A Covenant Made and Kept - Fr. John Wallace - March 17, 2019 - Genesis 15:1-18, Luke 13:31-35

Genesis 15:1-12, 17-18

1 The word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision, “Do not be afraid, Abram, I am your shield; your

reward shall be very great.” 2 But Abram said, “O Lord God, what will you give me, for I continue

childless, and the heir of my house is Eliezer of Damascus?” 3 And Abram said, “You have given me no

offspring, and so a slave born in my house is to be my heir.” 4 But the word of the Lord came to him,

“This man shall not be your heir; no one but your very own issue shall be your heir.” 5 He brought

him outside and said, “Look toward heaven and count the stars, if you are able to count them.” Then

he said to him, “So shall your descendants be.” 6 And he believed the Lord; and the Lord reckoned

it to him as righteousness. 7 Then he said to him, “I am the Lord who brought you from Ur of the

Chaldeans, to give you this land to possess.” 8 But he said, “O Lord God, how am I to know that I

shall possess it?” 9 He said to him, “Bring me a heifer three years old, a female goat three years old, a

ram three years old, a turtledove, and a young pigeon.” 10 He brought him all these and cut them in

two, laying each half over against the other; but he did not cut the birds in two. 11 And when birds

of prey came down on the carcasses, Abram drove them away. 12 As the sun was going down, a deep

sleep fell upon Abram, and a deep and terrifying darkness descended upon him. 17 When the sun had

gone down and it was dark, a smoking fire pot and a flaming torch passed between these pieces. 18 On

that day the Lord made a covenant with Abram, saying, “To your descendants I give this land, from

the river of Egypt to the great river, the river Euphrates.”

 

Luke 13:31-35

31 Some Pharisees came up to Jesus and said to him, “Get away from here, for Herod wants to kill

you.” 32 And he said to them, “Go and tell that fox, ‘Behold, I cast out demons and perform cures

today and tomorrow, and the third day I finish my course. 33 Nevertheless I must go on my way

today and tomorrow and the day following; for it cannot be that a prophet should perish away from

Jerusalem.’ 34 O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, killing the prophets and stoning those who are sent to you!

How often would I have gathered your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings,

and you would not! 35 Behold, your house is forsaken. And I tell you, you will not see me until you

say, ‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!’”