An Angel From the Realm

Luke 22:39-53
It may seem like an odd time of year to be reading events from Jesus’ passion, but there is significance in holding the season of Advent, which highlights both the birth and second coming of Jesus, in tension with the events of Holy Week. They are, after all, aspects of the same life. But in reading the gospel passage for today, what really resonates with me is the way that God responded to Jesus’ earnest prayers. “Then (Jesus) withdrew from them about a stone's throw, knelt down, and prayed, ‘Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me; yet, not my will but yours be done.’ Then an angel from heaven appeared to him and gave him strength” (Luke 22:41-43). Jesus, the word of God incarnate, sought to avoid the death that awaited him and asked God to “remove this cup.” (In faithful obedience, however, Jesus was determined to accept God’s will.) And while God did not choose to change the events to follow, God did send Jesus strength by which to persevere. It came to him in the person of an angel who ministered to him.

There are people hurting in our world today, whether from illness or mishap or from some act of evil, people who may have prayed fervently to have some “cup” removed from their lives. They may be people of tremendous faith in God who live in obedience to God’s will. Yet God may not respond the way that they would like. This does not mean that God deserts them – or us – in our hour of need. We all face challenges and hardships. It is by grace that we discern the presence of God offering us strength to endure. The good news of the gospel is that with mercy God reaches out to those who are hurting, who are lonely, who are neglected, who long for light and peace and joy, who wish to be saved from challenges or tribulations, and in any number of ways God seeks to meet those needs and answer those requests. It may not be what we wanted, but it is always a source of hope.

Prayer: Lord, bless us with the knowledge of your presence in all that we do and give us the strength and the courage we need to face the challenges of our lives. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Vast As the Sea

Lamentations 2:10-18

Our Old Testament reading for today is filled with remorse and despair. “What can I say for you, to what compare you, O daughter Jerusalem? To what can I liken you, that I may comfort you, O virgin daughter Zion? For vast as the sea is your ruin; who can heal you?” (Lamentations 2:13). Indeed, who could possibly bring restoration to such a scene? And while this is essentially a rhetorical question, we know that the answer lies just over the horizon, just beyond view, but always dawning, always drawing nearer. For despite the sins of Jerusalem God remains faithful to the covenant in ways that cannot be fully grasped.

Today, Maundy Thursday, is a day of remembering. As we know, Jesus faced three days of pain and death and separation from God. Who could possibly have brought him restoration from such a scene? But here, too, the answer lies just over the horizon, just beyond view. With the light of Easter morning we will be encountered by the grace of God, the “love that wilt not let me go.” Meanwhile we face a world awash in its own corruption and sin, societies transfixed by power and wealth, cultures subsumed into the lowest common denominator of hate and anger. Even my friends on Facebook seem torn by the political climate of hate and intolerance. Who could possibly bring restoration to this scene? Where indeed is the horizon from which hope will arrive? Is there anything left to hope in?

This is the burden I carry this Maundy Thursday, the pain of separation—me from God’s will for my life, me from loved-ones who often seem like strangers to me, me from church factions charged with vitriol. But I know that come Sunday the light of Easter will dawn once again to reveal a dislodged stone and an empty tomb. And I know that in that moment at least we will all be offered something different for our lives, the love of God rising above anything we could do to harm one another or to despoil creation.

Who can heal? God can. And by God’s grace we will cross the vast sea of our ruin and stand on Jordan’s bank…someday. In the meantime may God bless us with the strength and courage we need for the facing of these days.

Prayer: Lord, you alone can lift us from the pain of this world into the joy of the world to come. Help us to wait with

Father of Mercies

2 Corinthians 1:1-7

We have entered Holy Week during which the church commemorates the passion of Jesus Christ. Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, Holy Saturday each remind of us of poignant events through which our Savior passed before arriving at Easter and the resurrection. And as disciples we are called to walk with Jesus, from the table on Thursday evening through the trial and crucifixion on Friday, and the silence of Saturday. But to fully understand and appreciate these events and the depth of their meaning we need help. Paul’s words to the church in Corinth offers help. “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,” writes Paul, ”the Father of mercies and the God of all consolation…” (2 Corinthians 1:3).

Of course God is present in the events of Holy Week. As the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ God suffers the loss of an only child. But God is also the “Father of mercies” and the source of “all consolation.” This means that God addresses our concerns, too, the pain and sorrow that we face, the fear of death that clings to us, and the effects we and others suffer from sin. God, as the font of every blessing, is at work in Jesus Christ bringing light and hope to bear in our world, this week and all weeks.

Prayer: Lord of all, may our walk though Holy Week grant us the peace that we seek. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

From Beginning to End

John 13:20-35

Our gospel reading from John takes place on the Thursday of Holy Week. Speaking to the disciples Jesus says, “I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another" (John 13:34-35). On this the second day after Christmas we are being reminded of the culmination of Jesus’ ministry. We’ve seen God’s love in the giving of a Savior at Bethlehem, and now we hear Jesus speak of love as the key identifying trait of his followers. From beginning to end, then, the message of Jesus Christ is love and the work of Jesus is that of shaping a community of love.

Of course love can mean different things to different people. The word is often misused by our culture to describe far less noble emotions or attitudes. We say things like “I love it,” about a new television, or “if you really loved me you would do what I ask,” when we are talking to a friend or family member. This is not what Jesus is describing, nor is it what Jesus demonstrated in his life. The love that Jesus wants us to share is a self-giving love, a willingness to care for each other and to support and nurture each other without fear or manipulation or greed or other motivation. The baby born in a manger, “born that we no more may die,” is the man who now tells us to live for each other and as such to be an example to the world.

It’s a consistent message. Jesus shares it from the beginning to the end of his earthly life. The challenge for us is to live the same way.

Prayer: Lord, we do not always love one another as we should. Help us to be the people you have called us to be so that we may share your love with the world. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Bringing Charges Against God (Monday of Holy Week)

Jeremiah 11:18-20, 12:1-17

Palm Sunday has passed. Now we approach the heart of Holy Week and a series of events that are not easy to understand. In this light a verse from Jeremiah seems more than apt. “You will be in the right, O Lord, when I lay charges against you;” says the prophet, "but let me put my case to you. Why does the way of the guilty prosper? Why do all who are treacherous thrive?” (Jeremiah 12:1).

Several things about this verse strike me. First, the prophet acknowledges that God is right and will remain so. God’s sovereignty is not open for debate or about to be challenged. It remains a fact, no matter what we say or do. Yet while Jeremiah knows this he still has the courage to “lay charges against” God. Something is troubling the prophet, causing him anger, and he wants God to know about it. “…Let me put my case before you,” he says. And God indeed allows it. And what a case it is, too. Why, asks Jeremiah, do the guilty and treacherous seem to make out so well while the righteous seem to suffer terribly? “You may be Lord of all,” Jeremiah is saying, “but I think you have really screwed this one up. Now show me how I’m wrong.”

As Holy Week progresses we, too, may accuse God of screwing things up. Jesus, the word of God incarnate, will be tormented at the hands of the unrighteous and will eventually die. Is that really necessary? Is it fair? God is sovereign and rules over all. But this can’t be right. And setting Holy Week aside, what about the world today? How much must the good and gentle folks among us suffer? How much must God’s people deal with before God will act? Why do the evil ones seem to do so well and the rest of us so poorly? These are tough questions, but they are fair ones, and God is willing to listen. Then, in God’s own time, we will have an answer, one that involves Jesus’ death, one that reminds us of the love poured out for us from the cross and tomb. Our sovereign God will be in the right. But our charges will not have been wasted because in challenging God we have set ourselves to witness what God is up to. And that is a very good thing, during Holy Week and beyond.

Prayer: Lord, we know you are right, but we are confused and confounded this week. Help us to accept your love and to trust in your work though Jesus Christ. Amen.