Monday March 1 Lent 2
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Psalm 56
In the face of intense attack by evil, we trust that God will act for what is right.
Psalm 57
Another psalm expressing our trust that God will act for what is right in the face of intense attack by evil.
Psalm 58
An impassioned plea for evil to be overcome. We should read the violence not literally but as an expression of our determination that good will prevail.
Jeremiah 1: 11-19
God shows Jeremiah that disaster will befall the northern part of the country (as it did) because of their having abandoned the God of justice. Jeremiah is to warn them of these consequences, but knowing that the leaders will reject the warnings, God promises that Jeremiah will be as strong as a fortified city.
John 4: 27-42
The woman whose life was in a shambles now has new hope and dignity because Jesus knew her so deeply and treated her with such respect.
As he does so often, John the gospel writer uses extensive conversation to unfold layers of meaning about what has just happened. The disciples urge Jesus to eat. Jesus had asked the woman for water and now says he has secret food. This image may anticipate another conversation coming shortly in which Jesus calls himself the bread of life. Here the secret food is doing God’s inclusive justice.
The conversation then moves to planting seeds—perhaps the woman’s response to Jesus—and to harvest—Jesus’ anticipation that the joy of the wedding reception is about to envelope everyone—even those who didn’t expect such joy. The woman’s transformation from grief to joy will become that of everyone. Finally, the hated Samaritans become generous welcomers and host Jesus, and presumably his disciples, for two days thus providing food for Jesus which the disciples didn’t have when they returned.
Even hated traitors are to be included in the banquet and themselves are generous hosts. Are we ready to discover that those most opposed to faith may be the very people who experience Jesus most clearly?
This week’s collect:
Almighty God, whose Son was revealed in majesty
before he suffered death upon the cross,
give us faith to perceive his glory,
that being strengthened by his grace
we may be changed into his likeness, from glory to glory;
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever. Amen.
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