Simply Soul Searching
HOW IS GOD LOVING ME – AND WHERE IS GOD LEADING ME?
Seasons of Preparation
How is it that these trees bless my daily walk with their radiant beauty against the bright blue sky, their branches uplifted to the heavens as if in praise to the One who made us all?
Are they able to do so…
… because they once experienced the joy of thriving, as they grew and expanded in the warm summer sunshine, or the generosity of sharing, as their shade provided welcome relief for those who paused beneath?
… because they once experienced the freedom of surrender, as they gently released their colorful leaves to the chilly autumn breezes, or the humility of simplicity, as they bared their branches in preparation for the season to come?
… because they once experienced the strengthening through hardship, as they endured icy winds and frosty snows, or the patience of abiding, as they remained steadfast and strong against the blustery bitterness of winter?
… because they once experienced the deepening in trust, as they extended their seeking roots further into the soft ground, or the wisdom of anchoring, as they braced themselves for the stormy tempests of early spring?
Are these the very reasons
they are now able to return
in bright and beautiful splendor?
Have all the seasons of life- seasons that brought experiences of joy, growth, generosity, freedom, surrender, humility, simplicity, preparation, strengthening, hardship, endurance, patience, deepening, trust, anchoring and wisdom- actually enabled them to blossom and glorify their Creator in this fresh new way?
(photos by Karen 🙂 )
Walking as a Fixer Along the Broken Road
For a few weeks now, I have been trying to write a blog series, “An Encouraging Word” for these stressful and anxious days with COVID 19. Each time, I find myself with sort of a writer’s block. Oh, I am writing LOTS of words! But they are mostly words of frustration, anxiety, sorrow and anger, not only from this pandemic but also from the reactions to this crisis.
Jim and I are very fortunate. For the most part, our lives remain pretty stable in these days of COVID 19. We are healthy, we have not lost loved ones, we trust that our retirement savings will recover, and we have our home and all that we need.
My anxiety comes from the uncertainty. Not knowing… when or if there will be a vaccine, when we will be free to be with our community and loved ones, when the largest part of the threat will be behind us. It comes from not being able to be with my elderly mom, not being able to hug my grandson and other family members, and from wondering if our long-planned family vacation will take place. It comes from my worry and sadness for those whose lives have been impacted much more than ours.
But my anxiety largely stems from what I have observed in my country during these recent months. A president who continues to divide and blame when we need unity and responsibility more than ever, who incites people to protest against governors and the necessary safety precautions in place, who withdraws from world organizations during a time when we especially need to work together for the good of all, and who is even now eliminating standards for climate care while the pandemic rages… protestors who feel their “right to work, worship, or gather” are more important than the health of everyone, whose actions actually delay a return to normalcy… hoarders who purchase foods and other supplies to resell for profit… and even an increase in gun sales.
The whole world is hurting. We would do well to unite with others as one generous community, all of us working to help, protect, share and survive together. But we allow our fears, our feelings of scarcity, and our need for self protection (often at the expense of others) to reign. To be honest, my anxiety also comes when I notice these same feelings rising up within me.
For those of us who are Fixers, we are additionally frustrated and anxious because we can’t fix this. We want to make the world better, help the suffering to end, and unite all people in love. But the road is quite broken right now, and there are no repairs readily available or significant enough to smooth this journey for everyone. This sense of futility can often lead to our inaction. We need to find a few ways we might be able to make a difference.
What can we do as we journey along this broken road?
~ First, we ask for help. We are not meant to journey all alone, we are not meant to fix the world by ourselves. We ask God to help us, the Spirit to guide us. We team with those who also want to make this road a better one. We are not meant to do this by ourselves. We simply cannot do this by ourselves.
~ We smooth the rough patches we encounter along our way. We do whatever we can to correct or repair the pothole before us, leaving the rest of the road for another day. We each fix what we can, one smaller part of the problem at a time.
~ We recognize that some potholes may actually benefit others, even if they slow our own progress. (I noticed a bird splashing in a pothole-turned-birdbath after a recent rainstorm.)
~ We help one another walk the rough terrain. If we cannot fix the road itself, we can help each other traverse it anyway. We can support, uphold, and lean on one another as we stumble on, together.
~ We find rest areas for our journey. We recognize when we need a break from the news; when we would benefit from a time of respite. We listen to an inspirational podcast, enjoy a walk in nature, watch a humorous movie, or read an interesting book. We sit quietly with a mug of tea or glass of wine. We call a friend, journal our thoughts, relax in a warm bath, work in the garden, or make our favorite recipes.
~ We take detours. Yes, our planned route has been abruptly halted. What other routes are we being invited to explore? Could they be new adventures of learning and discovery? What new beauty might we find?
~ We live as signposts of Christ. Walking with a peaceful demeanor, a joyful spirit, a gracious generosity, and a trusting countenance, we may serve as reassuring guides for others to follow.
~ We look around. The imperfect road is not the only thing on this journey. There is the beauty of creation- sunrises and sunsets, trees and flowers and grasses, streams and lakes and oceans, hills and valleys and fields, skies and clouds and stars. There is the love of family and friends and beloved pets. There is the joy of creativity through art, music, photography, writing, and other imaginative venues.
~ Most of all, we keep looking ahead. When we look down at the road before us, we see the cracks, holes and ruts. But if we look ahead, we see the grand and majestic vista appearing in the distance, waiting patiently for our arrival. This road is, and will always be, a broken one, but it will lead us to our final and glorious destination.
Keep walking together, dear friends.
And watch for An Encouraging Word in the days to come. 🙂
April 14th- Have you anything here to eat?
Have you anything here to eat?
While they were talking about this, Jesus himself stood among them and said to them, Peace be with you.” They were startled and terrified, and thought that they were seeing a ghost. He said to them, “Why are you frightened, and why do doubts arise in your hearts? Look at my hands and my feet; see that it is I myself. Touch me and see; for a ghost does not have flesh and bones as you see that I have.” And when he had said this, he showed them his hands and his feet. While in their joy they were disbelieving and still wondering, he said to them, “Have you anything here to eat?” They gave him a piece of broiled fish, and he took it and ate in their presence. (Luke 24:36-43 NRSV)
In yesterday’s post (What things?) Jesus encountered Cleopas and another disciple walking on the road to Emmaus. Just before today’s passage, we learn that Jesus stayed to break bread with them, and this meal became the eye-opening act the two needed to fully recognize their resurrected friend. Now, as he appears again to the eleven, they remain in wondrous disbelief even after he shows them his hands and feet. Jesus then asks if they have anything to eat. This act seems to be the preferred way Jesus chooses to reveal himself to his beloved disciples.
Isn’t this beautiful? Twice, Jesus is revealed in the breaking of bread, in the sharing of a meal.
The practice of sharing meals together or feeding one another seems to be very important to Jesus. All through his earthly life, Jesus often described kingdom living in terms of feasts and banquets. He ate with sinners, he fed the crowds. In the last meal shared with his disciples before his death, Jesus created a sacrament for them and for us to receive his presence and remember him forever. You may remember that he also fed the disciples again on the beach with fish cooked over a fire after his resurrection (Easter- Do you love me?). Jesus also told Peter to “Feed my sheep,” as a way to show his love for others.
This is the last of the season’s posts. We now move on to our “normal” daily living in the light of the Easter resurrection (at least as normal as we can be in these trying times).
Now, Jesus wants to know, “Have you anything here to eat?”
We do.
Jesus is our bread of life, our strength and our sustenance. Jesus continues to feed us today with his Word, his Spirit, and his meal. He is inviting us to join his banquet. This is our opportunity to invite others to share his feast, too. We are meant to gather with one another, to bring what we have to the table, to share our food and our hospitality, to remember Jesus and to welcome his presence. We are made to laugh and talk and love and listen and feed and be and dream and help and share, seated all together as one around the table, feasting on the love of Jesus.*
Are you talking to ME?
Today Jesus asks, “Have you anything here to eat?”
How do you need to be fed with the bread of Christ today? What will you bring to the table? Can you recall a meal that especially blessed you? What made it so special? Have you ever been excluded from a table? How might you welcome another? Could you help a hungry person today (whether physically or spiritually hungry)? Do you ever feel as if you are missing out on the fullness of the banquet Jesus is offering? Where might you need to open yourself further? What do you have to offer today?
Have you anything here to eat?
*I had written this post early in February, not knowing what would be in store for our world with COVID 19. At the time, it was such a joyful way to end the season’s meditations, with our invitation to gather, share and eat, together in the love of Christ…
We are sad that we cannot physically gather to do this right now. But how might we virtually or spiritually feed and gather with one another? May we do all that we can- through prayer, writing letters or cards, making calls, connecting via internet, and supporting agencies and individuals who are helping others in this crisis.
We are still connected in love, in Spirit, in caring thoughts. We are connected as the Body of Christ.
Thank you for reading. Peace, dear friends.
Photo by Kevin Schmid on Unsplash
April 13th- What things?
What things?
Now on that same day two of them were going to a village called Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem, and talking with each other about all these things that had happened. While they were talking and discussing, Jesus himself came near and went with them, but their eyes were kept from recognizing him. And he said to them, “What are you discussing with each other while you walk along?” They stood still, looking sad. Then one of them, whose name was Cleopas, answered him, “Are you the only stranger in Jerusalem who does not know the things that have taken place there in these days?” He asked them, “What things?” They replied, “The things about Jesus of Nazareth, who was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people, and how our chief priests and leaders handed him over to be condemned to death and crucified him. But we had hoped that he was the one to redeem Israel. Yes, and besides all this, it is now the third day since these things took place. Moreover, some women of our group astounded us. They were at the tomb early this morning, and when they did not find his body there, they came back and told us that they had indeed seen a vision of angels who said that he was alive. Some of those who were with us went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said; but they did not see him.” Then he said to them, “Oh, how foolish you are, and how slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have declared! Was it not necessary that the Messiah should suffer these things and then enter into his glory?” Then beginning with Moses and all the prophets, he interpreted to them the things about himself in all the scriptures. (Luke 24:13-27)
Later in the day that Jesus was resurrected, he approaches these two disciples as they walk to Emmaus. His first question, “What are you discussing with each other while you walk along?” seems like a logical and innocent one. They are surprised, but they reply, “Are you the only stranger in Jerusalem who does not know the things that have taken place there in these days?”
I love his second question: “What things?” Can’t you just imagine him inwardly grinning? Jesus obviously knows what all has happened- but he wants to hear the disciples tell the story. He wants to hear their version of all that has transpired. Perhaps he wants to know the things they understand clearly, and what yet remains to be clarified. He can fill in their gaps of confusion or doubt with assurance, peace, and hope.
What do we talk about as we “walk along”? How often in our daily conversations do we say words of encouragement or hope? Words of love and joy? Do we speak of life-giving ideas or are we the discouraged and disgruntled ones? Are we talking of trivial things- or perhaps even not talking? We have such a good story in Jesus, a story of hope and joy and love, to share in this world that desperately needs to hear it.
I see a deeper significance in Jesus’ question for the disciples, too:
He wants to begin revealing who he is by entering into their present story.
What things? becomes an invitation for us. Jesus knows our story as well. But maybe in our telling of it, he can help us clarify exactly what he was doing at different times in our lives. Let’s keep bringing our stories to Jesus and allow him to edit and hone them into ones filled with examples of his boundless grace and love. Let’s give Jesus a chance to increasingly reveal himself by inviting him into our version of our present story. He can craft our stories into ones of hope and joy. Stories that include what things Jesus has done for us!
Are you talking to ME?
Today Jesus is asking, “What things?”
What would you tell Jesus about your life? Are there moments that need clarifying? Are there moments of joy, grace, mercy for which you would like to thank him? Is there one moment of significance that you might lift to Jesus for better understanding today? In what area of your life would you like Jesus to reveal himself more? What do you need in order to share his story more readily? To share yours? What things do you need to know?
What things?
Easter! Do you love me?
(My Reader Friends,
As this Lenten season comes to an end with the joyful resurrection of Jesus, I am wishing you all the blessings of this Easter day! For me, these weeks have certainly had a Lenten feel, but not always a Lenten focus. I often found myself distracted by the fear, the isolation, and the uncertainty of this virus. But now, as I reflect on our times together, I feel as if we have journeyed with Jesus and one another through a new and unexplored wilderness. And so, I will count this difficult season as a gift today.
As we now celebrate, perhaps in simpler ways with fewer people, may we all feel a universal connection through the Spirit, and may we all experience the sheer joy of the resurrection. In Jesus, resurrection is guaranteed. After every death, every hardship, every loss, there will ALWAYS be a resurrection. I hope this helps you to rejoice today!)
Do you love me?
When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Feed my lambs.” A second time he said to him, “Simon son of John, do you love me?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Tend my sheep.” He said to him the third time, “Simon son of John, do you love me?” Peter felt hurt because he said to him the third time, “Do you love me?” And he said to him, “Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Feed my sheep. (John 21:15-17 NRSV)
Happy Easter! Jesus is risen!
What a wonderful, glorious, happy day for all of us!
We are jumping ahead just a little bit today with this passage. A week or so after Jesus has risen, the disciples find Jesus on the beach, cooking fish over a charcoal fire. He is making breakfast for them! I find this so incredibly beautiful. And on this glorious Easter Sunday, Jesus’ question seems especially meaningful. Three times he asks Peter, “Do you love me?”
Three times, Jesus is asking us, “Do you love me?”
Do you love me?
Do you love me for the life I lived as your teacher, your mentor, your guide? Do you love me for the stories I told, the parables I taught, the lessons I shared? Do you love me for the challenges and trials I took you through? Do you love me for the feeding, healing, touching, comforting and blessing I gave so generously? Do you love me because I became one of you?
Do you love me?
Do you love me for the terrible suffering I endured in these past few days? Do you love me because I never wavered from being God’s son, but continued to love and live as God wanted me to do, all the way to my death? Do you love me for forgiving even those who killed me? Do you love me for continuing to love you, in spite of all the times you doubted, denied, or lost faith in those awful and uncertain days?
Do you love me?
Do you love me because you have witnessed my glorious resurrection? Do you love me for the hope, joy, and salvation you can cling to because of this day? Do you love me because I live forever- and I live in you?
Jesus has been resurrected. After breakfast, Jesus resurrects Peter (from the grief and guilt of his previous denials) with his questions and his words. Now Jesus is also offering us new life- a present resurrection- as he asks us, “Do you love me?”
Are you talking to ME?
Today Jesus is asking, “Do you love me?”
Do you love Jesus for all of him- his life and teaching, his suffering and death, and his resurrection? Will you continue to love Jesus by loving others in our world? Will you do all you can to feed his sheep? Do you need to be resurrected from a certain loss, death, or pain today ? Are you ready for him to resurrect you into new life, right now?
Do you love me?
Photo by Kimson Doan on Unsplash
Easter Vigil- When the Son of Man comes, will he find any faith on earth?
When the Son of Man comes, will he find any faith on earth?
Then Jesus told them a parable about their need to pray always and not to lose heart. He said, “In a certain city there was a judge who neither feared God nor had respect for people. In that city there was a widow who kept coming to him and saying, ‘Grant me justice against my opponent.’ For a while he refused; but later he said to himself, ‘Though I have no fear of God and no respect for anyone, yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will grant her justice, so that she may not wear me out by continually coming.’” And the Lord said, “Listen to what the unjust judge says. And will not God grant justice to his chosen ones who cry to him day and night? Will he delay long in helping them? I tell you, he will quickly grant justice to them. And yet, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?” (Luke 18:1-8 NRSV)
So now we wait. Jesus has died, his body has been placed in the tomb. Sabbath has begun. Work ceases. All is quiet.
Imagine what the disciples must have felt. What just happened here?! We were just getting started. All the people praised him only a week ago. He taught us so much, he healed so many people. He helped us see a new way of kingdom living. Was it all for nothing? Why did our friend have to endure all of this? Why did we follow him, only to have it end like this?
Imagine what Mary must have felt. Did I misunderstand God? Did I give birth to my precious son, raise him in love, and watch him go off to follow God’s will, only to have his life end this way? Why did MY SON die? Nothing makes any sense.
Right now, as much as possible, try to imagine that we do not yet know the happy morning that is just ahead. How would today feel? The Easter Vigil is a powerful time of patient waiting. We sit in our own tomb-darkness and grieve the loss of this One we hold dear. We embrace the uncertainty of the day as a liminal space of “unknowing” in which God can do profound transformational work. As God transformed Jesus into new life, so too, we may ask God to transform our own lives in the darkness of this tomb-time.
The Easter Vigil brings to mind this parable of the judge that Jesus had once told his disciples. After the horror of Good Friday, as his dear ones spent the day in quiet bewilderment and terrible grief, could they remember Jesus’ story of the judge? Could they remember Jesus’ assurance that God would quickly help his chosen ones who cry to him day and night? Could they trust that God was still working?
Throughout our lives we will have vigils, times of watching and waiting in uncertainty after a loss. In our darkness of despair and grief, do we remember these wonderful words as well? God will not fail us. While we trust and wait and work and pray and wonder and remain patient, we can carry this assuring hope of Christ in our hearts. So that “When the Son of Man comes…” he WILL find faith on earth!
Are you talking to ME?
Today Jesus is asking, “When the Son of Man comes, will he find any faith on earth?”
When your life is in turmoil with no clear answers in sight, are you able to trust that God is still working? Are you able to believe Jesus’ assurance that God will help- and quickly? In these times, are you able to just BE? Are you able to abide in God’s love, in quiet strength and trust? What gifts may come in the waiting? Christ is already here among and within us. Is he finding any faith on earth? In you?
When the Son of Man comes, will he find any faith on earth?
Photo by Aaron Burden on Unsplash
Good Friday- For what will it profit them if they gain the whole world but forfeit their life…?
For what will it profit them if they gain the whole world but forfeit their life? Or what will they give in return for their life?
From that time on, Jesus began to show his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and undergo great suffering at the hands of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised…
Then Jesus told his disciples, “If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake will find it. For what will it profit them if they gain the whole world but forfeit their life? Or what will they give in return for their life? (Matthew 16:21, 24-26 NRSV)
What a sad day.
What a treasured day.
One cannot imagine the agony of Jesus’ suffering. We can read the biblical gruesome details of his crucifixion, watch movies that reenact that terrible time, or imagine all of this at its worst possible depths, but we can never fully fathom what Jesus endured.
In the days leading up to this tragic day, Jesus had tried to tell his disciples- several times- what was going to happen to him. In this passage, he then extends a call to them and any others who want to become his followers: “Let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.” We are his followers. His words are for us, too.
But what does “taking up our cross” mean for us? You may have heard different interpretations along the way. I most often hear people use the expression, “It’s the cross I have to bear,” to mean a burden they must carry or a suffering they must endure.
As I wrote in Preface to Holy Week (April 4th) , Jesus died on the cross because he would not give up living as God wanted him to live. He did not stop loving or challenging, healing or helping. He broke the rules that were not important, to ensure he lived the rule of love. He spoke against political and religious leaders while speaking of the reign of God. His cross of suffering and death came because he never stopped being the Son of God.
With this understanding, the cross we take up is our act of continuing the life and presence of Jesus in the world. The cross is our decision to embrace and imitate and live as Jesus did, as children of God. To choose the way of love. Of humility. Of surrender. Of generosity. Of servanthood. To keep standing up- for what is right, for justice, for others. To welcome the outcast. To help those in need. To feed, clothe and visit.
To live like Jesus. No matter what.
In order to take up the cross, we can imagine we would need to approach the cross with empty hands. There would be no way to grasp and bear the cross without being free of other things we carry. The cross of living and loving like Jesus is not a heavy one, but it does require our full embrace. And so the cross can bring a new lightness and freedom that come from letting go of everything else. As Jesus said, “My yoke is easy, and my burden is light” (Matthew 11:30). As we take up the cross, we let go of the things that distract, that encumber, that hinder us from following Jesus fully and well.
God’s love is so very good. The call to pick up our cross and follow Jesus may sound like a burden to carry, but we will soon discover the joy of the following, the freedom, and the surrender. Our trials will be grounded in peace. Our life will be filled with love and hope beyond our understanding. Our surrender will actually lead to greater freedom. We will receive more than we could possibly imagine. In losing our lives, we will find them!
Are you talking to ME?
Today Jesus asks, “For what will it profit them if they gain the whole world but forfeit their life? Or what will they give in return for their life?”
On this Good Friday, how is your soul? How have the events leading up to this terrible day affected your spirit?
What would you need to release in order to fully pick up the cross of love, of continuing as Jesus in the world? What path is taking you away from following him closely? Is there something you have felt called to do but have not yet pursued it? What worldly pursuit gets in the way of following Jesus? Are you ready to embrace the cross of Jesus- of living as the Body of Christ?
For what will it profit them if they gain the whole world but forfeit their life? Or what will they give in return for their life?
Photo by Bobbie Wallace on Unsplash
Maundy Thursday- Could you not stay awake with me one hour?
Could you not stay awake with me one hour?
Then Jesus went with them to a place called Gethsemane; and he said to his disciples, “Sit here while I go over there and pray.” He took with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, and began to be grieved and agitated. Then he said to them, “I am deeply grieved, even to death; remain here, and stay awake with me.” And going a little farther, he threw himself on the ground and prayed, “My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from me; yet not what I want but what you want.” Then he came to the disciples and found them sleeping; and he said to Peter, “So, could you not stay awake with me one hour? Stay awake and pray that you may not come into the time of trial; the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” Again he went away for the second time and prayed, “My Father, if this cannot pass unless I drink it, your will be done.” Again he came and found them sleeping, for their eyes were heavy. So leaving them again, he went away and prayed for the third time, saying the same words. Then he came to the disciples and said to them, “Are you still sleeping and taking your rest? See, the hour is at hand, and the Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. Get up, let us be going. See, my betrayer is at hand.” (Matthew 26:36-46 NRSV)
This scene at the Gethsemane really captures the desperate loneliness and abandonment Jesus must have felt as he prepared to face his horrible arrest, trial, torture and death. In his fear, grief and despair, Jesus asks God to take his cup, his fate, away… the cup isn’t taken. He asks his dearest friends to stay awake with him for one hour… they fall sleep, three times. In Jesus’ darkest hour, he feels utterly alone. He has no friends to accompany him, even to remain in prayer for him. His friends cannot comprehend his anguish.
We are heartbroken to read such words. We are quite dismayed by the disciples’ lack of effort or attention! We wonder how they could sleep during that agonizing time. We wonder how they could abandon Jesus at his time of great need, especially after all he had done for them. And then we wonder about ourselves… I wonder about myself…
~Can I stay awake even one hour?
Jesus’ life on earth showed us how God’s incarnate word is present among and within us now. We may read these Old Testament stories with a little envy, thinking that we have not been gifted with signs from God in our present time. But God IS present, active, and moving in all of creation, and in and among all of us, as God was and is in Jesus.
I think that’s where I can be asleep. I often miss the presence of God in my daily living. How often I miss the significance in the mundane. I miss the word of God as spoken through a friend. I miss the lessons of life found in nature. Or in my activity, I miss the silent whisper of the Spirit in the breeze. As Jacob once said, “Surely the Lord is in this place and I did not know it!” (Genesis 28:16). In my inattention, do I miss out on the opportunities to help, accompany, or pray with Jesus?
~How often do I abandon Jesus in his time of need?
We are so richly blessed to know that through Jesus, we are God’s beloved children. We know that nothing can separate us from the love of God in Christ (Romans 8:38-39). We know that there is nothing we can do to earn our way into heaven. We are loved and forgiven, not by our own merit, but because God IS love. So we are to live our lives in grateful obedience, out of the sheer joy of being God’s beloved children for eternity.
But I know there are times I probably count on this extravagant mercy when I could do better or do more. Because I trust that Jesus loves me SO much, I know that I will remain beloved, even when I disappoint him. I count on his forgiveness when I know I have failed him- but does his mercy in some way ‘free’ me to fail him more often? “I can’t do this for you, Jesus, but thank you for loving me anyway.” Do I become lax or lazy because I am SO loved? Each time that I do, I am abandoning Jesus in his time of need.
Are you talking to ME?
Today Jesus is asking, “Could you not stay awake with me one hour?”
Where do you notice that you have been asleep to the presence of Christ? Does Jesus’ forgiveness, mercy and love perhaps make you a little lax in your obedience? How might you have abandoned Jesus recently in his time of need? Is there a practice that will help to keep you more attentive? Today, will you especially be mindful of the agony that Jesus endured?
Could you not stay awake with me one hour?
Photo by Sander Dewerte on Unsplash (cropped by Karen)
April 8th- Do you know what I have done to you?
Do you know what I have done to you?
After he had washed their feet, had put on his robe, and had returned to the table, he said to them, “Do you know what I have done to you? You call me Teacher and Lord—and you are right, for that is what I am. So if I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. For I have set you an example, that you also should do as I have done to you. Very truly, I tell you, servants are not greater than their master, nor are messengers greater than the one who sent them. If you know these things, you are blessed if you do them.” (John 13:12-17 NRSV)
Years ago as part of the Maundy Thursday worship service, our pastors were going to wash our feet in a humble act of servanthood. They were doing what Jesus told us to do after he washed his disciples’ feet. I really should have seen this as a beautiful example of the way we all should follow his teaching and how we should treat one another.
But I dreaded this. I hate my feet. My toes aren’t straight and my feet are rough from miles of walking. I’m uncomfortable even going barefoot, let alone placing my feet directly under someone’s scrutiny! Before going to worship, I washed, buffed, trimmed and lathered with lotion. I hoped to make my feet at least tolerable for the poor washer.
Later I recognized how I was also trying to keep my image and ego intact.
In his gracious act of washing, Jesus demonstrates mutuality. He calls us to see one another as equals, as companions journeying together in life. Not one of us is better or greater than another. Not one of us is lesser. We learn this through the humility of being a servant- through the washing of one another’s feet. And we learn this through the humility of exposing our flaws and hidden insecurities- through allowing ourselves to be washed clean. Both are uncomfortable. Both will stretch us in ways we would rather not.
In his precious act, Jesus shows us real community. What he has done has made us equals. We love with servant love. Come as you are. Serve as you can. Be real. Be open and honest. Share your flaws. Wash one another clean. We are all in this together. We are on equal ground.
Or could we say, “We are all on equal footing?” 😀
Are you talking to ME?
Today Jesus is asking, “Do you know what I have done to you?”
Would you rather be the foot washer or the one washed clean? Why? Is there anyone you consider as lesser than you? As better than you? How might you change your perspective? In what ways are you being invited to grow today?
Do you know what I have done to you?
Photo by Matthew Wheeler on Unsplash
April 7th- But who do you say that I am?
But who do you say that I am?
Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” And they said, “Some say John the Baptist, but others Elijah, and still others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.” And Jesus answered him, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father in heaven. And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not prevail against it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.” Then he sternly ordered the disciples not to tell anyone that he was the Messiah. (Matthew 16:13-20 NRSV)
Jesus actually has two questions for the disciples. First, he asks them, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” and he is given a variety of answers. Then he asks the dearer question, “But who do you say that I am?” Peter names Jesus as “the Messiah, the Son of the living God.” Peter gets it right, and so Jesus commends him, even promising that because of this, he will receive the keys of the kingdom of heaven.
Long after Peter’s heartfelt profession, we have come to know Jesus as even greater than Peter could have imagined. For example, the word Messiah with the capital M means “the expected king and deliverer of the Jews.”¹ As clearly as Peter understands who Jesus is, Jesus ends up being so much more than that. He becomes an unexpected king and deliverer of all people. We have received so much more in Jesus than even Peter’s idea of a Messiah.
It’s significant that Jesus first asks, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” For wasn’t this our starting point of knowing Jesus? We may have learned about him from our parents, teachers, pastors, or other mentors. We learned through their sharing of Bible stories and beliefs. We learned through their experiences of him in their lives. How others described Jesus helped form our initial understanding.
But Jesus then follows up with, “But who do you say that I am?” He wants to know what he means to us; who he is, what he has become for us. We have been given a foundation of understanding, but now we are called to answer him ourselves. My understanding of Jesus continues to evolve, and I imagine this will continue for my lifetime.
Our heartfelt response to Jesus will come from our experiences of him, our relationship with him, and most of all, allowing him to reveal, teach, and inspire us with all that he is. We know Jesus best from his Spirit within us. As Jesus says of Peter’s response, “Flesh and blood have not revealed this to you.” God works in all of us to make Jesus fully known.
Jesus goes on to tell Peter that he will have the keys of the kingdom of heaven. Peter will experience Christ’s presence- kingdom living- from that moment on. Why? Because Peter has opened himself to God’s revealing work and presence in Jesus. The keys to the kingdom are given to all of us when we do the same.
Are you talking to ME?
Today Jesus asks, “But who do you say that I am?”
How would you answer him? What one word best describes what Jesus means to you? Has your understanding of Jesus changed over the years? How has your deepened relationship changed your understanding? Does your way of living and being reflect who Jesus is for others? Are you being invited to see Jesus in a new way today?
But who do you say that I am?
¹https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/
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