The Death and Raising of Lazarus
Day 2: John 11: 17-27
Today I was struck by the fact that when Jesus arrived in Bethany, he discovered that Lazarus had already been dead for four days. I wonder about that conversation. Because we’re told earlier that Jesus stayed where he was for two days after the message that Lazarus was ill. Even allowing for travel time, it seems like Jesus would have been hard pressed to get there before his friend died, even if that was the goal. It makes me wonder about Jesus’ conviction that this death was meant to glorify God. Is Jesus surprised that Lazarus has been in the tomb for so long? Did he not know that things were quite as serious as they obviously were? How, in the midst of it all, did he trust that the Father would hear him when the time came?
It’s seems like an inconsequential detail, but John doesn’t tend to deal in inconsequential details. I am not exactly sure what to do with it. For today, it simply drives me deeper into the mystery of the incarnation, and the wonder of the Trinity.
God, Your ways and thoughts are far above ours. Help me today to rest in the wonder and mystery of Your work in this world and Your love for it. Amen
The Death and Raising of Lazarus
Over the next four days, you are invited to engage with one longer passage of Scripture: the story of the death and raising of Lazarus.
Each day, you are encouraged to read the whole story, but you may want to focus on one section per day. There are a number of ways that you might enter into this story, but I would suggest a riff on an Ignatian spiritual practice of imaginatively praying it. (For a more intense version: https://catholicidentity.bne.catholic.edu.au/prayer/SitePages/Ignatian-meditation.aspx?csf=1&e=LRom3O)
Each day, read the passage and imagine yourself as one of the characters. Begin with some basic questions. What are you experiencing with your senses? How are you feeling? Then ask God to draw your attention to one detail of the story. Use that to formulate a prayer, which might be in the form of a question, or gratitude, or just the beginning of a longer conversation with Jesus. The goal is simply to experience the story more deeply, and let that experience draw you further into the presence of God. There is no right or wrong. Some simple examples are provided—use them only as is helpful.
Day 1, Sunday: John 11: 1-16
As I read and prayed this part of the story, I was imagining first the fear and disbelief as the disciples questioned Jesus’ risky decision to return to Judea. I could hear their concern and doubt. I suspect that part of that is for Jesus’ safety, but also because they knew that wherever Jesus goes they are expected to go too. There’s a lot of tension and anxiety about what Jesus is up to.
But then, when I heard Thomas’ determination to go with Jesus, even if it means his own death, I was both amazed and convicted. I want to be more like Thomas here, than the rest of the disciples. His courage to follow Jesus, come what may, is encouraging.
Jesus, help me to trust that You know what You’re doing. And even more, that what You’re doing is so good that it is worth everything I have to give. Amen.
The Spirit Brings Life
This passage is such a reminder of the difference between the physical body and the Spirit. We live in a world that is ravaged by wars, natural disasters, sickness, a global pandemic, and the looming threat of climate change. Stress and anxiety surround the day to day lives of many. Growing up, witnessing a family members’ life-threatening illness made death feel like an ever-present shadow that was never too far away.
This passage is a strong reminder of the difference between the physical versus the spiritual. When faced with a loved-one’s illness, it can feel as if we are desperate to hold onto the physical body. It is easy to wonder where God is in these moments. This scripture reminds us that, by letting our body be filled with the Spirit and filled with Christ, we can seek comfort in knowing that the Spirit brings life. The Spirit brings light in the midst of darkness.
Listening to or reading the news can easily make one feel that our world is filled with darkness. First, we need to let our mind be governed by the spirit, as the scripture tells us. We must, however, not stop there! We must remember that we are called to shine God’s light and spread the Spirit to help others, whether that is through making conscious efforts to protect our environment, through donation to organizations helping those in need, or looking out for our neighbours. God promises us life, but it is up to us to allow the spirit to fill us and to work through us.
Emily Logan
Wait in Faith
Psalm 130 seems to offer a straightforward message, doesn’t it? Things are bad. God can make them better. I am waiting for God to turn things around, and you should too. I feel that we have been telling and re-telling this story to ourselves endlessly as things in the world just seem to get worse. We still don’t look after each other as we should, we continue to make war and now we are even reluctant to rescue the earth and ourselves from climate catastrophe. Throughout all of this (and more), those who wait with hope and faith in God appear to be dwindling in number. We have become peculiar people who try to live a life of Friday, Saturday and Sunday even though we seem to be constrained to slipping back and forth between Friday and Saturday and we never quite make it to Sunday. Yes, things are bad.
When I was working and I had an office with walls, I posted a small quote that inspired me when times were tough.
“Faith is the bird that feels the light and sings while the dawn is still dark” (Rabindranath Tagore).
If I had been aware of Psalm 130, I might have instead posted my favourite line from it.
“…my soul waits for the Lord more than those who watch for the morning.”
There was time in my life when I worked the night shift in a factory for weeks on end, while I struggled with a day-time course at university. I can remember waiting and watching for the morning and I recall the small degree of comfort I felt when the daylight finally appeared as it always does.
I guess that those who try to wait with faith are like the bird or the watcher. Things may be bad, but “with the Lord there is steadfast love, and with him is great power to redeem.” May it be so.
May the Lord bring comfort to those who wait and watch in hope. Strengthen their faith that the darkness will be redeemed with light.
Eric Hall
Predictive Text
I am probably missing the point of the biblical text completely, but given all the recent media attention given to ChatGPT, I cannot help but compare and (significantly) contrast the Spirit’s role in the breath of life and the excitement over artificial intelligence.
The superficial comparison is that Ezekiel’s description of the old bones of the slain members of the house of Israel represents a history similar to the significant amount of text, research and data that is just lying out there on-line, on hard drives and in print. With the latter, the new and technologically amazing thing is that computer programs can generate new material, new reports, new essays by predicting what should be said now based on what has been said before. It’s not completely novel as it draws on previous and (for now) human-generated material and is guided by human directions. Nevertheless, from a technological perspective it puts it new flesh and sinew on these “old bones”.
As much as this new “intelligence” might be as exciting (and scary) to us now as Ezekiel’s prophesy was to its first listeners, what distinguishes Ezekiel’s prophesy is the power of the Spirit. God’s care for us brings back to life what has died metaphorically and literally. God’s grace is neither artificial nor derivative. Ezekiel knew the power of the spirit when he saw the whole house of Israel live again. Ezekiel’s predictive text, his prophecy, is very exciting and a little scary. It is nevertheless a reminder of God’s constant grace.
Thank you God for your breath of life and the prophesy of that we shall all live again.
Michael Moll
To See the Whole Picture
In the Message translation of the Bible, it is written like this: Jesus then said, “I came into the world to bring everything into the clear light of day, making all the distinctions clear, so that those who have never seen will see, and those who have made a great pretence of seeing will be exposed as blind.”
I think this must have been a very powerful moment to see if you have never seen before. It would be so overwhelming to suddenly see everything clearly, in colour, and see what you have been missing your whole life. Jesus can do that for us to as well, can help us to see anew, to see clearly, to see the whole picture of God’s love and work in our life.
Dear God, thank You for allowing us to see Your truth and love.
Amen
Prairie Andersen
I Am the Light of the World
Jesus is the light of the world. He calls us to cast out darkness and live in his light.
At first glance, this is a really simple passage. Often in the past, when I have offered a reflection on verses for the Lenten Devotional Book, I have needed to spend a fair amount of time thinking about the selection I was assigned—wondering what that year’s particular profit was “really” saying, or what was the take-away message for people wanting to know God’s wishes for us. This year there seemed to be nothing to question. It seemed pretty straight forward. Light is good. Darkness is bad. I can handle that, I thought.
In this letter to the Ephesians, Paul picks up on the message in the Sermon on the Mount where Jesus is very specific about how not to live—what habits or actions to avoid lest dire consequences befall those who break His commandments, e.g. “Cut off the hand that causes you to perform a sinful act.” But while verses 3 to 5 in this Ephesian chapter do provide a pretty extensive shopping list of habits/life-styles Christians should not practice, Paul focuses not on punishment, but on the positive: the joy of living as Jesus wants us to. And verses 1 and 2 say “Be imitators of God, as beloved children, and live in love as Christ loved us.” i.e. let the light of Christ shine through you in all you do.
Paul reminds the Ephesians that because the light of Christ has come, they have been radically transformed. The letter goes on to say that people who are not living in the light of Christ are living in darkness. They do not have an inheritance from God, but instead an expectation of God’s wrath. “Once you were darkness, but now in the Lord you are light. Live as children of light,” Paul commands.
This is where the passage loses its simplicity for me. Paul goes on to say, “Do not be associated with them,” (the people living in darkness.) But he also says, “You have a responsibility to find out what is pleasing to God and to usher in the shining of his light upon those living in darkness, so they too can be transformed.”
How can we do both?
Pauline Buck
God is with Us
Psalm 23, a prayer from the Old Testament, demonstrates how our lives as Christians are meant to be lived.
The opening line, “the Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want” is a metaphor for our lives represented by a flock of sheep. We are the ‘sheep’ of God and He is our shepherd. ‘I shall not want’ means exactly as it sounds; we will never want anything else while under God’s love and care.
In verse 3, it says, “He leads me in paths of righteousness, for his name’s sake”. There are times where we have to do something righteous but don’t know why we should. In this part of the prayer, we are reminded that the righteous things we do are for God’s sake only. Next time you have to do something righteous, do it for ‘his name’s sake’.
Sometimes in life, there will be times where it seems as though God has forgotten about us. We have all been there. Verse 4 reads, “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff they comfort me.” Psalm 23:4 is my favourite passage in the bible so far. It explains to us that even in our hard times or in the ‘valley of the shadow of death’ God is with us and we will be ok. Picture yourself in the shadow of death; a time in your life where you feel defeated. God wants you to fear no evil and be strong. As Christians, we must follow God and He will guide us.
Dear God, you are my shepherd that teaches me how I should live and you promise eternal life. I recognize that sometimes I am faced with the valley of the shadow of death. Please hold my hand as I walk through it. Amen.
Dylan Bowles
How Long Will You Mourn?
“How long will you mourn for Saul?” These words initiate the greatest adventure for Samuel. Marked out from childhood for a life as a prophet of the Lord, Samuel was well into his years as a prophet and his years as a supporter and advisor of King Saul. But Saul’s disobedience, long mourned by Samuel had prompted a new message from the Lord to Samuel who is being sent to anoint a new king over Israel.
In obedience, Samuel hurries off to anoint the selected, unimaginable candidate: a shepherd boy, David. Generations later, great David’s greater son would come to rule, not only over Israel, but over all of creation. And among the myriad of events and personalities that brought the arrival of our saviour Jesus, is this question that comes to Samuel: how long will you mourn?
Samuel’ s period of mourning for his broken dream endured for some years before God speaks to him. But do we sometimes need this word for ourselves, to hear, “How long will you mourn?” Mourning is a normal and healthy human function. We mourn lost loved ones, lost relationships, lost abilities, lost opportunities. Mourning brings healing, restoration, prepares us for what is next. Optimally, mourning is a healthful season rather than a permanent state.
So this Lent, perhaps Samuel has a message to speak to us. Could we see Samuel as a personal messenger, the guardian angel who encourages us to examine this question; “How long will you mourn?”
It’s sometimes tempting to keep mourning, to keep holding on to our losses. Staying in mourning releases us from responsibilities, keeps us focussed on our own wounds, absolves us of taking a new or renewed path, affirms our detachment from the world.
To remain in mourning can become a rejection of what God calls us into. As another prophet, Isaiah, reminds us
“Forget the former things;
do not dwell on the past.
19 See, I am doing a new thing!
Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?
I am making a way in the wilderness
and streams in the wasteland. Isaiah 4:16,19
The Lord asks Samuel, how long will you mourn. It might be counterintuitive during Lent with its penitential mode, the mark of Ash Wednesday still imprinted on the brow, but could it be a time to consider the question to the prophet landing on us: “How long will you mourn?”
Diane Walker
Living Water
Like much of the John’s Gospel, this story works on multiple levels.
Jesus travels from Judea to Galilee by way of Samaria. Stopping in the village of Sychar, he encounters a woman doing what millions of women around the world still do today – fetching water from the community well.
Jesus is thirsty. He asks for a drink.” “What?” the woman asks, “You’re a Jew. I’m a Samaritan. And a woman?” She knew how many rules Jesus was breaking here. On one level, this is a story about Jesus transgressing social taboos and religious boundaries. The wind/Spirit of God really does blow wherever it wills, We really don’t know where it comes from or where it is going.
“Ask me,” Jesus says to her, “and I will give you living water.” “Living” water meant “running” or “flowing” water. Did Jesus know the location of a hidden spring? If so, that would be life-changing.
But she doesn’t fully grasp what he’s offering – not water in a bucket, but “water gushing up to eternal life.” This is a story about where we can turn for lasting refreshment and abundant life.
Jesus knows her personal circumstances without being told. Five marriages (ending in husband-initiated divorce? Or untimely death?), her precarious dependence on a man to whom she was not married. The whispers and pointing. The shame and judgment. This is a story about Jesus’ utter lack of judgment on the circumstances of her life – and our lives.
Jews and Samaritans had common roots. The Samaritans were descended from the old Northern Kingdom of Israel, destroyed 750 years earlier. They and the Jews lived in the mutual hostility and distrust often found among close relatives. This is a story about the tribal divisions transcended by common worship.
“I know the Messiah is coming” she says. “I am he,” Jesus replies. Again, there’s more than meets the eye. Jesus is claiming to be more than one of the many variations of the expected Messiah cherished by different groups and sects. He is one with the God revealed to Moses: “I am who I am.” This is a story about Jesus’ identity.
Beside this ancient well, on a hot and dusty day, in an encounter with a nameless woman, we catch multi-layered glimpses of the Word of God made flesh, full of grace and truth.
Jesus, meet us, accept us, fill us, refresh us during this Season of Lent that we may behold the glory of your love. Amen.
Paul Miller
A Glorious Boast
Boasting is not a virtue usually encouraged during the season of Lent, but in this text there are two boasts.
The first is that we “boast in our hope of sharing the glory of God.” This makes sense. Imagine: sharing the glory of God! That is our hope; that is our expectation. It is not here yet but we have assurance it is not far off. We have assurance because (and note all the powerful, positive language and metaphor here) we are justified (made righteous) by faith, we have peace with God, we have obtained access to grace. All of this we have. It grounds our hope. Yes, it makes sense to boast (if you don’t like the word “boast”, substitute “glory in” which would be appropriate, too).
But then we also are to “boast in our sufferings.” No one “boasts” in their sufferings; no one “glories in” their sufferings. If they do, we call them masochistic. It sounds suspiciously like a message the powerful might want to impart to those who are oppressed: “Nothing wrong with suffering; don’t worry about it! You should boast about it!”
The intent, though, is not to excuse or ignore or promote suffering. It is a recognition that suffering really exists…and when it does, it is not because God is punishing you or has abandoned you or you deserve it but is, just like all those positive places in life, a place to recognize the wonders of God, a place to actually “boast.” Suffering, too, is the location of hope, a “hope that does not disappoint us”, a location where “God’s love has been poured into our hearts.”
It is understandable that suffering, great or small, can make one question a God of love. This text, out of step with so much of the messaging of the world, says it is the place where God’s love pours out. In that way it echoes Jesus’ words in the Beatitudes: “‘Blessed are you who are hungry now, for you will be filled. Blessed are you who weep now, for you will laugh” (Luke 6: 21).
As we draw near to Good Friday and the cross of Christ where we recognize Divine suffering, we also remember the final boast of the apostle Paul: “May I never boast of anything except the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ” (Galatians 6: 14).
We boast not of ourselves, our accomplishments, our knowledge or position or status, but we boast in our sufferings, knowing that you work through weakness, knowing that your way of divine suffering on the cross subverts and overcomes all the might and superheroes and guns our world holds so dear. We boast in the hope of the divine outpouring of love which even now is poured into our hearts, no matter what or whom we face. We glory in the Crucified One whose cross means abundant life for all. Amen.
Doug Goodwin
A Call to Worship and Obedience
Centuries before Jesus taught us the Lord’s Prayer, Psalm 95 provided us with a different set of instructions for prayer. This psalm comprises two distinct parts: it starts with an invitation to exuberant worship and then shifts to an invocation of obedience.
The psalmist encourages prayer with exultation, singing loudly, and making joyful noise for the Lord. We are invited to use our whole bodies: to bow down, kneel, listen, worship. It evokes words of nature – of earth, mountains, sea, dry land, wilderness, and pastures – reminding us of the power and wonder of our creator. The language is resonant of Isaiah 35: The wilderness and the dry land shall be glad, the desert shall rejoice and blossom; like the crocus it shall blossom abundantly, and rejoice with joy and singing.
At the same time, the psalm warns against those who do not listen, who do not heed God’s word. It warns that those who take more than they are given and who do not show gratitude will be punished. It directly references the Israelites who wandered in the wilderness for 40 years, and how those who hardened their hearts against the Lord were barred from resting in paradise.
Both Psalm 95 and the Lord’s Prayer are instructional guides for how to pray. Where the Lord’s Prayer is peaceful and reflective and imploring, Psalm 95 is bold and embodied and righteous. Our congregation spends a great deal of time with the Lord’s Prayer; I wonder, in this time of Lent, where can we apply the teachings of Psalm 95 in our worshipful practices? Where do we see God in nature and recognize our Maker’s presence? Can we make resounding joyful noise, emphatically bow down, sing jubilantly to the Lord? Can we use our whole bodies and hearts and souls to praise God at the top of our lungs?
In these 40 days of Lent, can we learn from the Israelites’ 40 years in the wilderness by answering this call to worship and obedience in order to claim our place in the palace of God?
O come, let us sing to the Lord; let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation! Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving; let us make a joyful noise to him with songs of praises!
Courtney Reynolds
Days of Deserts and Thirsting
Following a promise by God for liberation from slavery in Egypt, Israel did as God commanded and traveled through the desert, to camp in Rephidim, “but there was no water to drink”. They were following the will of God, yet they were in certain peril if they did not soon get water. They were within the will of God but in a very difficult time.
What follows is a very interesting exchange between Israel and their leader, Moses, but I can’t get there yet, because I’m still stuck on verse 1: they set out according to the commandment of the Lord …but there was no water to drink. This was not a small problem and for a time there seemed no solution.
To be leading one’s life according to God’s will is not to be without suffering. One’s faith does not always shield arrows of pain, loss; and injustice; being a disciple of Christ does not promise that you fly First Class on all of life’s journeys, and following God into the desert does not guarantee a spring of water bursting forth from a rock in the arid earth.
But then… God does provide. He makes good on his promise to meet Israel’s need. And not just sufficient to quench their thirst but generously and abundantly through a remarkable miracle, of water gushing from a rock. Despite their faithlessness, their contention with Moses and their temptation of God (“Is the Lord among us or not?”) He answers with generous provision.
When we are in times of darkness and doubt it can be tempting to question God’s presence and commitment to us. There are certainly catastrophes and atrocities at home and around the world in which it seems hard to find God’s grace amidst the rubble. But God asks us, like Israel, to trust in Him as he leads us toward freedom. He doesn’t promise that that journey will be without suffering. He does promise that He will walk with us, and that we can trust in his love and presence and provision. He does show us that to all of our greatest questions, He is the answer.
Loving and faithful God, be patient with us in the times when doubt and uncertainty make us question you. Help us be reminded that a life in the will of God is not one that is always easy, and be assured that your promise and plan for us surpasses our understanding. Thank you for demonstrating your divine love for us by walking alongside us through days of desert and thirsting, and for providing us with refreshment through your generous grace. Amen
Kirsten Bowles
Don’t be Afraid!
I wanted this picture to look like it was surrounded by stained glass windows because it is an important story in the bible. God told the disciples that Jesus was his son that he loved. Jesus told his friends, don’t be afraid! These are important to remember.
Alba Andersen, age 9
Christ with Nicodemus
There is a painting by Hendrick van Steenwijck the Younger called Christ with Nicodemus that looks nothing like how I imagine this scene. I imagine this scene well-lit and outdoors, maybe on a hill or by a body of water –somewhere where Jesus can shine as an impressive public speaker. I imagine Nicodemus as a confrontational know-it-all, being put in his place by his teacher. I imagine Jesus delivering his most famous line, the one that gets stamped on shopping bags and memorized by all Sunday School students, with annunciated aplomb so that the any bystanders would perk up and take note. I imagine this scene as a spectacle, a Save The World campaign launch hosted by the One who promises eternal life. There is little in the text to suggest that it played out this way; the meanings of Nicodemus' questions and Jesus' answers have become hyperbolic in my imagination, stretched and warped out of shape. Viewing van Steenwijck's painting disoriented me, and then reoriented me to imagine what could be happening instead in Nicodemus' visit.
The painting is a mere 13 x 21 cm, about the size of a book, something you could hold in your hand. The scene is set indoors –a dark, domestic interior like any Dutch baroque painting. To the left is someone washing or cooking, and to the right one person is reading and another sits staring into the fire –none of these people are our characters from Scripture. Instead, two figures can be seen in a room recessed in the background. They wear ancient robes unlike the then-contemporary clothing of the others in the painting. The light from the candle illuminates their faces, creating a halo around the one figure who is gesturing. The image is so small, it's hard to see that it's Jesus at all. Besides, there are too many distracting things in the foreground before we can get to Jesus: There's a basin of water, a basket of bread and a jug across the floor; there's a wooden broom intersecting the threshold of the anteroom; there's the people who are so far away from and not paying attention to Jesus that the eye is confused where the action is or where it should rest.
But in this image, Nicodemus is captivated, attending to Christ in the quiet intimacy of their conversation. Nicodemus has managed to get past all that could trip him up, including the activity and the contemplation happening in the next room. In this image, Christ radiates light in the darkness in order for Nicodemus to see.
Loving God, You so loved the world and gave us Jesus, who illuminates the night, to whom we can seek and draw close, with whom we may ask questions and receive Your word. Thank you for the gift of Your Son, lifted up for our sake, in whose name we pray. Amen.
https://artuk.org/discover/artworks/christ-with-nicodemus-219735
Kate Miller
I Lift My Eyes Up to the Mountains
I’d like to start at the beginning, in the beginning, God created the world and God saw that it was good. Seven times it is written, God speaks the world into existence and observes that it is good.
We are created in God’s image, and we find marvel and awe in the rest of His creation. We wonder and gaze at the stars, valleys, mountains, the entirety of nature, and we say: it is so very good. There’s something special about connecting with nature. Studies continually show that this relationship and the act of our connecting with the nature, literally changes our brain chemistry and composition. Maybe because we feel closer to our Creator. Indigenous peoples have long remembered and revered the land as teacher and provider and have maintained the knowledge that everything is connected. We are entangled in this world, and we hold a reciprocal relationship with both the seen and the unseen in it.
In the opening of this Psalm, the singer first lifts his eyes to the mountains. As a Vancouverite, I have always imagined this as lifting our eyes to the mountains quite literally, the majestic hills rising in front of us, framing the ocean view. Mountains as a reflection of my God that I cannot see face to face. But the Psalmist goes on, where does our help come from? Not just this reflection of God, but from God Herself. My firm foundation is like a mountain, but my firm foundation is in fact, God, beginning, middle and end, Father, Son and Holy Spirit. The Creator of all, the first lover of nature and our beloved world.
Our God will neither slumber nor sleep. The LORD will watch over our comings and goings both now and forevermore. What a blessing! I will continue to lift my eyes to the mountains and think of a God who has created such majesty, but in my time of need, I will pray to the life source, the life giver, the life maker. And maybe, maybe our first step in a time of need, is to lift our eyes up and away from our own self, look up at the mountains and remember this reflection of God, as a reminder of the God who created the world, and declared that it was good.
God, grant us the ability to gaze upward in awe as we remember that you hold this world in your hands, now and always. Amen.
Robin Anderson
Unwavering Faith
In this passage of Genesis, Abram departs from his home in Harran, at God’s command, as an elderly man, to journey through the lands of Canaan, to settle and build an altar in God’s name.
It is somewhat perplexing that God encouraged Abram at such an age (75) to take on such a life-altering challenge. Perhaps it was the promise of a new life and new opportunities for him and his family that encouraged this remarkable journey. But Abram was likely not seeking personal gain for himself and family but more that he would be a blessing ( “…in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed” ) to others.
Abram’s faith was unwavering as he showed courage and obedience towards a new beginning and a new life, while obeying God’s wishes.
Heavenly Father, thank You for the lessons of faith and honour shown by Abram, who trusted in Your promises with all his being, to obey faithfully even towards an uncertain future. He showed courage and trust that your promises are sure. Help us to learn from these lessons of pure faith in new beginnings. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Gordie Bowles
Lead Us not Into Temptation
This passage is one almost all of us will have heard before, and with good reason; it’s seen as one of the most important in the entire New Testament. It’s here we see what could be considered the biggest choice of Jesus’ life before his death: his refusal to exploit his God-given, reality-bending powers.
When I heard this story when I was younger, it always struck me as one of those “Jesus did a Jesus thing” stories, where he was simply being Jesus: someone with aforementioned almighty power, the perfect human able to do no wrong. After all, anyone who was starving in the desert, for longer than really should be humanly possible, being given the opportunity to make food out of just the stones around them would take it, right? Not only would that be something anyone would absolutely be compelled to do, but it would also just be the smart choice. But, Jesus being Jesus, doesn’t take the obvious route, and I was content with that for a good while.
However, as I've come to realize, this story isn’t as much of a “Jesus-y” story as I first thought, or at least not how I first thought of it. If you look at just the part where Jesus is tempted rather than the part where he refuses the tempter, you get a clearer focus on something else important. Jesus isn’t incapable of temptation. In his human form, he could still be tempted by basic wants and desires: wanting to be full when hungry, wanting to cheat death, and have power. This is, in all likeliness, something a lot of you reading will have known. But upon reflection, I think the implications of this are massively important, even more than just playing a part in Jesus’ story. If Jesus can’t be expected to live a temptation-free life, why should we?
This isn’t to say we should give into our temptations, or not try and avoid them; of course not. The part of the story where Jesus refuses is still there; temptation is still a threat to our relationship with God. What it does mean, however, is that we don’t have to walk through life whipping our heads away whenever we catch a glimpse of something in the window that would warrant money that should probably be used elsewhere, or plug our noses when our neighbour’s cooking a delicious smelling breakfast, or any other (and probably more serious) enticements we might come across in our day-to-day lives. After all, why pray “lead us not into temptation” if we’re supposed to always be actively on the lookout for anything that might appeal to us?
Temptation is something to be wary of; it’s everywhere, it’s powerful, and it’s never on our side (or else it wouldn’t be temptation). But if we trust that God will help steer us clear from the ill-intentioned attractions of the world, and remember the true source of our joy, I am confident we can face it without fear.
Lord, lead us not into temptation and deliver us from evil. When everything seems to want to pull us away from Your love, be there to guide us along the right paths for your name’s sake. When we’re caught by the grip of the things that would rather push you out of our lives, help us to remember your presence. In Jesus, your son’s name, we pray, Amen.
Levi Miller
Loved, Forgiven, Part of God’s Family
Romans 5:12-19 is a passage that is often referred to as the "Sin and Salvation" passage, which in my U Hill sensibilities is a pretty strong description. As I reflect on this passage, I am struck by how it aligns with our Sunday School themes. With this in mind I like to refer to this section of Romans as the “Loved, Forgiven, and God’s Family” passage.
First and foremost, the passage speaks to the depth and breadth of God's love for us. Earlier in this chapter, it states that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us (verse 8). This means that even in the midst of our brokenness, God loved us enough to send his only Son to die on our behalf. This is a love that transcends our understanding, a love that is unconditional and unwavering. As I think about this truth, I am reminded that no matter what I do or say, nothing can separate me from the love of God. This is a comforting and reassuring thought, and one that is really at the heart of our work with children in understanding our relationship with God: You are loved.
The passage also speaks to the reality of forgiveness. It states that just as sin entered the world through one man, Adam, so too did salvation come through one man, Jesus Christ (verse 12). Through Christ's death and resurrection, we are offered forgiveness for our sins and a new start in life. This forgiveness is not based on anything we have done or earned, but rather on God's grace and mercy. As I reflect on this truth, I am struck by the breadth of God's forgiveness, and the freedom that it brings. Here too, we can share with children this truth: that no matter what they may face in life, in the eyes of God you are forgiven.
Finally, the passage speaks to the reality that we are all part of God's family. It states that through Adam, we were all made sinners, but through Christ, we are all made righteous (verse 19). While this business of sin and righteousness is a complex one, my take away is that regardless of our background, our race, our social status, or any other factor, we are all united in Christ. With this understanding, I am struck by the power of community and the beauty of diversity. Each week we hope our children may have a small glimpse that they are part of something much bigger than themselves, and that together we are all part of God’s Family.
The message that "you are loved, you are forgiven, and you are all part of God's family" is one that is deeply rooted in the truth of Romans 5:12-19. It is a message that speaks to the heart of the gospel, and reminds us of the incredible love, grace, and mercy of our Savior. As we go about our daily lives, may we hold fast to this truth, and may it inspire us to love others, forgive freely, and embrace the diversity and unity of God's family.
God help us remember we are loved, forgiven, and part of your family. Amen
Aaron Andersen
Strong and Vivid
In this chapter of the bible, God shows us his forgiveness of sins. Sin is inevitable, and we all fall short of God’s glory. Jesus shows us to confess our sins to God, for God will always forgive us. God’s forgiveness is strong and vivid. Our faith shows us that sin is not the final word, for God’s love and forgiveness is stronger.
Forgiving God, thank you for accepting me in all my flaws and for your generous forgiveness. Amen
Charlie Bowles