So also David declares the blessedness of the person
to whom God credits righteousness apart from works:
Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven
and whose sins are covered.
Blessed is the man whose sin the Lord does not record.
Abraham appears in the Letters of Saint Paul and the Gospel of Saint John as a corrective to the Pharisees' misreadings of Moses' law. In a resounding rebuke of his opponents, the Lord told them, "Abraham your father rejoiced to see my day! He saw it and was glad!"
By faith Abraham accepted the promise of many descendants, despite his and his wife Sarah's old age. They would be as many as the stars in the sky, which, (as we know...) are more than the sands on our seashores! Whatever that number might be, it's unimaginable! Abraham rejoiced especially at the birth of Isaac; that was a great day in the life of the ancient couple. So the Patriarch's joy was twofold as he heard God's promise and saw its fulfillment -- a word made flesh, as it were -- in Sarah's firstborn son.
The preachers and writers of the New Testament also summon King David to testify for the Lord Jesus against the Pharisaic reading of Moses, as we hear in today's first reading.
In both cases, the men are credited with righteousness despite their well-documented sinfulness. On the basis of these stories, Christians can declare quite openly, with neither shame nor hesitation, that we are sinful, holy people. We have not become holy by our deeds, but we have become righteous by our faith. Nor, for that matter, has our learning, wealth, charm, physical beauty, or social standing done us much good. All these things are so much rubbish in our eyes and in God's sight.
We must begin and end each day with that realization. In the morning we ask for the wisdom, strength, and courage to think, say, and act according to God's spirit. In the evening, recalling the day, we thank God for his guidance through difficult moments, and ask forgiveness for when we strayed.
If it sounds simple, it is. If it sounds easy, it's not. We learn by daily and persistent practice to walk in the footsteps of Jesus. Sometimes we're pressed to move quickly; sometimes we're told to move slowly. Those who move too fast or too slowly get lost in the Wilderness of Self, and must find the Lord again, even as he -- the Good Shepherd -- searches for them.
Always, we maintain that awareness of God's goodness which remains both apart from us and within us. If Jesus can say, "Why do you call me good? No one is good but God alone!" we can make no claim to goodness on our own. Rather, we walk by faith and not by sight, and are given credit for righteousness.
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I love to write. This blog helps me to meditate on the Word of God, and I hope to make some contribution to our contemplations of God's Mighty Works.
Ordinarily, I write these reflections two or three weeks in advance of their publication. I do not intend to comment on current events.
I understand many people prefer gender-neutral references to "God." I don't disagree with them but find that language impersonal, unappealing and tasteless. When I refer to "God" I think of the One whom Jesus called "Abba" and "Father", and I would not attempt to improve on Jesus' language.
You're welcome to add a thought or raise a question.