imbued with holy grace.
So it’s interesting – and should catch our attention – that today we have substantial use of the letter H.
Now, in and of itself, any time that a name is changed in the Bible - we should pay attention.
And today’s scriptures have 2 already significant people having their names changed – by God, directly.
Abram becomes Abraham – a Hey added in – with all that symbolism.
Sarai becomes Sarah – again, a Hey is included.
And these letters don’t just give a slight adaptation to their existing monikers.
They change the meaning of the names of these two people.
Abram, which means father or head of a family – this is magnified to Abraham – meaning the
father of many nations.
Sarai – a diminutive name, ‘my princess’ or sweetheart – this also amplifies as Sarah becomes OUR princess – a collective matron to those many nations.
These are BIG changes.
Both of these folks are being called to something greater:
bigger than their own lives, more substantial than their own experiences:
Parents to the community. Elders, advisors, mentors, respected leaders.
Their ministry is bigger than themselves or their immediate family.
Bigger even than their community, or their tribe.
To be sure: these were not perfect people.
They were not the ideal candidate for sharing God’s message – there’s a whole list of half-siblings and step-relations and all manner of confusion.
It was difficult, they made mistakes, they were human.
BUT they were called. And they were faithful.
And thus their weird, ambiguous journey continued.
A spiritual journey from which we all benefit, to this day.
No wonder Paul reiterates that in his letter, when he says to the people in Rome (where being a Christian was an awkward and difficult reality): “the promise that he would inherit the world did not come to Abraham or to his descendants through the law but through the righteousness of faith.”
… and then he reminds the community that though they’re all the descendants of Abraham, they haven’t been doing too great of a job.
For this reason, Paul writes, the world needed Jesus – “who was handed over to death for our trespasses and was raised for our justification.”
Our trespasses. Our sins – our indebtedness. Our disconnect from God – by our own choices.
Paul could have been writing to us today, as easily as he was to the church in Rome.
So it’s helpful for us to hear again, as did the disciples some 2000 years ago :
The call to remain faithful – and to avoid sinfulness – remains.
That’s the idea that Jesus is getting at with Peter in our rather confusing and ambiguous Gospel today.
At first glance, these few lines can feel like mixed messaging:
Peter – recently told by Jesus not to tell anyone that Jesus is the Christ – now rebuked by Jesus for trying to get Jesus to keep the same silence.
The line that often causes us to pause and reflect – and ask questions: “For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake, and for the sake of the gospel, will save it.”
The harsh meaning of the cross – that symbol of death and destruction, of being overpowered by a cruel regime… this was something most folks would try to avoid, not intentionally bear – but Jesus says we need to carry it.
And then to be told that we are an adulterous and sinful generation.
Ouch! This is not sounding like Good News.
It must be Lent.
Yet despite this, we can recognise the call remains: The call to remain faithful – and to avoid sinfulness.
So… how are we doing with that call?
Well, I’m going to invite us to consider what it means to be faithful.
And what it means to be sinful.
To be faithful – full of faith – means that we are remaining loyal and steadfast – to the truth.
And this is where Jesus invites his disciples to recognise that a life of faith is not necessarily a comfortable one.
It means standing up against falsehoods, against cruelty, against meanness.
It means accompanying those who are beaten down; seeking voices for the voiceless; empowering the downtrodden.
It’s engaging with people at their worst, doing the best we can, that we might all have the abundant eternal life that we are promised.
And sinfulness – we might understand it as a disconnect from God, through specific actions that we have taken – even though we usually know better.
Rabbi Harold Kushner, in his book “To Life” says this about sin…
“In Jewish thought, a sin is not an offense against God, an act of disobedience.
A sin is a missed opportunity to act humanly.”
So a sinful generation is a society that has normalised times where actions are inhumane. It’s not just our individual actions, but the structure of our communal life.
So whenever we support oppressive systems,
whenever we turn a blind eye to the suffering of someone,
whenever we perpetuate unfair stereotypes,
whenever we participate in broken structures that deny the fullness of life:
Even when - - ESPECIALLY when - - we are not personally affected.
When these things happen, we are missing those opportunities to act humanly.
This is what Jesus is calling us away from.
This is what Lent reminds us of.
Our faith journey is about more than ourselves.
It’s recognising that our role in the kingdom of God is more than just our personal choices, our personal preferences.
It’s about our connection – what we will give up of our own comfort,
in order to raise the quality of life of the vulnerable in our society
–the lost, the least, the left-behind.
It’s about our intention – as we discern new ways to align our hearts
to serving the people that Jesus loves and called to his side;
and protect and sustain the cosmos that God created;
and celebrate the beloved that are upheld and enlivened by the power of the Spirit.
It’s about our true selves. Yearning to be full of faith; desiring to be agents of change. Striving to act humanely in meaningful and lasting ways.
Desiring the HEY to affect our lives magnificently:
With that grace, that love, that wholeness, that finds a home in our hearts.
And the good news – Jesus reminds us that it is possible. That God is wanting to lavish upon us the forgiveness of our sins.
That God is extending ceaseless opportunities for us to renew and refresh ourselves that we might align with the faith we profess, and participate in sharing the Good News of God.
All we need to do: is pick up the cross – and follow in the model and teachings of Jesus.
May God bless our lives with the casual HEY! that awakens our souls to the call to live more fully in the faith, as the HEY! of God’s grace continues to embrace us in our journey.
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