7th Sunday after Epiphany
Gen 45:3-11, 15; Psa 37:1-11, 39-40; 1 Cor 15:35-38, 42-50; Luk 6:27-38
Love your enemies; bless those who curse you; pray for those who abuse you; if someone strikes you, stand up in non-violent ways; if someone who is in need robs you, let them have more than they originally took (Luke 6:27-29; see 23:24). This is an impossible ask—or at least a very tall order. Yet the text is the text, and with those verses, the Revised Common Lectionary opens the lessons for the 7th Sunday after Epiphany. The gospel lesson overall is a very tough pill – or Word – to swallow. Nonetheless, Jesus’ measure (38) is the standard: “Do to others as you would have them do to you (31).”
The story of Joseph in Egypt is a powerful tale of mercy and forgiveness. “I am Joseph. Is my father (Jacob) alive (Genesis 45:3)?” This always gives me goosebumps. However, after being left for dead by his jealous older brothers (37:12-36), would Joseph have shown such mercy without God’s intervention when revealing the plan to him (45:5-8; see 41:25-36)? We will never know, but it is a very good question.
It is a very good question because our sinful nature remains. Christians of the Lutheran perspective understand that the believer is, at the same time, both a saint and a sinner.* Paul alludes to this in his correspondence with the church in Corinth. We are both heirs of the sin of Adam and bearers of Christ’s image (1 Corinthians 15:49). The former is true because we are mere perishable humans, and so is the latter, as faith in the resurrected Christ assures us of eternal life (42, 50). Only God, in Jesus Christ, can make mere human disciples of Jesus righteous.
The psalmist proclaims:
“Trust in the LORD and do good;
live in the land and enjoy security.
Take delight in the LORD,
and he will give you the desires of your heart.
The salvation of the righteous is from the LORD;
he is their refuge in the time of trouble (Psalm 37:3-4, 39 NRSVue).”
* Martin Luther, Luther’s Works, Vol. 26: Lectures on Galatians, 1535, Chapters 1-4, ed. Jaroslav Jan Pelikan, Hilton C. Oswald, and Helmut T. Lehmann, vol. 26 (Saint Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1999), 232–233.
Bridging Faith 