Sunday March 21 Lent 5
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Psalm 118
An enthusiastic song of thanksgiving for everything God has done for us—God has protected us from evil forces, and we give praise in the temple and in processions. Appropriate for a Sunday as an anniversary of the triumph of Easter Day.
Portions of this psalm are traditionally sung on Easter Day.
Jeremiah 23: 16-32
God accuses the religious leaders of leading the people astray, and just because they say “God said so” and promise everything will be well, they are not to be believed. God rejects their leadership. It is this false leadership that has caused the ruin of the people.
It remains tempting to make the “safer” route in life our priority. By our actions we become prophets, pointing to what we think is the right direction. But if we are not faithful to the priority of love and justice for all, we point to a false direction.
Mark 8: 31—9: 1
Half-way through Mark’s gospel, this is the very first time that Jesus speaks about his death. Peter refuses to accept Jesus’ insistence on dying because if the leader chooses death, so must his followers. The same remains true for us today—none of us is prepared to die in order to love. But if we are not prepared to die out of love, then we will never really be alive. As Jesus says, if we make life all about ourselves (i.e. don’t take up our cross of loving sacrifice) then we are never really alive. The message of Christianity is not, “You are too weak to love that deeply,” but “Christ’s love can live in you and then you’ll be able to love at that depth.”
This week’s collect:
Almighty God,
your Son came into the world
to free us all from sin and death.
Breathe upon us with the power of your Spirit,
that we may be raised to new life in Christ,
and serve you in holiness and righteousness all our days;
through the same Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.
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