Consequences

Readings: Psalm 80:1-7, 17-19; 2 Samuel 7:23-29; John 3:31-36

For you, O Lord God, have spoken, and with your blessing shall the house of your servant be blessed forever. 2 Samuel 7:29b

He whom God has sent speaks the words of God, for he gives the Spirit without measure. The Father loves the Son and has placed all things in his hands. John 3:34-35

Consequences. Pretty much everything we do has them. Some are obvious: if I plant tomato seeds, the plant that grows will produce tomatoes. Some are not quite as obvious: If I engage with an infant, mirroring her actions with smiles, words, and eye contact, her brain will develop as it should. Even less obvious: the infant girl I mirror will one day do the same for her infant son, handing on the blessing. One thing leads to another. Consequences.

God promised David a blessing for his people and for his family. There is no unblessing, no taking back the love God has freely given. It returns in the words of the prophets, the prayers of the faithful, the care for the widows and orphans. It returns in Jesus, the man of Nazareth. Blessing is writ large in his words, the healing of the sick, and in his love for even the ones who condemned him to die.

What are the consequences for us, loved for so long and so well? How will we hand the blessing on?

Mary’s Boy Child/Oh My Lord, Boney M, Nightflight to Venus 

Come, Lord Jesus, Come

2 thoughts on “Consequences

  1. Bill

    what a blessing–my favorite arrangement of “Mary’s Boy Child”–the consequences of listening to it were joy and hopefulness. Thank you.

    Reply

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