Scripture Readings: Isaiah 49.1-7 and John 12.20-36
What must it have been like to have actually lived and
walked and journeyed with Jesus, in the flesh, as his first disciples did? After
the jubilant celebration of Palm Sunday and such a heightened sense of
expectation over who Jesus was and what he had come to do – when he began to
speak of his impending death, would it have seemed like his words were just
“crazy talk”? Would you have wondered if Jesus had grown fatigued of his own
movement and ministry – or if perhaps he was just getting lazy?
As we step into the shadowy paths of Holy Week, and are
confronted with our own deepest sense of fear and inadequacy, this passage from
John offers a great deal of insight into the heart of Jesus. “My soul is troubled.
And what should I say – ‘Father, save me from this hour’?” Jesus’ humanity is
clearly evident here. And yet, so is his complete obedience to God and to his
mission. Even as he is struggling to understand his own death, his greatest
concern is still for the world. “And
I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.”Jesus continues to teach and encourage his disciples (and all who will listen) right to the very end. When Phillip and Andrew bring Jesus the request that some Greeks wish to see him, Jesus’ response can be summed up in one word: whoever.
“Whoever serves me must follow me…Whoever serves me, the Father will honor.”
Even though his heart was deeply troubled, he never lost
sight of his mission to be the light of the world – all of the world. Can you feel the sense of urgency in his final
statement here before he departs from the crowd?“The light is with you for a little longer. Walk while you have the light, so that the darkness may not overtake you. If you walk in the darkness, you do not know where you are going. While you have the light, believe in the light, so that you may become children of light.”
As we near the end of our Lenten journey, we can see the
shadows and darkness of the betrayal, arrest, trial, denial, and ultimately,
the Cross. We cannot avoid it, for it is undeniably part of the story – and
part of our own humanity. We must travel through the darkness of the Cross
before we can reach the true glory of the Resurrection. But as we make our way,
if we believe in the light, the
darkness will not overtake us.
In these final days leading up to the Resurrection, how will
you live your life as a child of light? How will you bear that light to the
world, so that whoever sees it, will see the light of Christ reflected in you?
The Lord called me before I
was born,
while I was in my mother’s womb he named me...
And he said to me, ‘You are my servant,while I was in my mother’s womb he named me...
Israel, in whom I will be glorified…
I will give you as a light to the nations,
that my salvation may reach to the end of the earth.’ (Isaiah 49.1b, 3, 6b)
that my salvation may reach to the end of the earth.’ (Isaiah 49.1b, 3, 6b)
Rev. Becky Walker, Associate Minister/Minister of Adult Education
