THE BIBLE – DISCOVERY YEAR O7 WITH LUKE’S GOSPEL 
COMMENT FOR LENT 4 ---18-03-07 
Joshua 5: 9-12 
This story probably reached its final form when under Persian control some eight centuries later as the Jews felt they needed to strengthen their sense of identity.  It comes after the whole epic story of the peoples’ movement from Egypt to the Land of Promise.  They have a new status and feel it as they eat the crops and drink the wine of the land. The support they received as travellers stops and they settle down to work.
Psalm 32 
This was a favourite psalm of St.Augustine because it becomes a comment on what it is like to trust God; to try and hold out against Him; to confess and put into words the feeling of being a creature given the wisdom to think, and feel a yearning for God; then to feel the spiritual joy/grace of forgiveness.  There is also much to think about in the warning against trusting in animal strength.
2 Corinthians 5: 16-21 
We need to think hard about this passage because it is one of the basic building blocks of Paul’s theology about Christ. He sees Christ as a Spiritual Power, we become a part of that Power and a new creation in believing.  Because this Power was God reconciling the world to Himself, people sharing in the life of Christ have the job of sharing in the ministry of reconciliation; persuading the world to accept the goal of peace and the strategy of conflict resolution. Contrast the events of 9/11, terrorism with the hatred, fear and revenge responses, and the dreadful stories of unresolved conflict around the world.
Luke 15: 1-3, 11b-32 
There are many layers of meaning in this story. Here the father represents the Spiritual Power we call God.  The young person robs/destroys the family/community name, leaves and is just lost. None of this bothers the father/mother who is already out there watching, and just accepts the speech of remorse, then makes such a welcoming fuss that the older brother/community workers complain, and want some blame to him/her and credit to them. Also we might here honour all those in our lives who have been such loving, welcoming, accepting father/mother figures.

 

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