Lent 2A - Last Minute Thoughts inspired by Sarah Dylan Breuer

Be sure to check out
Dylan's Lectionary Blog for a treatment of circumcision as it related to non-Jewish converts to Judaism.

Interestingly enough, there were cultures other than Jewish ones that practiced circumcision in the ancient world, and when a man from one of these other cultures (and hence who was already circumcised) converted to Judaism, the rule was that a cut would have to be made specifically so that blood was shed. Circumcision in these cases functions a little like the making of "blood brothers" among children; by the shedding of blood in the way that Abraham shed his own blood when he was circumcised, a man who was not literally a blood descendent of Abraham becomes nevertheless a son of Abraham, a child of God, part of the people of Israel. Now THAT's mobility – becoming part of God's chosen people.

Abraham's descendants believed that to become part of the family of God, (in other words, part of the blessing referenced in our OT lesson that would come through Abraham) blood would need to be shed. For the uncircumcised, circumcision would be appropriate, but for the already-circumcised, blood would still need to be shed in order for the adoption to be complete.

The Christological implications of this are profound. As we understand this point, we understand that the whole world may be adopted into the Chosen People through the blood of Christ. Blood was spilt on the cross so that we might be washed clean, our hearts might be circumcised, and we might be adopted into the family of God.

Ultimately, salvation is not about what we do, but about what Christ has done. Our new birth is not something that we do, but something that originates "from above." We are considered righteous, not because we "worked" and received salvation as an obligation, but because we "trusted God."

In other words, Nicodemus comes to Jesus wondering what he must do. Jesus points out that salvation is a gift of God, a new birth which comes from above. We often think of our salvation in terms of what we do: do we act like a "Good Christian?" Instead, salvation comes because we trust Him who justifies the wicked, and we place our faith in what He has done.

Grace and Peace,

PastorJon