Certainty and God's Ways

Monday, March 30, 2009 -- Week of 5 Lent, Year One

Today's Readings for the Daily Office (Book of Common Prayer, p. 956)
Psalms 31 (morning) 35 (evening)
Jeremiah 24:1-10
Romans 9:19-33
John 9:1-17

Certainty is the belief that we are smarter today than we will be tomorrow. Doubt or the ability to question our beliefs is an essential ability if we are to learn and grow in our understanding of God. The day we are certain about God, is the day we think we have become as big as God, and know nothing of God.

Today's scriptures are filled with stories that shine a light on the necessity of being open to new possibilities that challenge old certainties.

Jeremiah is living in Jerusalem serving as an advisor and prophet to King Zedekiah. Around 598 the Babylonians had captured Jerusalem and sent its king, many officials and leading citizens into exile. They placed Zedekiah on the throne as a vassal ruler.

In today's vision, Jeremiah sees two baskets of figs. The exiles in Babylon Jeremiah sees as the "good figs," and the remnant living with Jeremiah in Jerusalem are the "bad figs," he said. God will bless the good figs, the exiles; God will make the bad figs in Jerusalem "a horror."

Throughout the previous decades, Jeremiah has counseled cooperation with Babylon. Once again he sides with the outsider whom most regarded as the enemy and oppressor. He says those in Babylon will be blessed, if they cooperate with the Babylonians. He calls them "good figs," even though they appear to have been punished by God with exile; they are the ones who have been humiliated and shamed by capture and deportation. The apparently lucky ones, still living in their homes, Jeremiah condemns and scorns in God's name.

What Jeremiah speaks is the opposite of the conventional certainty in Jerusalem. He tells those who believe they are the chosen and blessed, that they aren't.

And Paul continues to emphasize the centrality of trusting God, even when God's ways are inscrutable. He poses the absurdity that has come true: "Gentiles, who did not strive for righteousness, have attained it, that is, righteousness through faith; but Israel, who did strive for the righteousness that is based on the law, did not succeed in fulfilling that law... They have stumbled over the stumbling stone."

And Jesus faces down the conventional certainty that blindness is God's punishment for someone's wrongdoing. They ask Jesus for his opinion about the argument. "Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?" Jesus refutes the entire presupposition. "Neither," he says. Then Jesus violates the conventional interpretation of the Sabbath law, picks up mud, spreads it on the man's eyes, and heals him.

Over and over in scripture, God frustrates the certainties of God's people. God does the new and unexpected thing. God blesses the ones believed cursed. God's glory is manifest in the person previously considered to be an outsider, the sinner or unrighteous one.

It should give us pause over our certainties and whatever beliefs seem conventional and settled. It should give us pause over how we regard those who are outsiders or obvious sinners or patently unrighteous. So often in the scripture witness, God is present in working in the most unsuspected person and place.

Lowell

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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