First reading: Genesis 9:8-15
Psalm: Ps 25:4-9
Epistle: 1 Peter 3:18-22
Gospel: Mark 1:12-15
“See, I am now establishing my covenant with you
and your descendants after you——¨
Deals, agreements, contracts…the history of the Old Testament is marked by a series of these covenants. In turn, the covenants are marked by symbols of remembrance.
A history of promises
We know of God’s promise, His covenant with Abraham. God promised many things to Abraham. He promised that He would make Abraham’s name great (Genesis 12:2), that Abraham would have numerous descendants (Genesis 13:16), that he would be the father of a multitude of nations (Genesis 17:4-5). God also promised that the families of the world will be blessed through Abraham’s descendant, the Messiah (Genesis 22:18).
God made various promises to Moses. In Deuteronomy 30:1-10 God renewed the promise He gave Abraham regarding the land Israel was to inherit. In addition, God laid out, in the Mosaic Covenant (Deuteronomy 11; et seq.), a set of conditional covenants that brought blessings for Israel’s obedience or curses for their disobedience. We remember these as the ten commandments and the rest of the law which contained over 600 commands—”with roughly 300 blessings and 300 curses.
God also gave David the promise that his descendant would inherit his throne and occupy it forever. The Davidic Covenant (2 Samuel 7:8-16) amplifies the promise God gave Abraham, that his seed would bless the world. This promise to David is key because God promised that David’s physical line of descent would last forever and that his kingdom would never pass away. This kingdom, furthermore, would have a ruling individual exercising authority over it. That ruler, that king, is our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ (Luke 1:32-33) who lives forever.
Our first reading from Genesis showed God establishing a covenant, an agreement with Noah.
Who makes the promise, and how?
In each of these instances we see the promise being made. Further, for every promise a marking, or a symbol, is given.
Now these promises are not like the promises we make. Our experience is to enter into agreements with each other. Our promises involve exchanges and mutual promises. If I want to put a new roof on my house I enter into a contract with a roofer. I expect them to put a proper roof on my house using proper materials. In exchange they expect payment, or a series of payments. The promise is the contract, the sign of the promise are the paper the contract is written on, and the fulfillment of the contract is the work and my payment.
God’s covenants don’t work that way. God’s covenants are normally unconditional. God obligates Himself when He unrestrictedly declares, ‘I will.’ God promises to accomplish, or bring about His promises despite any failure on the part of the person or people with whom He covenants. Looking at God’s promise to Noah, we see that He makes the promise, He sets the sign by which the promise is to be remembered, and He fulfills the promise. All of these are unconditional.
There are other, physical symbols of the covenants I mentioned earlier. When God promised Abraham the land and descendants — Abraham asked for a sign — which meant that he wanted a contract. In those days, when two people entered a contract, they brought a sacrifice, divided it in two, and each passed between the the two pieces, through its blood, to seal the contract. God told Abraham (Genesis 15:1-21):
‘Bring me a heifer three years old, a she-goat three years old, a ram three years old, a turtledove, and a young pigeon.’ And he brought him all these, cut them in two, and laid each half over against the other; but he did not cut the birds in two. And when birds of prey came down upon the carcasses, Abram drove them away. As the sun was going down, a deep sleep fell on Abram; and lo, a dread and great darkness fell upon him…When the sun had gone down and it was dark, behold, a smoking fire pot and a flaming torch passed between these pieces.
Abraham did not pass through. God, alone passed through, signified by the smoking fire pot and a flaming torch. God made the covenant with Himself. He promised to do it, signing the contract Himself.
Now the human response to God’s covenants is always important. Our positive response leads to blessing. But regardless, human failure can never abrogate the covenant or block its fulfillment. Abraham, Moses, Noah, David — at one point or another each met with sin and failure. Each had a moment or moments where they exhibited a lack of faith in God. Yet, God’s promise lives on and is fulfilled regadless of their failure.
Who holds the promise maker accountable
Getting back to my earlier roofing example, if my roofer doesn’t deliver, or if I fail to pay, we each have remedies available. I can sue him, he can sue me. We can pursue each other in order to bring about the fulfillment of the promise. Each promise implies accountability.
God is accountable as well. While He gives us His promise, He holds Himself accountable for its fulfillment. God never leads us down the primrose path. He never tells a lie. His promise is true. He holds Himself personally accountable, and in the end, we see that He personally fulfilled each and every promise He ever made.
Where are we, what is our promise
My brothers and sisters,
We stand here in the midst of the fulfillment of those covenants. Our promise is the sum of promises fulfilled in Christ Jesus.
We are part of the new and everlasting covenant marked by the sign we pray before, the sign we are marked with at baptism, the sign we mark ourselves with – the holy and all blessed Cross of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
This new covenant renews our minds and hearts, restores favor and blessing to the members of the Holy Church — the new and everlasting Israel. The new covenant in the blood of Christ forgives and removes all of our sins, and brings about an indwelling of the Holy Spirit.
The new covenant in the blood of Christ went into effect at the Last Supper during which our Lord and Savior gave us His body and blood. He made His disciples the first heirs and leaders of a new body of believers — the Holy Church. They were called to invite Jews and Gentile alike. Come, enter into the new covenant.
Under the new covenant all those who belong to Christ, who are members of the Holy Church, benefit by being called children of God (Romans 8:16), the household of God (Ephesians 2:19), the children of Abraham (Galatians 3:7), and the children of promise (Romans 9:8). We are a people of His own (Titus 2:14), are heirs of God according to promise (Galatians 3:29) and heirs of the kingdom (James 2:5). Further, we are God’s people called the temple of God (1 Corinthians 3:16), the circumcision (Philippians 3:3), the Israel of God (Galatians 6:16). We are called a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a chosen people, a holy nation (1 Peter 2:9) and we are sons of God (John 1:12), the kings and priests of God (Revelation 1:6), the Bride of Christ (2 Corinthians 11:2) and finally, the Body of Christ (1 Corinthians 12).
Ours is the final promise
We have the final promise. Our covenant is in God Who has fulfilled His promise, and Who did so Himself. We proclaim that this covenant, this promise, is both new and eternal.
St. Paul in addressing the Hebrews, tells us (Hebrews 9:11-12):
But when Christ appeared…he entered once for all into the Holy Place, taking not the blood of goats and calves but his own blood, thus securing an eternal redemption.
Paul confirms that Jesus told us that He had come to do the Father’s will, that is, to fulfill the Father’s promises, and that (Hebrews 10:10):
by that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.
Today’s second reading from first Peter says the same:
Christ suffered for sins once,
the righteous for the sake of the unrighteous,
that he might lead you to God.—¨
The symbol/sign of the final promise
Thus the cross of Christ is our symbol, our sign, our joy, our happiness, our boast. It is the sign of God’s coming to fulfill His promises. It is the granting of fulfillment to all those who come seeking God’s truth. That is you, that is me. All whose hearts desire God share in the promise, and yes, even those who reject God. They too share in the promise. The cross, the body and blood of Christ given to us, is an everlasting contract. It is a contract written by God, written out through the sacrificial death of God’s only Son, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, and signed in His blood.
Living in the promise
If I told you that you had just won one million dollars you might be amazed for a second. Then you would look at me rather intently and think: ‘Deacon, where did you get a million and why are you giving it away?’
We stand here, looking at this beautiful cross, and ponder God’s remarkable promise. We are God’s children, household, people, heirs, a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation. We are God’s sons, kings and priests, the Bride of Christ and the Body of Christ. Sometimes we look at all this, rather intently, and can’t really believe that all of this is ours. Yet it is. We posses the promise of God and we posses its fulfillment.
The response — that is up to us.
We are called to respond, to acknowledge the reality of God’s promise, and to share our knowledge of this gift. The promise has changed everything. Make the sign of the cross, acknowledge the Holy Faith, recall the promise, and share it. Tell Jew and Gentile alike: Hearts and minds have been renewed, The favor and blessing of God is here, sins are forgiven, and the Holy Spirit dwells here. Echo the words the Lord spoke:
“This is the time of fulfillment.
—¨The kingdom of God is at hand.—¨
Repent, and believe in the gospel.”
Amen.
