Today's readings are Judges 7.1-23 and Galatians 1.1-24.
In today's reading, Gideon proves true valor. Actually, Gideon demonstrates what true valor is. We see that the true valor shown here is not something that Gideon does. It is not something the soldiers of Israel do. It is, rather, what God does. Our Lord wants us to make no mistake about it. The victory is not won by force of arms. It is not because of Gideon's striking leadership. It is not the courage of the soldiers. It isn't even the shrewd leadership with all the trumpets and torches which could make the army seem larger than it was. No, the victory was won before the army even arrived, won by the God who declares victory against all reason.
This same kind of victory is what our Lord showed on the cross. By becoming subject to human temptation, subject to death, being a partaker of human frailty, our Lord overcame death itself. He did not do so by showing himself to be immortal and making everybody bulletproof. He did so by laying his life down, becoming the one who took on the penalty of sin, becoming a curse on our behalf. It is through this acceptance of frailty that our Lord was able to do what we can never do. He was able to overturn the curse of sin, once and for all.
God's victories tend to go counter to our reason. May he bless us to see some of those victories, large and small, today.
In today's reading, Gideon proves true valor. Actually, Gideon demonstrates what true valor is. We see that the true valor shown here is not something that Gideon does. It is not something the soldiers of Israel do. It is, rather, what God does. Our Lord wants us to make no mistake about it. The victory is not won by force of arms. It is not because of Gideon's striking leadership. It is not the courage of the soldiers. It isn't even the shrewd leadership with all the trumpets and torches which could make the army seem larger than it was. No, the victory was won before the army even arrived, won by the God who declares victory against all reason.
This same kind of victory is what our Lord showed on the cross. By becoming subject to human temptation, subject to death, being a partaker of human frailty, our Lord overcame death itself. He did not do so by showing himself to be immortal and making everybody bulletproof. He did so by laying his life down, becoming the one who took on the penalty of sin, becoming a curse on our behalf. It is through this acceptance of frailty that our Lord was able to do what we can never do. He was able to overturn the curse of sin, once and for all.
God's victories tend to go counter to our reason. May he bless us to see some of those victories, large and small, today.
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Dave Spotts
blogging at http://capnsaltyslongvoyage.blogger.com
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