Daily Lectionary: Proverbs 8:22-36; John 13:1-20

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. Whenever the All-knowing asks a question, it’s not because He’s curious about the answer. It’s not even because He needs us to figure it out. It’s usually because we think we already did, but have confused Law and Gospel, and that needs to be sorted out.  

The devil will have us confuse the two. The deceiver will have us look to the Gospel when what we need is the Law. Except a gospel with no law has nothing to forgive, so it just papers over what’s wrong with the notion that things are fine. Fig leaves and bushes try to cover death. The idea that God loves everyone is easier to bear if He doesn’t have to love sinners. So the devil points us away from the Law that convicts us of sin and tries to leave us content hiding from each other and God in the bushes.  

And the accuser will have us look to the Law when what we really need is the Gospel. It will leave us slinging blame. Accusing each other of fault to make ourselves seem innocent, or at least less guilty. The woman, whom YOU gave to be with me, she gave me the fruit of the tree, and I ate. This is her fault. Eve learns from her husband. Actually, it’s Satan's fault I ate. He deceived me. 

So when the All-knowing asks a question, it’s often to correct the mix-up. He confronts Adam and Eve with a question of the Law that leaves them recognizing something terrible has happened. And when they need the Gospel but have confused it with heaping blame at others by the Law, He corrects that too. Convicted of their sin and desperate for hope, they hear a promise. God doesn’t even wait for their apologies before promising to send the Son, born of the seed of woman, to crush the head of the serpent and redeem them forever. 

The answer to the questions God asks is sort of like Sunday school. The answer is usually Jesus. In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.