...be reconciled...

Wow, what do you do with today's reading? Apparently, it's okay for a 75 year old man to trade his beautiful young wife into prostitution and profit by her services in the Pharaoh's harem. I mean, after all, Abram did it. And when the Lord visited plagues on the Pharaoh, Abram was allowed to leave with the earthly spoils of his dishonest dealings with the Pharaoh. It seems that the seeds of the worldly treasures of the Abrahaminic dynasty came from this initial act of prostitution.

Is that it? Or are we supposed to learn a lesson about God's mercy about our human intent? Clearly, there is no intent for prostitution on Abram's part. The intent is to decrease the risk of someone else committing sin (murder agains Abram). Even though Abram knows he will be treated well because of Sarai's beauty, the original intent is to avoid murder, or suicide from Abram's perspective.

So, even though we do the best we can with what we know, and the end result can be described as a failure according to God's law, God will come through in the end and protect His chosen. Is that just wishful thinking on my part, that even though I failed in heeding His call, I can still depend on His mercies to me? My intent was to avoid a greater sin because I was afraid, well, I knew, I would fail. Now that I am looking at my past with new eyes, and seeing who I was and who I wish never to be again, I can depend on God's mercy to grant me what it is I need, as long as I continue to serve and have faith?

And even though one of Christ's effects was to break the political power of the legalistic Pharisees, He clearly espouses legalism in His words "...even the smallest detail of God's law will remain until its purpose is achieved. So if you break the smallest commandment and teach others to do the same, you will be the least in the Kingdom of Heaven. But anyone who obeys God's laws and teaches them will be great in the Kingdom of Heaven." Mk 5:18-19.

So then if legalistic interpretation of biblical teaching is espoused by Christ, then should we legalistically interpret the worldly benefits of prostitution?

I don't think so. The Lord set right the sin that Abram committed by dishonesty and prostitution. That Abram was saved is an example of mercy, not necessarily of justice. It's the latter part of the story that needs assessment, not the former. And divine guidance cannot be taken away.

I heard what I was supposed to do, and this morning I realize that if that is what I am supposed to do, and God wills it, then there is nothing that I can do, or not do, to make His plan not happen. Letting go of self-recriminations and moving forward has to be the lesson learned. Go, and sin no more.

Yesterday's reading discouraged mocking. In today's reading, Christ says, "God blesses you when you are mocked and persecuted and lied about because you are my followers." People might say this exercise is foolish, but it's my mitzvot, and really just designed to bring myself closer to God.

The last section of the reading is an admonishment not to abjure wisdom. What is wisdom? I have prayed for it, and I have sought it, and I have turned over a lot of rocks in my search. But the answer is in this reflection on the bible. Sure, there may be critics like Derrida who state that there can be no ultimate meaning in any written language, but what tool did they use to make that point? Language! So, obviously, meaning can be attributed to language, and so they disprove their own point. Meaning can be found in the bible, yielding a moral authority to biblical teachings. Wisdom is in the bible. It is in the search.

So, mock away. Go ahead. But where is your ultimate meaning? What is your rock, your island upon which to stand?

Christ tells us to go and be reconciled to those to whom we owe something. To drop our sacrifices and run to that person. At some point in our lives, we choose, either by action or inaction, to take on or *not* take on, the mantle of being a Christ follower. When we make that choice, we have made a choice from which all other choices determining the remainder of our lives will flow. The central point of existence then becomes this initial choice, and as imperfect humans, we owe our healing and salvation to the product of our choice, to our God, to Christ. How can we not then, go and be reconciled, to Him to whom we owe every point of our existence?

It seems wisdom is there.