After taking a week off, let’s get back to the regular schedule and take a look at the recommended readings for this coming Sunday.  The lectionary serves up the standard four readings for the Second Sunday in Lent and here they are:

• Genesis 15:1-12,17-18
• Psalm 27
• Philippians 3:17-4:1
• Luke 13:31-35

The familiar story in Genesis hit me differently this morning for some reason.  Yes, there’s still a wonderful covenant and promise made to Abraham by God, but something else pushed through the reading to me.  We typically understand that Abraham was a wealthy man, or at the very least he was someone who had no real wants.  He had land, livestock and servants, not to mention a wife…. but that’s not enough.  Look at how the reading starts, that God tells Abraham in a vision that his reward shall be very great.  In some translations, God seems to reference Himself as the great reward.  Either way, Abraham doesn’t consider anything that he has yet to be of great reward, it's not enough.  Again, the point of the passage is the covenant between God and Abraham and setting up the lineage of Jesus, but considering we are just coming out of a message about temptation, perhaps we should spend some time being thankful for the rewards God has already given us before we ask for something else.

As I read through the Psalm, I began to think about tornadoes.  Looking at all the things the Psalmist is talking about swirling around him, yet he has no fear.  Better than that, he has faith that he will be safe.  So why tornadoes?  One of the oddities of a tornado is how there can be an immense swath or path of destruction and then in the midst of it there is something completely untouched.   A car, a house, a baby carriage, almost looking as if it was put down after the fact because all else around it is destroyed.  Our lives and this world often seem like a tornado or some other natural disaster spinning out of control smashing plans, things, and people in its way.  I just wonder if instead of trying to engage in it, fighting fire with fire as they say, and instead put all our faith in God that we might we be like that one untouched house in a flattened neighborhood.  A wonderful thought as time and so-called progress marches on around us.

The Epistle text feels like it is part of a running theme over the past month or so.  Hearing Paul echo the words that we have discussed in relation to Jesus and Peter, that minds on earthly things will never see success in faith.  Paul’s words also echo something we had a month ago, where the OT prophet Jeremiah told us not to put our trust in man, that those who do are cursed.  The savior we expect is one from heaven, not one from a particular political party or banking institution.  “Stand firm in the Lord” he says.  Obviously, that was easier said than done at the time he wrote the letter and nothing has changed.  It becomes so easy to put our “faith” in other things.  How much time do we spend worrying and fretting about things that are only related to our immediate situation, not even just earthly overall, but completely temporal in the moment?  Paul cries for those who oppose the cross and his tears likely extend to those of us who struggle to keep our eyes fixed upon the cross as well.

I won’t rehash it here, but there’s some wonderful study to be done on why Jesus uses the fox to describe Herod in our Gospel lesson today.  Admittedly, I’m not rehashing it because at the moment I can’t remember.  The latter half of the reading has my attention this morning, thinking about Jerusalem as it relates to the people of God and even to the church.  This plays a little bit in my mind like when Jesus complained to the folks in Nazareth that a prophet is never welcomed in his own hometown.  Here, Jerusalem is another place that seemingly should embrace those speaking of the good news or bringing messages from God.  Instead, those people are killed and stoned.  I’m certain God didn’t think of it this way, but putting ourselves in his shoes for a moment, could we begin to understand the response to Jesus?  I’m sending my son to you, lowering myself to flesh and blood to make myself real and tangible for you, healing you, raising people from the dead and preaching a message of love and freedom, yet all you want to do is run me out of town and eventually hoist me on a cross?  Nuts!   I wonder sometimes when we gather on Sunday’s and hear a convicting word if we truly inspect ourselves or if it “turns us off” and we either dismiss it or we go somewhere else where they might affirm (or at least not condemn) the choices we make?  I’m reminded of a devotional by Paul David Tripp that I used a couple years ago that was powerful for two reasons.  First, Paul allowed the Scripture to convict himself and his own life and then he invited the reader to look in that same mirror.  When the church or we ourselves look in the mirror, do we look like Jerusalem?

My typical disclaimer:  The above are my initial thoughts as I read through the texts on a Monday morning.  Much more study is required and sometimes that study might even tell you that your initial thoughts were wrong.  Join me this week and dive into the Word of God.  At the very least, let's give these four readings a proper look.

God bless you and I hope to see you Sunday!