The Triumphal, Prophetic Entry
Shouldn't it be different? Jesus' entry into Jerusalem feels makeshift, like when children put on Christmas pageants and raid the dress up closet to become the characters in the play: A donkey will do instead of a horse, and we don't have a red carpet to roll out so the cloaks off of our backs will work, and hey, let's use these branches to wave in our parade. It all seems not quite right, as though the props distract us from ceremony of a king's triumph.
But the paradox of Jesus' triumphal entry is that it is exactly right. The slapdash cobbling-together of this procession looks hasty because it is. It's time to get on with the show! Jesus' ministry has led him here, to Bethphage, and being just east of the city right before Passover means it's time for a bit of holy performance art. Now that we're here, it's time to get moving! Go, disciples, go! If you know, you know about the donkey: it's time for Scripture to be fulfilled (Zechariah 9:9). We need crowds to mark the way forward—what kind of king gets the royal discarded clothing treatment? The prophet-king, headed toward the temple to shake things up, that's who! Hosanna in the highest heaven! It all seems not quite right, knowing what's going to happen, shouting our hosannas, making our way to a city in turmoil. But the paradox of Jesus' prophetic entry is that it is exactly right.
God in heaven, we celebrate and rejoice in the triumph of Jesus even when it doesn't look like what we expect, and yet makes sense that we are caught off guard by Your word and Your way. Grant us the courage to praise You for Your will, energized by Your Spirit. We pray in Jesus' name. Amen.
Trust and Perseverance in Prayers
It was vv. 2-3 that struck me in my first reading of the psalm. I had never come across a prayer seemingly against others. What happened to the Psalmist David? What led him to deliver this prayer?
In fact, the psalmist’s situation is articulated in Psalm 69. He has been enduring scorn and insults even from his kin despite his love and reverence to God. He keeps waiting for an answer to his prayers for deliverance; he feels as if he “sink[s] in deep mire, where there is no foothold” (v. 2, P. 69). However, he never gives up his rejoicing and hoping in God that He will hear his cry (vv. 31-37, P. 69). David extends the prayer to all the people who seek God so that they will be glad in God (v. 5, P. 70).
Returning to the passage, I came to realize some wonderful things about these two psalms. First, the psalmist conveys his suffering very vividly, no hiding or pretending to look good. In other words, there is no barrier between him and God, just like how a child would talk about what happened at school to their father that they love. This honesty and trust are really manifest in the psalmist calling himself “poor and needy” and asking for urgent help (v. 5).
Second, David’s faith in God and His steadfast love during the struggles gives me a critical self-reflection. We all have had challenging moments from time to time in our life, but have we always kept our eyes up to the Heaven? As in session 3 of Prayer Course, have we kept ourself in God’s arms and leaned on His love like David, when God’s intention for His answer is beyond our understanding?
Third, repeated readings convinced me that David actually prays for God to stand for the oppressed and save His followers from evil, not necessarily literally putting shame on David’s foes. Vv. 2-3 also speak to the extent of suffering David endures, coming back to my first amazement.
Thank You Lord for this chance to become more open and closer to You through this psalm. Let us keep our soul clinging to You with more love, trust, and perseverance like David. Let us keep ourself connected to You through our prayer. Amen
R.M.
Jireh is Enough for Us in Every Circumstance!
Let me begin plainly: I don't like how today's devotional leaves out a whole section of uncomfortable words about divorce, transgressions, and rebukes from the Lord. Nor the fact that the Lord says he can turn rivers into deserts, causing their fish to rot or die of thirst (Isaiah 50:1-4). It is a metaphor for how Israel feels dejected and left out in the cold, not realizing that God has always been there. But I digress; in fact, that is not what today's devotional passage is about—rather a good precedent for what comes next, which is equally compelling.
Here is the servant, whose words and tongue are instructed by God himself. The Lord wakes him up every morning so that they can be used as a vessel to sustain his people. I don't know about you, but I feel this is a heavy task—the calling to undertake God’s work and word, and spread it to a sea of doubting men and women around us, can be daunting, and disappointing. If it was me, I would have given up on the first day of duty. And not because I did not try, but because perhaps my words would fall on deaf ears! But this servant has been resilient, staying on and soldiering through as God’s faithful servant.
But do you notice the payback God’s servant receives?(V5- 7).They are beaten, pulled, pushed, mocked, and spat at. (Sounds familiar?) How often do we as Christians face responses such as these? Our belief in Christ and his resurrection is indeed strange to others to perceive. Often we ourselves are mocked for our belief in a sovereign God and a risen saviour. Like two peas in a pod, suffering and discipleship are almost, if not, synonymous!
But despite all the hardships we press on. It is the sovereign Lord who helps and strengthens his servant. He is by our side, making us the catalyst that ignites the fire–the flint, our ever present advocate. It is God who vindicates and saves us. It is our faith in him and in the risen Saviour that allows us to soldier on each day. And that is enough! He notices the suffering we go through because of our faith; and if he is with us, who can be against us (V9). Our troubles wear out like garments eaten by moths, like rivers that turn to desserts, fish that die of thirst.
May He always be our rock and salvation.
Ruth Situma
Children of Light
Having just come off the Matthew reading of the Beatitudes in the lectionary a few weeks back, I’m immediately struck by verses 25-26 from this John passage: "Jesus said to them, “The light is in you for a little longer. Walk while you have the light, so that the darkness may not overtake you. If you walk in the darkness, you do not know where you are going. While you have the light, believe in the light, so that you may become children of light.”
We see a transition of who is the light throughout the Gospels—with it traditionally being taught as God and the Holy Scriptures being this light. Then Jesus comes into the scene, with full authority, claiming to be the light of the world (we so beautiful recall this on Christmas Eve). Then Matthew jumps to us being the light of the world, the role has shifted yet again. It’s a shockingly quick transition of light source for a God who’s been around for all of eternity and then some.
In this passage however, John gives us a nice moment of transition, noting the reality that Jesus is the light and is now in us; that when we believe, we become children of the light, the image bearers of the Christ. All of this a shockingly well thought out metaphor for someone who was already anticipating his coming death, metaphors definitely not being what I’d be focusing on in that moment.
Jesus notes earlier in this passage the idea of service to him being an act of following—a word we also get in other Gospel accounts, my utmost favourite being the encounter with the rich young ruler, who when invited to follow Jesus, simply cannot because it would cost him too much. This is to me one of the most practical and essential gospel moments, for Jesus is asked how to inherit eternal life and he gives a rare, plain answer: follow me. This act of following Jesus is for me, one of whole life transformation, one that takes work and letting go, one of still being Daniel, being my true authentic self—yet also so formed in the ways of Jesus that I indeed am the light I’m called to be. So far I’ve yet to find anyone else as interesting, compelling, and real to follow.
I wonder during this Lenten season if you’ve made a Lenten promise on your journey of following Jesus? Is it helping? Is it adding business? Is it shaking up your routine enough to notice the Holy in new ways? Is it costing you?
As we walk through this season of repentance, reflection, and promise, pausing to check-in is good—very good actually, because maybe giving up root-beer (as I did in grade 4) doesn’t really mean anything at this point. Or maybe giving up your bed (also did this, and I only recommend it if you’re in your early 20s) is hitting too hard and not making your a kind, more Spirit filled person.
Our God is one of grace and love on this journey, not one keeping score of how good we’re doing at Lent, embrace the spirit of that grace. All the while, still focused on following Jesus, serving him, and becoming the kind of people that want to spend eternity with God.
Daniel Martin
Lectio Divina
Today you are invited to read through this passage, and spend some time reflecting on what comes up. You may want to have something with which to record your thoughts. Take what stands out, and use it to shape a prayer.
You may want to follow the pattern of Lectio Divina (holy reading)
Reading
Meditating (reflect on the passage as a whole)
Praying (craft a prayer out of your meditation)
Contemplate (simply sit in silence, and let the passage sink more deeply in)
Love and Faithfulness
Through this psalm we feel the psalmist’s anxiety in calling out to God to not be forsaken, to be seen and heard. They have devoted their life to God. Life has not been easy yet still they say “I will always have hope.”
I interpret this as hope that God’s love and protection will prosper for generations to come, and show us insights on what living in God’s presence is.
For some this means pursuing righteousness. To me this means becoming a work in progress. This means realizing that our relationship with God is being developed; this relationship is dynamic and reciprocal.
In my own life I have been reflecting on how to grow closer to the Spirit. I try to see His presence in everyday life, through scripture or prayer, or simply admiring the beauty of God’s work in nature or the eyes of another.
While reflecting on this psalm I thought of Galatians 5-22-23 where the apostle Paul details the fruit of the spirit as; love, joy, peace, patience, gentleness, generosity, faithfulness and self control. These are not just positive attributes too strive for but ways in which we can walk with the Sprit. We can also share our time and talents generously with those around us. This outflowing brings us closer to each other and to God.
God knows we are all works I progresses, he understands we are not perfect, but acknowledges our determination for a life of love and faithfulness.
Lise Belanger
Isaiah ‘Twas Foretold It
This passage from Isaiah, also called the second Servant Song, is a glimpse of God’s prescription for the world and the promise of the coming Messiah. Just as Israel was called, we, too, are invited to listen and hear what God is saying.
In some ways, this passage speaks to a very specific time period and people. The verses address the plight of Israel; the servant who has “laboured in vain” and spent its strength for nothing.
The Good News is that the Redeemer of Israel and the Holy One will restore Israel. But for the coming Saviour, the task is just the beginning, as it is considered to be too “light” a thing. The Lord also promises to be a light to the Gentiles and bring salvation unto the earth.
God gave us his only Son so that the glory of God could be revealed for all. In John 8:11, Jesus tells us, “I am the light of the world”. Not a light to some people, not a light to certain places, but a light to the whole world.
We, too, are living in times that seem divided and distraught, full of anguish and despair. We can hear the plight of Israel through Isaiah and see ourselves, wanting peace and stability and immediate answers.
When we pray, we may focus on specifics. Care and healing for this person, peace to this nation, but Isaiah reminds us that God’s goodness and power are far greater than we can comprehend. We pray that God’s will be done because we acknowledge and recognize the limitations of our humanness, our incapacity for understanding the full scope of eternal grace, the peace that surpasses understanding, the divine.
This passage reminds us that God has a plan and vision for all of us; God is our salvation “unto the end of the earth”.
From the very beginning of our existence, we are invited and accepted to be a part of God’s family. We humbly remember the gift of being God’s child.
Dear God, you are our strength and salvation. Through your restoring love, may we be your messengers, shining the light of Good News in the world.
Katie Anderson
Pointed in the Right Direction
Whenever I read this story, it always seems different. Sometimes I’ll pay attention to the obvious things, like the perfume, the dinner, etc. Sometimes I’ll think about the priest planning to kill Lazarus because he’s bringing more people to Jesus. This time the part that got me thinking was what Judas had to say.
Judas says in verse five, “Why was this ointment not sold for three hundred denarii and given to the poor?” The following verse claims that Judas did not say this because he cared for the poor, but because he was a thief, and would then take the money from them. It says a lot about Judas’s character, turning his life as a thief in a different direction to follow Jesus, a man preaching justice, forgiveness, compassion, love, and peace, and then still thinking about the opposite of those things, and soon afterwards, he would hand Jesus over to be crucified. I think Judas is one of the most interesting of the twelve disciples, because despite being a part of Jesus’s followers, he displays acts of selfish and misguided behaviour.
Jesus’s response to Judas’s behaviour was interesting. Despite Judas’s actions, Jesus decides to point him in the right direction. He responds to Judas by saying “Leave her alone so that she may keep the ointment for the day of my burial. For the poor you always have with you, but you do not always have me.”
The takeaway is that it can be hard to live a life doing everything that you would think would make God proud, and sometimes we get caught up with things that please us. We can be greedy and selfish, mean and unforgiving. Despite this, God always points us in the right direction, and I think that it’s important to listen to that and try to better our actions.
God, we pray that we can learn from stories like these so that we can become less selfish and unforgiving. We pray for those who are trying to do this but are having a hard time like Judas did, and that they may succeed. We pray that when we have the option to be unholy that we may stop ourselves and reconsider. In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.
Jude Miller
Lectio Divina
Today you are invited to read through this passage, and spend some time reflecting on what comes up. You may want to have something with which to record your thoughts. Take what stands out, and use it to shape a prayer.
You may want to follow the pattern of Lectio Divina (holy reading)
Reading
Meditating (reflect on the passage as a whole)
Praying (craft a prayer out of your meditation)
Contemplate (simply sit in silence, and let the passage sink more deeply in)
When I Cast Away
When I cast away your great
sparrow's wings, which had been wrapped
around and above me – cool shadow from the
burning lights – I did not realize it right away.
I saw a glow between your wings and wanted
to eat them. Neon, LED, soft IKEA candles.
Oh, how they burned the lining of my stomach
I thought I had reached out just an arm
to grab for them, but I found myself,
yesterday, in a sea of radiation.
Have you ever tried to bask your face in
the beam of a naked ceiling light?
It doesn’t have quite the same effect as –
That time you were sitting with
your toes in the ocean, right hand
in the curled locks of your canine's back,
face to the sky – you had to close
your eyes, it was so bright.
I cast off your great sparrows wings
because I saw lights behind your shadow
I wanted to explore. I forgot
to bring a feather with me,
to brush my acid burns,
to shield my crooked heart,
to remind me what love
was supposed to taste like.
A night of neon lights is only
thrilling when you know for sure
that day is coming.
Be patient with me,
I’m still here
looking again for
Your unfailing love.
Lord, as we explore all facets of life and broaden our horizons with new contexts and new people, keep us close to your heart so that we do not forget to live with and through the kind of love you call for. Your love is everlasting, unfailing – mountain – ocean – sky. Let us experience the fullness of the world in all its wholeness and brokenness, but leave us with your feathers, and let not your wings be far away. Amen.
Rachel Runesson
Servants
It turns out that in the middle of Isaiah, starting at Ch 42 and continuing till Ch 53, there are four Servant Songs. This is the second song of the cycle, where God calls on the Servant to be a light to the nations, as evidence of God’s salvation to all.
In other songs God has appointed the Servant as his teacher, his example of suffering to the people and his means of bringing justice to all nations.
But wait! As good Christians, as with much of Isaiah, we jump to the conclusion that the Servant is a metaphor or maybe even a predictor of the coming of Jesus. Okay. Good stuff! Except for one thing: these are the Hebrew scriptures, not the Gospels, and the Hebrews then and now are going to deal with the Servant as it is written, not being all that much connected to the Jesus story.
So what about the Servant? Who or what is happening? It’s a serious placeholder in book of Isaiah, and God is surely making a point worth keeping. It has been argued that the Servant is actually Israel, and that God has chosen, is delighted by and affectionate toward the people of Israel. (Perhaps more in Isaiah’s time than today, for some.)
But we have an opportunity to see ourselves as God’s Servant. How about if we serve as a light to the nations, to open eyes that are blind, to free prisoners and to bring forth justice?. These are words for us today. Directions for a God-given life. With God’s spirit sent upon us. Might even be possible.
Holy One, Show us the path towards righteousness and salvation. Salvation now, in removal of temptation and in searching for your commanded way. Be with us always. Amen
John Culter
The Death and Raising of Lazarus
Today, I hear the scraping of the stone and the grunts of those who are moving it. And I’m caught by that moment of tension and wonder between the tomb being opened and Lazarus coming out. What must it have been like to have been in that moment of expectation? I wonder if that’s not the space in which we live most of our lives, eager to see God move again.
Fill me with anticipation for what You want to do in my life, in my community, in this world. And make me ready to pull off the burial cloths when You raise the dead. Amen.
The Death and Raising of Lazarus
Today I feel the frustration, pain, and questioning (doubt?) of Mary and the folks who were mourning around her, that Jesus didn’t show up when they thought he should have.
Lord, I want to trust that You are who You say You are, and that You will do what You say You’ll do. But there are days when I wonder if it’s all a little too good to be true. Give me Mary’s courage to kneel before You and speak my pain, trusting that You really are the resurrection and the life. Amen
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