...righteous because of his faith...

So many great concepts in the reading today...

"And Abram believed the Lord, and the Lord declared him righteous because of his faith."

Immediately following this declaration by God, Abram begins to question and ask for proof. Does faith, then, mean that we cannot ask for proof? If the absolute next concept, following the declaration of Abram's righteousness, is that he is acquitted for asking for proof, then how may we also be acquitted for our fears and our desire for proof of God's loyalty to us. Our search then is part of our faith process. We don't have to have "blind faith" but we are encouraged by this to ask God, "how will we know," or "how can we be sure?" Going to God in prayer and asking for that is not an admission of a lack of faith, but rather a declaration of that faith by the expectation of the answer. Would you ask a wall to talk to you? Of course not, your belief, your faith, is that the wall will not talk. But asking God to answer you is a declaration of the belief that He exists, is your God, and will answer, and that is a profound declaration of faith in Him.

Abram was willing to see God's vision, despite its "darkness and horror." While the end result of God's promise was a bounty to the seed of Abram, the intermediate life experiences of the Jewish people, prior to the deliverance promise from God, was pain and enslavement. Four hundred years of pain and enslavement, which, through a tempered faith in God, would result in the manifestation of God's glory in his chosen people. This strikes home to me very seriously. Does following God's promise mean it will always be wonderful? Absolutely not. It can result in terrible earthly suffering. But God's promises will be fulfilled. Faith, and the righteousness of humanity through faith, will not only endure, but will overcome and prosper.

Abram was also a wise man. When he gave back all to Sodom that he had recaptured from Sodom's enemies, he stated to the King of Sodom that he did so so that the King could never say "'I am the one who made you rich.'" Give freely, and be careful lest you ever give anything with strings attached, for then you will be associated with Sodom. Be careful of accepting any generosity from someone who may use it against you in the future. And be careful to draw a clear definition against that person so that person knows that you will never allow such an accusation. In so doing, Abram separated himself and his descendants from Sodom for all time.

The NT reading was also very enlightening.

In regards to divorce, it is interesting that Jesus chose to put it this way, "I say that a man who divorces his wife, unless she has been unfaithful, causes her to commit adultery." People can deconstruct this text until it holds no meaning for them. People can also interpret unfaithful in many ways. But at the end of the day, the proscription against divorce is stated in a way that suggests that the biggest evil from it is forcing another to sin. While divorce is bad, creating the situation in which someone else is forced into a life of sin is worse. Giving someone no option but to live in sin is the worst thing you may do to another human. Conversely, doing all you can to remove sin from another's life becomes the highest aim of the Christian.

This admonishment reconciles well with His earlier statements. "If your eye causes you to lust, gouge it out..." Again, the post-modern deconstructionists and the Chinese menu followers can salivate over this nugget of translational difficulty. But the subtext is similar. If you force another to sin, that is terrible. If something forces you to sin, that is also terrible. Do what you need to do to eradicate sin from your life, and from other's lives, and don't force, or be forced, into sin.

I believe that the method in which this thought process blends with the downstream manifestation of "turning the other cheek" gives a wonderful insight into the very nature of God. How does turning the other cheek not encourage someone to sin? How does mercy not encourage sin? Mercy is a tremendously hard concept to reconcile with "justice." Justice is rational. Justice can be applied to human endeavor, and has its roots in ethics and morality, and in human interpretations of such concepts in specific social situations. But at the end of the day, human justice is a reliance on our own intellect, which, left uncontrolled, leads to a pride which leads away from humility and obeisance to God. Emphasis on an irrational response to violence reminds us that our rationality is not, at the end of the day, in charge. Our astounding intellects may trick us into thinking we are in charge, but God has control of the situation. Following an irrational course of action reminds us of God's love in our own lives. Do we deserve God's "justice" (in human terms) for all the evil we have ever committed? I hope not, because by that account, I am damned over and over and over again. But we pray for God's mercy, and as we saw in the Old Testament reading, we receive it. And Jesus reminds us that this irrational approach is definitely, therefore, God-like. "In that way, you will be acting as true children of your Father in heaven."

God's nature reconciles mercy and justice. Contemplation of that and fervent prayer for guidance as a declaration of faith, brings us closer to God. Manifesting God's love by acting in His mercy, creating that human tension and drama with "justice," defines our human existence. How do we set ourselves apart unless we behave this way?

How should I respond but with mercy and love?