Thought for Today
Genesis 27:18 So he went in to his father, and said, "My father"; and he said, "Here I am; who are you, my son?"
Ruth 3:9 He said, "Who are you?" And she answered, "I am Ruth, your servant; spread your cloak over your servant, for you are next-of-kin."
Mark 14:70 But again he denied it. Then after a little while the bystanders again said to Peter, "Certainly you are one of them; for you are a Galilean." 71 But he began to curse, and he swore an oath, "I do not know this man you are talking about."
Today is Good Friday. “Good Friday, also known as Holy Friday, Great Friday, Great and Holy Friday, or Friday of the Passion of the Lord, is a solemn Christian holy day commemorating the crucifixion of Jesus and his death at Calvary (Golgotha). It is observed during Holy Week as part of the Paschal Triduum.”(en.wikipedia.org)
Whether or not your congregation has a special service this day, today is a day of solemn reflection for all Christians throughout Christendom. For me, this day always evokes thoughts about Christian identity. More specifically, this day focuses my mind on one of my favorite questions, “Who am I?” Who am I, as a Christian, as an individual? This day and this question led me to ask, “Whose am I?” How do I self-identify?
When you first meet someone, how do you introduce yourself? “Hi, my name is ____.” Then, what comes next? Do you relate your origins? In Texas, there is a saying, “You never ask someone where they are from. If they are a Texan, they will tell you. If they are not, you don’t want to embarrass them.” I read an internet article about Southern habits that northerners find most irritating. The author claimed that one of the most irritating was the Southern habit of asking, “Who are your folks?” Is the locus of your identity your heritage? Do you identify with that line from the Viking Funeral Chant, “There do I see the line of my ancestors back to the beginning?”
I tend to relate much of the world to my initial training as an engineer. My schooling taught me to approach most things I encounter in life from a particular perspective. Engineers first identify the question or problem. Then we assemble all the relevant facts. Lastly, we review all the general knowledge on the subject to find which laws, rules or equations to apply to achieve the solution. Oh, were most of the questions in life only so easy to answer! But, I rarely introduce myself with, “Hi, my name is Ray. I’m an engineer.” Maybe if I did so, it would head off more misunderstandings.
Rebekah disguised Jacob before he approached Isaac. Isaac was old and did not recognize which of his sons brought him “Genesis 27:14 savory food, such as his father loved.” Would our world be substantially different today had Jacob not answered "Genesis 27:19 I am Esau your firstborn. I have done as you told me; now sit up and eat of my game, so that you may bless me?”
Ruth honestly self-identified herself to Boaz. Ruth and her mother-in-law, Naomi, were saved. "Ruth 4:14 Blessed be the LORD, who has not left you this day without next-of-kin; and may his name be renowned in Israel! . . . 17 The women of the neighborhood gave him a name, saying, "A son has been born to Naomi." They named him Obed; he became the father of Jesse, the father of David.”
Most Christians know that Peter denied Jesus 3 times during Holy Week. We also know that Peter was the first one to publicly say, "Matthew 16:16 You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God." It wasn’t that Peter was self-identifying, but it was Peter’s recognition that through all Jesus said and did, Jesus openly self-identified as the Son of the living God. Jesus’ own self-identifying, through his deeds and actions, led to all of the events of Holy Week.
“Who am I?” Who am I, as a Christian, as an individual? Most importantly, “Whose am I?” How do I self-identify? I am a Christian. I am a follower, a disciple, of the Jesus who was crucified on the Cross. I am an adherent of the Risen Lord. I am a child of God. That is my identity this week and every week.
Stay safe, ponder on what it means to be a child of God,
Pastor Ray