This week in the Lectionary the readings are all about what it means to be chosen. At the heart of God choosing of us is God’s call for us to serve the world as Christ did—in humility, generosity, grace, inclusivity, and love.
God chooses a people to partner with God, to be God’s own treasured possession, and to experience God’s promise, God’s presence, and God’s love.
But, the second element in the readings this week is that this choosing is not for the sake of those who are chosen.
God’s choice of Abraham and Sarah, of the Israelites, of the disciples, and of all who follow the way of Jesus is for the sake of those who will come to know God’s grace and love through them.
The clear call of this week, then, is for us to be a people who respond to God’s choosing by partnering with God in sharing the values, priorities, and purposes of God’s Reign with our world.
But, if we accept God’s invitation, God’s choosing of us, we have to know that this will mean that we have to endure suffering and persecution. This is inevitable because following Jesus way means being out of step with the society around us.
But, it also means that whenever we find ourselves being misunderstood or questioned or challenged we have an opportunity to share the message of Jesus and to demonstrate God’s love and grace through our actions.