March 1 (Lent 2) – Genesis 12:1-4a Psalm 121 Romans 4:1-5, 13-17 John 3:1-17
The season of Lent began with the temptations of Jesus in the wilderness. Henry Nouwen speaks of how Jesus entered solitude in the wilderness (last week’s Gospel reading) and was tempted with the 3 compulsions of the world: To be relevant – turn stones into loaves; to be spectacular – throw yourself down; to be powerful – I will give you all of these kingdoms.
As we move through Lent, this week we are invited into the journey of letting go. Abram and Sarai’s is a story of letting go to engage in the journey of faith. They are told to leave their home, the safe and secure place, where life is familiar, defined and comfortable. They are told to pack up what they can and leave everything else behind and to journey. They are not given a destination, but an invitation to trust in this mysterious God.
We all know something of this as we journey through life, where there are so many points of ending, dying, and letting go, in order to embrace the new and emerging reality of our life and being. The movement through life is an endless cycle of dying and rising, letting go of the old to take up the new, and of new beginnings. Some are thrust upon us, and we sink or swim. Others we choose and embrace with enthusiasm and hope, but there still requires some letting go. Letting go is hard. We want to hold on, to maintain our sense of control over our lives and our little part of the world we inhabit.
The conversation between Jesus and Nicodemus (who comes in darkness, a metaphor for his confusion and yearning), cycles around crazy images that confuse – both Nicodemus and us! Jesus speaks of a new birth, from above, of Spirit. This is a renewal of being, to let go of everything to embrace a new way in God. The Spirit, who gives new life, is like the wind that blows where it will, coming and going in surprising ways and leading us into new beginnings and surprising places. Nicodemus yearned for the deeper mystery and wonder, the deeper journey into being and belonging, the journey we are all ultimately on. At each stage of our growing, we reach points of letting go and engaging in a new beginning with all its attendant challenges, grief and struggle. We arrive in the world with nothing, and we leave with nothing but if we have journeyed well and honestly, we know ourselves home and loved in Divine Love and grace.
March 8 (Lent 3) – Exodus 17:1-7 Psalm 95 Romans 5:1-11 John 4:5-42
Stories of seeking water to quench thirst, of body, mind and spirit, challenge us this third week in Lent. The Israelite people journey through wilderness and are thirsty. They complain to Moses about their thirst and fear of dying of such thirst. Moses prays and is given a way forward to provide water for the people. This thirsting has a deeper resonance – it is physical and spiritual as the people are formed as God’s people.
In John’s story of Jesus, a Samaritan woman encounters Jesus at a well when she comes, alone to draw water. This is indicative that she may well be on the fringes, rejected by others who came earlier to draw their day’s water. What is in this woman’s heart and being? For what does she yearn or thirst?
The story describes the strange, forbidden conversation between a Jewish male and a Samaritan woman (unaccompanied by a male relative). Jesus invites her into deeper conversation, welcoming her, engaging her as an equal, and not judging her for any sense of moral failure. It is an invitation into a deeper experience and awareness of life in God. Jesus offers her Living Water, that will restore her soul, renew her, and give her life in its rich and wondrous reality. This Living Water is an expression of being loved in the fullest and deepest way, loved in the heart of God – she is a child of the Living God who will always hold her gently in grace and love – regardless of what the world does to her. Something in her changes!! She returns to the village as an evangelist for Jesus and his healing work of transformation – and Living Water that he gives. This gift of Living Water transcends culture, faith, and tradition, drawing all who will receive into the gracious community of God’s love. For what do we yearn and thirst?
March 15 (Lent 4) – 1 Samuel 16:1-13 Psalm 23 Ephesians 5:8-14 John 9:1-41
As we meander closer to Easter, through a world where there is much darkness and we seek the light, the author of Ephesians reminds us to live as children of light, to ‘awake and rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.’
The psalmist invites us deeper into this journey of faith and to trust and rely upon God, the shepherd, who leads us beside still waters, into pastures of green grass, restoring our souls. Even through the deepest darkness of death’s shadow, God will be with us to comfort and hold. What will it mean to yearn for God’s grace throughout our lives, trusting more deeply in God, such that we ‘shall not want?’ What might ‘not wanting’ look and feel like for us?
This is a journey into deeper faith and trust, of deepening wisdom and insight. John’s story of Jesus this week tells of the growing awareness of a man born blind and cured – and healed – of his blindness. Though he is given sight, it takes time and further encounter to really see who Jesus is. His path is into deeper awareness, then trust and finally the faith to surrender in worship. The man sees and increasingly understands, seeing with deeper insight and awareness. Samuel is also led into deeper awareness to see beyond his expectations and assumptions about who God would call to lead. How do we see? May we, in humble confession, surrender into the wisdom and grace of God. May we have eyes to see more fully who God is and how God is at work through and around us.
March 22 (Lent 5) – Ezekiel 37:1-14 Psalm 130 Romans 8:6-11 John 11:1-45
This faith journey calls more from us this week. We listen, along with Lazarus, dead in a tomb, and Ezekiel, lost in a valley of death, to the voice of God: ‘Lazarus, come out!’ and ‘Mortal, can these bones live? Prophesy to them…!’
Life out of death. We are anticipating Easter from within the crisis, the chaos and the pain of life. For Lazarus and his family, it is the grief and experience of death. Such experience is the liminal space of powerlessness and complete vulnerability. We are helpless before it and it feels like finality, with nothing more. Into this helpless, vulnerable space, Jesus calls out to Lazarus to come out of his tomb. What is the death-like tomb that surrounds and holds us? What is the ‘death’ we experience and from which we listen for God’s voice?
Ezekiel is confronted by the metaphor of the death of his nation, his people – a valley of dry bones. The people are ‘dead’ in exile, and he is given the vision of life. ‘Prophesy, mortal and call these dry bones to live!’ In his vision, the bones formed bodies and God breathed life into them – they live and so will his people.
Paul wrestles with life and death, of flesh and spirit, inviting us to live in Christ because God’s Spirit is in us and will give us life.
These stories are the promise of life out of death, and it is from within the challenges of human life and struggle, as we turn to God in faith, let go of our control, that we will find new life! This is the ‘dying-rising’ life Jesus calls us into.
March 29 (Lent 6 – Palm/Passion Sunday)
– Isaiah 50:4-9a Psalm 118:1-2,19-29 Philemon 2:5-11 Matthew 21:1-11 (Matthew 26:14-27:66)
The story of Jesus’ last Passover week commences with him riding on a donkey, a symbol of peace, into the holy city of Jerusalem. Crowds gathered to hail him, shouting, ‘Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest heaven!’ He is hailed as Son of David and then, ‘the prophet Jesus from Galilee.’
Passover was a significant celebration of remembrance of God’s liberation of the Hebrew slaves from Egypt. In the 1st century, this story of liberation had particular significance to the people as they yearned for a new freedom from the tyranny and harshness of the domination of Rome. The Roman Empire ruled through violence and fear, as do most empires, with their large armies and threats of violence and punishment to any who defied or crossed Rome. In Jerusalem, through this Passover Feast, there were uprisings and fanatics fanning foment and rebellion. It could be tumultuous in the city. As a precaution, Rome made its presence felt. Pilate, the Governor, travelled from the large sea-side port city of Caesarea Maritima on the Mediterranean coast to the city. He was accompanied by soldiers, on foot and horseback. This large procession travelled to the city as a sign of power and might, entering on the western side. The sound of boots on stones and hoof beats, metal on leather and the heralding of trumpets, all added to the effect and message of power, might and violent responses to any who caused trouble. It was a procession of power announcing that Rome is here! Alongside this majestic procession of power and might, Jesus’ little procession on the other side seemed somewhat farcical – small, humble and insignificant – but with more than a touch of irony and challenge. It was a radical and profound vision of the alternative way of God. He proclaimed that God’s Reign of love, justice and peace was here!
Two processions: one of power and might through violence – peace proclaimed at the end of a sword. The other, one of humility, love, and justice, a Reign of peace for all people.
Two processions, two stories, two ways in life – which will you join?
These Lectionary Reflections were prepared by Rev. Geoff Stevenson
