A Misunderstood Tolerance: a Reflection on Psalm 104:1-23, Genesis 23:1-20, Hebrews 11:32-12:2 and J

A misunderstood tolerance was not new in Jesus’ day. When Jesus told the disciples that only those granted by the Father could come to him, many walked away in disgust. Jesus’ claims were exclusive yes, but the most inclusive. Salvation was in and through no one else but him. The God of Christianity is great. He is the creator, redeemer and sustainer of all. God has known all from the beginning and is all powerful. Even when Sarah died at 127 years old in Canaan, a land that was not her own, God had prepared the Hittites to grant Abraham’s request for a choice burial plot. Being a follower of this God is not easy. Many have gone before and many will come after. But the great cloud of witnesses, those who have gone before, speaks volumes of testimony to God’s faithfulness and greatness. Through those testimonies, I am encouraged to press on and run the race before me with perseverance. A misunderstood tolerance does not require perseverance. To persevere sets followers of Jesus apart and validates the message; a message which is universal.

Scripture texts are taken from the two-year daily lectionary cycle which follows the liturgical calendar and begins on the First Sunday of Advent.