Tuesday - Pentecost 7
Readings
Numbers 22:21-38
Romans 7:1-12
Matthew 21:23-32
Meditation
Today we get the second part of the Balaam story (tomorrow is the conclusion). The story is just so strange and funny. This is one that is so rich and deep and at the same time if the Bible were just a human book, there is no way this makes it into sacred scripture. First God appears to change his mind, why’s He angry? He told Balaam to go. Second, this is a very minor character, more comic relief than anything, yet The Angel of the LORD appears right here and first to Balaam’s ass. Lastly you have talking animals. Miracles of power, ok. Great acts like the Exodus, easy. But talking animals? That’s the stuff of fables, yet God puts it in His Word. If it was just human, this story would have been cut in the first edit. But it is so deep and speaks to us. How many Balaam’s asses do we have in our lives? We set off intent on going our own way and then our trusty instruments fail us. A computer breaks, a car gets a flat tire a wife or a husband says something we don’t like. We get all flustered. Why does this stuff happen to me? Why right now? I’ve got things to do. We usually shoot the messanger, or like Balaam threaten to take a sword to his faithful ass. The Balaam’s asses in our lives just might be seeing things that we in our sinfulness aren’t.
May we all be blessed enough to recognize the faithful voices in our lives who prevent us from being the real jokes in our own stories.
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