Lent
March 27, 2018
Scripture Reading: Isaiah 25:6-9
On this mountain the Lord of hosts will make for all peoples
a feast of rich food, a feast of well-matured wines,
of rich food filled with marrow, of well-matured wines strained clear.
And he will destroy on this mountain
the shroud that is cast over all peoples,
the sheet that is spread over all nations;
he will swallow up death for ever.
Then the Lord God will wipe away the tears from all faces,
and the disgrace of his people he will take away from all the earth,
for the Lord has spoken.
It will be said on that day,
Lo, this is our God; we have waited for him, so that he might save us.
This is the Lord for whom we have waited;
let us be glad and rejoice in his salvation.
What is that shroud of death that is spread over all nations? Is it our inability to love one another? Some ancients knew Christ’s message well as they waited for his coming Kingdom. Food enough for all sustained by a well-tended earth is mentioned here. Our tears of pain and fear and frustration are wiped away. Our tears of joy are shared with all who wait upon the Lord. Salvation is at hand.
Christ’s came to earth as both a teacher and role model for the development of his envisioned Kingdom. The price asked of us is to be willing to share it with all peoples throughout the earth, a price we collectively perhaps even individually have never willingly paid. Two things he asked, love God and love your neighbor as yourself. When we cannot love our neighbors, we are not loving God. We always want to give our love conditionally. Loving unconditionally is not easy.
Put yourself in Jesus’ shoes when the boat he is on pulls into shore and the first person you encounter is Legion*, the town’s crazy man. He lives in the tombs, is so strong he broke out of chains and shackles, howls from the mountains, and bruises himself with stones. What would your first reaction be? How long do you think it took Jesus to get Legion to trust him? Do you think that would be a good use of your time? What do you think the crowds think of you dealing with this crazy man? Does their opinion matter?
Practicing regularly God’s extraordinary love is our task. It took his death on the cross and his resurrection for us to figure that out. It takes our full acknowledgment of his loving support for us to live it.
Prayer:
O Love, that wilt not let me go,
I rest my weary soul in Thee;
I give Thee back the life I owe,
That in Thine ocean depths its flow
May richer, fuller be**. Amen.
*See Mark 5:1-20, Luke 8:26-39
**First verse of hymn O Love that Wilt Not Let Me Go by George Matheson see at https://www.hymnal.net/en/hymn/h/432