Exodus 1:8 - 2:10

Pentecost + 10 - Year A

Exodus 1:8 - 2:10

In sorting folks out, life changes the sort. Who’s king now? It makes a difference to many.

In one realm a mere son of god can do well while in another it takes The Son of GOD to even come close to breaking even.

Instead of looking at titles such as Pharaoh or midwife, which can begin to distract our eye from what is needful, we might do well to keep our eye on where the next good might be done and be clear about the temptations that lead to a next harm, even a small one.

It turns out that a king eventually takes a back-seat to a daughter and a midwife and a mother and sister of one who will do in the king. How did they pull it off? Well, they lost their fear through a picture larger than the current power structure. This loss of fear made room for longer-term decision-making. They chose “pity” [2:6]. Each expressed it in a different way, but tears of the past, present, and future were heard and responded to. As a result, past tears were reconciled, present ones energized, and potential tears entered into with purpose.

The same process is available today - what good needs to be done; what harm avoided? This doesn’t need one to be King or Son of God, simply human, created in an image of those who show their steadfast love through action of pity more than piety.