meditation for Holy Saturday: between death and resurrection

There are parts of life which are like a blink, and yet have their place of importance. Many small things we have to do routinely, every day. As well as small things that have to be done along the way in not so routine matters. And yet whether or not it is done can make all the difference.

Jesus was dead. Period. And he was laid in a tomb just prior to the Sabbath. There was no resuscitation. And with that all hope was gone. The burial is important. In theory Jesus could have died and then been raised from the dead right from the cross and in the new resurrection body, as we see in the accounts of the gospels, walk away from the mess. Of course aside from the problem of dignity at that point, which was just the point in another way during his suffering and crucifixion, some would wonder if he had really died. There of course would be other problems with that scenario as well. Though whatever God would bring about would be done well, to be sure.

Jesus was dead. In the Jewish mindset the body was part of the real person as opposed to the Greek mindset that the spirit is the real person which at death escapes the body. The Jewish hope was not some state of disembodiment after death in heaven. But nothing short of the resurrection itself. Jesus was dead, and that is important both in the Jewish setting of the faith as well as in its outcome and indeed fulfillment in what we call the Christian hope.

Burial. It has a certain sense of finality about it as far as this present life is concerned. What is awaited is the reappearing of the resurrected, glorified Lord when all of those in Jesus who are buried will then appear with him in their new resurrected, glorified bodies. Just as Jesus early on that first day of the week was raised up into the new existence of the new creation as “the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep” (“He’s the first crop of the harvest of those who have died.”- CEB)

In this present existence we die, are buried and raised to life with Christ through our baptism into Christ. Yes, buried. That means we live an entirely new existence. And we live it out as those who have died, have been buried, and then raised to this newness of life, or new life. Which means that our existence as those in Christ is completely dependent on God. We can’t manufacture or live this out on our own. We are indeed created anew in Christ Jesus for the good works God has for us to do. We begin to live this resurrection life in Jesus here and now.

And so we thank God for Holy Saturday. A reminder of  the new life in Jesus we have in God. That indeed the old has gone and the new has come in and through Jesus. As we await in him the completion of that new life in the resurrection in which what is true of us now in our inner being, will be true of us completely. We in Jesus live in this hope not only for ourselves, but for the world, for all of creation- together in him.

prayer for Holy Saturday

O God, Creator of heaven and earth: Grant that, as the crucified body of your dear Son was laid in the tomb and rested on this holy Sabbath, so may we await with him the coming of the third day, and rise with him to newness of life; who now lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Book of Common Prayer

meditation for Good Friday: witnessing Jesus at the cross

Thankfully we have the clear narrative from the gospel accounts of the four evangelists of Jesus’ suffering, crucifixion and death (Matthew, Mark, Luke and John). And from the prophet Isaiah we gather more of the brutality which Jesus endured out of love.

It is good to mediate and ponder on those events, what Jesus did for us. Our church has a most wonderful Stations of the Cross which can be quite helpful for us to slowly walk through and consider what Jesus suffered for us, and its meaning- past, present and future.

Of course Jesus’ death is not only for us, but for the world, and indeed for all creation. In that death the old order is judged and the prince of this world is driven out. And in the resurrection the new order comes in, the new creation to be completed when heaven and earth become one, but which begins even here and now in and through Jesus.

But we need to pause and ponder what Jesus did for us in his death. We need to behold him on the cross. Taking some time. Not just a passing thought.  We need to put our faith in him as the crucified one, our now resurrected and ascended Lord. Perhaps a renewal of our faith. Nothing can help us do that more than to attempt to fix our eyes on Jesus who out of love and for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame. And is now seated at the right hand of God. To reappear, but now ever present by his Spirit in the world.

May each of us take time to ponder and think through this great love of God in Jesus. Together in Jesus for the world.

prayer for Good Friday

Almighty God, we pray you graciously to behold this your family, for whom our Lord Jesus Christ was willing to be betrayed, and given into the hands of sinners, and to suffer death upon the cross; who now lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Book of Common Prayer

prayer for Maundy Thursday

Almighty Father, whose dear Son, on the night before he suffered, instituted the Sacrament of his Body and Blood: Mercifully grant that we may receive it thankfully in remembrance of Jesus Christ our Lord, who in these holy mysteries gives us a pledge of eternal life; and who now lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Book of Common Prayer

meditation for Holy Wednesday: Jesus expresses his love

On the night prior to Jesus’ trial, we read how he loved his disciples to the end, or another way of translating it, how he expressed to them the full extent of his love. He did so by doing that which only the lowliest of slaves ever did. Washing his disciples feet. And after doing so, he then commanded that they ought to wash one another’s feet. In other words they were to humbly serve one another in love, following the example of their Master.

In the church in which I was raised we actually had feet washing the same Sunday as Communion. It was only once a quarter as I remember, and I still recall how it felt, rather awkward. We men remained upstairs while the women went downstairs. It was strictly ceremonial, meeting no actual need. Of course we don’t need our feet washed in our culture; we neither wear sandals (or go barefoot) nor walk on dusty trails. But it was a reminder of how we indeed are to serve each other in love.

I can’t help but think of the difficult relationships we sometimes find ourselves in. Of course with many people it is easy to serve them in love. But there are those few who seem difficult (not to say we never are). Who maybe are distant, or somehow there is a disconnect. Those also we are to serve in love.

Feet washing in Jesus’ day had to do with an everyday, down to earth kind of need, in which one would get their hands literally dirty. Even for those who are our friends, we’re to serve in a way unnatural to us, in the Jesus way. We’re to love as Jesus loved, doing whatever needs to be done to help them and to meet any needs they have. Doing what we can in seemingly small, practical ways.

Jesus would actually show the full extent of his love on the cross. This was the deed which needed to be done for the world, even for all creation. Jesus did so out of the same love in which he washed his disciples’ feet. A love which is willing to do the lowliest of tasks, and to give up one’s life for one’s friends, and even for one’s enemies. Jesus did all of that in his great love and in God’s great love in and through him. And through Jesus we are to do the same.

prayer for Wednesday in Holy Week

Lord God, whose blessed Son our Savior gave his body to be whipped and his face to be spit upon: Give us grace to accept joyfully the sufferings of the present time, confident of the glory that shall be revealed; through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Book of Common Prayer

meditation for Holy Tuesday: what is needed, a change of heart

When Jesus came and God’s kingdom in him, not only was there to be a change contradicting the world’s system, but at bottom there was to be no less than a change of heart. It does little to no good to change systems or laws when there is no change of heart corresponding.

That week Jesus was telling his disciples that they would all fall away because of what was about to happen to him. Peter denied it emphatically, showing what little he knew. The Lord corrected him, telling him that he would actually deny him three times. Peter then protested that even if he had to die with Jesus, he would never deny him.

We know what happened afterward. In the garden Jesus had told the disciples not only to watch and pray with him, but to pray that they would not fall into temptation. The disciples fell asleep, and then Jesus’ rebuke, wondering that they could not watch with him for one hour. With the warning: “The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.”

The Lord had told Peter that Satan had asked permission to sift all the disciples as wheat. But that Jesus had prayed for Peter. With the directive that when Peter would turn back in repentance that he should strengthen his brothers. We know how that happened. Peter does return, and then the Lord asks Peter if he loves him three times. Perhaps the change in the last of that questioning from the verb form of agape to phila love mattered. But Peter broke down in grief. This was a time of deep soul searching and transformation of heart.

Jesus came to give us a new heart. Our hearts are often hard and unmoved. We don’t want to do what we know we ought to do, or we do what we should not because our hearts are unchanged. Scripture tells us that a broken and contrite heart God will not despise. Jesus said that on the outside people can look good, while the inside can be full of evil. White washed tombs with dead people’s bones inside.

I can be slow at heart to believe and obey. It is good when one finds it joyful to obey in love. Jesus came and walked that dreadful way of the cross to give us a new heart. In his high priestly prayer, Jesus prayed just prior to his suffering, “For them I sanctify myself, that they too may be truly sanctified.” This was a setting apart to God in sacrifice, in order that his followers would also be set apart as his followers in the same way. In heart and life.

Paul prayed that the believers might know the depths of God’s love in Jesus, that they might be filled to all the fullness of God. We are being remade in and through Jesus into the very image of God through and through. In calling and in heart.

In the end tradition tells us in keeping with Jesus’ earlier words to Peter, that Peter was to die on a cross, even as his Master, Savior and Lord had died. Peter insisted that he was not worthy, and that therefore he should be so executed on a cross, upside down. A heart which was soft, contrite, sensitive to all that is wrong not only in the world, but in one’s self.

Yes, we need a change of heart. “Change my heart oh God. Make it ever true. Change my heart oh God. May I be like You.” By Jesus and God’s love in him in and through his death for us. Together in Jesus for the world.

meditation for Holy Monday: Jesus’ kingship, a mystery

Yesterday we celebrated Jesus entrance into Jerusalem as king, sitting on a humble beast of burden in fulfillment of Zechariah’s prophecy. Well did the crowd celebrate with palm branches and shout, “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David! Hosanna in the highest heaven!” They knew Jesus was special, some knew it by revelation from God. Others may have indeed sensed it, there were obvious signs and there was something about Jesus which marked him out. Even from others who had taken the messianic title upon themselves.

Likely some of that crowd who chanted praises were among those just a few days later taunting Jesus when telling him to come down from the cross if indeed he was the Messiah, the Son of God (Messiah and Son of God meant one and the same thing then). But others were surely silent and grieving, not knowing what to think. In shock with doubts and fears that all they had witnessed in Jesus was coming to nothing.

And yet we know what happened three days later after the notable events at the cross.

Jesus’ kingship was indeed a mystery. Little did the Jews of Jesus’ day understand the nature of the kingdom of God which he brought. The Jews saw it largely in worldly terms. And while it was for this world, it was not in the way of the world. The way of violence and force, or adhering to a certain code which in the case of the Jews would mean their practice of submitting to the Law of Moses.

No, Jesus’ kingship was something indeed different. It was the way of serving in love, and laying down one’s life for one’s friends. Even loving one’s enemies, and praying for their forgiveness even when dying. Jesus in a sense ruled from the Tree, the cross, and he now rules as the resurrected, ascended one, someday to reappear when heaven and earth become one in him, and all things are united under him and his rule.

Jesus rules as the crucified, resurrected one. From his death comes the life of the new order. In his death the old order comes to an end. The old in us as well. The resurrection being the implementation of what happened through Jesus on that cross.

How that works out in and through us in Jesus now is alive and well, yet mysterious. We can recite what we know is written about it, and confess it in faith. But it remains something in itself which is well beyond us. And yet God in his grace in and through Jesus reveals it to us. We have an understanding that comes by faith. And we end up ruling and reigning with Jesus, under him to be sure, but nevertheless taken up into this kingdom and authority to believe and obey, to serve in love. In the reign of King Jesus, yes a reign tied to that Tree, the cross. Together in Jesus for the world.

prayer for Monday in Holy Week

Almighty God, whose most dear Son went not up to joy but first he suffered pain, and entered not into glory before he was crucified: Mercifully grant that we, walking in the way of the cross, may find it none other than the way of life and peace; through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Book of Common Prayer