March 5, 2006
First Sunday in Lent — B

Revised Common Lectionary
Genesis 9:8-17
Psalm 25:1-10
1 Peter 3:18-22
Mark 1:9-15

Reflection and Response
Prayer Starter

Today’s readings affirm God’s promise of continuing relationship. In Genesis 9, life begins anew, sealed by God’s promise to all creatures and confirmed by the rainbow. The author of 1 Peter explains that we are saved through the cleansing water of baptism. In today’s gospel, Jesus’ 40 days of temptation in the wilderness end with the proclamation of God’s good news.

First Reading: Genesis 9:8-17
Both Jewish and Christian tradition attribute the writing of the Pentateuch, the first five books of the Bible, to Moses. Modern scholars now recognize that the Pentateuch is composed of several strands of tradition preserved and edited over centuries of Jewish history. The story of the flood is itself an ancient one, shared by several Near Eastern cultures, but the biblical account has its own unique theological perspective.

Through Noah, God makes the first covenant, a covenant with all humans and animals and every generation. The sign of the covenant, the rainbow, is a sign of peace, showing that God’s wrath was over and the stability of the natural order was guaranteed. This first covenant demonstrates the trustworthiness of God who makes promises and keeps them.

Genesis 9:8-17
Then God said to Noah and to his sons with him,
"As for me, I am establishing my covenant with you
and your descendants after you,
the birds, the domestic animals,
and every animal of the earth with you,
as many as came out of the ark.
I establish my covenant with you,
that never again shall all flesh
be cut off by the waters of a flood,
and never again shall there be
a flood to destroy the earth."

God said,
"This is the sign of the covenant
that I make between me and you
and every living creature that is with you,
for all future generations:
I have set my bow in the clouds,
and it shall be a sign of the covenant
between me and the earth.
When I bring clouds over the earth
and the bow is seen in the clouds,
I will remember my covenant
that is between me and you
and every living creature of all flesh;
and the waters shall never again
become a flood to destroy all flesh.
When the bow is in the clouds,
I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant
between God and every living creature of all flesh
that is on the earth."
God said to Noah,
"This is the sign of the covenant
that I have established
between me and all flesh
that is on the earth."

Psalm: Psalm 25:1-10
This is an acrostic psalm, each verse beginning with a successive letter of the alphabet. In the form of a personal lament, it contains the usual cry for help (vv. 1-3), plea for guidance (vv. 4-5), expression of trust (vv. 6-15) and presentation of the psalmist’s plight (vv. 17-19) in a prayer of vindication (vv. 16-21).

In verses 4-5, the psalmist asks God to teach him truth. He recognizes that his adversaries, both external (vv. 2, 19) and internal (vv. 7, 11, 17-18), are strong enough to triumph over him. His fear of the Lord compels him to acknowledge that God alone can make him into a person of true righteousness (v. 9), thus able to enjoy "the friendship of the Lord" (v. 14).

Psalm 25:1-10
To you, O LORD, I lift up my soul.

O my God, in you I trust;
do not let me be put to shame;
do not let my enemies exult over me.

Do not let those who wait for you be put to shame;
let them be ashamed who are wantonly treacherous.

Make me to know your ways, O LORD;
teach me your paths.

Lead me in your truth, and teach me,
for you are the God of my salvation;
for you I wait all day long.

Be mindful of your mercy, O LORD,
and of your steadfast love,
for they have been from of old.

Do not remember the sins of my youth
or my transgressions;
according to your steadfast love remember me,
for your goodness’ sake, O LORD!

Good and upright is the LORD;
therefore he instructs sinners in the way.

He leads the humble in what is right,
and teaches the humble his way.

All the paths of the LORD
are steadfast love and faithfulness,
for those who keep
his covenant and his decrees.

Second Reading: 1 Peter 3:18-22
For many scholars, the excellent Greek style of this letter, its use of the Septuagint (the Greek translation of the Old Testament) and the lack of direct reference to Jesus’ teaching all suggest that the letter was not written directly by Peter, but perhaps by a companion, disciple or scribe of his.

In today’s reading, the author seems to have used parts of a hymn to frame statements about Jesus’ authority and the meaning of baptism. Christ died "once," not only as a model to be followed but also to bring new access to God.

The author draws parallels between the destructive, but cleansing, waters of the flood and the cleansing, saving waters of baptism. Verse 21b is translated more literally, "a pledge to God from (or of) a good conscience." Thus, the believer’s baptism is effective not as a physical washing, but as a sign of one’s new life in Christ.

1 Peter 3:18-22
Beloved:
Christ also suffered for sins once for all,
the righteous for the unrighteous,
in order to bring you to God.
He was put to death in the flesh,
but made alive in the spirit,
in which also he went and made a proclamation
to the spirits in prison,
who in former times did not obey,
when God waited patiently in the days of Noah,
during the building of the ark, in which a few,
that is, eight persons, were saved through water.
And baptism, which this prefigured, now saves you–
not as a removal of dirt from the body,
but as an appeal to God for a good conscience,
through the who has gone into heaven
and is at the right hand of God,
with angels, authorities, and powers made subject to him.

Gospel: Mark 1:9-15
Today’s reading recounts Jesus’ temptation in the wilderness. The event of empowerment by the Spirit at Jesus’ baptism (vv. 9-11) immediately leads into a time of testing. The 40 days recall the 40 years of wandering in the wilderness (Deuteronomy 8:2), the 40 days of Moses on the mountain (Exodus 24:18; 34:28) and the 40 days of Elijah’s journey (1 Kings 19:8). Exposure to temptation is a continuing theme of Jesus’ ministry, in the desire of the crowds for a sign (8:11), in Peter’s rebuke (8:32-33) and in the jeers of the crowds at his crucifixion (15:29-32).

Apparently Jesus was prompted by the end of John the Baptist’s active ministry to begin his public work. Jesus now proclaims that "the time is fulfilled." The work of the prophets, including John the Baptist, was to prepare for God’s kingly rule.

In Jesus, however, all God’s prophetic words find their fulfillment. The prophets were called to speak God’s message, while Jesus is God’s message. "The kingdom of God has come near" (v. 15), that is, the kingdom of God is more than merely nearby, it is present in Jesus.

Mark 1:9-15
In those days Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee
and was baptized by John in the Jordan.
And just as he was coming up out of the water,
he saw the heavens torn apart
and the Spirit descending like a dove on him.
And a voice came from heaven,
"You are my Son, the Beloved;
with you I am well pleased."

And the Spirit immediately drove him out into the wilderness.
He was in the wilderness forty days,
tempted by Satan;
and he was with the wild beasts;
and the angels waited on him.

Now after John was arrested, Jesus came to Galilee,
proclaiming the good news of God, and saying,
"The time is fulfilled,
and the kingdom of God has come near;
repent, and believe in the good news."

Reflection and Response
Today’s readings invite us to reclaim the ancient symbol of the rainbow in scripture. We can delight in the fact that Lent begins not with some dismal sign of sackcloth and ashes, but with a radiant beam of hope.

To begin, let’s imagine ourselves in Noah’s damp shoes. A telling detail precedes the passage read today: in Genesis 7:16, God locked him into the ark. That odoriferous, claustrophobic menagerie of grumpy people and noisy animals is a dramatic version of what we face daily. Our families, our churches, our jobs may not be ideal. But they are for us the theater of God’s creation, the arena of God’s activity.

Deep down, many of us don’t want to be saved. The work of redemption requires too much pain and hassle. Yet God places us with the very people who will be instruments of our salvation. Those in our households and workplaces challenge us to love in a concrete way that no fantasy can ever draw forth. With wise planning, God foresaw our struggles–and locked the doors of our personal arks.

Lest that sound too grim, God also planned some brightness. We all know the delight of waking to a clear morning after several days of rain. If we magnify that feeling of relief, we can appreciate the joy Noah and Company felt when they finally saw the sun.

The analogy to contemporary times is clear. We too navigate choppy waters, confronting the chaos of war, the tragedy of child abuse, the danger of escalating violence and the sad consequences of our own failures. Yet some stubborn streak persists in hoping. When clouds cover the earth, we look for the rainbow.

Jesus encourages our hope by pointing out that this is the time of fulfillment. Today is our unique opportunity. Jesus assures us that good news can be found even in our puzzling modern situations.

Quietly consider:
What brightness in my life represents what the rainbow did to Noah?

Prayer Starter
Jesus, may your call to reform echo in my actions...

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