2023 07 09 - PROPER 9 (14) Sixth Sunday after Pentecost Year A
Would you believe that as I was scrolling through facebook last week, an add popped up for a Christian book by Paul Grimmond entitled; Water For My Camels: The sub heading was, “Navigating the Space Between Singleness and Marriage When the Bible Doesn't Talk About Dating”.
In our Old Testament reading today we discover that the servant of Abraham has gone on a journey with the task of finding a wife for Isaac. We can learn a lot from this faithful servant – Not so much about dating, but very much about accomplishing tasks. This servant, most probably would have been the one to inherit Abraham’s riches if not for Isaac, yet he acts with complete dedication to the will of God and his master, Abraham.
Firstly, this servant prays and asks God for success in his mission. First and foremost, in all we do, we should do likewise. God delights to give us amazing success, if we are willing to ask him. Secondly, the servant asks for guidance via a sign. Through this we learn that the servant desires to be in the will of God, and to know that he has the success which is in line with the calling of God. In this case, the sign that he proposed, is that when he asks the girl who comes along to the well for a drink, if she says, “Drink and I will water your camels too”, then that is the girl that God has chosen.
It wasn’t a random and disconnected sign. I always imagined that the servant was weary from travel, which is why he was at the well, but commentaries on this scripture suggest that the servant strategically chose this spot, as he wanted to ensure that the wife for Isaac would be one with a particular character. Abraham had charged the servant with going to Abraham’s own people to find a wife for Isaac for the purpose of finding a woman who had his own values; a woman of God! We have some of the conversation recorded, but I’m guessing there were other things said also. The servant desired to find just the right woman, and one who would be found working in the fields, who showed such charity to a stranger as to offer to water his camels too, would be one who was not just obliging, but one who was genuinely generous in spirit…. One who went the extra mile to be caring and considerate.
At the start of the school holidays, I went to Brisbane for my God-daughter’s wedding. As is the case with weddings, stories are told about how the couple, Chiara and Aron, met. Well…. They met online on a dating site. The app or site is a third party that enables the relationship – much like the servant of Abraham – an intermediary. The intermediary has information about the interests and values of the individuals involved and the idea is to find suitable matches.
One very important aspect of Chiara and Aron’s relationship that was made very clear in the story told about their journey leading up to them meeting, was that both Chiara and Aron had just about given up on finding someone who matched themselves for interests and values…. But both of them decided to give it one more try, but with one important difference. Both of them prayed about the matter.
If you have read the stories in Genesis that follow, this one, you would know that Rebekah and Isaac had twin boys. The younger of these, Jacob, who came to be known as Israel, also travelled back to Rebekah’s family where he found his two wives…. In fact, it was a similar story, but so very different and thwarted in many ways. The difference being some very important aspects from which we can learn…. And these are those we see exemplified in Abraham’s faithful servant.
The servant of Abraham committed his purpose to God and prayed for success and that God would affirm that this success was in his perfect plan and will. When he discovered that this woman, Rebekah, was indeed from the correct family line, he lavished her with gifts to show the wealth and intention of his master. He did not act with any deception, but acted with honour and integrity. When he met with Rebekah’s father and brother he did not relax, sit and eat and tarry. Instead, he made his intention clear and sure. He had a plan and stuck to it.
All in all, we see that the servant of Abraham committed his task to God and made that task his first and only priority. Throughout the Bible there are many stories of good people who got side tracked. There is even a story of a man of God from Judah who prophesied, long before it happened, that a son named Josiah would be born to the house of David. The man of God knew that he was to do his proclaiming and return the same day, but another prophet deceitfully convinced him to stay. The next day the man of God left and was attacked by a lion and killed – yet the Lion was found standing next to the body of the man… not touching it. Such an incredible story, that spoke volumes to the people of the time as to the absolute surety of the man of God’s prophetic utterance. …. And a message that when we have a word from God, we need to stay true and not get side tracked. Getting side tracked can have devastating and even life-threatening consequences.
All of scripture comes to us with layers of meaning to teach us. This is about making God’s priority, our priority. The servant of Abraham made sure that his task was on track and he kept it on track. He would not be persuaded to change his mind or distracted. He didn’t rest until the matter was settled.
Today we should reflect; what IS God’s priority? Have we asked him what it is that He is calling us to? As God’s own children and co-heirs with Jesus, we, as members of a royal family, have a role to play. Jesus taught us to pray and used the words we know as the Lord’s Prayer, but have we considered our part in that prayer? Your kingdom come, your will be done, on Earth as it is in heaven. This comes about by our will and our priorities lining up with God our father’s will and priority. We today are that servant. We are the servants of God, commissioned going to find a Bride for his Son. Charged with the task of finding and bringing in those who God loves. Are we showing the same dedication?
We do easily and often get side-tracked and so we need to see what St. Paul says about this in the letter to the Roman’s: “For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing. Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it.”
Don’t be confused by this passage, St. Paul simply explains the reality of the human condition. We all want to do God’s will…. However, the reality is, we often… well… we get side-tracked. The meme joke that I’ve seen that goes hand in hand with this is; “I was going to do something to change the world today, but something sparkly caught my eye.”
While we walk this earth in our human flesh, our spirit and our flesh or soul will always tend to be at odds. St. Paul assigns this, in the language of a scientist, and calls it a law – the law of sin. This law is simply a fact… much like gravity is a fact. We delight in God’s perfect law, but this desire in me often overwhelms….. and St. Paul declares; ”What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to death? Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord!”
St. Paul explains the bad news so that He can then proclaim the Good News. And quite honestly, our turning from following God’s ways has consequences. We don’t know how far reaching in the physical, but it could be that others see our example, follow and also turn away from the ways of God. The ripple effect like a small pebble in a pond can be bigger than we think. But thanks be to God, who delivers us all through Jesus Christ our Lord.
You may have heard me speak before about the law of sin being like the law of gravity. It is a simple fact. We all struggle with it, but there is amazing Good News. God delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord. To accept that sin is a reality and acknowledge that we need help… and to accept that help and saving grace from Jesus, is much like getting into an aeroplane to overcome the law of gravity.
When we have our identity securely in Christ Jesus, born into the spiritual family of God, a new law of grace is operating in our lives. And if we liken the law of sin to gravity, then the law of God’s grace is like the law of aerodynamics. Gravity still operates, but there is a new law of aerodynamics that lifts us beyond that gravity and enables us to operate differently. We can fly, so long as we stay attached to Jesus…. Or securely in the plane.
Once again, if we follow this crazy analogy, we find that disconnecting from Jesus can have devastating consequences. There is only one way to escape the law of gravity and it is the law of aerodynamics and there is only one was to escape the law of sin and it is through… well we could call it the law of Grace. This is why there are warnings not to fall from Grace. It doesn’t mean to not sin…because everyone sins at some time, but you only fall from Grace if you stop being connected to Jesus and trusting in his completed sacrifice.
Prophets and faithful people fasted, striving to exercise self-control, but through Jesus sending his Spirit, self-control is a fruit of the Holy Spirit living in us. God dwelling with us achieves all that we could not. Jesus came eating and drinking and those in his time didn’t understand it. Jesus has a message of Good News… one that deserves a party of rejoicing.
Our task for today is to make God’s priority our priority and not be distracted. Rejoice, in the gift of God’s Spirit, knowing that Jesus has already achieved for us eternal life. God is our priority, not because we need to win eternal life, but because we are happy and grateful that Jesus has secured this for us. The Holy Spirit has our permission to move us and send us where God wills us to be. In this way we are yoked to Christ – being moved by him into his will – and His will is for our Good. What an exciting life this is - this way is living an abundant, Spirit filled life.
Therefore, today we turn again to seek God’s will and commit to His priorities. We surrender to the leading of the Holy Spirit. This is the way of pure joy. As we take communion today, I encourage you to be consciously aware of this… accepting the gift of God and committing to his ways, we take the yoke of Christ – learning from him and accepting all he offers us… surrendering to the Holy Spirit to lead us into the fulness of life. God’s way is good…. Very good.
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