15 March 2014
Saturday of the First Week of Lent
Today, Moses tells the Israelites that God has said “you are to be a people peculiarly His own.” God desires a peculiar relationship with the Israelites, one which He does not share with others. God is to have a peculiar relationship with Israel. By extension, Israel is to have a peculiar relationship with God, something that no other people or nation has. As with any relationship, this peculiar relationship cannot leave the Israelites unchanged. The peculiar relationship between the Israelites and God will make the Israelites themselves peculiar. And what was true of the Israelites three thousand years ago is true of us today.
As Christians, we likewise have a peculiar relationship with God. We know Him as He has revealed Himself to us through His Son. And, like the Israelites, this peculiar relationship ought to make us peculiar. And those around us sense that. If they know we are Christians, and know that we claim a peculiar relationship with God, they are going to expect something peculiar about us ourselves. If our neighbors were to look for what made us peculiar, what would they find? Would it be joy or bitterness? Would it be something attractive or repulsive? For most people, what is peculiar about Christianity (and Christians) is what will convince them whether they themselves also want to embark on a peculiar relationship with God. As we reflect on how we are a people peculiarly God’s own, we should also reflect on how others see that peculiarity. Few things are more important in spreading the gospel.