1 st Sunday of Lent (B) Genesis 9 Psalm 25 1 Peter 3 Mark 1b

Transcription

1 1 1 st Sunday of Lent (B) Genesis 9 Psalm 25 1 Peter 3 Mark 1b - No lections have direct connection with penitential themes of season - Take on coloration in light of Good Friday or Easter - Genesis 9 o Reaffirms God s faithfulness to all creatures o Will never again destroy because sinfulness o human repentance + contrition occur within that covenant o When we repent o We can be confident og ongoing relationship with God o Consequences of sin cannot result in final rejection - Psalm 25 o General sense of alienation o Shame involved in human rejection of God s son o Truth + salvation reflected in Jesus o Psalmist s prayer for forgiveness finds eloquent answer in the cross o Confidence in God s righteousness finds justification in Jesus - 1 Peter o Suffering of Christ both salvific and paradigmatic o Our Christian faith may lead to suffering o Does not affirm or celebrate suffering o Suffering is inevitable o Because invariably at odds with world - Mark 1 o Jesus wilderness sojourn o Jesus later displays power over Satan + nature o Here subject to dangers of Satan + animals o Not as explicit as 1 Peter o Evokes solidarity with Jesus wilderness period Genesis 9 - OT lections for Lent concern covenant

2 2 - Genesis 9 s covenant in God s own mouth - God s faithfulness is not disrupted even by flood - Time of exile = disruption - Exile = historical experience of chaos - Narrated through the Flood account - Flood ~ exile - as for me = God s intentional unilateral act - God will establish qwm a covenant o Not krt because no mutuality o Pure grace + self-giving of God o With humans and with all creation - V11 is sweeping promise o Admits destruction o Not just will destroy but not by flood o Pledge of fidelity to keep world safe o Compare Isaiah 54:9-10 lo `owd o World has become a safe place - Scope is large as creation o Because vv sign is the bow o Bow as weapon of war + hostility o God will be at peace with recalcitrant creation o Also reminder to God Twice God pauses to remember Reminds God to be faithful + everlasting o (1) God needs to be reminded of his promises o (2) when God remembers grace happens o (3) when God forgets he is destructive o Mercy restrains destruction o Makes God behave pledged as covenant o When Israel sees rainbow reflect on God s response Causes God new generosity + graciousness Reminds exiles + survivors world is not under threat God s promise as sure as rainbow is visible Bow invites basic trust world is safe Genesis 9,??? - Concentric arrangement of Great Flood - A. 6:9-10, genealogical

3 3 o B , God sees that earth is ruined o B. 9:8-17, God promises never again to ruin - A. 9:18-19, genealogical - God makes 1 st of 4 covenants on which divine-human relationship is based - Promises security o Others between God and people he has chosen o (2) Genesis 15, 17, land o (3) Exodus 20, Deuteronomy 5, structure o (4) 2 Samuel 7, descendant of David - Rainbow ~ warrior s bow, points away from earth - Never again will all flesh be ruined not by God Genesis 9, Walter Brueggemann - Conclusion in 3 parts this is 3/3 - (2) royal decree o God will stay with, endure, sustain his world o Rebellion will not sway him from great dream o God will stay with decision for harmonious, obedient creation o His vocation is resilient work of affirmation o The flood changed God not world o Intensifies his commitment o tortured relationship between grieved God + resistant world o God does not stand outside hurt world as judge o God s dikaiosyne is compassion (Romans 3:25) - Compares with Second Isaiah to exiles o Israel not abandoned in exile o Creation not abandoned in exile o Creation not abandoned to chaos of disobedience o heavy discernment about humankind (8:21) o God s deep grief is distinct - 9:8-17 (P) o God has made decision about his own heart o Is there no further destruction? o The guilt-punishment connection is broken o Evil not eradicated o Not rooted in anger or rejection of God o Relation is now unqualified grace

4 4 o never again = guarantees God is with + for his creatures o Bow => God will not be provoked to use it Creation ends with rest Flood ends with resting his weapon o What evoked this turn? Genesis 8:1 God remembered o Gospel = his God remembers Remembering = gracious engagement committed compassion o God s memory is last hope in realm of death o Flood does not wash over God s memory o Exile as collapse of known world Ezekiel linked to flood tradition God will grant a new heart => faithfulness o 2 nd Isaiah and theme of chaos Has God forgotten? Appeals to flood narrative God s commitment to Israel is more reliable than creation itself o Last word is by God who is outside + presides over flood I will remember my covenant God now fully inclined toward creation Genesis 9, Terence Fretheim, New Interpreter s - 3 speeches to Noah (attributed to P) - Read n view of 8: non-p texts - Lays out dynamics of renewed relationship to post-flood creation - Noah is new Adam but inclination of heart toward evil - God has not withdrawn from creation - God safeguards creation from human + divine sides - God who blesses + promises come together here (Rmw details?) - 9:8-17, what humans can expect from God o Fulfills promise of 6:18 o Compare to promises to Israel after fall of Jerusalem (Isaiah 54:9-10) o Vv8-10, recipients of covenant V11, content of covenant Vv12-13, sign of covenant ½ o Vv14-15a, 16, God remembers V16 the promise

5 5 Reflections V17, sign of covenant 2/2 o Covenant functions as equivalent to promise o God is obligated unconditionally o Remembering is God s responsibility o Never Again will God send flood to destroy Judgments but not annihilation o God does not forget but people believe he has o Remembering = action with reference to prior commitment o bow as divine weapon o Associate with both promise + judgment God uses bow to protect creation But clouds so restrain in midst of deserved judgment (4) text is not just about means but end = Earth s destruction or destruction of all flesh (5) involves all people Israel has privileged position because it knows Context within which other covenants become possible All covenants directed to same end = good creation intended by God (6) ecological implications Humans should follow divine lead We have responsibility Hosea 2:18, recipients of covenant no longer estranged (7) divine forbearance (Von Rad) God s response to evil is permanently limited God is a realist + knows our evil inclination