Friday of the Second Week of Lent

 Lectionary: 234

Israel loved Joseph best of all his sons, for he was the child of his old age; and he had made him a long tunic. When his brothers saw that their father loved him best of all his sons, they hated him so much that they would not even greet him.

Israel, better known as Jacob, was Isaac's son and Abraham's grandson. He had ten sons by his first wife Leah, and two by Rachel. However, he had always preferred Rachel. He had married Leah unintentionally, when his father-in-law, using a heavy wedding veil, switched the elected bride with her less desirable sister. 

A more generous or more stoic gentleman might have regarded Leah's son with the same indifferent affection as he regarded Rachel's, but Jacob was never a generous man. He is remembered as a conman who got conned with his first wedding and lived with it. (No reasonable shepherd would complain about such a fertile wife!) 

Joseph, Rachel's first son, was Jacob's favorite son and he made no secret of it, much to the discontent of Leah's sons. With the proliferation of serial polygamy in our post-Christian society, no one should be scandalized by this biblical story. DNA tests are revealing far stranger stories. 

We might add that this theme of preference, or election, runs through the Bible. Abel was preferred to Cain, Isaac to Ishmael, and Jacob to Esau. The prodigal son was the second son and the heartbroken father loved him more because of his profligacy. 

The Enlightened principle of equality not only defies ordinary experience, it is not found in scripture.

But election remains a sticking point for some people. Why should Jews be the chosen people; or Christians, preferred by their baptism? Why should Mary be the only Immaculate Conception; or Jesus, the Beloved Son of God? Shouldn't God love everyone equally? And no one especially? 

Calvinism appeared in the late history of the Church to suggest that not only are some elected for God's mercy, by the process of double election some are predestined for damnation from the get-go. There's no need to show kindness to these lost souls. We should only shore up our assets to make sure we don't fall among them, like the middle class who fall into poverty; and drug users, into drug addiction. 

Some Christians renounce their faith over this issue. They suppose that God loves everybody equally and, regardless of their behavior, with divine unconditional love. Doesn't his sun shine on the just and the unjust? They also renounce the responsibilities that come with election. They choose the wider gate and the more traveled road.  They dismiss Jesus's command to make disciples of all nations since disciples have no particular privilege and it's a lot of trouble anyway. 

But, to be sure, they do elect for themselves and their children all the opportunities of education and advancement. They will not hesitate to abort less favored (non-elected) infants, especially if there are indications of birth defects. 

We who remain accept the blessings and the duties of election. We are not content to be Catholic without doing works of charity. We believe in God; that is, we rely on God to support us as we do his bidding. And we are delighted that some people are more blessed than we are. Isn't the Lord's favor to Mary, the martyrs, and saints wonderful? 

The Jewish doctrine of election, which Christians have inherited, is the stumbling stone oft mentioned in the New Testament. However, we do not trip over it; on our way to salvation we stand on the Rock of Ages.