The Episcopal Church of the Incarnation

West Point, Mississippi

The Fourth Sunday after Pentecost [Proper 5](A)

Genesis 12.1-9 Psalm 33.1-12 Romans 4.13-25 Matthew 9.9-13, 18-26

Genesis 12.1-9

1) The story of Abraham and Sarah stretches from Genesis 11.27 to 25.18. After Abraham (here still called Abram) is introduced (his geneology is described), the narrative switches immediately to the call to Abraham.

a) Abram is called to journey to Canaan, and is blessed for doing what the Lord commands.

2) The Lord blesses Abram seven times, as His servant:

a) “I will make of you a great nation.”

b) “I will bless you.”

c) “[I will] make your name great.”

d) “[Y]ou will be a blessing.”

e) “I will bless those who bless you ...”

f) “... and him who curses you will I curse.”

g) “[B]y you all the families of the earth shall bless themselves.”

3) Abram’s journey to the center of the land, to Shechem. then to Bethel, and then to the Negeb, is the same as the journey later undertaken by Jacob, a is the general route of the conquest followed by Joshua.

a) At each place Abram builds an altar to the Lord, acknowledging that He is Lord of this land.

Psalm 33.1-12

1) The entire psalm is a hymn of praise to God. In the verses selected this week are found the themes of exhortation of praise to God, recognition of God’s creative word, and recognition that God is supreme over the nations of the earth.

2) V. 1 here is an echo of v. 12 in Psalm 32.

3) Offering a “new” song of praise (v. 3) is an example of offering a new sacrifice in the Temple.

Romans 4.13-25

1) Paul’s teaching that the Christian is justified by faith is illustrated by him with examples from the Old Testament. Here, his illustration is from the story of Abraham.

2) Abraham received the promise of God (of an heir and of numerous posterity) independent of the Law. The blessings which flowed to Abraham accrued not because he observed the Law.

a) If the only condition to being an inheritor of God’s blessing were to be observance of the Law, then faith would mean nothing.

i) In fact, the prescriptions of the Law are honored more in the breach (hence, wrath).

b) Since the Law and faith cannot exist side-by-side, one must yield. Faith is paramount.

i) The one who lives by faith lives by grace, and the promises of the Lord hold good (not only to the Jew, but to all who live by faith).

3) Abraham’s faith is the “type” of Christian faith.

a) A “type” is an example in the Old Testament which foreshadows the how God delivers on His promises in the New Testament.

b) Abraham’s faith “was reckoned to him as righteousness”.

i) Our faith allows us to stand before God.

Matthew 9.9-13, 18-26

1) We are here given the story of the call of Matthew and the story of the healing of the daughter of the leader of the synagogue. Each is an example of faith.

a) Matthew follows Jesus’ call without questioning him.

b) The girl is healed despite the fact that mourners are present already, and mock the idea that Jesus will heal her.

c) While he goes to the house of the ruler of the synagogue, Jesus encounters the woman who suffers from hemorrhages.

i) She has faith, and says to herself, “If I only touch his cloak, I will be made well.”

2) Matthew’s account of these healings are abbreviated versions of those found in Mark (Mk. 5.21-43).

a) Each healing results from initiative to seek the Lord.

i) The woman with the flow of blood seeks Him directly.

ii) The ruler seeks the Lord in behalf of his daughter.

3) Jesus recounts that He has come to call not the righteous, but sinners. In order to treat a disease, the physician must expose himself to the disease.