December 30, 2020
Sharing from the congregation – David Petty
It is he who remembered us in our low estate,
for his steadfast love endures forever;
and rescued us from our foes,
for his steadfast love endures forever,
who gives food to all flesh,
for his steadfast love endures forever.
O give thanks to the God of heaven,
for his steadfast love endures forever.
— Psalm 136:23-26
I heard once that the English word with the greatest number of meanings is “run.” I don’t know what’s second or third, but I would guess that “love” must be in the top ten. It can mean anything from how we feel about food (Christmas cookies? red velvet cake?) to something profound, not to mention tennis. The Bible covers many of these meanings in one place or another, from romantic or physical love to divine love. At the top of the range of meanings is hesed.
Hesed is a great Old Testament word that is difficult to pronounce and even more difficult to translate. Some versions of the Bible translate it as “steadfast love.” Often when you see the word “mercy” in the New Testament, it represents an attempt by the original writer to translate hesed into Greek. I would suggest “unchanging and unchangeable love.” But that doesn’t really get it either. Some words, it seems, have to be translated with the heart rather than with a dictionary.
Hesed occupies roughly the same place in Old Testament theology that grace occupies in New Testament theology.
I don’t think that the Pharisees, for the most part, intended harm. I think they believed that following all those rules were necessary in order to change God’s love in their favor. What they failed to understand is that they didn’t need to try to change God’s love, just as you don’t need to fix what’s not broken.
A vast amount of ink has been consumed over the question of whether God can change. There is a whole area of theology called “process theology” about this, and the issue of predestination is tied to it as well. I’ve come to believe that God can, and sometimes does, change God’s actions in response to prayer. But I don’t believe God’s power changes and I don’t believe God’s love changes.
This week we celebrate love of all sorts: of food, family, friends, and the Lord’s faithfulness. Thanks be to God.
Gracefully submitted,
David Petty