Thursday February 18, Lent
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Psalm 37 Part 1
It’s tempting to want to be as successful as evil people, but seeking God’s justice will fulfill us, and God will defeat evil completely.
Deuteronomy 7:6-11
God’s generosity to you (you were not an important nation) means that you have to also practice generosity (which is the meaning of “righteousness”), and if you don’t, you become a selfish nation like the others, and that is a recipe for disaster. It’s not that God will lose God’s temper with you, but that lack of generosity (justice, righteousness) always leads to bad consequences.
John 1: 29-34
For the next two months, until after Easter, we will read through John’s gospel. Unlike the other three gospels, John’s gospel explores the significance of Jesus through long conversations, and multiple levels of images and symbolism.
After his introduction placing Jesus as the Christ at the moment of creation, the gospel recounts Jesus’ baptism and John’s interpretation of Jesus. Images such as “Lamb of God” express that Jesus can be understood as an enactment of the Passover lamb which was a central part of the Jewish celebration of their ancient escape from slavery in Egypt.
Like John the baptist, we are called to insist that it isn’t ourselves or our faith or our goodness that will provide the escape from the slavery of consumerism in our day, but we point to Christ through whom modern slavery—such as to the forces of national and international greed in which we are all immersed—can be conquered.
In Lent we are challenged to deepen our journey toward liberation by counting on Christ’s victory to guarantee ours.
This week’s collect:
Almighty and everlasting God,
you despise nothing you have made
and forgive the sins of all who are penitent.
Create and make in us new and contrite hearts,
that we, worthily lamenting our sins
and acknowledging our brokenness,
may obtain of you, the God of all mercy,
perfect remission and forgiveness;
through Jesus Christ our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever. Amen
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