Saturday February 13 Epiphany 5
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Psalm 87
A vision of Jerusalem as the source of life for all the world, as if every nation and every beautiful thing originated there. Christians might interpret this as Jesus’ death and resurrection in Jerusalem being the source of life and beauty for the whole world.
Psalm 90
Our lives are very short, like a breath we are gone, we are so insignificant. Bless us, God.
Isaiah 61: 10 – 62: 2
Jerusalem is portrayed as God’s bride, an image that conveys extraordinary commitment on God’s part and which would challenge people to a whole new understanding of God’s attitude to them. It would be as shocking, and as challenging, as if we were to suggest that God is marrying Canada.
Mark 10.46-52
Mark has recounted three stories of the disciples’ rejection of Jesus’ call to give themselves away in love. In Jericho, the city that was first to come under the rule of the God of justice when Joshua crossed the Jordan in ancient times, Jesus now heals a blind man, but this time the man sees accurately. Mark’s imagery is that up to now the disciples have not fully seen what Jesus, or discipleship, involves, but their blindness is about to be completely cured.
The blind man “followed Jesus on the way” is a pun: “The Way” is what Christianity was originally called and immediately after being cured he follows Jesus on “the way” to Jerusalem, where five days from now Jesus will be executed. Jesus’ disciples will finally see that dying to a life of injustice and exploitation is the only way to be fully alive and for the kingdom to arrive among us. Jesus’ own death and resurrection will become the template for the entire world.
This week’s collect:
Merciful Lord,
grant to your faithful people pardon and peace,
that we may be cleansed from all our sins
and serve you with a quiet mind;
through Jesus Christ our Lord,
who is alive and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever. Amen.
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