The
opening reading this week is from Hosea, someone we don’t hear from all that
much yet this week his thoughts appear twice. Hosea is one of the Twelve
Minor Prophets whose writings are aggregated into one book in the Jewish
Bible. In the Christian version of the Hebrew [Old] Testament, he has his
own, if brief, book. The Talmud refers to him as the “greatest prophet of his
generation” and his writings take us from significant doom to restoration. He
is also quoted in the Qur’an and as we are each and all ~
Jews, Christians, and Muslims ~ children of Abraham, this should not come as a
surprise though, sadly, it often does. We’ll see Jesus quote Hosea in Matthew
9:13, building on Hosea’s quote about what God truly wants ~ not things we
think we are to sacrifice to God as God has/is everything. The Book of Hosea,
14 short chapters, is worth reading in full for he has quite a personal
history of direction from the Lord
which includes some rather shocking commands, and is of punishment, restoration,
and forgiveness. Not the happiest of Biblical books but short and direct.
The partial piece of Psalm 50 appointed for today continues this theme that God
isn’t interested in the sacrifice of livestock but rather a sacrifice
of thanksgiving and honoring God by actions that pay our vows to God. Reading
the full Psalm from verse 1 to 23, gives us a greater understanding of what God
is calling us to be and to do.
After his conversion, Paul understood that strict obedience to The
Law as only a system of rules was, in a sense, replacing
personal goodness and obedience to God; a message found often in the teachings
of Jesus. Paul further realized that for Gentiles to understand salvation, it
needed to be expressed as God’s promise, as it had first been
given to Abraham and later to Moses. As one source says: Therefore,
Abraham could be the spiritual ancestor of everyone who shared his obedient
faith, quite independently of racial heritage [emphasis
added]. It is to the
fulfilling of our faithful commitment and thanksgiving to God
rather than arbitrary sacrifice that God calls us.
This week’s Gospel reading from Matthew begins with the Call of Matthew: As
Jesus was walking along, he saw a man called Matthew sitting at the
tax-collection station, and he said to him, “Follow me.” And he got up and
followed him. After this was a dinner to which many tax
collectors and sinners came to sit with Jesus and the disciples. The
rigidly Law-abiding, self-righteous Pharisees asked the disciples why Jesus
would eat with such people. Jesus overheard and responded that well people
don’t need a doctor and, with the piece from Hosea but with his own
interpretation said: “Go and learn what this means. ‘I desire mercy, not
sacrifice.’ For I have not come to call the righteous but sinners.”
So for this week, the sum and substance of these readings are fairly clear. God
doesn’t want and certainly doesn’t need blood sacrifices, but rather for us to simply
follow through with the faith commitments we’ve made and establish new ones
that we may have been afraid to do. And, they/we who have begun to feel sorry
for what we have and haven’t done can and must learn to accept the
ceaseless outpouring of forgiveness that God is offering. Put the angry God of
vengeance behind you. Too much rule-based religion has been grounded in fear.
Hear the words of Jesus: EVERYONE who yearns to, wants to, hopes to, or is even
afraid to receive the love of God, already has it. Believe it,
and know that God through Christ, with the Holy Spirit, loves and forgives then,
now, forever, and continuously, constantly, ceaselessly.
LET US, GOD’S PEOPLE,
PRAY
Leader: ~ O God,
our God, You give eternal life to the dead and call into existence the things
that cannot exist without You. Remind our hearts and our souls, to return our
own selves to You, that we may not be counted among the wicked. In offering a
sacrifice of thanksgiving, paying our vows to You, and through Your Covenant
with us, we have the gift of calling on You in our days of trouble. Let us
glorify our God!
Lord God of Promise
RESPONSE:
By Faith we rest in Your Grace
~ O God, our God,
guide us in the ways and strength of faith, that we may deliver to the leaders
of this Planet, this Country, and this Community, the message that we require
mercy from and by you, without sacrificing
principles, morality, or loss of human rights and basic needs. We pray
especially for: add your own petitions
Lord God of Promise
By
Faith we rest in Your Grace
~ O God, our God,
still the fear and quiet the anxiety of all who are ill in body, mind, or
spirit, and give energy and strength of purpose to all who give them care. We
now join our hearts to pray for those in need… add your own petitions
Lord God of Promise
By
Faith we rest in Your Grace
~ O God, our God,
embrace the hearts of all who grieve and guide them to the comfort of knowing,
that all whom we have loved and lost, are now risen in the joy of eternal life
with You. We pray especially for… add your own petitions
Lord God of Promise
By
Faith we rest in Your Grace
~ O God, our
God, we pause in this moment to offer You our personal
heartfelt thanksgivings, intercessions, petitions, and memorials… add
your own petitions
Lord God of Promise
By
Faith we rest in Your Grace
~ O God, our God,
renew again and always, the souls, the hearts, and the minds of all those
anointed to serve Your Church, in guiding and teaching, listening and caring.
Give them the self-knowing and courage to care as much for their own needs as
for ours. We pray especially for: add your own petitions
Lord God of Promise
By
Faith we rest in Your Grace
The
Celebrant adds: Most
High and Loving Creator, as Jesus called Matthew, so he calls us each to follow Him.
Open our eyes and hearts each day with our spirits renewed, to go forth as
Christ’s Body in all that we do in love and with mercy for all of Your people.
We ask through Jesus, our Lord and Redeemer; and the Holy Spirit, the Fire of
our Faith, who live and reign with You, One God, now and forever. Amen.
