Bible Challenge Day 13

Genesis 34-36, Psalm 12, Matthew 12

I really love how the stories in Genesis set up the relationships between the people of Israel and their neighbors.  We see how animosities grew between the nations through the individual characters in these stories.  I think it would be fascinating to learn more about ancient Hebrew history so I could really understand all of this.  My footnotes help a little, but I still feel a little lost.  I also admit I skimmed through all the genealogies in Chapter 36

When reading Matthew's story about Jesus justifying his actions on the Sabbath, I find a slightly different interpretation than my Bible's footnotes seem to take.  If anyone out there disagrees, feel free to comment.  Jesus defends his actions by saying, "The Son of Man is lord of the Sabbath."  I would agree with my Bible's footnotes that Jesus places himself as a new authority that supersedes the old law.  But Jesus doesn't stop there.  He uses logical and reasonable defenses.  If you're starving and there's food available:  eat.  If people are ailing and you can help them:  help them.  If your sheep is dying:  save it.  I think this sets a precedent that God wants us to use our God-given human reason to make decisions.  I further find proof of this in Jesus' defending his casting out evil demons.  The Pharisees say it is evil spirits doing the work, but Jesus uses extreme logic to prove otherwise.  (Read it for yourself, I don't want to spell it all out here.)  I think Jesus is telling the Pharisees that God has a plan for us and requires us to figure some of it out on our own.  Even though many things about God and the Bible are confusing and perhaps unknowable, there is a logic to the way God works. Look at the very simple statement that a bad tree gives bad fruit and a good tree gives good fruit.  I take great comfort in knowing that God has given us all the tools we need to figure out how one should live one's life.  In the Episcopal Church we talk about the three-legged stool of faith.  We believe that Holy Scripture, Tradition, and Human Reason can guide us in living a proper Christian life.  I believe that leg of Human Reason often is left out of the equation.  God gave us brains.  Let's use them.

For Next Week:

Day 15 - Genesis 37-39; Psalm 13; Matthew 13
Day 16 - Genesis 40-42; Psalm 14; Matthew 14
Day 17 - Genesis 43-45; Psalm 15; Matthew 15
Day 18 - Genesis 46-48; Psalm 16; Matthew 16
Day 19 - Genesis 49-50; Psalm 17; Matthew 17
Day 20 - Exodus 1-3; Psalm 18:1-20; Matthew 18
Day 21 - Enjoy hearing the Scriptures read aloud in church