Genesis 21:8-21
15When the water in the skin was gone,
she (Hagar) cast the child under one of the bushes.
16Then she went and sat down opposite him a good way
off, about the distance of a bowshot; for she said, "Do not let me look on the
death of the child." And as she sat opposite him, she lifted up her voice and
wept. 17And God heard the voice of the boy; and the
angel of God called to Hagar from heaven, and said to her, "What troubles you,
Hagar? Do not be afraid; for God has heard the voice of the boy where he is.
18Come, lift up the boy and hold him fast with your
hand, for I will make a great nation of him." 19Then
God opened her eyes and she saw a well of water. She went, and filled the skin
with water, and gave the boy a drink.
Genesis 21:8-21
The Angel Succouring
Hagar
TIEPOLO,
Giovanni Battista
1732
Scuola di San Rocco, Venice
http://www.biblical-art.com/artwork.asp?id_artwork=6723&showmode=Full
Matthew 10:24-39So how do we make sense of this somewhat distressing passage? Barbara Brown Taylor calls it a "burr from Matthew's Gospel…one of those passages I wish he had never written down.""I am a daughter," she writes, "a wife, a sister, an aunt, and each of those identities has shaped my life, but none of them contains me. I am Barbara. I am Christian. I am a child of God. That is my true identity, and all the others grow out of it…you are God's child first. That is no role. That is who you most truly are…"Perhaps the part about a sword is the most difficult part, but Taylor helps again: "The gospel is not a flashlight but a fire. It can warm and it can burn. The gospel is not a table knife but a sword. It can set free and it can divide. The gospel is not pablum. It is powerful stuff, powerful enough to challenge the most sacred human ties, but as frightening as it is, it is not finally to be feared…"Eugene Peterson's beautiful translation of this passage ends with an exquisite summary of Jesus' most encouraging and comforting words, words that encompass both the great issues of life and death, and the smallest moments of compassion and care: "Don't be bluffed into silence by the threats of bullies. There's nothing they can do to your soul, your core being. Save your fear for God, who holds your entire life – body and soul – in his hands...This is a large work I've called you into, but don't be overwhelmed by it. It's best to start small. Give a cool cup of water to someone who is thirsty, for instance. The smallest act of giving or receiving makes you a true apprentice. You won't lose out on a thing" (The Message).
