Living out his call Is 42:1-4, 6-7; Ps 29:1-2, 3-4, 3, 9-10; Acts 10:34-38; Lk3:15-16, 21-22 Today’s readings were clearly arranged to draw the connection between the Christian messianic understanding of Isaiah’s servant songs to Jesus, where God’s words echo those of the prophet Isaiah, “Here is my servant whom I uphold, my chosen one with whom I am pleased, upon whom I have put my spirit” (Is 42:1; Lk 3:22). The reading from Acts 10 provides a basic script that teaches early followers of Jesus how to discuss the core tenets of their belief in him with others. These readings also reflect on an attribute of God’s character: impartiality. “Who is God?” may be one of the biggest questions a person can ask. Scripture does not always offer us a simple answer. We encounter many different images of God in both the Old and New Testaments. One common misconception is that there is an “Old Testament God” who is angry and vengeful. This most often happens when people are not living up to their call to follow God’s commands, especially if they fail in their responsibilities to create a just society. But this is not the only image of God we see in the Old Testament. From a warrior to a mysterious deity orchestrating events in the background, to a steadfast protector, there is great diversity in the Old Testament’s images of God. Despite this diversity, there seems to be an understanding that God has a consistent core, a central list of divine attributes. This list appears in different places in the Old Testament. We see it first in the Book of Exodus, “the Lord, a God gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in love and fidelity, continuing his love for a thousand generations, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion, and sin; yet not declaring the guilty guiltless” (34:6-7). This list of attributes appears again in the Book of Numbers (Nm 14:18), in the prophets (Joel 2:13; Jn 4:2) and in the Psalms (86:15, 103:8; 145:8). Depending on the point the biblical author was trying to make, different attributes might be emphasized over others. Some of them emphasize God’s compassion and mercy, others God’s justice. No matter what the focus, though, the core attributes remain the same. That this set of characteristics is not limited to one area of the Old Testament suggests that they were understood to be a key facet of who God truly is: compassionate, merciful, forgiving and just. The overall image of God in the Old Testament, then, is one of a steadfast God who cares and feels deeply, who repeatedly forgives and offers second chances. The portrayal of Jesus throughout the Gospels has a similar presentation. We see many different aspects of Jesus’ character in the Gospels. Jesus becomes emotional and angry at times (Mk 3:5, 10:13-14; Jn 11:33-38); sometimes he even lashes out (Jn 2:13-16, Mt 21:12-17, Mk 11:15-19, Lk 19:45-48). Paul reminds us that God is a God of love and peace, who calls us to also live with love and peace (2 Cor 13:11). In today’s readings we hear that God “has no partiality” (Acts 10:34) and that anyone who fears God (follows God’s law) is acceptable to him (10:35). This hearkens back to God’s core attributes, specifically the attribute of justice. The Old Testament asserts that the God of Israel is the impartial judge of the world — showing compassion and love to all. Our readings today affirm that this remains true for the followers of Jesus. The question “Who is God?” is both complex and simple. As we have seen, God is multifaceted but contains an unchanging core. We have a God who feels deeply, who becomes angry at injustice, and acts with mercy and compassion. Perhaps most significantly, though, this God wants us to share in these core attributes. We are to do this by answering the call to love God and to love our neighbors as ourselves (Dt 6:5; Lv 19:18; Acts 10:35). May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you as you strive to live out this call (2 Cor 11:13).
About the Author Kate Oxsen is an assistant professor of Old Testament studies at Catholic Theological Union.