Genesis 44. 1- 17 Psalm 50 John 6. 52- 59
Genèse 44. 1 - 17 Psaume 50 Jean 6. 52-59
The writer quotes from Psalm 8. Mankind is a “little lower than the angels”, “crowned with glory and honour”; it has dominion over all of creation – “everything is under their feet” (vs 7-8).
Such lofty comparisons are embarrassing. As I recall the dishonourable things I’ve done (today, even) and the humanitarian crises we face (the result of our greed?), it’s clear that we’re far from this ideal. As Antony Billington explains:
“Though formed in the image of God, our representation of his rule and authority in the world is distorted. To be sure, threads of beauty, compassion, and productiveness are woven into the fabric of our existence; but so are threads of darkness, disease, and disorder. In our more honest moments, we don’t need to go further than ourselves to be confronted with the twists and turns of the human heart. We walk tall, but fall short.”
Thank goodness, then, that we are not the end of the story. Thank goodness, then, that there is still hope. For even though we can’t yet see this world where all is as it should be (“yet”)! (v8)): “we do see Jesus” (v9).
We don’t see how refugee camp kids can have a childhood.
But we do see Jesus.
We don’t see how the spread of Zika can be stopped.
But we do see Jesus.
We don’t see how we can love our neighbours (or ourselves).
But we do see Jesus.
We don’t see how [your own concern for today] will be resolved.
But we do see Jesus.
We see people who bring light to darkness. We see the bigger picture, where no one is beyond God’s love. We see Jesus’ own care for the poor, the sick, the marginalised. We see the God who lived among us, who understands our pain and sadness—who tasted death so we don’t have to (v9).
Hannah Bill
The healing of the paralytic, believed to be the oldest known image of Jesus, from the Syrian City of Dura Europos, dated about 235
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