Genesis 17: 1–7, 15–16
Mark 8: 31–38
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Lord, may we hear your voice in the words spoken in your name.
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You probably remember Gerard Manley Hopkins’ poem, Pied Beauty,
which begins:
Glory be to God for dappled things –
For skies of couple–colour as a brindled cow,
For rose moles all in stipple upon trout that swim –
And then, after reciting a long list of spotted, speckled, freckled
things, the poet cries out, “Praise Him!”
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Hopkins was praising God because God had created a perfectly beautiful
world that is seldom pure white or pure black – or pure anything,
for that matter. Instead, we are all spotted and speckled and
freckled – not just in our appearance, but morally and spiritually
as well. And Hopkins, seeing the beauty in the mix and realizing
God has called it all ‘good,’ praises Him and gives Him glory.
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And so can we, this Second Sunday of Lent – even if we’re
not doing as well as we’d meant to in our Lenten vows and
resolutions, even if we fall far short of anything like
perfection. We know our own flaws and weaknesses. We know
we’re not perfect – without spot or freckle. And
we’re not trying to persuade anyone that we are. What some
of us might not realize is that God finds our imperfections absolutely
beautiful. For in our weakness we depend on his strength. In
our need we cry out to him; we draw close. And in our
acknowledgement of our faults and failures, we find humility.
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This way of looking at things helps a lot when we look at Abram and
Sarai this morning. Usually, when their names are mentioned,
they’re being praised as paragons of faith – a couple who
believed the promises of God and whose faith was counted to them as
righteousness. And it’s true. In twenty–four
years of following God and believing his promises to them – the
promise of land and the promise of a child – their faith has not
wavered. Even so, they are deeply flawed human beings. Abram
allowed Sarai to persuade him to conceive a child with Hagar, her
maid. “Maybe that’s what God intended all
along,” she said. And Abram convinced Sarai to lie to
Pharaoh, telling him that Abram was her brother, to protect his own
life. So they’re hardly perfect. They’ve made
some mistakes. But they’ve also followed God at quite a cost
to themselves. In leaving Haran they left family, land,
inheritance, and other gods – all to bind themselves to this
God, the God of all creation. And in response, this God, in
the twilight of their lives, promises one more time to bless them with
their hearts’ desire – with children and grandchildren and
great grandchildren. And he does it, not ignoring their faults and
weaknesses but accepting them and blessing them just as they
are. They’re not perfect, but they are beloved, spots and all.
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This perspective also helps when we hear the sharp exchange between
Peter and Jesus in Mark’s Gospel this morning. Up to this
point in Jesus’ ministry Peter has seen Jesus in just one single
dimension. He has seen him as an unqualified success, as one
favored by God and anointed to bring God’s kingdom to this
earth. That is why he’s ready to follow Jesus to the ends of
the earth . . . as Jesus teaches
cheering crowds . . . as he performs one
miracle after another . . . as demon
after demon obeys him and — “pouf!” –
disappears. To Peter, Jesus is a superstar, and he never wants
that show to end – not ever.
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What Peter has missed is that Jesus has come to earth not to live out
the world’s idea of success, but to live out
God’’ plan. What Peter has missed is that Jesus has
come not just as Son of Almighty God but as son of flawed man, as
well. He’s the Suffering Servant of all. What Peter
has missed is God’s love for his speckled, spotted, freckled
children – and his willingness to give to the uttermost on their
behalf.
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So Jesus corrects his disciple – sharply. He identifies the
impulse within Peter to turn Jesus into an unqualified success as a
Satanic temptation. And he tells Peter in no uncertain terms to
get back in line, back into the ranks of those of us who don’t get
it – but follow, as best we can, all the same.
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Abram and Sarai hadn’t understood – but they had followed –
faithfully – year after weary year. And they had
hoped – not just for what God was promising them – but
they’d hoped in God as well. And when your hope is in God
you are never disappointed. It’s all about need.
It’s all about trust. It’s all about relationship.
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When you hope in God, when you trust in God – you may not have
any tangible token to show the world that you rest in his favor. You
may be praying for something. You may be praying
earnestly for something your heart desires above anything
else. But while you wait with empty hands you are proving that
you trust God utterly.
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That’s what happened with Abram and Sarai. It was their
faithfulness despite their weakness, despite their mistakes, despite
their need, that qualified them in God’s sight. And he
finally rewarded them with the son they had longed for. So they
named the child Isaac, which means laughter.
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Of course, the ultimate example of hope and trust and faith is Jesus
himself. At one point, when he is still in heaven with God, Jesus
is full – full of glory, full of strength, full of power. But
he empties himself of all that power and strength and glory to come to
earth and join us – weak and needy, spotted and speckled though
we are. Just to show God’s love for us. Just to model
how we are to relate to God – full of trust, full of hope, full of
need. Just like Jesus we are fragile in our lack of
strength. Just like Jesus we are vulnerable in our lack of
understanding. And just like Jesus we are spotted and speckled in
the eyes of the world but absolutely beautiful in God’s sight.
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Glory be to God for dappled things.
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Amen.
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