Meditation on This Sunday's Readings in "A Women's Lectionary for the Whole Church"

The lessons for this Sunday, September 26, 2021
from A Women's Lectionary for the Whole Church by Wilda A. Gafney


2 Samuel 11:2-15
Psalm 32: 1-7
2 Peter 3: 1-4
Matthew 5: 21-26


Dr. Gafney notes, "These lessons address transgression, consequence, and repentance." Happily most of us will not transgress as horribly as King David, whose story we get in the lesson from 2 Samuel. We see David watching a woman bathe, deciding he must have her, having her brought to him, and plotting to have her husband killed. It's a disastrous set of circumstances, and it takes David a long time to realize his mistake. Sadly, I doubt that he sees his mistake through the eyes of the wronged woman, who has no choice, no consent. David spends much of his reign seizing what he wants.

It's what monarchs do, after all, and one of the reasons that God advised against monarchy, both in the times before Saul and since then. But it's not only monarchs who transgress.

Psalm 32 reminds us that we can confess our sin to God to get forgiveness, but Jesus tells us that God's forgiveness is not enough. Nothing is more important than the work of reconciliation with our fellow humans; even if we're worshipping God, if we realize that we've transgressed against one of our neighbors, we must go and make it right. We must repair our relationships.

Notice that this directive is different from the forgiveness behavior that Jesus will preach. In this passage, Jesus addresses the one who has transgressed, not the one who needs to be forgiving. Dr. Gafney calls this approach "a disruption of a power curve; it is not up to a victim to demand justice, nor should it be; rather the moral imperative belongs to the one accused of wrong."

Sadly, we do not live in a world where people are eager to make amends so that we can move towards reconciliation. Not only are people not eager, but many people can't even realize the ways that they've ripped apart the fabric of society, in the way of King David. But whether the transgression be huge or small, Jesus is clear that we must work to make things right.

Imagine how the world would be different, if we heeded that call. Time and time again, Jesus reminds us that although our efforts may feel small, that it is these very efforts that will repair the world.