Genesis 9:8 – 15
The Bible records several covenants that God made with his people Israel, beginning with the covenant with Noah, continuing with his covenant with Abraham and with the people Israel through Moses at Mount Sinai. This Sunday, we hear of the covenant that God made with Noah and his descendents. Next week, we’ll hear about God’s covenant with Abraham and his descendants and on the third week of Lent, we’ll hear about God’s covenant with his people at Mount Sinai. All of these covenants prepared the way for the new covenant God formed with all of humanity in Christ. Just as Noah is saved by passing through the waters of the great flood for he found favor with God (cf. Gn. 6:8), so Jesus, who is baptized by John in the waters of the Jordan, finds favor with God (cf. Mk 1:11). As we will see in the second reading this Sunday, it is through our baptism that we enter into the new covenant relationship with God. Before we examine this Sunday’s first reading, let’s briefly review the background of these covenants and their essential elements:
OLD TESTAMENT – PRESENTATION OF COVENANT
Genesis 9:8-17 – Covenant with Noah
Genesis 15:17-18, 17:1-11 – Covenant with Abraham
Exodus 19-24; 32-34, Deuteronomy 5-28 – Covenant with Israel
2 Samuel 23:5 – Covenant with David
Essential elements of Covenant as found throughout the Old Testament are:
1) it is the result of free choice;
2) it is relational, not a contract agreement that speaks only of task to be performed and payment rendered;
3) it is based on love;
4) it is intended to be permanent;
5) it requires fidelity on the part of both parties;
6) it includes threats and/or promises;
7) it is ratified in ritual;
8) it is associated with a shrine or holy place.
NEW TESTAMENT – PRESENTATION OF COVENANT
Matthew 26:28
Mark 14:24
Luke 22:20
1 Corinthians 11:24
Ephesians 5:21-33
DEFINITION OF COVENANT: a permanent relationship between two parties based on love and freely initiated which requires fidelity includes threats and/or promises, is ratified with ritual and associated with a shrine.
So, we see that “covenant” is an extremely important concept in the tradition of ancient Israel. God freely initiates these covenants. After all, as we recall from the creation accounts, God has made us in his own image and likeness, formed us out of the clay of the earth and breathed his life into us. Based on this intimate relationship that God has with us, he then establishes a covenant with us, over and over again. And, he remains faithful to the covenant even when we abandon its first requirement – to affirm that the Lord God is our God – and turn to worship other gods. So, as we move through these Sundays of Lent, let’s continue to reflect on this intimate relationship that God has made with humanity throughout Salvation History and most especially through his Son, Jesus Christ, who established the “new and everlasting covenant” at the Last Supper and ratified it on the cross. This is all very personal – God wants a close, covenantal relationship with each one of us.
Now, let’s study Sunday’s first reading. To understand the Noahic covenant completely, we need to read Gn. 6:1 – 8 (note footnote for 6:1-4), 7:13 – 9:7. Notice the similarity of 9: 1 – 3 to Gn. 1:28 – 30. These two passages are from the Priestly source and are introductions to epochs in world history. Notice also the addition, in Gn 9:5 – 6, of a recognition of violence and sin. Now, let’s read what we will hear on Sunday.
8 God said to Noah and to his sons with him:
9 “See, I am now establishing my covenant with you and your descendants after you
I am now establishing my covenant: this is in fulfillment of God’s promise in 6:18; let’s read that passage, beginning with 6:8. This is the first explicitly-mentioned covenant that God makes with humanity.
10 and with every living creature that was with you: all the birds, and the various tame and wild animals that were with you and came out of the ark.
11 I will establish my covenant with you, that never again shall all bodily creatures be destroyed by the waters of a flood; there shall not be another flood to devastate the earth.”
12 God added: “This is the sign that I am giving for all ages to come, of the covenant between me and you and every living creature with you:
13 I set my bow in the clouds to serve as a sign of the covenant between me and the earth.
I set my bow in the clouds: for the ancient pagans, the rainbow was often considered a divine bow used by the gods to inflict punishment on humanity. Here, we see its appearance in the sky signified divine appeasement – notice that it points away from the earth.
14 When I bring clouds over the earth, and the bow appears in the clouds,
15 I will recall the covenant I have made between me and you and all living beings, so that the waters shall never again become a flood to destroy all mortal beings.
I will recall: this anthropomorphism is unusual for the P source and reveals profound conviction (cf. v 16 as well – I will see and recall).
As I mentioned above, the covenant that God makes with Noah is the first God will make with humanity. Although it is a covenant, it is different from later covenants in that it is unilateral (requiring nothing from man) and universal. Over the course of the next few weeks, we will compare it with the Abrahamic and Sinai covenants.
Mk 1:12 – 15
Over the past two Sundays – the last two Sundays in Ordinary Time before the beginning of Lent – we have heard about Jesus’ early days in his public ministry. This Sunday, we will hear about what happened to him after he was baptized and as he began his public ministry. In fact, we hear about two very important moments in the life of Jesus: his temptation in the desert and the beginning of his public ministry.
The report of Jesus’ temptation in the desert is an abbreviated account. The account is so brief compared to those in Mt 4:1-11 and Lk 4:1-13 that some scripture scholars believe that Matthew and Luke expanded the Marcan account using Q material; others think the Marcan account is a deliberate abbreviation of a longer version, typical of Mark’s Gospel, which often provides the shortest account of a particular incident. Let’s examine Matthew’s account before we review Mark’s version (cf. Mt 4:1-11).
Jesus, who was proclaimed Son of God at his baptism, is driven by the Spirit into the desert where he is subjected to a triple temptation. Obedience to the Father is a characteristic of true sonship, and Jesus is tempted by the devil to rebel against God, overtly in the third case, more subtly in the first two. Each refusal of Jesus is expressed in language taken from the Book of Deuteronomy (Deut 8:3; 6:13,16). The testings of Jesus resemble those of Israel during the wandering in the desert and later in Canaan. The victory of Jesus, the true Israel and the true Son, contrasts with the failure of the ancient and disobedient “son of God,” the old Israel. The temptation account Matthew is almost identical with Luke; both seem to have drawn upon the same source. Mark hardly mentions it, however. But, every word in this abbreviated version is important so let’s examine it now.
12 At once the Spirit drove him out into the desert,
At once: Jesus is not given any time to enjoy the great adulation he has just received; he is immediately driven into the desert by the same Spirit who had descended upon him as a sign of God’s blessing.
Spirit: The same Spirit who descended on Jesus in his baptism now drives him into the desert for forty days. Clearly, this is God’s work and the result is radical confrontation and temptation by Satan who attempts to frustrate the work that God has in mind for Jesus.
into the desert: God is often experienced in the desert – just recall Moses and the burning bush, the covenant experience at Mount Sinai, and Jesus himself going out to the desert to pray. The desert is a place of testing where all of the usual signs of God’s abundant blessings are missing (contrast with the first reading this Sunday, where God promises to care for Noah, his family and, in fact, all of creation). It was in the desert that John the Baptist exercised his ministry; remember, he is the “voice crying out in the desert.”
13 and he remained in the desert for forty days, tempted by Satan. He was among wild beasts, and the angels ministered to him.
forty days: we all know that the number 40 speaks of preparation and penance. Noah was in the ark for 40 days, Moses was up on the mountain for 40 days, the Israelites spent 40 years in the desert, Elijah walked for 40 days before encountering God on Mt. Horeb.
tempted by Satan: in this very brief mention, the gospel writer indicates that even Jesus could be – and, indeed, was – tempted by Satan. We need to be aware of this in our lives; God sends the Satan to tempt us, too.
wild beasts: As you will read in your footnotes, the presence of wild beasts may indicate the horror and danger of the desert regarded as the abode of demons or may reflect the paradise motif of harmony among all creatures; cf. Isaiah 11:6-9.
angels: The presence of ministering angels to sustain Jesus recalls the angel who kept Abraham from carrying out his sacrifice of his son, Isaac, who guided the Israelites in the desert in the first Exodus (Exodus 14:19; 23:20) and the angel who supplied nourishment to Elijah in the wilderness (1 Kings 19:5-7). The combined forces of good and evil were present to Jesus in the desert. His sustained obedience brings forth the new Israel of God there where Israel’s rebellion had brought death and alienation.
Notice that Mark does not elaborate on Satan tempting Jesus; we hear that only in Matthew and Luke. Scholars debate about the origin of this portion of their gospels and wonder why Mark didn’t include it.
Now, we hear about a second important moment in Jesus’ life – the beginning of his public ministry:
14 After John had been arrested, Jesus came to Galilee proclaiming the gospel of God:
After John had been arrested: in the plan of God, Jesus was not to proclaim the good news of salvation prior to the termination of the Baptist’s active mission. Luke’s Gospel makes this separation between John the Baptist and Jesus even more clear by placing John the Baptist in prison even before Jesus was baptized. Let’s read Mk. 1:9 and Mt. Mt. 3:13b ff. and compare with Lk. 3:15 – 21. Although they do it differently, each of the synoptic gospels end John’s public ministry before Jesus begins his.
Galilee: in the Marcan account, this is the place of the major part of Jesus’ public ministry before his arrest and condemnation.
The gospel of God: not only the good news from God but about God at work in Jesus Christ. This is the time of fulfillment: i.e., of God’s promises. The kingdom of God . . . repent: see the note on Matthew 3:2.
15 “This is the time of fulfillment. The kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel.”
time of fulfillment: this is a very important time, the time when God’s promises are being fulfilled.
Repent, and believe in the gospel: this admonition should be very familiar to us; we just heard it as one of the two declarations used on Ash Wednesday at the imposition of ashes. In Matthew’s Gospel, this admonition is put in the mouth of both John the Baptist (3:2) and Jesus (4:17). As you will read in the footnote to Mt. 3:2, repentance means a change of heart and conduct, a turning of one’s life from rebellion to obedience to God.
It is also interesting to note that Mark’s is the only gospel that uses the word “gospel”: here, at its very first line (1:1) and, once again on Jesus’ lips (10:29). Remember, a gospel is a particular form of literature. As I’ve mentioned before, the best definition I have found of this genre is that it is written by believers for believers to assure them that their belief in Jesus, in his life, death and resurrection is, indeed, the way to eternal salvation.
For the first time in Mark’s Gospel, we hear Jesus speak. He makes four brief statements, two descriptive and two imperative. First, he announces that, in the fullness of time, God’s kingdom is at hand. All that he has promised through the covenants – and, most importantly, a place where God’s peace will finally prevail – is at hand. The rest of the Gospel will fill out the details and provide the full meaning of this declaration. God’ reign is becoming present in the person and mission of Jesus through whom God is entering human history as never before.
And, this graced moment requires a response. First, we are called to repent. And, as I have explained over and over again, this is not just being sorrowful for our sins. Rather it is call to turn around, have a change of heart, come to our senses – to appreciate what life is really all about, that is, to return to God.
Second, we are commanded to “believe in the gospel.” Believe that God is good and has chosen to be with us. Believe in God’s compassion and love and share them abundantly so that we help to bring God’s kingdom to its fullness in the here and now.
1 Peter 3:18 – 22
We hear from Peter’s letter. As I have mentioned in the past, there is endless debate about the authorship and purpose of this letter but, for our purposes, it offers some important insights as we begin the Lenten season. Let’s examine this passage:
18 For Christ also suffered for sins once, the righteous for the sake of the unrighteous, that he might lead you to God. Put to death in the flesh, he was brought to life in the spirit.
Suffered: very many ancient manuscripts and versions read “died.”
Put to death in the flesh: affirms that Jesus truly died as a human being.
Brought to life in the spirit: that is, in the new and transformed existence freed from the limitations and weaknesses of natural human life (cf 1 Cor 15:45).
19 In it he also went to preach to the spirits in prison,
The spirits in prison: it is not clear just who these spirits are. They may be the spirits of the sinners who died in the flood, or angelic powers, hostile to God, who have been overcome by Christ (cf. 1 Peter 3:22; Genesis 6:4; Enoch 6-36, especially 1 Peter 3:21:6; 2 Enoch 7:1-5).
20 who had once been disobedient while God patiently waited in the days of Noah during the building of the ark, in which a few persons, eight in all, were saved through water.
21 This prefigured baptism, which saves you now. It is not a removal of dirt from the body but an appeal to God for a clear conscience, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ,
Appeal to God: this could also be translated “pledge,” that is, a promise on the part of Christians to live with a good conscience before God, or a pledge from God of forgiveness and therefore a good conscience for us.
22 who has gone into heaven and is at the right hand of God, with angels, authorities, and powers subject to him.
In these three readings, we experience God’s saving power, first in the reading about Noah and the covenant God made with him after saving him from the Great Flood, then in the account of Jesus’ temptation in the desert, where the angels minister to Jesus and finally in our second reading where we are reminded that Jesus suffered for us “that he might lead you to God.” As we begin the Lenten season, let us be encouraged with this good news!