Allegory

Wednesday, February 4, 2009 -- Week of 4 Epiphany, Year One
Cornelius the Centurion

Today's Readings for the Daily Office (Book of Common Prayer, p. 946)
Psalms 72 (morning) 119:73-96 (evening)
Isaiah 54:1-10(11-17)
Galatians 4:21-31
Mark 8:11-26

We get a great chance to experience an ancient and traditional practice of interpretation of sacred texts today. Paul teaches by an allegory. The story is the Genesis story of Hagar and Sarah, two wives of Abraham. Hagar was Sarah's slave. When Sarah was unable to bear children, she gave Hagar to Abraham to bear children for her. Abraham's first son Ishmael was conceived through Hagar.

Years later Sarah was able to bear a son, Isaac. There was conflict between the two women. Sarah demanded that Hagar and Ishmael be banished, saying, "Drive out the slave and her child; for the child of the slave will not share the inheritance with the child of the free woman." God told Abraham to do as Sarah demanded, and promised that God would make a nation from Ishmael's descendants. Tradition traces the Arab peoples through Ishmael and the Jewish people through Isaac.

But notice how Paul makes his allegory. The two women are the two covenants, one covenant of slavery and one covenant of freedom. Hagar is Mount Sinai in Arabia where Moses received the Law, which is now practiced in Jerusalem. Sarah is the "Jerusalem above," and Paul says to the Church, she is our mother. Hagar was born of the flesh, he says. Sarah was born "according to the Spirit," a miraculous gift from God when Sarah was beyond the years of child-bearing. In Paul's allegory the law is the illegitimate offspring of the flesh, but Christ is Abraham's promised offspring through the Spirit. We inherit the promises of Abraham as a gift accepted through faith, and that is freedom. The other path -- to observe the Law -- is slavery, Paul says. "Drive out the slave (Hagar) and her child (the Law); for the child of the slave will not share the inheritance (freedom) with the child of the free woman (Christ)."

(This is an allegory which would have really ticked off most Jews and rabbis. After all, the Jewish people trace their ancestry through Sarah's child Isaac.)

This section of Galatians shows us something important about Biblical interpretation, however. The predominate style of interpretation throughout history has been to use the stories of scripture as allegories, metaphors, or symbols. Elevating literal interpretation to a preferred status is a modern invention, influenced primarily by the rise of science. When Biblical literalists twist and tie the Bible into their fantastic knots, they are essentially caving in to a science-oriented paradigm. They are abandoning the traditional faith and practice of our ancestors who preferred to let scripture speak in allegory, metaphor and symbol.

In fact, the power of the lyrical Isaiah 54 that we read today is entirely metaphorical. The prophet sings to the barren woman (Israel) to enlarge her tent, for she shall have many offspring. (It's a nice conjunction today that Paul quotes in Galatians the same reading we have in Isaiah.) Isaiah announces in the name of God: No more fear; no more shame or disgrace, "but with everlasting love I will have compassion on you."

In the name of the church, Paul sees these wonderful promises fulfilled in Christ. "For freedom Christ has set us free."

What a fine set of readings for the feast day of Cornelius the Centurion, the first Gentile Christian. Though he was uncircumcised and was not part of the tribe of Israel, God manifested the gifts of the Spirit in Cornelius, and Peter recognized that Cornelius was "clean." He and his household were baptized as children of the Spirit, without having to become Jewish or to adopt the practice of the Law. His inclusion marks a turning point in the history of the Church.

Lowell

_____________________________________________

Audio podcast: Listen to an audio podcast of the most recent Morning Reflections from today and the past week. Click the following link: Morning Reflection Podcasts

About Morning Reflections
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


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

Visit our web site at www.stpaulsfay.org

Our Rule of Life

We aspire to...
worship weekly
pray daily
learn constantly
serve joyfully
live generously.

Lowell Grisham, Rector

St. Paul's Episcopal Church
Fayetteville, Arkansas