Psalm 117, Ezekiel 47.1-14, 21-23, Romans 9.19-33 - Lectionary for 1/20/11 - Sarah

Today is the day the Church commemorates Sarah, the wife of Abraham, who showed herself a faithful woman, taking on the calling of and the promises granted to her husband. Our readings today express the universality of God's call. In the Psalm we see that the call to praise God goes out to all nations. In Ezekiel we see that the living water flowing from the temple is a blessing to all nations, growing in its power as it reaches farther and farther, though it all stems from the one source at God's altar. In Romans 9 we see that God has called people from all nations, not just from Israel's race.

How great is this call of Christ? Just how big is our view of Jesus' atonement for sins? Do we really believe that Jesus' forgiveness and the life he grants us reaches as far as he promises it will - to all nations, to all times, to all our sin and suffering? Do we really accept the fact that our Lord has said forgiveness is appropriated by faith alone, not by any merit we could earn? This is liberation indeed. This is how we see the healing water of our Lord spreading through all the world.

May the Lord who called Sarah and Abraham to bring forth the child of promise counter to human reason also call forth faith in his salvation in Christ Jesus, another promise he has granted counter to human reason.

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Dave Spotts
blogging at http://capnsaltyslongvoyage.blogspot.com