Establishing the Covenant

Read: Genesis 9:1-13

This is God talking straight to you. Place yourself here. Put your character in the place of Noah. God wants to bless and multiply you. He wants to share with you His life. Behold I establish my covenant with you and your descendants after you. This is deep stuff. We will delve more into this later for now suffice it to know that swearing a covenant was life and death. Those joined by covenant had terms to keep with and sealed... in blood. The importance of lifeblood is spoken in this passage. Whoever sheds the blood of man, by man shall his blood be shed; for God made man in his own image. It talks of being responsible and being a steward of the creatures and plants given us being accountable for this blood too. But it is not harrowing. God says “Be fruitful and multiply.” This bring us back to Genesis two. And how beautiful are these words.

You are created in God's image. Male and female. You have your role to fill. Love creates life. This is most apparent in the married vocation when the two are joined to one flesh. A covenant most holy that mirrors this covenant with God. But you must understand that your role is to give life by your stewardship of love. “What?” you are probably asking, “how can I give love when I am so bruised and beaten and trodden upon?” God has taken in account what has been done to you and will repay and has repaid the damage caused. He has promised this and yet think of His generousness with you. His hand holds you and He is asking you to hold others with the same love. Think of a blessed moment that you have and hold it in your mind. Now think of a moment when you blessed someone. You can be that hand of the blessing of God. You are a sharer in the covenant by nature of blood. This blood is ultimately shed by Jesus on the cross to pay this sacrifice but I am giving you an Old Testament background to the most amazing Love Story ever told. And I am not being trite or sappy when I say to you God loves you in a most deep and profound way. You are in Him and He in you...one flesh through Jesus. Who is the Father, but the one who sends his only son in payment of your messing up of your covenant with God. Be assured that you have value by this; that He should do this act. What love is displayed! I get a little ahead of myself! But this is only the beginning of the story of covenant.

You are in God's image and that alone gives you more value than any creature. Your blood is kept track of. Does that not show the generousness of God's love?

Read: Mark 8:27-33

I want to take you down a little bit different path through this reading. First let's look at the question of Jesus, “Who do you say that I am?” The disciples start giving impersonal answers...this person says others say. Jesus is not pleased with their answers. He sees they are sidestepping him. He says, “But who do you say that I am?” That is a question to ponder. Who is Jesus to you? In response to the Holy Spirit Peter says, “You are the Christ.” Only God can bring us to that realization. Here is what catches my attention. Jesus says after this to tell no one about him but then he began to teach them that the son of God must suffer many things and be rejected. Scripture says of this that he said this plainly. Meaning he spoke openly of this. He rebuked Peter for thinking as man does and not God when Peter rebuked the Lord for this suffering being necessary. God brings us to a new place.

Suffering in our life has a place. A very large place in finding the hand of God and sharing with him in his suffering of redemption. God suffers and the Father suffers at the giving of his only son. Yet what LOVE. Our mission and calling is to speak openly of the sufferings we have experienced because it shows the hand of God in how we have come through them stronger in his presence. God does not give suffering and he hurts and is in pain because of suffering but he allows suffering 1) as a consequence of sin (concupiscence of man's fallen nature) 2) To be a co-redemptor with Christ to bring out the best good. Many bad things happen to good people. So the question, “Why did God do this to me?” is poorly put. It should be “How is God moving with me?” God does not leave us in suffering. He walks with us. Life is not lived alone and apart from God but comes right to His fleshly existence in the now. God is made flesh in you. So it is a grace to be a sharer in the sufferings and the glory of God for it is not the end of the story. What comes next? The Resurrection. But the passion has to come first. We have to die with Christ. And this is the secret.

Suffering is difficult but we can find the Lord in it. No suffering is there that Jesus did not experience. Like him we should embrace what is given. He even felt abandoned by his Father. Yet did he stop looking for the Father's will? No. He held onto God the Father's love and His promise. Look for God in your suffering because you will find Him and you should praise Him for both the joys and sufferings. What Psalm did our Lord recite from the cross? My God, my God! Why have you abandoned me? Psalm 22. Read this slowly in its entirety. Tradition teaches that just by saying the first line he spoke was praying and meaning the whole Psalm. At the very heart of Jesus' mission is the cross and the very heart of our life is to share with him. When we do this the greatest dignity is given to our suffering and it becomes a prayer when united to Him and is indeed a very powerful prayer. Think back on your sufferings and try and let the hand of God touch them. Try to see where He was in it. His will has a purpose ask Him to show you purpose and for healing and it will come.