23 February 2025 - Epiphany 7, Year C

Theme

Grace and radical love are deep themes running through this week’s readings. Grace can be summarised as receiving what we don’t deserve. In Genesis, Joseph’s brothers are forgiven and protected after selling him into slavery. The Psalmist declares that the lowly will possess the land and live in peace and prosperity. Paul talks about getting new bodies after experiencing death in this life. Jesus expands on this concept of grace, declaring that we should extend love and forgiveness even to those who we might consider to be our enemies. 

Scriptures

Genesis 45:3-11, 15 - Joseph is reunited with his brothers after being sold into slavery in Egypt. Joseph declares that it was God who sent him there so that he could gain a position of power and use it to save God’s people from the upcoming five years of drought and famine. He tells his brothers to fetch his father and return to live with him, under his protection. 

Psalm 37:1-11, 39-40 - A psalm declaring that the wicked will fade and wither, while those who trust in the Lord will survive and thrive.

1 Corinthians 15:35-38, 42-50 - Paul addresses the question of what our resurrected bodies will look like. He says that just like planting a seed, we cannot know what the outcome will be, only that it will be different than what was put in the ground. “God will give it the new body he wants it to have.”

Luke 6:27-38 - Jesus teaches about loving our enemies and not judging others. He says that we should be able to love better than sinners do (sinners only love those who love them back; we are called to love even our enemies). Jesus compares our love to how God is kind even to those who are wicked and unthankful. Jesus then declares that whatever good we put into the world, will be increased in turn.

Personal Application

This week’s readings challenge us in two distinct ways. On a personal level, we are invited to consider the grace that God extends to us and how we can in turn offer that grace to others. As we read Joseph’s story, we are reminded that just like Joseph’s brothers, who were invited to live with Joseph after selling him into slavery, we too have been invited into a place of communion with God, even after disobeying God and hurting God’s people on numerous occasions. 

Think back to the times in your life where you were most acutely aware of God’s grace in your life, even when you didn’t deserve it. 

Furthermore, Jesus invites us to extend grace to others, not only to those who love us back, but even to our enemies. Who are some people in your life that you could offer love, forgiveness and grace to, even if they might not deserve it?

Communal Application

As Church communities, we often find ourselves having to choose between a legalistic approach and a grace-filled approach to certain matters, particularly disciplinary matters. If someone breaks a rule, or behaves in a dishonourable way and hurts people in the process, how do we deal with that? In situations like this, I believe we are trying to decide between applying Law or offering Grace. 

Don’t get me wrong, I believe that Law has a place in certain situations, particularly where God’s people are harmed as a consequence of previous actions. Law and Grace need to be held in careful consideration with each other. But in every situation, I believe we also need to consider how Jesus would react. And it would probably be safe to bet that most, if not all, of the time, Jesus would lean towards Grace, just like he did throughout his entire life and ministry, even to the point of forgiving those who hung him on a cross to die as they were in the process of doing so.

Who have we perhaps treated harshly or unfairly? How can we better offer Grace towards them and others like them who might make mistakes and hurt us?