A136 – Pentecost 7 (Gen 28, Roms 8, Matt 13)

The Genesis narrative continues as Jacob encounters God in his dream (Gen 28:10-19a). Key themes here include God’s unfailing faithfulness to his covenant and the unexpected places God encounters us – in vulnerability and in the ordinary. Theologically it is significant that God found Jacob, not the other way round. Romans 8:12-29 continues the focus on God’s persistent delight in being in relationship with us, such that, through Jesus, we receive the lavish gift of adoption. God’s love is both cosmic and intimate.  Matthew 13 challenges us to play with parables not as tidy, moralistic tales, but as windows into God, as deceptively simple pictures which reveal glimpses of God’s unique Kingdom. We mention Beverley Roberts Gaventa’s When in Romans, Brendan Byrne’s Romans, and Garry Deverell’s Gondwana Theology.