Children of the Free Woman (Galatians 4:31)

 


Saturday, July 13, 2024


Psalm 35:1-17

2 Chronicles 25:5-26:1

Galatians 4:21-31


Observance: Sydney James Kirby, bishop, pioneer of outback ministry and Bush Church Aid Society (d. 1935)


Children of the Free Woman (Galatians 4:31)


There is a bit of an opportunity for confusion when we in the church speak of “law”. If you’ve ever tried to read the rules of an organisation, you might get the impression that “law” is a really boring and difficult to read type of prose.


But when the Bible speaks of the “law”, it does not just refer to subsections and canonical instructions for professional behaviour. Take today’s second lesson, for example. St Paul opens today’s section by asking “are you not aware of what the law says?” and then proceeds to talk about a historical narrative. The grand adventure of Abraham and his wife Sarah, with all their ups and downs, is part of what we call “God’s law”.


The apostle does say we are to take this law “figuratively”. Two women; two covenants; two opposites. Slavery and freedom are the instructions of this part of the law.


It might be frustrating that we are given instructions on how to live in this way. Wouldn’t we much rather prefer a list of do’s and don’ts? Yet there are plenty of books in bookstores that are written that way, and none of them are followed nearly as widely as the Bible. Rather, God has designed us in such a way that, when we are to decide how to live, we are to see ourselves as part of this grand adventure of the narrative of history.


We could have a Heavenly Constitution, filled with articles and subsections. Or, we could have what is here in the Bible, a collection of anecdotes accompanied by apostolic exegesis. Humans are much more interesting than a computer system, and we need stories of real people living real lives in order to figure out what is right or wrong in our own lives.


And so, when we reflect on what it means to be washed in the blood of Jesus, to be saved by nothing more than the grace of God, and to be promised that we will live in God’s loving favour forever, we can get a much better understanding if we think about it in real and living terms. We are not children of the slave woman. We are children of the free woman. And we have been promised by our Heavenly Father that we will one day inherit all the wonderful treasures of the kingdom of heaven.


How exciting is your faith? What parts of your religious experience are stuck up in your head, and what parts come out into the excitement of your lived experience?


God of my freedom, give me an understanding of what you have done for me that I can really connect with. Save me from boring principles and release me into the wonder of the adventure of the life you have prepared for me.

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