Easter 4C

Posted on May 7, 2019 by Robin Garr

Thoughts on Sunday’s Lessons for May 12, 2019

First Reading: Acts 9:36-43

Following a Good Shepherd theme, Sunday’s readings remind us that we can always find hope in God, even in the midst of difficulty, even when we walk through the valley of the shadow of death.

St. Peter Reviving Tabitha (1618). Oil painting on canvas by Giovanni Francesco Barbieri (Il Guercino) (1591-1666), Galleria Palatina, Palazzo Pitti, Florence. (Click image to enlarge.)

In our first reading from the Acts of the Apostles, we find Peter out in the world, filled with the Holy Spirit. A beloved disciple, Tabitha (also known in Greek as Dorcas), became ill and died. Her friends are weeping, remembering the clothing she had made for them. When Peter arrives, to their amazement of the disciples and perhaps even to his own surprise, he brings Tabitha back to life with a prayer and a command, just as Jesus had done with Lazarus.

Psalm: Psalm 23

Many Christians know the beloved 23rd Psalm so well – perhaps in the cadences of King James – that we could recite it from memory. Sometimes though, too much familiarity can rob us of the beauty of rediscovering the details. Try reading it today with fresh eyes and mind, taking it slowly, one verse at a time. Breathe deeply and visualize yourself and your loved ones in each line; walking with God through the green pastures, past the still waters and through the dark valley, then sitting down at God’s table for an unforgettable banquet. God loves us all, always. What could be more comforting than that?

Second Reading: Revelation 7:9-17

We remain through Eastertide in the strange land of Revelation, a book that was written in symbolic language to inspire and reassure the people of a persecuted first century church. We don’t look to it for prophecy for modern times, but we can find in it hope for all ages. In Sunday’s verses, take note that the the multitude worshiping the Lamb is not an exclusive gathering of insiders but a worldwide crowd incorporating all colors, languages and nations. Everyone is included! The closing verses, too, offer us reassurance and hope: The Lamb will be our good shepherd, guiding us beside the still waters, protecting us from danger and delivering us from hunger and thirst. Here is the comfort of Psalm 23, restated in Revelation.

Gospel: John 10:22-30

We know that John’s Gospel, like the other Gospels, reflects life during a time of conflict between early Christians and Jews. The confrontation in today’s reading shows us this conflict in its interpretation of Jesus’ critical response to Jewish leaders, symbolically placed in the Temple’s portico of Solomon where kingly judgments were traditionally rendered. In reading this now, it’s best to look past the harsh words to see love and hope for all nations in Jesus, the Good Shepherd, whose works show that he will protect the flock and care for the sheep, Christ’s body on earth.

Easter 3C

Posted on April 30, 2019 by Robin Garr

Thoughts on Sunday’s Lessons for May 5, 2019

First Reading: Acts 9:1-6, (7-20)

How do we recognize God in our lives? How do we respond when God calls? Consider Saul in Sunday’s first reading.

The Miraculous Draught of Fishes (1545); oil painting by Jacopo Bassano (1510-1592). National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C. (Click image to enlarge.)

Early Christians had every reason to fear Saul: A frightening figure, a Pharisee angry with the unorthodox new Messianic movement, Saul persecuted the Christians with all his strength. But when Jesus confronted Saul in a blinding vision on the road to Damascus (a narrative much more detailed than anything Paul had written about his own conversion in his letters many years before the Evangelist Luke wrote the Acts of the Apostles), everything changed. Acts reports Saul hearing that by persecuting those who follow Jesus, Saul was persecuting Jesus. Saul’s hatred for Christ and Christians melts away with his restored vision. Saul becomes Paul, who will go on to take Christianity to the world with all the zeal that he had previously turned to persecuting Christians.

Psalm: Psalm 30

Perhaps surprisingly (or perhaps not) for a genre that includes so many calls for God’s help in Psalms of petition, the 150 Psalms include only a relative few hymns of thanksgiving. Psalm 30, according to tradition, specifically offers thanks to God for the Psalmist’s recovery from a serious illness. The Psalm seems consonant with the journeys in today’s readings of Paul, who changed from hate for Christians to life in Christ, and Peter, who went bravely out to proclaim Jesus after having denied him three times. The Psalmist, in turn, sings out in faith that sadness and anger are short-lived, but the joy of God’s favor lives forever. “Weeping may spend the night, but joy comes in the morning.”

Second Reading: Revelation 5:11-14

In last week’s reading from Revelation, we heard its prophecy that Christ would be “ruler of the kings of the earth,” presumably supplanting the emperors of Rome and beyond. This Sunday, a few chapters further into the book, we enter a scene of triumphant heavenly worship in which all creation participates. All the angels and elders of heaven, all the creatures of heaven and earth, humans and animals from land and sky and sea join in worship and song: Together they sing a majestic hymn, filled with symbolic language, that reveals an unexpected surprise: Jesus’s kingship is not that of a roaring lion or any earthly ruler, but a lamb, a vulnerable creature, symbol of the Passover; a victim who was slaughtered but is now raised and glorified for all.

Gospel: John 21:1-19

Seven of the disciples are back home in Galilee, and perhaps seeking a break from the emotions of Jesus’ crucifixion, resurrection, and mysterious appearances, they get in their boat for a night-time fishing trip. They haven’t had any luck, but suddenly a stranger appears on the shore and suggests that they try casting their net on the other side of the boat, and they haul in a bulging net-load. Suddenly John recognizes Jesus, prompting Peter to jump in the water and run for shore. The delighted crew all join Jesus, who cooks them fish and bread on a charcoal fire and feeds them. Then Jesus asks Peter three times, “Do you love me?” Peter, apparently forgetting how recently he had denied Jesus three times, is offended that Jesus has to ask this repeatedly. But this is in the past now, as Jesus directs Peter, “Feed my lambs. … Feed my sheep.” Then Jesus predicts Peter’s eventual martyrdom, and calls him, as he had done at the beginning of his ministry: “Follow me.”

Easter 2C

Posted on April 22, 2019 by Robin Garr

Thoughts on Sunday’s Lessons for April 28, 2019

First Reading: Acts 5:27-32

Jesus has died and Christ has risen, but tension continues between Christ-followers and the Temple establishment. We’ll be hearing passages from the Acts of the Apostles as our first readings during Eastertide.

The Incredulity of St Thomas (1634). Oil painting on oak panel by Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn (1606-1669). Pushkin Museum of Fine Arts, Moscow. (Click image to enlarge.)

In Sunday’s reading we learn that apostles have continued teaching, preaching and healing in Jesus’ way, and all this uproar has the authorities worried that these efforts is going to bring trouble. In the verses before these, we read that they locked Peter and the apostles in jail, but an angel set them free. Now the authorities try persuasion instead, but the apostles, recognizing a higher mission, push back: God has called them to spread the Word, and that mission trumps any human authority.

Psalm: Psalm 118:14-29

If you think parts of this Psalm seem strangely familiar, there’s a reason for that: Overlapping portions of Psalm 118 were also included in the readings for Palm Sunday and Easter Sunday. Again we sing the central covenant of the Old Testament that Jesus also taught, promising to practice justice in our lives; to serve God, our neighbor, the poor and the stranger, seeking through righteousness to enter the glory of God. Then in today’s verses we go on to address God directly, giving thanks for God’s abundant love, our lives and our salvation. “Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord.”

Alternate Psalm: Psalm 150

Throughout the year, in Sunday liturgy and daily prayer, we turn to the Psalms almost every time we gather to worship. Some Psalms cry out in lamentation; some ask God’s blessing. Psalms beg forgiveness and express hope; a few even call down God’s wrath. The most joyful Psalms sing God’s praise. Psalm 150, the last Psalm, brings the book to a ringing climax as we sing out God’s glory with flutes and harp, strings and praise and plenty of loud, clanging cymbals. We sing out loud as we celebrate the resurrection during Eastertide.

Second Reading: Revelation 1:4-8

Despite the commercial success of the popular “Left Behind” stories and other interpretations of Revelation as scary prophecy for modern times, Revelation was never meant for our modern ears. In its time, the late first century, it was addressed to the Christians of seven cities in Asia Minor, now western Turkey, that faced oppression by Roman power. The letter, written in the apocalyptic genre, a sort of First Century sci-fi and fantasy, used symbolic language and colorful metaphors to reassure these early Christians that the Reign of Christ was still to come and would set them free. Christ is “the ruler of the kings of the earth,” it promises, holding up that glowing hope that Christ would eventually dominate even the Emperor of Rome.

Gospel: John 20:19-31

In John’s version of the resurrection, when Mary Magdalene alone saw the risen Christ, she ran back to tell the other disciples. It appears that they did not react immediately with celebration, though, but – as Sunday’s Gospel begins – they gathered and locked all the doors, apparently fearful that the Jewish leaders who had worked with Pilate to condemn Jesus were trying to find them. But then Jesus appears in the locked room with them, shows them his wounds and offers them peace and breathes the power of the Holy Spirit into them, and their fear turns into joy. Thomas, who wasn’t with the apostles that night, was doubtful, insisting on proof before he would believe. But Thomas, too, turns from doubt to belief when he sees Jesus.

Easter Sunday C

Posted on April 16, 2019 by Robin Garr

Thoughts on Sunday’s Lessons for April 21, 2019

First Reading: Acts 10:34-43

Alleluia! Christ is risen! The Lord is risen indeed, Alleluia! On Easter Sunday, we remember and celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ. All of the readings for the principal Easter service remind us of resurrection and life.

The Risen Christ Appearing to Mary Magdalene (1638). Oil painting on panel by Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn (1606-1669). Buckingham Palace collection. (Click image to enlarge.)

These verses from the Acts of the Apostles, the evangelist Luke’s account of the life of the early church, may be used as either the first or second reading. In this passage we see Peter teaching in the household of the centurion Cornelius, a Roman army officer. Peter tells this gentile family about the Christian way: Jesus was crucified, but then raised from the dead, and now God’s saving grace is given through Jesus to all the nations, Jew and Gentile alike. Jesus is Lord of all!

Alternate First Reading: Isaiah 65:17-25

In the closing pages of Isaiah’s great book of prophecy, the people have returned home to Jerusalem from their long exile in Babylon. Much work remains to be done to restore the demolished city and its temple, but this is a time for celebration. God promises through the prophet to make Jerusalem a virtual heaven on earth, where everyone will enjoy abundance and happiness, peace and joy; even the wolf and the lamb shall feed peacefully together! As Christians celebrate the resurrection of Jesus on Easter Sunday, we too imagine a new kingdom where all will be physically and spiritually fed.

Psalm: Psalm 118:1-2, 14-24

Christians have long imagined the “stone the builders rejected” in this Psalm as an image of Jesus, but this song of victory goes deeper still: It exults in God’s never-ending love that saves us and promises everlasting life. Note well, however, that to enter the kingdom of heaven, we are expected to be righteous, and that means practicing justice in our lives, not only for our neighbor but the poor and the stranger, too. Having done this, then we may rejoice, singing, “This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.”

Second Reading: I Corinthians 15:19-26

In his pastoral words to the early Christians of Corinth, Paul tried to explain what Christ’s resurrection means to us, the people of the church. Recalling Adam’s fall and the ancient covenantal commandment to offer the first fruits of the harvest to God, Paul declares that as all died with Adam, all are made alive again in Christ, the first fruits of our salvation. Christ’s sacrifice and resurrection changes everything for all, as the resurrection promises the arrival of God’s kingdom on earth and of eternal life.

Gospel: John 20:1-18

All four Gospels tell of Christ’s resurrection, of course, but each presents a different viewpoint, offering us a textured, multi-dimensional account when we consider them all. Here in John’s narrative we follow Mary Magdalene, recognizing her in these tender verses as the only one who stayed behind at the empty tomb after the others had left. John portrays her as the first person to meet and speak with the risen Christ, and the one sent to proclaim the good news of his resurrection to the others. As in many other Gospel accounts of the risen Christ encountering his friends in unexpected ways, Mary did not recognize Jesus at first. But when he calls her name, you can feel the joy in her delighted response, “Rabbouni!”

Alternate Gospel: Luke 24:1-12

Eyewitness accounts of any great account often differ on the details, and the Gospels’ resurrection narratives are certainly no exception. Only Luke, for example, tells us that the women who had come with Jesus from Galilee were the first to learn that Jesus was risen; and he even tells us the names of three of them: Mary Magdalene, Joanna, and Mary the mother of James. When they ran back to tell the men this wonderful news, though, the men thought they were only telling “an idle tale,” until Peter ran to the empty tomb to see for himself.

Palm / Passion Sunday C

Posted on April 9, 2019 by Robin Garr

Thoughts on Sunday’s Lessons for April 14, 2019

The Liturgy of the Palms C

Gospel: Luke 19:28-40

Palm Sunday and Passion Sunday fall on the same day in modern times, prompting us to watch in shock and surprise as the crowds who cheered for Jesus upon his arrival in Jerusalem quickly turn to mocking him and calling for his crucifixion.

Christ Before Pilate Again (1308-1311), tempera painting on wood by Duccio di Bunda (1255-1319). Museo dell’Opera Metropolitana del Duomo, Florence, Italy. (Click image to enlarge.)

First, in the Liturgy of the Palms, we celebrate and wave our palms as Jesus rides a colt into Jerusalem while the crowd chants the words of the prophet Zechariah celebrating the arrival of Israel’s king: “Rejoice greatly, O daughter Zion! Shout aloud, O daughter Jerusalem! Lo, your king comes to you; triumphant and victorious is he, humble and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey!” Then Luke shows the crowd responding with a song of joy that we’ll hear again in Psalm 118: “Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord!”

Psalm: Psalm 118:1-2, 19-29

This resounding ancient hymn, a song in celebration of victory, rings out in harmony with the first reading’s verses of celebration of Jesus’ arrival in Jerusalem. Imagine a joyful crowd at the gates to the ancient Temple, clapping hands and loudly singing, praising the Lord, our God, whose mercy and steadfast love endure forever. “On this day the Lord has acted; we will rejoice and be glad in it.”

The Liturgy of the Passion C

First Reading: Isaiah 50:4-9a

Now our readings turn darker and more painful as Holy Week draws near. But even as shadows and twilight fall, the hope that rests in faith and trust remains. The Prophet Isaiah surely meant the “Suffering Servant” figure as a metaphor for Israel under the iron foot of exile, hoping some day to return home with God’s help. Christians must respect this tradition, but the Servant’s pain may make us think of Jesus too, particularly in its clear call to turn the other cheek against our enemies, knowing that God is with us.

Psalm: Psalm 31:9-16

The darkness deepens as we hear this Psalm. These verses that echo the pain of the Suffering Servant remind us that numbing anguish can sap the strength of body, mind and soul. But even in the darkest depths, hope remains! Even when life seems full of pain and void of hope, we trust in God and pray: “Let your face shine upon your servant; save me in your steadfast love.”

Second Reading: Philippians 2:5-11

When Paul wrote this letter from a prison cell in Rome, he may have had Isaiah’s Suffering Servant in mind. In poetic verses that historians believe may have been taken from an early Christian hymn, Paul tells us that Jesus “emptied himself” as a human, even a slave, becoming one with us even in suffering. Jesus took on human frailty as he bore the gruesome pain of crucifixion. With this as our model, Paul shows that all are called to serve God and our neighbor humbly and obediently, becoming “more” through being “less.”

Gospel: Luke 22:14-23:49

Now the joy and celebration of the procession with the palms is fully turned. We see Jesus and his friends at the Last Supper, and now the crowds who had cheered for Jesus are mocking him and calling for his crucifixion. Before long we listen in horror to the familiar account of Jesus’ torture and gruesome death. In the midst of it all, though, take a moment to reflect on a brief passage at the Last Supper when Jesus turns the disciples’ bold ideas upside down after they started arguing about which of them was to be the greatest: “The greatest among you must become like the youngest,” Jesus tells them, “and the leader like one who serves.” What direction might we take from this? How are we called to serve?

Lent 5C

Posted on April 2, 2019 by Robin Garr

Thoughts on Sunday’s Lessons for April 7, 2019

First Reading: Isaiah 43:16-21

As Palm Sunday and Holy Week draw near, Sunday’s readings direct our thoughts toward seeking our goals with God’s help.

Mary Magdalene Anointing Christ’s Feet in the House of Simon the Pharisee. Oil painting on canvas by Artus Wolffort (1581-1641). Auctioned at Dorotheum Vienna in April 2015. (Click image to enlarge.)

In our first reading, the Prophet Isaiah remembers the time when the people were in exile in Babylon, defeated and hopeless, unable to get up; “extinguished, quenched like a wick.” Nevertheless, the prophet advises, “Do not remember the former things, or consider the things of old.” In God there is hope for new ways. God will make a path in the wilderness and create rivers in the desert, protecting God’s chosen people and bringing them home.

Psalm: Psalm 126

Sunday’s Psalm mirrors the hope that we heard in the Isaiah passage, as seen from a future joyous day when all things old have been made new again. God has restored Israel’s fortunes, filling the people with laughter and shouts of joy. Those who left the holy city, weeping under burdens that seemed too great to bear, now return with shouts of joy, bringing in a bountiful harvest.

Second Reading: Philippians 3:4b-14

When Paul was a zealous Pharisee, he thought he had a lot to be proud of. He was strong in his Jewish faith as he angrily persecuted the Christians, regarding them as dangerous radicals. But then he discovered Jesus and everything changed, he tells the people of Philippi (a Gentile community of retired Roman soldiers in Greece, Christian converts themselves). Forget what lies behind, he urges them, echoing the advice we hear in Isaiah’s reading: press on, as he does, toward the goal of resurrection and life.

Gospel: John 12:1-8

We turn to John’s Gospel this week, dropping in just after Jesus has raised Lazarus from the dead. The high priests are worried about this troublesome rabbi whose miracles are exciting the crowds. They decide to have him killed if he shows his face in Jerusalem during Passover. Of course, that’s just where Jesus is headed. But first he stops in Bethany to visit his friends Mary, Martha and Lazarus. When Mary shows her love for Jesus by bathing his feet extravagantly with a costly perfumed oil, profit-minded Judas objects, but Jesus says, “Leave her alone … You always have the poor with you, but you do not always have me.” This should not not be read as an argument against helping the poor. On the contrary, it reflects God’s explicit commandment in Torah that we must always open our hands to our poor and needy neighbors who are always among us.

Lent 4C

Posted on March 26, 2019 by Robin Garr

Thoughts on Sunday’s Lessons for March 31, 2019

First Reading: Joshua 5:9-12

Fresh starts and new beginnings: These themes carry Sunday’s readings as we reach the midpoint of Lent.

Rembrandt and Saskia in the parable of the Prodigal Son (c.1635). Oil painting by Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn (1606-1669). Gemäldegalerie Alte Meister, Dresden, Germany. (Click image to enlarge.)

From the Israelites’ arrival at the Promised Land in the first reading to the Prodigal Son’s joyful return home in the Gospel, we hear that God stays with us through transition and change. In our first reading, the people share the joy of reaching Canaan, the land of milk and honey. With no more need for manna, they celebrate the end of 40 years in the desert with bread made from the produce of the promised land.

Psalm: Psalm 32

Who hasn’t known the anguish of doing something wrong that hurt a loved one? An angry word, a careless act, and then we see that look of pain, a sob and burst of tears, and we feel anguish and guilt. At that point, there is just one thing to say: “I’m sorry.” When this simple response brings a smile and forgiveness, everything feels better. This is the reward of repentance: When we sin and step away from God, it hurts. But then, as we chant in this Psalm, God’s forgiveness and steadfast love can make us shout for joy.

Second Reading: 2 Corinthians 5:16-21

There is tension in Paul’s second letter to the people of Corinth. The people of this Greek Christian community have been arguing with Paul and with each other. Paul, loving them in spite of it all, entreats them to be reconciled to God on behalf of Christ. Our new direction as Christians, Paul tells them, comes when we recognize Jesus not only as human but as Christ, the Son of God, the Messiah. In Christ everything old has passed away. Everything has become new! Through Christ God forgives all our trespasses and reconciles the world to God.

Gospel: Luke 15:1-3, 11b-32

Everyone loves the parable of the Prodigal Son. But do we all hear it in the same way? If you are an older sibling, you may find it easier to relate to the older son’s reaction when his bratty brother came slinking home and got a feast. Like the loving father’s generous response to both sons, God’s nurturing grace is open to us all: Long-suffering good son and prodigal brother too. Page back and read the two short parables left out of the beginning of this Gospel: The shepherd who lost a sheep and the woman who lost a silver coin also rejoice when something that they lost was found. Should a father’s recovery of his lost son be any less joyful?

Lent 3C

Posted on March 19, 2019 by Robin Garr

Thoughts on Sunday’s Lessons for March 24, 2019

First Reading: Exodus 3:1-15

Scripture offers us scores of images and metaphors to help us visualize a God who is beyond our imagining. It is no surprise that its efforts to portray some small sense of God’s power sometimes stretch our imagination.

Moses and the Burning Bush (1642-45), oil painting on canvas by Sébastien Bourdon (1616-1671). The State Hermitage Museum, St. Petersburg, Russia. (Click image to enlarge.)

One such image is fire. God led the Israelites in the wilderness as a pillar of fire and column of smoke, and, as we hear in Sunday’s first reading, God surprises Moses by speaking out a bush that burns and burns but is not consumed. God, who is and always will be, calls Moses to lead the people out of slavery in Egypt to a promised land that flows with milk and honey.

Psalm: Psalm 63:1-8

We began the penitential season of Lent by recalling the 40 days that Jesus spent in the desert, defying temptation and preparing for his ministry on earth. Psalm 63 is set in a similar place, a barren and dry land where there is no water. The Psalmist seeks God with a thirsty soul, aching not only for liquid refreshment but for God, whose loving-kindness is better than life itself. Through prayer, the Psalmist’s hunger is satisfied. Upheld by God’s strong hand, the poet sings for joy under the shadow of God’s wings.

Second Reading: 1 Corinthians 10:1-13

Paul, writing to the people of Corinth in a time when early Christians were still working out their relationship with Judaism, recalls Old Testament stories in which Israelites were struck down for failing to keep God’s ways. Paul holds up these Israelites who strayed from their commitments as examples for the early Christians to consider when they felt that God was testing them with hard times. Learn from them, Paul urges. Be faithful, don’t stray, and know that when hard times test us, God will provide us strength.

Gospel: Luke 13:1-9

A group of people came to Jesus, worried about a group of Galileans whom Pilate had killed and 18 others who died when a tower at Siloam fell on them. Did these bad things happen because the victims had sinned? Absolutely not, Jesus says. Echoing the wisdom of Job, Jesus declares that God does not punish sin with suffering. But, Jesus goes on, repentance defeats death, bringing forgiveness and eternal life. Like the gardener who defers cutting down a barren fig tree to nurture it in hope it will eventually bear fruit, we hope for forgiveness and another chance.

Lent 2C

Posted on March 12, 2019 by Robin Garr

Thoughts on Sunday’s Lessons for March 17, 2019

First Reading: Genesis 15:1-12, 17-18

Even in times of darkness and fear, we hold on to our hope and trust in God.

God’s promise to Abram: progeny as numerous as the stars in the sky. Woodcut (1860) for “Die Bibel in Bildern,” by Julius Schnorr von Carolsfeld (1794-1872). (Click image to enlarge.)

In Sunday’s first reading, Abram is worried because he and his wife Sarai remain childless in old age. Will they have to adopt a slave child to receive the inheritance that God has promised? But God comes to Abram with reassuring words: “Do not be afraid … I am your shield; your reward shall be very great.” God takes Abram outside to look at the countless stars, and assures him that he and Sarai – who we will know as Abraham and Sarah – will begin a family as countless as the stars; a family that will inherit the promised land to which God has brought them.

Psalm: Psalm 27

Pslam 27 echoes the message of God’s covenant with Abraham: Even when we feel under attack, beset with dangers and real-life fears, we place our confidence in God and ask for God’s protection. We sing of our trust in God, our light and salvation, whose strength is so great that nothing can stand against it. Yes, bad things sometimes do happen to good people. That is the way of our lives. But we ask God’s to show us the way and lead us on a level path, and we trust that God will be with us both in bad times and good.

Second Reading: Philippians 3:17-4:1

The people of the church in Philippi in northern Greece had endured much to embrace the Christian way. They wrestled with fear as they faced persecution by their enemies. But Paul reassures them pastorally in words that might remind us of the Psalmist’s wisdom: Look to God, through Christ, for our salvation. Stand firm in our faith and find meaning in our lives by making every effort to live as Christ would have us live: Christ is the one who will transform us.

Gospel: Luke 13:31-35

We are well into Lent now, and Sunday’s Gospel tells us of friendly Pharisees warning Jesus that King Herod wants to kill him. But Jesus, calling Herod “that fox,” presses forward in his long journey from Galilee to Jerusalem and his death on the cross. In order to have the resurrection and its promise, Jesus first must die. But then, in the middle of this dark and foreboding passage, there is a magical image that we cannot overlook: Jesus describes himself as a mother hen protecting her brood under her wings! This is not the strong, manly Good Shepherd guarding his flock, but a nurturing, feminine image that’s just as loving but very different. Reflect on Jesus as a source of gentle motherly love, and expand our vision of Christ for all.

Lent 1C

Posted on March 5, 2019 by Robin Garr

Thoughts on Sunday’s Lessons for March 3, 2019

First Reading: Deuteronomy 26:1-11

On Ash Wednesday, we read in the Book of Common Prayer, all Christians are invited “to the observance of a holy Lent, by self-examination and repentance; by prayer, fasting, and self-denial; and by reading and meditating on God’s holy Word.”

Christ Tempted by the Devil (1818), oil painting on panel by John Ritto Penniman (1782-1841). Smithsonian American Art Museum. (Click image to enlarge.)

Sunday’s readings, though, turn away from talk of punishment and guilt, gently guiding us into the season with reminders that God loves us, protects us, and calls us to follow God’s way. Our first reading comes from an ancient Jewish liturgy of thanksgiving for the harvest, in which the people tithed the bounty of their land in remembrance that God had led them from slavery in Egypt to a rich and fruitful land.

Psalm: Psalm 91:1-2, 9-16

Pay close attention as we chant verses 11 and 12 of Sunday’s Psalm: This, in slightly different wording, is the source of Luke’s words in Sunday’s Gospel, “He will command his angels concerning you … On their hands they will bear you up, so that you will not dash your foot against a stone.” This promise underscores the Psalm’s hopeful message: Even when bad things happen, from plague, injury, even attacks by lions and venomous serpents, we live in God’s shadow. God will answer when we call. God is with us when we are in trouble.

Second Reading: Romans 10:8b-13

Paul’s pastoral advice to the early Christian community in Rome, a mixed body of Jewish and pagan Christians, continues the theme of Sunday’s other readings. In the Psalm we sing of our trust in God’s protection. Now Paul reminds the Romans that accepting Jesus and the Resurrection opens the pathway to salvation. In the first reading we remember that our spiritual ancestors were foreigners, slaves in Egypt. Now Paul reminds us that there is no Jew or Greek, no insider or outsider. all together in one God for all.

Gospel: Luke 4:1-13

Fresh from his baptismal encounter with John the Baptist in the Jordan, Jesus fasted in the desert for 40 days, a time span that is echoed in the 40 days of Lent. Famished at the end of his long fast, Jesus meets the devil, who tempts him first with food, then with visions of power and glory, if only he would turn from God. But Jesus resists each of three temptations, warning the devil not to put God to the test. The devil then leaves him “until an opportune time.” In the verses immediately following these, we find Jesus giving his first sermon in the synagogue at Nazareth (as we heard at the end of January), proclaiming good news to the poor, release to the captives, sight to the blind and freedom to the oppressed.

Illuminations

Welcome to Illuminations. We hope these brief reflections on Sunday's readings will help you prepare thoughtfully for worship.

Author Archives: Robin Garr