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?

Mark 1:29-45 (NRSV)

As soon as they left the synagogue, they entered the house of Simon and Andrew, with James and John.  Now Simon's mother-in-law was in bed with a fever, and they told him about her at once.  He came and took her by the hand and lifted her up. Then the fever left her, and she began to serve them.  That evening, at sundown, they brought to him all who were sick or possessed with demons.  And the whole city was gathered around the door.  And he cured many who were sick with various diseases, and cast out many demons; and he would not permit the demons to speak, because they knew him.  In the morning, while it was still very dark, he got up and went out to a deserted place, and there he prayed.  And Simon and his companions hunted for him.  When they found him, they said to him, 'Everyone is searching for you.'  He answered, 'Let us go on to the neighboring towns, so that I may proclaim the message there also; for that is what I came out to do.'  And he went throughout Galilee, proclaiming the message in their synagogues and casting out demons.  A leper came to him begging him, and kneeling he said to him, 'If you choose, you can make me clean.'  Moved with pity, Jesus stretched out his hand and touched him, and said to him, 'I do choose. Be made clean!'  Immediately the leprosy left him, and he was made clean.  After sternly warning him he sent him away at once, saying to him, 'See that you say nothing to anyone; but go, show yourself to the priest, and offer for your cleansing what Moses commanded, as a testimony to them.'  But he went out and began to proclaim it freely, and to spread the word, so that Jesus could no longer go into a town openly, but stayed out in the country; and people came to him from every quarter.

You’ve really got to love the Gospel according to Mark.  He gets it done in record pen-strokes.  The Greek is even more concise than the English.  The phrase that stands out today is “everyone is searching for you.”

This passage contains much of Jesus' actions as he traveled around healing and casting out demons.  Jesus is busy doing the “work” of the kingdom, showing the folks that are gathering what he has come to do in ways they can understand.  He is cleansing and restoring the world through his actions, and preaching a gospel of reconnection, restoration and peace.  Toward the end of the passage, when the leper is healed, he can’t contain himself.  The leper goes about spreading the word freely.

I discern that the call today is to “restore the world.”  If the Church is Christ’s body, and we are acting as Christ’s hands in the world, then we should be going about doing the work he has given us to do.  If we are to love our neighbor fully, then we act by restoring those on the fringes of society that are lost and forgotten.  We do this by reaching out and connecting, offering them a place of comfort and community, food and shelter.  When people are touched by Jesus, then they can’t contain themselves.  They go about proclaiming it freely in the streets!

John 17:1-8 (NRSV)

After Jesus had spoken these words, he looked up to heaven and said, 'Father, the hour has come; glorify your Son so that the Son may glorify you, since you have given him authority over all people, to give eternal life to all whom you have given him.  And this is eternal life, that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.  I glorified you on earth by finishing the work that you gave me to do.  So now, Father, glorify me in your own presence with the glory that I had in your presence before the world existed.  'I have made your name known to those whom you gave me from the world. They were yours, and you gave them to me, and they have kept your word.  Now they know that everything you have given me is from you; for the words that you gave to me I have given to them, and they have received them and know in truth that I came from you; and they have believed that you sent me.

The word today for me is glorify.  It is used throughout the passage.  These verses in the 17th chapter of John make up the longest prayer that we have of Jesus.  It is a prayer of intercession, reconciliation and sanctification as Jesus approaches the shadowy period just before his arrest and crucifixion.

In the context of the prayer, Jesus prays for glorification, and intercedes for ALL people that they receive the eternal life promised by God.  Jesus claims to have finished the work that God has given him to do, and now prays to be reunited and restored to the glorified presence within the Godhead.  Humanity is God’s creation and Jesus came to earth to show humankind the way to be reconciled to God.  As believers in Jesus, we have received the truth in our belief, and have hope in the promise of everlasting life.

This passage is pretty thick, theologically, and there are many layers of revelation to understanding God.  One could dig for hours into this prayer alone and debate everything from Christology to Trinitarian theology.  However, regardless of how much we feel is revealed, God remains that great mystery that we will continue to try to unpack throughout our lives.  It takes prayer, presence & participation in the gathered community of God’s people (the Church), study and engagement of God’s Holy Word contained in scripture, and faith that is nurtured by these elements.

The call that I hear today is receive.  God has given us a priceless, glorified gift in Jesus Christ who continues to take care of us as his own.  God continues to offer the world a way to be reconciled to each other and to God’s self through him.  The question for me in the context of the prayer is, “what does that this gift of Jesus require of us?”  The answer to us, in this prayer of Jesus, is to receive God’s precious gift.