Hebrews 4:11-16 (NRSV)

Friday in the First Week of Lent - Reflections on the Letters in Lent

Let us, therefore, make every effort to enter that rest, so that no one may fall through such disobedience as theirs. Indeed, the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing until it divides soul from spirit, joints from marrow; it is able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart. And before him no creature is hidden, but all are naked and laid bare to the eyes of the one to whom we must render an account. Since, then, we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast to our confession. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who in every respect has been tested as we are, yet without sin. Let us, therefore, approach the throne of grace with boldness, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

Boldness... but not only boldness; "boldness, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need." This word "boldness" stands out like no other to me today. The willingness to take a risk in order to "approach the throne of grace." 

When I think of the context of this reading, I am drawn to the imagery that the writer uses, calling the word of God a two-edged sword, that pierces until it divides soul from spirit. To me, that is the conviction that the love of Jesus gives you. Jesus, God's true and loving Word" loves us so much that it cuts right through to who we are, deep down... down to the innermost depths of our soul. And then, Jesus in our vulnerable bareness, through our confession of self, when we have been stripped of the hardness of the world's outer shell, love us and forgives us. Jesus forgives us, recreates us, and takes us in, reconciling us to God our creator. 

How can Jesus do this? Jesus knows what it is to be human and deal with human life and hardship. We have Jesus who connects humanity to God. He does so in a way that has us lay aside the things that separate us from God, so we can boldly claim God's favor for us as we claim our place in the Kingdom. Are we willing to be that bold?

Hebrews 2:11-18 (NRSV)

Monday in the First Week of Lent - Reflections on the Letters during Lent.

"The one who sanctifies and those who are sanctified all have one Father. For this reason, Jesus is not ashamed to call them brothers and sisters, saying, “I will proclaim your name to my brothers and sisters, in the midst of the congregation I will praise you.”And again, “I will put my trust in him.”And again, “Here am I and the children whom God has given me.”Since, therefore, the children share flesh and blood, he himself likewise shared the same things, so that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil, and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by the fear of death. For it is clear that he did not come to help angels, but the descendants of Abraham. Therefore he had to become like his brothers and sisters in every respect, so that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in the service of God, to make a sacrifice of atonement for the sins of the people. Because he himself was tested by what he suffered, he is able to help those who are being tested."

"Share" - It sounds a bit like a word that one would learn on Sesame Street. You know, "if you are a real friend" you "share" with your neighbor. When growing up, sharing is one of the first things we learn how to do (or not). Sharing helps us learn many things including how to be with others in a way that brings us together. Sharing makes us vulnerable and open to our own shortcomings as well as the shortcomings of others. The way we deal with sharing (or don't) shows the world who we are.

I think the writer of the letter to the Hebrews is trying to explain our relatedness as believers by pointing out that Jesus "shared the same things" with us, therefore we have a share in him and a share with each other as Children of God. Jesus lived and died as "one of us." By sharing in our life, God has become the merciful connector that we have in Jesus, living with restraint and giving everything of himself for creation.

As Jesus shared with us, we are called to share with each other. We are brothers and sisters in Christ... heirs of God's everlasting kingdom. What we share is life in Christ. How we share it is by coming together and celebrating Christ with us in the sacrament of his body and blood and then going out and loving one another as he loves us. So, as simple as "Sesame Street" as it sounds sharing is fundamental to who we are as children of God.

Mark 10:1-16 (NRSV)

He left that place and went to the region of Judea and beyond the Jordan. And crowds again gathered around him; and, as was his custom, he again taught them.  Some Pharisees came, and to test him they asked, "Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?"  He answered them, "What did Moses command you?"  They said, "Moses allowed a man to write a certificate of dismissal and to divorce her."  But Jesus said to them, "Because of your hardness of heart he wrote this commandment for you.  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.' So they are no longer two, but one flesh.  Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate."  Then in the house the disciples asked him again about this matter.  He said to them, "Whoever divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery against her; and if she divorces her husband and marries another, she commits adultery."  People were bringing little children to him in order that he might touch them; and the disciples spoke sternly to them.  But when Jesus saw this, he was indignant and said to them, "Let the little children come to me; do not stop them; for it is to such as these that the kingdom of God belongs.  Truly I tell you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will never enter it."  And he took them up in his arms, laid his hands on them, and blessed them.

The disciples spoke sternly to the children.  This initially stands out at me.  It makes me initially think that the disciples don’t like children, but after thinking about it, I feel they were just worried about Jesus being bogged down with all the attention he was getting.

This passage is full of Jesus’ teaching the crowds that had gathered.  A portion of this passage is found on 2/5/2012.  The Pharisees are at it again, testing him by asking questions about the law of Moses.  These questions are about divorce and the legalities thereof.  Jesus says that Moses gave them the law of divorce because their hearts were hardened, and explains the intent of the law.  He clarifies the intent of the law and relationship between the man and woman becoming one flesh.

The scripture says that people were bringing children to him in order for him to lay hands on them and bless them.  When the disciples spoke sternly, Jesus rebuked them saying that the children should come to him.  He uses this situation to explain more about the kingdom of God, saying that one must receive the kingdom like a little child.

Little children have a naiveté, vulnerability and a willingness to listen and receive.  Jesus doesn’t say that one must receive on “blind faith” or be uninformed.  I think that we must make ourselves vulnerable and willing to receive, taking the promises of God on faith.  There lies the call in today’s passage.  We are called today to be vulnerable and willing to receive the kingdom of God, thus making ourselves available to God as little children.  (there is a deeper reflection concerning children on Feb 5th)

Mark 10:13-22 (NRSV)

People were bringing little children to him in order that he might touch them; and the disciples spoke sternly to them.  But when Jesus saw this, he was indignant and said to them, ‘Let the little children come to me; do not stop them; for it is to such as these that the kingdom of God belongs.  Truly I tell you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will never enter it.’  And he took them up in his arms, laid his hands on them, and blessed them. 

As he was setting out on a journey, a man ran up and knelt before him, and asked him, ‘Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?’ Jesus said to him, ‘Why do you call me good? No one is good but God alone. You know the commandments: “You shall not murder; You shall not commit adultery; You shall not steal; You shall not bear false witness; You shall not defraud; Honour your father and mother.” ’ He said to him, ‘Teacher, I have kept all these since my youth.’ Jesus, looking at him, loved him and said, ‘You lack one thing; go, sell what you own, and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me.’ When he heard this, he was shocked and went away grieving, for he had many possessions.

Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?  What a sharp contrast between the rich man and people bringing little children to him.  Jesus says, we must receive the kingdom of God as a little child, but what does that mean?  I don’t think it means that we need to be naive, but I do feel that we need to have a certain vulnerability and innocence about us.

Those of us that work with and around children and those of us that have children know that children are trusting and curious…  they ask questions, and they like to be involved and respected…  Children have worth and an insightful brilliance that our clouded minds lack.  So what this says to me is that our approach of God needs to me one of emptying ourselves, and making ourselves vulnerable before God.  We open our lives up to God to let God do God’s best work within us.

The man who comes to Jesus with an inquiring mind is a keeper of the law.  He is half way there, but he needs to not be bound by earthly things.  The scripture says he has many possessions, and that he grieves because Jesus tells him to let go of his stuff.  I don’t think that money and possessions are not bad or evil.  It’s how we use the money and possessions that either makes it a vehicle to or a barrier from God.  What we do with our money is an expression of our faith (or lack thereof).

Therefore, for me, the sharp contrast of the stories goes away.  Children don’t have worries over money like adults do.  They learn about possessions and value by their parents and other adults.  It makes me think, “what are we teaching our children by the way we use our money?”  In order to be as a little child, the rich man needs to give up the barrier between him and God.

To me, the text is an invitation to us to look at our lives and start to remove the barriers between us and God.  It doesn’t matter if it’s money or possessions, priority of activities, the ways we participate, etc…  if it affects our relationship with God, it needs to be dealt with.  Does the way we live our life express our faith?