Isaiah 25:1-9 Revelation 1:9-20 John 7:53-8:11
The first part of the reading from Isaiah looks backwards to the faithfulness of God in destroying hostile powers and in caring for the weak and needy. It is not clear to me whether these lines look back to particular instances or rehearses types of experiences or interpretations of the past. The passage continues by looking forward to what God will do in the future to deliver his people from oppressive powers. The passage ends with an affirmation that we wait for God to save us, and God will come to save us. It would seem immediately that God is the one who saves and that we need only be faithful in order to triumph. I see no encouragement to take action to right things ourselves.
The Gospel reading today is of the woman caught in adultery. Her guilt is clear, and yet Jesus confronts those who accuse her. I see the same theme emerge that I have seen in the readings for a number of days, that those who accuse and condemn, albeit justly, are shamed.
The issues that are highlighted are not so much those of doing the right thing, as those of purity of heart. Both the Old and the New Testament readings touch on the misuse of power, judgment against wickedness, and God’s standing by the powerless one. God’s “with-ness” is not restricted to those the righteous. While we see that God supports the oppressed and promises them salvation, God also stands with the law-breaker against her “righteous” judges. Being “right” does not seem to be the point. Again, I feel confrontation against my own anger against those who destroy the environment, and I feel that God calls me to examine and purify my motivations.
No comments:
Post a Comment