27 June 2009

Today's Lectio Divina

Philip and the Ethiopian Eunuch. There the Eunuch was, all befuddled by what he was reading in the OT. "How can I, unless someone guides me?" And how richly has the Lord supplied the guidance to all for understanding the OT! He has given us not merely a saint like Philip to guide us along, but the writings of the Apostles and Evangelists which unfold for us the fullness of the OT as the book about our Lord, inspired by His Spirit, pointing to Him constantly. Loehe points this out in *Three Books*.

Also, is it not absolutely striking that when Philip begins from Isaiah 53 and preaches the Good News to this man, he must have driven everything he was teaching him toward how the Lord delivers that forgiveness and new life. For we're told that as soon as the Eunuch catches sight of water, he begs to share this Baptism! I'm reminded of the truth hidden in Mark 16: Preach the Gospel to the whole creation. And what is the Gospel? Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved; whoever does not believe will be condemned. Baptism IS the Gospel!!!

On the first reading today, surprise, surprise, the spies wash up in a brothel. The bigger surprise is how the word of God (even heard as rumors) has brought Rahab to faith and to confess Israel's God as the only legit contender in all the universe. Still, a conundrum of the day: how is it that Rahab's house, built into the wall of the city, didn't collapse with all the rest of the walls? If it alone didn't collapse, the scarlet thread almost seems a tad redundant!

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