Pentecost A

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Thoughts on Sunday’s Lessons for May 31, 2020

First Reading (or alternate Second Reading): Acts 2:1-21


Pentecost has arrived, and all our readings speak in some way of God’s Spirit moving in the world.

Pentecost

Pentecost (1732), oil painting on canvas by Jean II Restout (169201768). The Louvre, Paris. (Click image to enlarge.)

In this reading we join the apostles as they gather to celebrate Shavuot, the Jewish spring harvest festival that falls seven weeks after Passover. The resurrected Christ had told them that they would soon be “baptized in the Holy Spirit,” receiving power to be his witnesses to the ends of the earth — and now the Spirit comes in a rush of wind and tongues of fire, inspiring the Apostles to declare the Good News in many languages. Then Peter steps up and tells the crowd that, as the Prophet Joel foretold, God’s Spirit will be poured out for all.

First Reading (alternate): Numbers 11:24-30

Seven weeks after Easter we celebrate Pentecost, the third major church holiday of the year. On Christmas we remembered the birth of Jesus. On Easter we recall Jesus’ death and resurrection. Pentecost completes the circle with God’s gift of the Holy Spirit, inspiring us to take the Gospel out to the world in Jesus’ name. This alternative first reading tells how God’s spirit empowered 70 of his elders. The spirit even came to two elders who weren’t present, an event that perturbed Joshua until Moses reassured him. Wherever God’s spirit moves through us, good things can happen.

Psalm: Psalm 104:25-35

This hymn of praise exults in all the works of God’s creation, including the charming idea that God may have made some creations, like Leviathan, the giant whale, “for the sport of it,” just for fun. Not only do we thank God for making the earth, its seas, and creatures both small and great, but also for nurturing them, ensuring that they are fed, and offering them protection. God’s Spirit goes out to continue creation and renew the earth, just as she breathed over the face of the waters on the day of creation.

Second Reading: 1 Corinthians 12:3b-13

Paul’s beautiful first letter to the people of Corinth clearly spells out his theology of the Holy Spiri: Through the Spirit we all are all made one in baptism. Nationality, economic status, gender, slave or free, none of these things matter. Just as the body is made up of different parts that serve different functions, all of us bring our own special gifts as we work together, guided by the Spirit, for the good of all. We are all moved by the Spirit, each according to our own gifts, but all in one as members of the body of Christ.

Gospel: John 20:19-23

Think about what it must have been like for the disciples on the first Easter day. Grieving the crucifixion and death of their leader, Jesus, they surely felt both wild hope and fearful uncertainty when Mary Magdalene came running in shouting “I have seen the Lord!” She told them that the tomb was empty and she had met a man in white there. But how? Why? What does it all mean? They stay in the locked room as darkness falls, and suddenly Jesus is among them. He wishes them peace, shows them his wounds. Then he breathes on them, empowering them with the Holy Spirit who will take them out into the world.

Gospel (alternate): John 7:37-39

Pentecost is one of the feast days designated as especially appropriate for baptism. In fact, one of its traditional English names, “Whitsunday,” or “White Sunday,” refers to the white garments that those being baptized wore in ancient times. Whenever we welcome new members into Christ’s Body in the church, the celebrant blesses the water in the font, reminding us that “In it we are buried with Christ in his death. By it we share in his resurrection, and through it we are reborn by the Holy Spirit.” In this short alternative gospel, Jesus tells how rivers of living water will flow from the hearts of those who believe. Through the living water of baptism our hearts join in pouring out the good news of the Gospel.

Easter 7A

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Thoughts on Sunday’s Lessons for May 24, 2020

First Reading: Acts 1:6-14


Our Sunday readings through Eastertide have taken us from the empty tomb on Easter morning through mysterious appearances of the risen Christ. Then we heard several passages from Jesus’ final talk with the apostles in John’s story of the Last Supper. Now we come to Jesus’ ascension into heaven, an event recounted only by Luke in his Gospel and in Acts.

The Ascension

The Ascension (1636), oil painting on canvas by Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn (1606-1669). Alte Pinakothek, Munich, Germany. (Click image to enlarge.)

The apostles hope that the resurrected Jesus will now restore Israel’s kingdom as Messiah, but Jesus tells them something completely different: He promises the apostles that God’s Holy Spirit will empower them to take the Gospel to all the world. Next week we’ll hear the rest of that story when the Spirit comes in wind and fire on the first Pentecost.

Psalm: Psalm 68:1-10, 33-36

The Psalm begins with troubling warlike images of fleeing enemies dying amid fire and smoke before a powerful God who rides the clouds. But then the Psalm changes in tone to a gentler hymn of praise and thanksgiving. Those who live righteously, we hear – those who do right by following God’s command to protect the orphan and the widow, to care for the homeless and the imprisoned – will receive God’s favor and blessing. (Some English translations, including the St. Helena Psalter and the psalter used in the 1979 Book of Common Prayer, spell out the name of God in Verse 4 that Jewish tradition considers too holy to speak aloud. Out of respect for our Jewish brothers and sisters, many prefer to substitute “The Lord” or “The Holy One” when this appears.)

Second Reading: 1 Peter 4:12-14, 5:6-11


The way of Jesus isn’t always an easy road. At the time of the first letter written in Peter’s name to Christian communities in Asia Minor (modern Turkey), the people are suffering the “fiery ordeal” of persecution for their faith. The writer can’t stop their suffering, but offers reassurance that in this suffering they share the suffering of Christ and of their other Christian brothers and sisters. Resisting evil is hard, but God is with us and gives us the support and strength that we need to endure, the passage concludes.

Gospel: John 17:1-11


Today we hear the third and final excerpt from John’s account of Jesus’ farewell conversation with the apostles at the Last Supper. In the preceding verses Jesus told the disciples, “Ask and you will receive,” warned them that he must soon leave this world and return to the father, and promised that God would send an Advocate to be with them and help them – a promise that was to be fulfilled on the first Pentecost. Now Jesus turns from his friends at the table and addresses God directly in prayer. He declares that the hour of his death has come. He prays for the disciples, praising them for their faith and trust, and asking God to protect them, to keep them united with each other and with God, and to give them the eternal life that comes through relationship with God in Jesus’ name.

Easter 6A

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Thoughts on Sunday’s Lessons for May 17, 2020

First Reading: Acts 17:22-31


Even after the resurrected Jesus returns to the Creator, God remains in the world. The Holy Spirit is with us. This is the reassuring message of Sunday’s readings: The God who made us all is with us always, watches over us and hears our prayers.

Saint Paul preaching at the Areopagus in Athens

Saint Paul preaching at the Areopagus in Athens (1515), painting by Raffaello Sanzio da Urbino, known as Raphael (1483-1520). The Victoria and Albert Museum, London. (Click image to enlarge.)

In our first reading find Paul in Athens, trying to persuade skeptical Greeks that their altar “to an unknown god” actually celebrates our God, who made the world and everything in it, who gave us life and breath, and who remains so near to us that in God we live and move and have our being.

Psalm: Psalm 66:7-18

Why do bad things happen to good people? The Psalmist ponders this eternal question in the portion of Psalm 66 that we read on this Sunday. Sometimes it seems as if God is testing us when we face burdens that seem too heavy to bear, the psalm reminds us. But God keeps watch over all the people of the Earth and ultimately brings us out to a place of refreshment, a spacious place of relief. God hears our prayers and does not reject them; at the end, God’s loving kindness is not withheld.

Second Reading: 1 Peter 3:13-22


This passage from the first letter of Peter mirrors the theme of hope amid burdens and difficulties that we heard in Psalm 66. It assures us that when we suffer for doing the right thing we earn blessing, a promise that may have brought some comfort to an early church community facing persecution. Just as Noah and his family endured the flood so that humanity could survive, the author of 1 Peter writes, Jesus suffered on the cross, died and was resurrected so that we too may be brought to God through baptism.

Gospel: John 14:15-21


As Eastertide turns toward the Ascension and Pentecost, we continue where last Sunday’s Gospel left off in John’s Gospel. Jesus reassures the apostles that, although he will leave soon to return to the Creator, he will not leave them orphaned. God will give them an Advocate, the Holy Spirit, to remain with them forever. Then, emphasizing the intimate connection among this Trinity of Creator, Son and Spirit and those who believe, Jesus goes on: “If you love me, keep my commandments … They who have my commandments and keep them are those who love me; and those who love me will be loved by my Father, and I will love them and reveal myself to them.”

Easter 5A

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Thoughts on Sunday’s Lessons for May 10, 2020

First Reading: Acts 7:55-60


We are now midway through the 50 days of Eastertide, and our Sunday readings turn from the resurrection of Jesus to our own hope of new life and resurrection through Christ.

The Stoning of St Stephen

The Stoning of St Stephen (c.1435), fresco by Paolo Uccello (1397-1475). Prato Cathedral, Tuscany, Italy. (Click image to enlarge.)

In the first reading from the Acts of the Apostles we hear of the death of Stephen, the first martyr of the church, at the hands of an angry mob. This reading also introduces Saul, a Pharisee who, we are told in these verses, approved of this violent, brutal killing. Later in Acts, Saul will undergo a startling conversion experience and become Paul, a great evangelist for Christ. Why did Stephen suffer such a horrific death at the hands of his fellow worshippers? According to Acts (which was written not long after first century Christians and Jews had divided amid hard feelings), Stephen stood up in synagogue and declared his fellow Jews “betrayers and murderers” for their role in Jesus’ death.

Psalm: Psalm 31:1-5, 15-16

“Into your hands I commit my spirit.” Both Jesus, dying on the cross, and Stephen, dying under stones thrown by his community, uttered this same verse from Psalm 31. Even in the painful moment of death by violence, they confessed their faith. The Psalmist, too, seeking refuge and rescue, trusts in the loving-kindness and protection that comes with placing one’s self in God’s hands. Begging God to hear his call, to be his stronghold, his rock and castle, the Psalmist asks God to listen and to save him.

Second Reading: 1 Peter 2:2-10


The author of the first letter of Peter turns to the Hebrew Bible to find inspiration for a suffering people. Writing for the persecuted church in Asia Minor a few generations after the crucifixion, the author draws from the Psalms and the prophets: Do not stumble and fall on a stone as Isaiah’s people had done, but to grow into salvation like infants nourished on pure, spiritual milk.

Gospel: John 14:1-14


Have you ever wondered why so many of the collects in the Book of Common Prayer conclude, “through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever”? This is where that doxology begins: As told by John in his version of Jesus’ last talk with the apostles at the Last Supper, no one comes to God except through Jesus. Jesus is the Way. To know Jesus is to know God. This is not just a dream of a heavenly life beyond the Pearly Gates; it is a promise that God is with us in God’s Kingdom on Earth.

Easter 4A

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Thoughts on Sunday’s Lessons for May 3, 2020

First Reading: Acts 2:42-47


The fourth Sunday of Easter is traditionally called “Good Shepherd Sunday,” as the readings for the day draw our attention to sheep and shepherds as metaphors for God’s protective love.

The Good Shepherd

The Good Shepherd (Fifth century CE), mosaic in the mausoleum of Galla Placidia, a UNESCO World heritage site in Ravenna, Italy. (Click image to enlarge.)

Our first reading continues the Acts of the Apostles’ narrative of the spirit-filled church after the first Pentecost. It tells us how that infant flock lived in loving, sharing community, selling all their possessions and distributing the proceeds to any who had need. Following the example set by Jesus, they recognized the joy and challenge of taking the good news of the Gospel to the world.

Psalm: Psalm 23

If you’re scratching your head and thinking that we just recently read the 23rd Psalm, there’s a reason: It was the Psalm we heard on the Fourth Sunday of Lent, just six weeks ago. In time of trouble and of fear, the 23rd offers comfort. To view it in a new way, try reading it in context with the psalm just before it, Psalm 22, one of the most desperate hymns of lament among all the psalms. In the 22nd Psalm the poet utters the hopeless words that Jesus will later repeat on the cross: “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” Still, he calls on God in trust and hope. Then we turn the page and find comfort in the 23rd’s assurance that our loving shepherd will watch over us and protect us all the days of our lives.

Second Reading: 1 Peter 2:19-25


Prepare for a troubling surprise if you turn back and look at the verses just before this reading: This portion of this letter written in Peter’s name was addressed to slaves. It demanded that they accept the authority of their masters, even if those masters treated them harshly. Nowadays we struggle with the idea of Bible verses that seem to support slavery (not to mention other latter-day hot-button issues). Indeed, these and similar verses were once used to justify slavery as acceptable to God. Perhaps it’s more useful for us to take this as general advice to all who suffer, remembering that Jesus suffered and died unfairly, having done no wrong. Like lost sheep, we suffer, but we know joy when we return to Christ, our shepherd and guardian.

Gospel: John 10:1-10


In the verses just before these in John’s previous chapter, Jesus had been arguing with a group of Pharisees who were angry because he restored a blind man’s sight on the Sabbath. As the new chapter begins here, Jesus seems to be continuing that conversation with the Pharisees as he draws a clear distinction between the good shepherd who cares for the sheep and thieves who break in to steal the sheep. Jesus himself is the gate to the sheepfold itself, he tells them; and he is the gatekeeper too, the protective guardian whose familiar voice reassures the sheep and calls each sheep by name. The gate opens to allow the protected ones to enter, then closes to bar those who would steal, kill, and destroy the beloved sheep. In the next verse after today’s reading, Jesus will declare, “‘I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.”

Easter 3A

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Thoughts on Sunday’s Lessons for April 26, 2020

First Reading: Acts 2:14a,36-41


We continue hearing themes of resurrection in our Eastertide readings this week.

Supper at Emmaus

Supper at Emmaus (1618), oil painting on canvas by Diego Velázquez (1599-1660). Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York. (Click image to enlarge.)

In the first reading, after repeating the same introductory sentence that we heard last week, Peter has harsh words for his audience. He blames “the entire house of Israel” for crucifying Jesus, the Christ whom God has now made Lord and Messiah. Like the angry references to the Jews in the Passion Gospels, modern Christians must read this kind of accusation, which recurs throughout Acts, in its historical and cultural context. At the time of this writing, there was extreme tension between early Christians and Jews after the destruction of the Temple. In our time, we must erase any echoes of anti-Judaism, and hear instead in this passage God’s gracious promise that forgiveness through the gift of the Holy Spirit is available to all.

Psalm: Psalm 116:1-3, 10-17

Consider this during this time of pandemic fear: This Psalm of thanksgiving expresses the Psalmist’s gratitude for recovery from illness. It is vivid in its description of the anguish of severe sickness and the fear of death; but then it turns and portrays the transforming joy that comes with recovery. We hear a theme of resurrection here, too, the joy that comes with escaping the darkness of the underworld to win the bounty of salvation. In the joy of restored life, we thank God for loosing us from the snares of death.

Second Reading: 1 Peter 1:17-23


In the first of the two letters written in Peter’s name, we can glean some insight into the efforts of the church around the end of the first century to discern the meaning of Jesus’ death and resurrection in our lives. In these verses the author is working out the significance of Jesus’ death as ransom for our sins, a theological quest that has continued from the early church through the Middle Ages and even to modern times. The question remains theologically unresolved, but one point is clear: Through Christ we trust in God. Through Christ we love one another. And through Christ we gain life in the enduring word of God.

Gospel: Luke 24:13-35


What a confusing time the first Easter must have been for those who loved Jesus! This Gospel passage, like last Sunday’s reading about Jesus entering the locked room where the disciples were hiding, suggests that they remained uncertain, uneasy, even scared. “We had hoped that he was the one to redeem Israel,” two of them told the stranger on the road to Emmaus, their phraseology suggesting that this hope, once alive, now was gone. Nor does it seem that they believed the women, any more than Thomas had believed the others, until they saw for themselves. But the traveler, Jesus, revealed himself in the breaking of the bread, just as we discover Jesus when we gather at the Eucharistic table.

Easter 2A

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Thoughts on Sunday’s Lessons for April 19, 2020

First Reading: Acts 2:14a,22-32


Happy Easter! Alleluia! Christ is risen, and we move forward with joy into the 50 days of Eastertide, a liturgical season that continues through Pentecost Sunday.

The Incredulity of Saint Thomas

The Incredulity of Saint Thomas (c.1600), oil painting on canvas by Michele Angelo Merigi da Caravaggio (1571-1610). Sanssouci Picture Gallery, Potsdam, Germany. (Click image to enlarge.)

In the readings for the season we will hear about the apostles in the early church following Jesus’ way; mysterious appearances of the resurrected Christ, and Jesus’ words about God’s promise of eternal life. Today’s readings offer us insights into the meaning of resurrection in our lives. Throughout the Easter season, we replace our usual Old Testament reading with selections from Acts, the apostle Luke’s stories of the early church and how it grew. In Sunday’s first reading, Peter, touched by the Holy Spirit, addresses the amazed crowd with a fluent sermon declaring the resurrected Christ as Messiah, fulfilling the prophecy attributed to King David in Psalm 16, and assuring us of our hope for eternal life through Jesus.

Psalm: Psalm 16

Here is the full Psalm from which Peter quoted four verses in the first reading. If you’re paying close attention, you will notice that the words are similar but different here. That’s because Peter was using the Greek bible (called the Septuagint) that was standard in his time; today’s Psalm is translated from the older Hebrew bible. It can be fascinating to explore the similarities and differences, but both versions, of course, convey the same promise: God teaches us, God watches over us; God protects us, and God gives us joy and “pleasures for evermore.”

Second Reading: 1 Peter 1:3-9


Our second readings through Eastertide will draw from the First Book of Peter, the first of two letters written in Peter’s name to the church in Asia Minor. Appropriately for the season, this short letter shows us the evolving theology of resurrection and salvation in the early church around the end of the first century. Observing that the people are suffering “various trials” – perhaps persecution for their faith – the author assures them that even amid trials, God offers the faithful the joy of a lasting inheritance of salvation through Christ’s resurrection and life.

Gospel: John 20:19-31

The apostles knew that Jesus had risen, but this wonderful news was apparently not enough to keep them from being afraid of the Temple leaders who had worked with the Romans to arrest and execute Jesus. They’re hiding in a locked room, yet suddenly Jesus appears among them, twice telling them, “Peace be with you.” Jesus bears the visible scars of his crucifixion but is very much alive. He sends his friends, no longer fearful, out into the world in peace, empowered with the Holy Spirit through Jesus’ breath. A week later, Thomas, who had missed this first meeting, wins his reputation as “Doubting Thomas” by refusing to believe that Jesus had truly risen unless he could touch the wounds. Jesus invites Thomas to touch his wounds, and then he blesses all who believe through faith alone.

Easter Sunday A

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Thoughts on Sunday’s Lessons for April 12, 2020

First Reading: Jeremiah 31:1-6


Easter is here! Christ is risen! The Lord is risen indeed, alleluia! We shout “alleluia,” literally “praise God,” as we celebrate the resurrection and its promise of victory over death.

“Noli me tangere” (“Do not hold on to me,” John 20:17)

“Noli me tangere” (“Do not hold on to me,” John 20:17), oil painting on canvas (c.1525) by Antonio da Correggio (1489-1534). Museo del Prado, Madrid. (Click image to enlarge.)

All our Easter Sunday readings speak of renewed life and joy. In this first reading the prophet Jeremiah imagines a joyful scene of dance and music as the people return home to Jerusalem from exile in Babylon. They look forward to re-planting the land in new vineyards that will bear delicious fruit.

Alternate First Reading or Second Reading: Acts 10:34-43


In the Acts of the Apostles the evangelist Luke tells how Christianity reached out  from its Jewish beginnings to incorporate all humankind. That story begins in this reading as we see Peter taking the gospel for the first time to a gentile family. Visiting the household of the centurion Cornelius, a ranking Roman army officer yet a good man and a believer, Peter assures them that Jesus was sent by God to all humanity, was crucified but raised from the dead, and now saves us and forgives our sins in God’s name.

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

This ancient hymn sings Israel’s joyful thanks to God for victory over its enemies, and our Jewish brothers and sisters traditionally read it during Passover, which begins Wednesday, April 8, and continues through next Thursday. Christians may also imagine an image of Jesus in the prophetic words, “The stone that the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone.” These verses shout out the hope of an Easter people: “I shall not die, but I shall live … The Lord … did not give me over to death. … I thank you that you have answered me and have become my salvation.”

Second Reading: Colossians 3:1-4


Even in difficult times, Christ is with us, this short letter assures the persecuted Christians of Colossae in Turkey. Just as Jesus was raised from the dead, Christians are connected in baptism and raised through life in Christ, its author writing in Paul’s name assures the people. The following verses urge the people to endure their difficulties with patience and the strength that comes from God’s glorious power expressed through Jesus – not in a distant second coming but in the here and now.

Gospel: John 20:1-18 or Matthew 28:1-10


Just as multiple witnesses to any amazing event will recall details differently, each of the four evangelists differs somewhat in his account of Jesus’ friends finding the empty tomb. In the two Gospels that may be read in this lectionary year, John’s version tells us that only Mary Magdalene was there. John portrays her, in beautifully tender verses, as the only one who stayed at the empty tomb after everyone else left. Then, to her joyful delight, Jesus greeted her by name! In Matthew’s account, it’s the group of women who encounter the risen Christ. He greets them, they fall at his feet to worship him, and he tells them to go back and direct the men to go to Galilee to see Jesus there.

Palm / Passion Sunday A

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Thoughts on Sunday’s Lessons for April 5, 2020

Liturgy of the Palms A

Gospel: Matthew 21:1-11


Palm Sunday and Passion Sunday were long celebrated separately on the two Sundays before Easter, but in modern times they are combined on the Sunday that begins Holy Week.

Entry of Christ into Jerusalem

Entry of Christ into Jerusalem (1617), oil painting by Anthony van Dyck (1599-1641). Indianapolis Museum of Art. (Click image to enlarge.)

This creates a jarring experience as we begin the liturgy with Jerusalem’s crowds celebrating the arrival of Jesus as Messiah and King in the Gospel of the Palms; and then, later in the same service, we hear them shouting “crucify him!” in the Gospel of the Passion. In the Gospel of the Psalms, Matthew tells of Jesus’s triumphal procession into the city riding two animals at once, an odd image based on Zechariah’s prophecy that Israel’s shepherd-king would come “mounted on a donkey, and on a colt.” Soon Jesus will anger the authorities again when he drives the money-changers out of the temple, as the Gospel narrative leads inexorably to his passion and death on the cross.

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

We often sing this Psalm as we process into church on Palm Sunday, waving our palm leaves. This ancient hymn depicts another festive procession in honor of a righteous and merciful Lord and God. In familiar words we celebrate “the day that the Lord has made.” As we think of Jesus as Messiah, we remember the stone the builders rejected that became the cornerstone.

Liturgy of the Passion A

First Reading: Isaiah 50:4-9a


When Christians hear Isaiah’s verses about the suffering servant, our thoughts naturally turn to Jesus Christ, our messiah and king. In our Creeds, we profess that Jesus was crucified for our sake, suffered death and was buried. Our Gospels reveal a Jesus who taught us to turn our cheeks to those who strike us, knowing that a peaceful response to enemies is no cause for disgrace. We must never forget, though, that Isaiah was not writing for Christians in the future time but to a Jewish audience in his own time. He prophesied to a people living in exile in Babylon, a suffering body of faithful servants, all hoping and praying for a Messiah and King to lead them home.

Psalm: Psalm 31:9-16

Perhaps the Psalmist who wrote these ancient verses of sorrow and lamentation had Isaiah’s Suffering Servant in mind. We also might think of Job’s suffering as we chant this litany of sorrow, distress, grief, sighing, misery, scorn, horror, dread and more. While we suffer, the Psalmist sings, our neighbors scheme; they even plot our death. But the tone changes from sorrow to hope as the Psalm continues. With faith in God, hope still glows for us like the sun breaking through clouds: We trust in God’s love. We wait to be saved.

Second Reading: Philippians 2:5-11


Paul sets out these poetic verses from an early Christian hymn, an ancient confession in song that preceded the Nicene and Apostles Creed by three centuries. They declare that Christ was fully divine, yet fully human too, and willing to set aside his divinity – “emptying himself” – to bear the horrific pain of crucifixion as a vulnerable, frightened human. Jesus took on the full weight of all that suffering to show us the true exaltation of God’s love, calling us only to respond with love for God and our neighbor.

Gospel: Matthew 26:14 – 27:66


Finally Sunday’s readings reach their conclusion as we hear Matthew’s long narrative of Jesus’ passion and death. We listen through Christ’s long journey from the Last Supper to the crucifixion. There is much packed into these two chapters from Matthew, from Judas’ betrayal through the institution of the Eucharist; Jesus suffering in the garden, his arrest and trial, his journey to the cross and his death and burial. That’s a lot to grapple with all at once, so let’s reflect on one passage: When Jesus told the apostles during the Last Supper that one of them would betray him, every one of them was afraid. Every one, no matter how much he loved Jesus, wondered if he might be the traitor. Each in turn asked, ‘Surely not I, Lord?” As are we, they are human, frail and weak. And Jesus, loving us still, takes up the cross.

(As an abbreviated alternative, this Gospel may be shortened to include only verses 27:11-54. This passage recalls the events from the arrest of Jesus to his death on the cross. It ends with a foreshadowing of the resurrection with the opening of the tombs and the Roman centurion and soldiers recognizing Jesus as truly God’s Son.)

Lent 5A

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Thoughts on Sunday’s Lessons for March 29, 2020

First Reading: Ezekiel 37:1-14


As we watch from worried isolation in a time of social distancing, Holy Week and Easter are drawing near. This week’s readings begin to tantalize our spirits with promises of victory over death through resurrection.

The Raising of Lazarus, after Rembrandt

The Raising of Lazarus, after Rembrandt (1890), oil painting on canvas by Vincent van Gogh (1853-1890). Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam. (Click image to enlarge.)

Last week we walked with God through the valley of the shadow of death. Sunday we will remember the prophet Ezekiel’s musing on another valley, this one full of dry bones. Then in the Gospel we will go to Lazarus’ stone tomb. First, Ezekiel’s vision, an eerie and frightening sight. Was this the scene of a battle? A massacre? Through God’s power the dry bones are restored to life, revealing God’s promise to restore Israel from exile in its own land.

Psalm: Psalm 130

Psalm 130 is one of the half-dozen psalms explicitly suggested for use in the liturgy for burial of the dead. Familiarly known as “De Profundis” (“out of the depths”), its solemn cadences remind us that even when we are lost in deep grief, pain, and despair, our souls wait in hope for God’s love and grace. Even in death we await the resurrection. We wait “more than watchmen for the morning,” the Psalmist sings, as in night’s darkest hours we watch for the first morning light.

Second Reading: Romans 8:6-11


The short second reading gives us a quick look at Paul’s evolving understanding of the difference between flesh and spirit. All of us live embodied lives, and that even includes Jesus, who lived as fully human as us. But Paul sees the flesh as subject to death and ultimately displeasing to God, while the spirit of God living in us leads us to eternal life through righteousness. When we accept God’s spirit dwelling within us through the action of Jesus, Paul says, we gain the hope of life, peace and resurrection.

Gospel: John 11:1-45


Jesus’ dear friends, Mary and Martha, devastated by the death of their brother Lazarus, each confront Jesus in turn with the words, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.” To bold, brash Martha, Jesus utters the beloved words, “I am the resurrection and the life. … everyone who lives and believes in me will never die.” Then, when he sees quiet Mary crying, Jesus simply weeps. And then he calls Lazarus back from death. But there’s more to this story. Jesus thanks God that the amazed crowd that witnessed Lazarus rising will now believe that Jesus is the Messiah. But then, in the verses that follow today’s reading, things take an ominous turn as John’s Gospel pivots toward the Passion and the Cross: The temple authorities, fearful about the uproar that Jesus is causing, decide that he must die.