Please forgive me if this post is over-personal (is there such a thing in a Bible study?); I blame it all on the missionaries I hang out with here. Unfortunately, I cannot blame my tardiness or brevity on them so I humbly beg you to forgive me those.
"And to love him with all the heart, and with all the understanding, and with all the soul, and with all the strength, and to love his neighbour as himself, is more than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices." (12:33)
On this verse hinges my life. This love of which he speaks is a present and active will that is continually reaching out to everyone in all vulnerability (what is the phrase; "with open arms"?), hoping and believing in that which is sometimes maddeningly intangible. Far from the contained ceremonies of burnt sacrifices and ritual acts of forgiveness, this love is unconfined and unruly, wholly wild and alive. C. S. Lewis would call it "untamed", I think.
"And Jesus cried with a loud voice, and gave up the ghost. And the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom. " (15:37-38)
There! He was our sacrifice. There was complete vulnerability--by choice, though he did not want it--complete love, and the fulfilment of so many hopes.
"He is not the God of the dead, but the God of the living" (12:27).
And we are the living.
"And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. [...] And they went forth, and preached every where, the Lord working with them, and confirming the word with signs following." (16:15, 20)
And he said unto us, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel unto every creature. And we will go forth, and preach everywhere, the Lord working with us, and confirming the word with signs following. Our part is to love.
1 comment:
Hey Rivkah, a couple of my favorite scriptural passages parallel your hinge-verse, 12:33. Here they are:
Psalm 51
Have mercy on me, O God, in your goodness,
in your great tenderness wipe away my faults;
wash me clean of guilt,
purify me from sin.
For I am well aware of my faults,
I have my sin constantly in mind,
having sinned against none other than you,
having done what you regard as wrong.
You are just when you pass sentence on me,
blameless when you give judgment.
You know I was born guilty,
a sinner from the moment of conception.
Yet, since you love sincerity of heart,
teach me the secrets of wisdom.
Purify me with hyssop until I am clean;
wash me until I am whiter than snow.
Instill some joy and gladness into me,
let the bones you have crushed rejoice again.
Hide your face from my sins,
wipe out all my guilt.
God, create a clean heart in me,
put into me a new and constant spirit,
do not banish me from your presence,
do not deprive me of your holy spirit.
Be my savior again, renew my joy,
keep my spirit steady and willing;
and I shall teach transgressors the way to you,
and to you the sinners will return.
Save me from death, God my savior,
and my tongue will acclaim your righteousness;
Lord, open my lips,
and my mouth will speak out your praise.
Sacrifice gives you no pleasure,
were I to offer holocaust, you would not have it.
My sacrifice is this broken spirit,
you will not scorn this crushed and broken heart.
Show your favor graciously to Zion,
rebuild the walls of Jerusalem.
Then there will be proper sacrifice to please you
- holocaust and whole oblation -
and young bulls to be offered on your altar.
Daniel 3:34-40
Oh! Do not abandon us for ever,
for the sake of your name;
do not repudiate your covenant,
do not withdraw your favor from us,
for the sake of Abraham, your friend,
of Isaac your servant,
and of Israel your holy one,
to whom you promised descendants as countless as the stars of heaven
and as the grains of the seashore.
Lord, now we are the least of all nations,
now we are despised throughout the world, today, because of our sins.
We have at this time no leader, no prophet, no prince,
no holocaust, no sacrifice, no oblation, no incense,
no place where we can offer you the first fruits
and win your favor.
But may the contrite soul, the humbled spirit be as acceptable to you
as holocausts of rams and bullocks,
as thousands of fattened lambs:
such let our sacrifice be to you today,
and may it be your will that we follow you wholeheartedly,
since those who put their trust in you will not be disappointed.
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