Day 7
Genesis 16:1-18:19; Matthew 6:1-24; Psalm 7:1-17; Proverbs 2:1-5
God’s Chosen People
I grew up with comic books: Superman, Batman, Silver Surfer, and the Fantastic Four. Of course, I also knew the names of Bible characters, and also bits and pieces of their stories. I did not read the Bible for myself, so I assumed the characters in the Bible were analogous to the characters in comic books: courageous, controlled, noble, and prudent. What a surprise I got as an adult, when I began to read the Bible for myself! Our Bible is no comic book! The characters in our Bible are nothing like the characters in the comic books!
We are now reading the story of Abraham, and we have heard his name so often—in sermons and Sunday lessons, in hymns and folk songs—we are apt to imagine Abraham to be some sort of ideal man, a superhero of faith. Indeed, he is the father of our faith, but Abraham is no superhero! The Bible describes this man as a long-suffering and hen-pecked husband, often vacillating, sometimes cowardly. He is the father of our faith, but not because of the virtues he held. Abraham became the father of our faith because the LORD God enlisted him in the plan of salvation.
God’s “chosen people” are not chosen for their virtues, but only for their willingness to be used by God.
The Rev. Kevin Holsapple