07-18-24

ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGS
July 18, 2024
This Sunday, I will finally begin the new Worship Series entitled: Jesus & His Ancestors. I delayed the start as last Sunday sort of felt like it needed to go in a slightly different direction. My intention with this series is to look at some of the characters found in the Old Testament (Hebrew Scriptures) that offer us some insight into who Jesus was and what he was seeking to do. So much of the Christian story (New Testament) is rooted in the ancient stories of Israel, and remembering that Jesus was a good Jew, he understood himself as part of that great tradition. I do not believe he intended to start a new religion, but that’s what we’ve got. And too often, Christianity has been disrespectful and entirely misunderstood the story of ancient Israel, attempting to read it as if it were all pointing to Jesus. It is, in my opinion, a bit more complex than that. At the same time, there are these amazing characters found among Jesus’ ancestral family (thinking broadly), and in exploring their experiences of God, we might gain some insight into the person of Jesus along with his purpose in this world. For instance, Jesus was referred to as the Son of David by two men who were blind. As Jesus was passing by, they shouted, “Lord, have mercy on us, Son of David!” Jesus was not the son of David, but the son of Joseph (and Son of God). There was something important in thinking of Jesus as one like King David. Of course, David was a great warrior who killed lots of people, so is that the connection? I don’t believe so, yet these are the types of questions we will be exploring in the next few weeks.

Encourage my questions, Merciful God, even when answers are not immediately found. Encourage me to explore and allow my curiosity to expand my understanding of Jesus and his life of love. Amen.