Sunday, September 10, 2023

Twenty-Third Sunday in Ordinary Time

The Revised Common Lectionary passages for the Lord’s Day are:
– First Reading: Exodus 12:1-4
– Psalm 149:1-9
– Second Reading: Romans 13:8-14
– Gospel Reading: Matthew 18:15-20

The liturgical color for the day is: Green

One has to step out of the moment in Exodus 12 and see that there is both back story and a forward story—a movement—going on here.  The back story is that the firstborn is God’s.  In order for the taking of the firstborn to make any sense one has to remember that the Lord calls Israel the firstborn in Exodus Chapter 4. 

There is this understanding written into the Pentateuch that all the firstborn belongs to God.  And on this occasion God is saying that firstborn of creation will be sacrificed in order to get humanity’s (ie: Pharaoh’s) attention that God’s people will be delivered.

The forward story in that is also apparent in the regard that God gives up the firstborn—the Incarnate One.  God gives that one over to humanity to be the reconciler and bringer of justice.  The Christ become the new Israel.  Where Israel was unable to keep covenant the new firstborn does.

But to see that, one has to step out of the detail of the passage of the tenets of the Passover.  And we step out of it not to step away from it, but to allow it to speak in this stronger voice that asks what is at play and what is going on.  What is happening is God is providing the way.

In the narrative and in our legalistic ways of being, we need to step out and look for the back story.  Look for the back story and then look for the forward movement.  How does that back story point us on to the next steps in our lives, for our church, and in our community?

When we step back and look for the back story in the movement of our lives, what is there?  What is there is the story of God’s hand and God’s trustworthiness.  We do dare to trust God—God sees us through.  God has a way.  And we are to keep that faith—that is the perpetual ordinance.  It is the continual ritual—that we come back again and again and again to trusting in the trustworthiness of God.  It is our back story.  It is our forward momentum.  Trust in the trustworthiness of God.

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Rev. Dr. Daris Bultena
General Presbyter and Stated Clerk