Wednesday Wonder – February 26, 2025

Jesus said, ‘For where two or three are gathered in my name, I am there among them.’ (Matthew 18:20)

What Jesus didn’t mention was how many differing opinions would then be in the room. For, where two or three are gathered, at least four opinions may be found.

That is often what happens when we are dealing with the scriptures. Multiple opinions may be found. When I am preparing for Sunday and read various commentaries written by those whom I assume to have more in depth knowledge and experience than me, I often find more than one way to look at a scripture passage. I also don’t always agree with any or all opinions provided. Those opinions may inform my own, but my perspective is where I begin, and sometimes end.

Yes, there are facts that are not open to interpretation. We see far too much ‘alternate facts’ messaging in our world these days. When facing the scriptures, what we know to be true of time and context are not for reinterpretation. That is, until something comes to light archaeologically or anthropologically which gives us new information that changes what we thought was fact. So, there are some things we can’t simply say, ‘Well that’s your opinion, and I have mine.’ Facts are not opinions.

When it comes to scripture, while there are many things we know to be facts, there are many more things which are open to interpretation and opinion. How each of us sees these things comes from our own backgrounds, values, understandings, experiences, and so on. I know that as a woman, I do tend to bring a certain lens to my own reading of scripture, especially when women are part of the story.

I have long thought about writing a book that tells biblical stories from the point of view of the women, rather than from the men, or even a more narrator type voice. Wouldn’t you love to hear how Noah’s wife felt about the whole ark situation? Or what Queen Vashti experienced when she refused to obey her husband, the king? What happens to her after she disappears from the story and Esther takes her place as queen? These are the things I think about in my ‘off’ time.

How the Word affects people, both within the biblical story, and now, is often open to interpretation. Some of us give the people we read about in the story the benefit of the doubt and assume they are wholeheartedly changed by an encounter with Jesus. Some of us do not, and we see how what might be shown as a change may not be as true as it appears. We so often do not get the rest of the story.

The Bible study groups have been experiencing this lack of closure in the stories as we proceed through Acts. We hear what happens, then the writer seems to change gear and move on. Someone is converted, but does it stick? Someone is healed, but what does that look like in their daily life? We are left to fill in the gaps. We do so, with our own perspectives, thoughts and values. We try to put ourselves in the stories and sense how we would feel, which might tell us how the person involved felt.

The Word can be both a joy and a challenge because of all this. It is a joy because it reveals to us so many truths and so many reassurances about God, Jesus, the Holy Spirit and how we are loved and worthy because we are God’s. It is a challenge, because it often lacks all the details we in the 21^st century would like to have. We don’t get to know the end of everyone’s story after they encounter God, Jesus and the Spirit. We know they are changed, but we don’t know for how long it lasts, what they do about it, how the rest of their lives are changed. Sometimes it feels even less finished than the ending we are used to in fairy tales, ‘And they lived happily ever after.’ We all use our imaginations when it comes to what that happily ever after looks like and means. There is an author who has written some twists on those endings, and ultimately, they are far from happy.

We assume that an encounter with the divine changes everything into happily ever after. But Jesus never promised happily ever after, at least not here on earth. He always told his followers that things were going to get difficult before they got difficult. He also told them that he would always be with them as they went through the difficult.

So, we may interpret what we hear or read differently, depending upon who we are. We may want to figure out the ending so we get closure. We may spend time debating who responded and how, as we read the biblical stories. What we do not debate is knowing that God is always with us. That the peace Christ offered to his disciples was a lasting peace and is offered to us as well. That just makes all the other discussions and discoveries that much more exciting.

Peace,
Rev. Mary-Jane