1 Peter 3:18-22
For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit, in which he went and proclaimed to the spirits in prison, because they formerly did not obey, when God's patience waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was being prepared, in which a few, that is, eight persons, were brought safely through water. Baptism, which corresponds to this, now saves you, not as a removal of dirt from the body but as an appeal to God for a good conscience, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, who has gone into heaven and is at the right hand of God, with angels, authorities, and powers having been subjected to him. (ESV)
Cute Flood?
Monday after Pentecost 2
7 June 2010
Parents often use the image of Noah and the ark to decorate the room of small children. Pastor Bart Day, my colleague, loves to point out that Noah is hardly a good image for the contemplation of little children. It involves the story of the destruction of the entire world's population. What's cute or comforting about that? However in the Bible where there is death there life is also not far away. So Moses also teaches divine mercy to us in that God saved the eight faithful people of Noah's family. Not only that but, God's patient mercy led God to give a great span of time until his promised judgment befell the wicked world.
God told Noah to start building the great ship one hundred years before the killing waters welled up and all that time Noah continued to proclaim repentance to the decayed and dying world in which he lived and worked. God was using Noah and his big, land locked ship to call the world to repentance. While the world mocked God and his servant Noah for building this improbable ship, Noah pleaded for the people to repent and receive the loving kindness of God.
Cyril of Jerusalem
"Consider what happened in the days of Noah. The great men of old sinned, and much wickedness was then spread over the earth. Because of this the flood was to come upon them. In the five hundredth year of Noah God utters His threatening; but in the six hundredth He brought the flood upon the earth. Can't you see the breadth of God's loving kindness extending to a hundred years? Could He not have done immediately what He did then after the hundred years? He extended the time on purpose, granting a respite for repentance. Don't you see God's goodness? And if the men of that time had repented, they would not have missed the loving-kindness of God."
Prayer
Lord God, you saved eight people in all, through the ark. Save us through the ark of the church that floats upon the waters of baptism, so that dying to sin we might live a new life. Amen.
For Ginny Deluca, that God would grant her strength and healing in accordance with His gracious will
For the faculty and staff of Lutheran High North, that they would be strengthened in their goal of providing excellent academics and faithful teaching
For all police officers, especially Lee Lefler, that they would be kept safe in all their work
Art: DUBOIS, Tom The Becoming