Radical Inclusion

Tuesday, January 30, 2007 -- Week of 4 Epiphany; Year One

"Morning Reflections" is a brief thought about the scripture readings from the Daily Office of Morning and Evening Prayer according to the practice found in the Book of Common Prayer of the Episcopal Church.

Morning Prayer begins on p. 80 of the Book of Common Prayer.
Evening Prayer begins on p. 117
An online resource for praying the Daily Office is found at www.missionstclare.com
Another form of the office from Phyllis Tickle's "Divine Hours" is available on our partner web site www.ExploreFaith.org at this location -- http://explorefaith.org/prayer/fixed/index.html


Today's Readings for the Daily Office (p. 946)
Psalms 61, 62 (morning) // 68:1-20 (21-23) 24-36 (evening)
Isaiah 52:1-12
Galatians 4:12-20
Mark 8:1-10

Last Thursday we read the story of Jesus' feeding a multitude of 5,000. That feeding happened in Israel somewhere near Lake Galilee. When all were filled, the disciples took up 12 baskets of broken pieces and fish. Twelve is the number of tribes in the family of Israel. It is a number that is very sacred to Jews.

Yesterday we read that Jesus had left his home country. There he encountered a Gentile woman who asked him to heal her child. He refused: "Let the children be fed first..." Her response of faith and hope prompted Jesus to heal the daughter. Then Jesus went into another Gentile territory where he healed a deaf-mute person.

Today he is still among the Gentiles. In Israel it was taught that these are unclean people. It was a violation of Jewish purity laws to each with Gentiles. Observant Jews regarded themselves to have been defiled should they touch a Gentile, or for some, they could become unclean if a Gentile shadow should cross their path. Today's reading from Isaiah speaks of the restoration of Jerusalem from its captivity when "the uncircumcised and the unclean shall enter you no more." Gentiles were seen to be outside of the community of God and of God's saving action through the Jews. (There are a few Biblical references to a kind of inclusive universalism, but it is a quiet Old Testament theme.)

Our story today in Mark's Gospel tells of another feeding. Jesus is in the Decapolis region near Galilee -- ten Gentile cities. There he performs the same miracle he has performed among his own people. When they collect the left over baskets there are seven of them. Seven is a traditional sacred number for the other religions.

Jesus heals and feeds the Gentiles with the same compassion and generosity that he shows to the people of his own faith. He accepts them and treats them as fellow children of God. He gives them no expectation that they should become Jews like him or that they should abandon their own faith. He loves and serves them as they are. Can we appreciate how radical was Jesus's attitude?

Paul's entire letter to the Galatians is his defense of a similar radical hospitality. Paul is arguing for the inclusion of Gentiles in the Christian community without requiring them to become Jews like him, like all of the early disciples. Paul faces stiff opposition within the Church.

How exclusive is the love, revelation, and salvation of God? From the example we have in the life of Jesus it is radically inclusive. Conscientious Christians hold different opinions about this. Some believe that only professed followers of Jesus have access to the fullness of God's saving work. Some believe all others are lost for ever. To me, that seems contrary to the witness of Jesus.

I think that Jesus reached out with equal love and compassion to Jews and Gentiles alike. He did not withhold grace and healing from those with "wrong beliefs." On the contrary, he treated them with equal respect and regard. In fact, the only group he consistently criticized were those who were so confident in their own faith that they excluded the other -- the unclean and the sinner. Through history the church has been unable to practice what Jesus lived.

Lowell
______________________

To Subscribe or Unsubscribe to the "Morning Reflections" email list,
go to our Subscriptions page -- http://www.stpaulsfay.org/id137.html

The Rev. Lowell Grisham
St. Paul's Episcopal Church
Fayetteville, AR

The Mission of St. Paul's Episcopal Church is to explore and celebrate God's infinite grace, acceptance, and love.

Our Rule of Life: We aspire to...
worship weekly
pray daily
learn constantly
serve joyfully
live generously.