Genesis 15:1-12, 17-18
Lent 2 – Year C
Visions come in two basic varieties: illusion and illumination. Visions can hide or reveal. It is never easy to know which you are dealing with.
Abram’s vision sets in motion several fateful ripples.
First is assurance that we are of consequence, there is more to come. Here it is a biologic offspring (Ishmael? Isaac? Unnumbered descendants?) To trust this understanding of more to come than can yet be counted on is a significant decision. It merits being reckoned with.
Second, in the missing section, Abram’s life of moving away from circumstance and on to journey anticipates a repetition of this rhythm of being called out and called to by those who follow in Abram’s train.
Third, this note from The Jewish Study Bible:
“The ritual of cutting animals in half and passing between them is found both in the Bible and in Mesopotamia. The parallel in Jer. 34:17-22 makes it likely that the essence of the ritual is a self-curse: Those walking between the pieces will be like the dead animals if they violate the covenant. In the case at hand, remarkably, it is the Lord, symbolized by the “smoking oven” and “flaming torch” (15:17) who invokes the self-curse, and nothing is said about any covenantal obligations that Abram is to fulfill. This type of covenant is called a covenant of grant, which is a reward for past loyalty, and does not involved any obligations upon the grantee. The same pattern is prominent in texts about the covenant with David (2 Sam. 7:8-16; Ps. 89:20-37).”
This vision within a vision is an example of prevenient grace. It is a solemn promise of presence no matter how dark it becomes. The very darkness, like a previous rainbow, is a sign that “all shall be well, all manner of things shall be well”. A hazelnut’s hard wall will only hold back descendent upon descendent for a time. The future will entail a dropping away from originating circumstance to unknown bounces and burying to on-going generations. This is beyond any promise we make of participation in this process, it is a light in the dark illuminating something larger than our faith or trust (ready or not, like it or not, there is already a motion carrying us onward).
And so with Abram and Jesus, we, too, announce that, like yesterday — today, tomorrow, and the next day I am on my way onward. May your strewing of blessings be blessed.
http://kcmlection.blogspot.com/2013/02/genesis-151-12-17-18.html
Again we have portions of our text being shared with another liturgical setting. We shift from Pentecost to Lent. Don’t you wonder what would happen if parishioners were able to carry one Sunday to the next and build upon the interplays? Goodness, if even preachers were to be able to do the same! This goes beyond development of a theme to a growing in openness to the opportunities of the moment.
With Noah's covenant we hear about animals coming together, two by two and seven by seven. Here in Abram's covenant we hear about animals dividing half by half.
To get to a promised covenant Abram passes again through primordial darkness in a sleep so deep it is as though “formless and void” had never left.
This seems rather natural after complaint and seemingly worthless slaughter. After all Abram has been through there is still a Promethean waiting and struggling with birds of prey pecking liverishly on one who yearned for light only to find it fading quickly.
The dark rises from the deeps. Will it ever dissipate? When suddenly the guiding light which later guides an Exodus party and bakes their manna and a flaming sword barring and Edenic eternity shifts to a flaming torch and trust bears its fruit at life’s nadir.
So how are the promises, you understand to be on their way, coming along? How might we aid one another in keeping on, even to nightmare-ville and beyond?
And so Abram and we travel from vision to futile task to nightmare to fulfillment. Keep trusting the world will finally turn ’round right. In that trust keep acting prophetically and progressively toward a next earth and heaven.
http://www.kairoscomotion.org/lectionary/2004/march2004.html
There is too much reward talk and bloody sacrifice here for me to grab hold very well. Sometimes dry times come or there are some things that are not helpful to remember.
Even verse 6, that has come down to us as a source of the whole “justification by faith” movement, will later find two sides of it described by Paul and James – a division within a division. Paul will affirm that faith, apart from the works of the law, is the ultimate basis for salvation while James will call out that works must accompany faith. And that division within the body continues to bleed it.
In each instance there is a back story to the language of belief and faith and righteousness – trust. Trust is more basic than belief, faith, or righteousness. These extensions or constructs of trust can cover over what is at stake – a relationship beyond our usual bargainings, contracts, and self-interest.
- - -
walking between the pieces of our lives
the divisions that keep us from being whole
we are worn down and out
even going so far as to defend our divisions
sacrificed for what seemed like good reason at the time
it isn't until we get to dream-time
we finally set aside
needing to be in charge
able to let flame and smoke
travel where they will
can we make sense of it
beyond a wanted reward
of nation upon nation
added to our revenue stream
nope, we’ll settle for any reward
bloody scenes verify
our fear of trust
our need for reward
to lighten the dark
we carry even in victory
http://kcmlection.blogspot.com/2007_02_01_archive.html
Remember - "belief" is not a head trip or an assent to a doctrine or creed. "Belief" is an action. Abram "lived as if" G*D's promise of descendants were true already. This living-as-if was Abram's righteousness.
It is very easy to get caught up in the ritual of slaughtered and divided animals. Do note that the G*D simply requested the presence of animals, creation's witnesses, just as later there will be traditions of Jesus born in a manger with the witness of animals. It was Abram who proceeded to sacrifice the animals and who would later be all too ready to sacrifice Isaac. It is difficult to get rid of our personal and cultural baggage and to mis-hear G*D - it's been going on since Adam.
Note also that G*D came into the picture again after Abram was exhausted from keeping the carrion cravers at bay. G*D came in the dark of night, in the evening of a next day.
I imagine that the smoking fire pot and flaming torch passed between the pieces of animals asking forgiveness, bringing restoration, and anticipating Ezekiel's valley of dry bones.
May you live-as-if into a new morning of a next day without carrying the burden of personal and cultural needs for sacrifice.
http://kcmlection.blogspot.com/2010/02/genesis-151-12-17-18.html