Saturday in Lent 2

My apologies for missing the scheduled post yesterday. I fell off the Lenten wagon; mea culpa.

In whatever condition you were called, brothers and sisters, there remain with God. (1 Corinthians 7:24)

This verse is a reasonable summary of the portion appointed for today and I have very mixed feelings about it.

On the one hand we have the deep insight that we can live as God's children in any circumstance.

I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content. I know both how to be abased, and I know how to abound: every where and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me. (Philippians 4:11b-13, KJV)

On the other hand we have a passage that upholds the status quo ante without questioning it. I do have serious problems with that. It feeds rather nicely into a theology and practice that deems whatever shit happens to be God's will (and distinguishing God's permissive will from intention is rather dicey business), thereby encouraging a passive "close your eyes and think of England" (or rather Heaven) approach to life.

This does not square with the recurring critique of things as they are that is found throughout the Bible. The Torah calls the ways of the nations into question, most especially expressing God's concern for the poor, the widowed, the orphan, and the alien. These are the ones who generally lack access not only to the good things of life but also to a forum in which they can express their claims. They are the easily ignored and forgotten, the ones it is easy to take advantage of. With a repeated command to do justice by them, God hardly implies that they should be content with their lot.

Cries for justice become focused and more intense in the prophets. There is repeated critique of what goes on and accepted social structures and mores do not escape God's judgment. Widsom literature also incorporates a call for justice. Witness Job's claim to righteousness in that he did justice to the unfortunate and opppressed, not neglecting the obligation of the "haves" toward the "have nots."

Jesus calls societal norms and values into question. There is a continuous thread of God calling us to do and be more than has been the case in the past, to go beyond the restrictions of our inherited traditions and critique them in light of God's reign and its values.

So, though one may be "with God" in any circumstance, I cannot take today's passage from 1 Corinthians as a call to passivism or quietism, not will I let it preclude challenges to the social order.

As FranIAm said in a comment thread at OCICBW the other day:

"Paul - while quite insightful at sometimes - could be so fecking pedantic at others."

I love how delicious surprises sneak in. In Psalm 75 we read of God rising up to judgment, usually a rather fearful thought, but note the purpose or end of that judgment: "to save all the oppressed of the earth." The goal of God's judgment is salvation. Just sayin'.


On a much lighter note: check out this verse from the saga of Joseph and his brothers.

Now the men were afraid because they were brought to Joseph’s house, and they said, ‘It is because of the money, replaced in our sacks the first time, that we have been brought in, so that he may have an opportunity to fall upon us, to make slaves of us and take our donkeys.’ (Genesis 43:18)

If you were worried about being taken as a slave, would you also be worrying about having your donkey taken away?

They came to the other side of the lake, to the country of the Gerasenes.* And when he had stepped out of the boat, immediately a man out of the tombs with an unclean spirit met him. He lived among the tombs; and no one could restrain him any more, even with a chain; for he had often been restrained with shackles and chains, but the chains he wrenched apart, and the shackles he broke in pieces; and no one had the strength to subdue him. Night and day among the tombs and on the mountains he was always howling and bruising himself with stones. When he saw Jesus from a distance, he ran and bowed down before him; and he shouted at the top of his voice, ‘What have you to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I adjure you by God, do not torment me.’ For he had said to him, ‘Come out of the man, you unclean spirit!’ Then Jesus* asked him, ‘What is your name?’ He replied, ‘My name is Legion; for we are many.’ He begged him earnestly not to send them out of the country. Now there on the hillside a great herd of swine was feeding; and the unclean spirits* begged him, ‘Send us into the swine; let us enter them.’ So he gave them permission. And the unclean spirits came out and entered the swine; and the herd, numbering about two thousand, rushed down the steep bank into the lake, and were drowned in the lake.

The swineherds ran off and told it in the city and in the country. Then people came to see what it was that had happened. They came to Jesus and saw the demoniac sitting there, clothed and in his right mind, the very man who had had the legion; and they were afraid. Those who had seen what had happened to the demoniac and to the swine reported it. Then they began to beg Jesus* to leave their neighbourhood. As he was getting into the boat, the man who had been possessed by demons begged him that he might be with him. But Jesus* refused, and said to him, ‘Go home to your friends, and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and what mercy he has shown you.’ And he went away and began to proclaim in the Decapolis how much Jesus had done for him; and everyone was amazed. (Mark 5:1-20)

This is such a great story on so many levels. You gotta love Jesus posing a threat to the unclean pig industry. That element is one big Jewish joke told about a gentile territory. Not so funny if you are a pig farmer.

Notice how the former demoniac picks up on the call of the twelve: "the man who had been possessed by demons begged him that he might be with him." To be with Jesus. He was basically, from the viewpoint of Mark's gospel, asking to become one of the twelve. He had his priorities absolutely right. Only Jesus had other plans for him.


Grant, most merciful Lord, to your faithful people pardon and peace, that they may be cleansed from all their sins, and serve you with a quiet mind; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
--the BB