Jesus, the King
Then they brought the colt to Jesus and threw their cloaks on it; and he sat on it. Many people spread their cloaks on the road, and others spread leafy branches that they had cut in the fields. Then those who went ahead and those who followed were shouting,
“Hosanna!
Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord!
Blessed is the coming kingdom of our ancestor David! Hosanna in the highest heaven!” Mark 11: 7-10
The Jews of first century Palestine like most people throughout history understood the role of kingship and the importance for their well being that they be ruled by a good king. They had heard the stories of the good king David, the prosperity of the people, the favor with which it seemed God accorded him. So they hoped—hoped for a return to kingship that would bring God’s favor to them, that would remove the terror of the Roman legions, that would restore Israel to position in the world. Maybe Jesus would be that king; maybe Jesus would expel the soldiers, the tax collectors, and the puppet rulers. Maybe Jesus would begin the reign God had promised.
But he comes on a donkey. Where is the power to defeat enemies in that? And with riff-raff following. Where are the leaders who will bring about the needed changes? What sort of king indeed is this, is this Jesus? Does he truly come in the name of the Lord God? —Always the question in every time, especially ours.
Who is this King Jesus?
Lord Jesus, King of all creation, let us not forget your power, your wisdom, your kingship. Remind us that you chose the road of humility, of service, of death, so that your kingdom might come in its differentness, in its redemption, in its glory. Amen.
Saturday, March 15, 2008
A PAUSE
"Walk the Way With Jesus"
The last week of Lent we call Holy Week. This week we remember the events the gospel writers describe as Jesus’ last days. It is the feast of Passover that draws him to Jerusalem, David’s royal city. The significance of this last week in Mark’s view is suggested by the relative length of his description of the last days of Jesus’ earthly life. Of the sixteen chapters in the gospel six of them or three-eights of the whole are devoted to this last week.
Again we hear Jesus addressed by various names. Again we see the confusion about who he is. Both enemies and friends misunderstand his true nature. A week that starts on such an upbeat note (We call it the “triumphal” entry.) ends in crucifixion, death, and the grave. In one week we travel the long course the past years, the past weeks, have led us. Quickly we must see, comprehend, and respond. Emotions are high—it is festival time—hopes are flying—maybe this is the one. A roller coaster ride could not bring any more ups and downs than this week does.
I invite you to enter the fray, to be there with the crowds, to walk with Jesus’ disciples, to hear Jesus’ names. I pray that as you experience the week you will hear your name, your being, for as we come to know who Jesus is, we come to know who we are, and we come to know our part in God’s good creation.
Following Jesus this week will be difficult; we will all fail. And yet we will all rise on Easter morn, for we are loved by God—God who comes to all of humanity in Jesus of Nazareth, Rabbi, God’s Beloved, Son of Man, the Christ
Picture: Via Appia, Rome
Friday, March 14, 2008
SATURDAY, FIFTH WEEK OF LENT
Jesus, the MessiahAnd Peter said, “You are the Messiah.”
"Christ Panocrator Sinai VI Icon", Benedictines du S.C. de Montmartre
Gaze deeply; let the icon bring you to the one pictured. Know the Christ. Hear the voice, the desire, the hope, of the Messiah today.
What does it mean to you to call Jesus Messiah?
What does it mean to the world that Christ has come?
Jesus, Christ, savior of the world, have mercy on us. Bring your saving balm; spread your healing grace on our turbulent earth. Awaken our hearts, quicken our feet, free our minds, so that we may live as true citizens of your kingdom rightly relating to you and to each other. Make us instruments of your love and peace and hope. Amen.
Thursday, March 13, 2008
FRIDAY, FIFTH WEEK OF LENT
Come to the Feast of the Messiah
And crowds again gathered around [Jesus]; and, as was his custom, he again taught them. …
“But from the beginning of creation, ‘God made them male and female.’ ‘For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.’…
“Let the little children come to me; do not stop them; for it is to such as these that the kingdom of God belongs. …
“How hard it will be for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God! … but…for God all things are possible.”
Mark 10: 1b, 6-8a, 14b, 23b, 27b
Today let’s imagine what is to come. Take a few minutes to quiet yourself. Relax your body and mind and spirit. Invite God’s presence with you in whatever special way seems right.
Now suppose that Jesus asks you to be one of those to help plan a great feast, a banquet for the whole kingdom of the Messiah. Jesus hands you the guest list. Read down it. Whose names are on it? What names please you? What names surprise you? Are there names left off?
You arrange the tables. Jesus you seat at the head. Who sits at the table with him? Do you? Do you wish too?
How will you arrange the rest of the guests? Will you seat each or just let those who come choose where to be? How will you encourage the guests to enjoy the feast? What will you suggest to Christ to serve; how will you decorate?
How will you “welcome” the children, the women, the dirty, the crazy, the criminal, the_________ Christ put on the list?
Let the feast begin. See your work transformed as Christ arrives. Hear the toast Christ speaks to begin the great feast. Enjoy dreaming today.
Jesus, the Christ, we pause today in our trek to Jerusalem, to Calvary, to see that for which you came, the kingdom you bring. Give us courage to continue the journey, give us wisdom to choose your way, and give us the hope of a world in which the Messiah reigns. Amen.
And crowds again gathered around [Jesus]; and, as was his custom, he again taught them. …
“But from the beginning of creation, ‘God made them male and female.’ ‘For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.’…
“Let the little children come to me; do not stop them; for it is to such as these that the kingdom of God belongs. …
“How hard it will be for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God! … but…for God all things are possible.”
Mark 10: 1b, 6-8a, 14b, 23b, 27b
Today let’s imagine what is to come. Take a few minutes to quiet yourself. Relax your body and mind and spirit. Invite God’s presence with you in whatever special way seems right.
Now suppose that Jesus asks you to be one of those to help plan a great feast, a banquet for the whole kingdom of the Messiah. Jesus hands you the guest list. Read down it. Whose names are on it? What names please you? What names surprise you? Are there names left off?
You arrange the tables. Jesus you seat at the head. Who sits at the table with him? Do you? Do you wish too?
How will you arrange the rest of the guests? Will you seat each or just let those who come choose where to be? How will you encourage the guests to enjoy the feast? What will you suggest to Christ to serve; how will you decorate?
How will you “welcome” the children, the women, the dirty, the crazy, the criminal, the_________ Christ put on the list?
Let the feast begin. See your work transformed as Christ arrives. Hear the toast Christ speaks to begin the great feast. Enjoy dreaming today.
Jesus, the Christ, we pause today in our trek to Jerusalem, to Calvary, to see that for which you came, the kingdom you bring. Give us courage to continue the journey, give us wisdom to choose your way, and give us the hope of a world in which the Messiah reigns. Amen.
Wednesday, March 12, 2008
THURSDAY, FIFTH WEEK OF LENT
The Messiah’s Kingdom
Will be Very Different
So Jesus called [the disciples] and said to them, “You know that among the Gentiles those whom they recognize as their rulers lord it over them, and their great ones are tyrants over them. But it is not so among you; but whoever wishes to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wishes to be first among you must be slave of all. For the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life a ransom for many.” Mark 10: 42-45
It takes a lot of confidence to be humble. That sounds counterintuitive, but it’s true. Humility is not about acting like you’re worthless or shying away from power. Jesus himself says that his life will be a ransom for many; such a ransom wouldn’t mean much if Jesus had spent his ministry holding back his words and actions for fear of seeming too bold.
It is not a sin to believe that you can make a good difference in the world. You’re created in God’s image. You’re a part of Christ’s body. You are one within whom the Spirit can move. That’s a big deal. Humility is about holding these truths in tension (or in harmony?) with the belief that every other person God created also has such worth. And yet our lives are about something larger than any of us. We find our greatness, our fullness, in living for God, in serving God’s creation.
How do you now see your role in the Messiah’s new order?
Be honest. Be humble. How are you one with others in this living?
God of grace, forgive me for all the ways my pride distances me from you. Forgive me for the times when I have confused shame and passivity for humility. Forgive me for my failure to recognize your imprint upon my brother or sister. Transform my heart and mind so that I can dedicate my life to your service. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
WEDNESDAY, FIFTH WEEK OF LENT
Jesus talked of a Messiah
who must Suffer
Then he began to teach them that the Son of Man must undergo great suffering, and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again. He said all this quite openly. And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. But turning and looking at his disciples, he rebuked Peter and said, “Get behind me, Satan! For you are setting your mind not on divine things but on human things.” Mark 8:31-33
He told us, but we didn’t want to hear what he had to say. He didn’t want to believe what he said would happen would happen. Surely no good could come of it. There must be another way –one that is more the way we want it to be. Peter must have thought so.
Peter denied Jesus, long before the cock crowed that fateful night. He did not want God’s will to send the Messiah to the cross. He did not trust that Jesus would know God’s will and follow it.In his denial, Peter tempted Jesus to turn away from God’s will. Peter must have been horrified at the rabbi’s passionate response.
How often, and in how many ways do we, like Peter, unwittingly tempt each other to turn from God’s will?
How often do we expose temptation and resist its allure?
Righteous God,
Grant us discernment to recognize temptations, even the smallest ones. Help us rebuke temptation. We yearn to walk more closely in your path. Guide our feet. Amen.
who must Suffer
Then he began to teach them that the Son of Man must undergo great suffering, and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again. He said all this quite openly. And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. But turning and looking at his disciples, he rebuked Peter and said, “Get behind me, Satan! For you are setting your mind not on divine things but on human things.” Mark 8:31-33
He told us, but we didn’t want to hear what he had to say. He didn’t want to believe what he said would happen would happen. Surely no good could come of it. There must be another way –one that is more the way we want it to be. Peter must have thought so.
Peter denied Jesus, long before the cock crowed that fateful night. He did not want God’s will to send the Messiah to the cross. He did not trust that Jesus would know God’s will and follow it.In his denial, Peter tempted Jesus to turn away from God’s will. Peter must have been horrified at the rabbi’s passionate response.
How often, and in how many ways do we, like Peter, unwittingly tempt each other to turn from God’s will?
How often do we expose temptation and resist its allure?
Righteous God,
Grant us discernment to recognize temptations, even the smallest ones. Help us rebuke temptation. We yearn to walk more closely in your path. Guide our feet. Amen.
Monday, March 10, 2008
TUESDAY, FIFTH WEEK OF LENT
Jesus asked
“Who do you say that I am?”
Jesus went on with his disciples to the villages of Caesarea Philippi; and on the way he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that I am?” And they answered him, “John the Baptist; and others, Elijah; and still others, one of the prophets.” He asked them, “But who do you say that I am?” Peter answered him, “You are the Messiah.” And he sternly ordered them not to tell anyone about him. Mark 8: 27-30
At a nice restaurant, a woman paid for her and her companion’s meals using her credit card. The waiter who had served her lunch took it and not only charged the meal to the card but also copied its number, expiration date, and three-digit code. He began a methodical process of reinventing using her information and claiming it as his. It took nearly a year for her to complete the slow and maddening process of trying to reclaim her financial and personal stability.
In this culture, our identity is acknowledged by a driver’s license, a birth certificate, a passport, a Social Security card, a school ID, or some other form of documentary evidence. Plenty of institutions, including the Federal government, hope to introduce more secure forms of identification containing personal biometric data. The stated purpose of these innovations is to make the nightmarish experience of “identity theft” more difficult. What is truly amazing to me is how thoroughly our public identity is tied to documents that reveal our names, addresses, phone numbers, and shopping preferences. And yet, that’s not who we are.
Who do people say that I am? When Jesus asks this question he is not referring to the official census of the Roman Empire, nor to his trade, his parentage, or birthplace. The answer that comes out from the disciples is the official line: a prophet, perhaps even one of the big names in the field. Face it, though, that’s just another form of identity theft.
He then becomes extremely personal with them: Who do you say that I am? Peter’s response would not pass muster in any government in his world or our world. Not everyone is able to make this statement; there are no official documents that substantiate Peter’s apart from the texts that we Christians consider authoritative. Hidden though it may be to some, we—like Peter long ago—believe that our identities are ultimately defined by his identity: the Christ, Son of the living God.
In the silence of your heart let Jesus address his question to you—“Who do you say that I am?” Sense how your response impacts you and the world.
Jesus, you have chosen your path; you invite us to journey with you. But we tarry; we are not sure who you are. We tarry, for we fear we know who you are. We tarry, for we would keep the identities we have so carefully crafted. Forgive our hesitancy. Keep us from tarnishing your mission. Continue to remind us that our true being is in God. Amen.
“Who do you say that I am?”
Jesus went on with his disciples to the villages of Caesarea Philippi; and on the way he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that I am?” And they answered him, “John the Baptist; and others, Elijah; and still others, one of the prophets.” He asked them, “But who do you say that I am?” Peter answered him, “You are the Messiah.” And he sternly ordered them not to tell anyone about him. Mark 8: 27-30
At a nice restaurant, a woman paid for her and her companion’s meals using her credit card. The waiter who had served her lunch took it and not only charged the meal to the card but also copied its number, expiration date, and three-digit code. He began a methodical process of reinventing using her information and claiming it as his. It took nearly a year for her to complete the slow and maddening process of trying to reclaim her financial and personal stability.
In this culture, our identity is acknowledged by a driver’s license, a birth certificate, a passport, a Social Security card, a school ID, or some other form of documentary evidence. Plenty of institutions, including the Federal government, hope to introduce more secure forms of identification containing personal biometric data. The stated purpose of these innovations is to make the nightmarish experience of “identity theft” more difficult. What is truly amazing to me is how thoroughly our public identity is tied to documents that reveal our names, addresses, phone numbers, and shopping preferences. And yet, that’s not who we are.
Who do people say that I am? When Jesus asks this question he is not referring to the official census of the Roman Empire, nor to his trade, his parentage, or birthplace. The answer that comes out from the disciples is the official line: a prophet, perhaps even one of the big names in the field. Face it, though, that’s just another form of identity theft.
He then becomes extremely personal with them: Who do you say that I am? Peter’s response would not pass muster in any government in his world or our world. Not everyone is able to make this statement; there are no official documents that substantiate Peter’s apart from the texts that we Christians consider authoritative. Hidden though it may be to some, we—like Peter long ago—believe that our identities are ultimately defined by his identity: the Christ, Son of the living God.
In the silence of your heart let Jesus address his question to you—“Who do you say that I am?” Sense how your response impacts you and the world.
Jesus, you have chosen your path; you invite us to journey with you. But we tarry; we are not sure who you are. We tarry, for we fear we know who you are. We tarry, for we would keep the identities we have so carefully crafted. Forgive our hesitancy. Keep us from tarnishing your mission. Continue to remind us that our true being is in God. Amen.
MONDAY, FIFTH WEEK OF LENT
Jesus was called the Son of David
"Beginning of sketch of human face"
As [Jesus] and his disciples and a large crowd were leaving Jericho, Bartimaeus, son of Timaeus, a blind beggar, was sitting by the roadside. When he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to shout out and say, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” Mark 10:46-47
Ponder the blankness, the missing pieces of the face. Begin to fill them in. Let the visions come. Open yourself to the spirit blowing across the earth just as blind Bartimaeus did as Jesus walked by.
Who is this one who passes by, whose face we begin to see, this Jesus? In our blindness what do we call out?
Jesus Christ, is that you walking just ahead? Will you see me? Will you stop? If I could only see more clearly, if I could only love more dearly, if I could only follow more fearlessly, if I could only…. Heal me, have mercy on me, redeem me, Jesus Christ.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)