Gospel for 4 April, 2007

Now is my soul troubled; and what shall I say? Father, save me from this hour: but for this cause came I unto this hour. Father, glorify thy name. Then came there a voice from heaven, saying, I have both glorified it, and will glorify it again. The people therefore, that stood by, and heard it, said that it thundered: others said, An angel spake to him. Jesus answered and said, This voice came not because of me, but for your sakes. Now is the judgment of this world: now shall the prince of this world be cast out. And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me. This he said, signifying what death he should die. The people answered him, We have heard out of the law that Christ abideth for ever: and how sayest thou, The Son of man must be lifted up? who is this Son of man? Then Jesus said unto them, Yet a little while is the light with you. Walk while ye have the light, lest darkness come upon you: for he that walketh in darkness knoweth not whither he goeth. While ye have light, believe in the light, that ye may be the children of light. These things spake Jesus, and departed, and did hide himself from them. (John 12:27-36 KJV)

The storm clouds continue to gather. The time is short. Jesus knows full well what the result of His refusal to accept Kingship at the head of an army will mean. He will be lifted up, just as Moses lifted up the bronze serpent in the desert, and by being lifted up, He will draw all men to Himself. His kingdom is not Israel only, but universal, and to claim it, He only has to die.

Gospel for 3 April, 2007

Among those who went up to worship at the festival were some Greeks. These approached Philip, who came from Bethsaida in Galilee, and put this request to him, ‘Sir, we should like to see Jesus.' Philip went to tell Andrew, and Andrew and Philip together went to tell Jesus. Jesus replied to them: Now the hour has come for the Son of man to be glorified. In all truth I tell you, unless a wheat grain falls into the earth and dies, it remains only a single grain; but if it dies it yields a rich harvest. Anyone who loves his life loses it; anyone who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. Whoever serves me, must follow me, and my servant will be with me wherever I am. If anyone serves me, my Father will honour him. Now my soul is troubled. What shall I say: Father, save me from this hour? But it is for this very reason that I have come to this hour. Father, glorify your name! A voice came from heaven, ‘I have glorified it, and I will again glorify it. (John 12:20-28 NJB)

The prophet Zechariah, who foretold that Messiah would come to Jerusalem humbly riding upon a donkey, also proclaimed that Messiah would declare peace to the Gentiles, and that He would rule from sea to sea. (Zech. 9:10) The Greeks coming to see Jesus in the selection from the Gospel for today is presented by St John as yet another proof that what was foretold was foretold about Jesus. His hour is now upon Him and the truth of Who and What Jesus is is about to be revealed for all the world to see and to hear.
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Gospel for 02 March, 2007

Meanwhile a large number of Jews heard that he was there and came not only on account of Jesus but also to see Lazarus whom he had raised from the dead. Then the chief priests decided to kill Lazarus as well, since it was on his account that many of the Jews were leaving them and believing in Jesus. The next day the great crowd of people who had come up for the festival heard that Jesus was on his way to Jerusalem. They took branches of palm and went out to receive him, shouting: ‘Hosanna! Blessed is he who is coming in the name of the Lord, the king of Israel.' Jesus found a young donkey and mounted it—as scripture says: Do not be afraid, daughter of Zion; look, your king is approaching, riding on the foal of a donkey. At first his disciples did not understand this, but later, after Jesus had been glorified, they remembered that this had been written about him and that this was what had happened to him. The crowd who had been with him when he called Lazarus out of the tomb and raised him from the dead kept bearing witness to it; this was another reason why the crowd came out to receive him: they had heard that he had given this sign. Then the Pharisees said to one another, ‘You see, you are making no progress; look, the whole world has gone after him!' (John 12:9-19 NJB)

The last verse of the Gospel for today sums up the reality of the last week of Jesus' life. The Pharisees are talking amongst themselves and their only concern is that the people have chosen to follow Jesus and they are losing their influence. They must, therefore, not only oppose Jesus, they must ramp up the opposition and turn it more militantly against Him. Their determination to put an end to this Jesus problem is set. There can be no turning back now.

Another Visit with Brother Lawrence

THIRTEENTH LETTER

To the same he exhorts for fuller and entire confidence in God, for body and soul.

I AM in pain to see you suffer so long; what gives me some ease, and sweetens the feeling I have of your griefs, is that they are proofs of GOD’s love towards you: see them in that view, and you will bear them more easily. As your case is, ’tis my opinion that you should leave off human remedies, and resign yourself entirely to the providence of GOD; perhaps He stays only for that resignation and a perfect trust in Him to cure you.

Since notwithstanding all your cares, physic has hitherto proved unsuccessful, and your malady still increases, it will not be tempting GOD to abandon yourself in His hands, and expect all from Him.

I told you, in my last, that He sometimes permits bodily diseases to cure the distempers of the soul. Have courage then: make a virtue of necessity: ask of GOD, not deliverance from your pains, but strength to bear resolutely, for the love of Him, all that He should please, and as long as He shall please.

Such prayers, indeed, are a little hard to nature, but most acceptable to GOD, and sweet to those that love Him. Love sweetens pains; and when one loves GOD, one suffers for His sake with joy and courage. Do you so, I beseech you; comfort yourself with Him, who is the only Physician of all our maladies. He is the FATHER of the afflicted, always ready to help us. He loves us infinitely more than we imagine: love Him then, and seek not consolation elsewhere: I hope you will soon receive it. Adieu. I will help you with my prayers, poor as they are, and shall be, always, yours in our LORD.

Gospel for 1 April, 2007

Jesus then went into the Temple and drove out all those who were selling and buying there; he upset the tables of the money-changers and the seats of the dove-sellers. He said to them, ‘According to scripture, my house will be called a house of prayer; but you are turning it into a bandits' den.' There were also blind and lame people who came to him in the Temple, and he cured them. At the sight of the wonderful things he did and of the children shouting, ‘Hosanna to the son of David' in the Temple, the chief priests and the scribes were indignant and said to him, ‘Do you hear what they are saying?' Jesus answered, ‘Yes. Have you never read this: By the mouths of children, babes in arms, you have made sure of praise?' With that he left them and went out of the city to Bethany, where he spent the night.

The acclaim that Jesus recieved was never refused. Jesus never denied His right to Kingship over Isreal. All He denied was the use of military force to bring it about. His Kingship was not to be bought with the shed blood of armies. His kingsom was purchased with His own Blood freely sacrificed on the cross.

Another Visit with Brother Lawrence

TWELFTH LETTER

To the same correspondent probably, and expresses his own abiding comfort through faith.

IF we were well accustomed to the exercise of the presence of GOD, all bodily diseases would be much alleviated thereby. GOD often permits that we should suffer a little, to purify our souls, and oblige us to continue with Him.

Take courage, offer Him your pains incessantly, pray to Him for strength to endure them. Above all, get a habit of entertaining yourself often with GOD, and forget Him the least you can. Adore Him in your infirmities, offer yourself to Him from time to time; and, in the height of your sufferings, beseech Him humbly and affectionately (as a child his father) to make you conformable to His holy will. I shall endeavour to assist you with my poor prayers.

GOD has many ways of drawing us to Himself. He sometimes hides Himself from us: but faith alone, which will not fail us in time of need, ought to be our support, and the foundation of our confidence, which must be all in GOD.

I know not how GOD will dispose of me: I am always happy: all the world suffer; and I, who deserve the severest discipline, feel joys so continual, and so great, that I can scarce contain them.

I would willingly ask of GOD a part of your sufferings, but that I know my weakness, which is so great, that if He left me one moment to myself, I should be the most wretched man alive. And yet I know not how He can leave me alone, because faith gives me as strong a conviction as sense can do, that He never forsakes us, till we have first forsaken Him. Let us fear to leave Him. Let us be always with Him. Let us live and die in His presence.

Do you pray for me, as I for you.

Gospel for 31 March, 2007

When she had said this, she went and called her sister Mary, saying in a low voice, ‘The Master is here and wants to see you.' Hearing this, Mary got up quickly and went to him. Jesus had not yet come into the village; he was still at the place where Martha had met him. When the Jews who were in the house comforting Mary saw her get up so quickly and go out, they followed her, thinking that she was going to the tomb to weep there. Mary went to Jesus, and as soon as she saw him she threw herself at his feet, saying, ‘Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.' At the sight of her tears, and those of the Jews who had come with her, Jesus was greatly distressed, and with a profound sigh he said ‘Where have you put him?' They said, ‘Lord, come and see.' Jesus wept; and the Jews said, ‘See how much he loved him!' But there were some who remarked, ‘He opened the eyes of the blind man. Could he not have prevented this man's death?' Sighing again, Jesus reached the tomb: it was a cave with a stone to close the opening. Jesus said, ‘Take the stone away.' Martha, the dead man's sister, said to him, ‘Lord, by now he will smell; this is the fourth day since he died.' Jesus replied, ‘Have I not told you that if you believe you will see the glory of God?' So they took the stone away. Then Jesus lifted up his eyes and said: Father, I thank you for hearing my prayer. I myself knew that you hear me always, but I speak for the sake of all these who are standing around me, so that they may believe it was you who sent me. When he had said this, he cried in a loud voice, ‘Lazarus, come out!' The dead man came out, his feet and hands bound with strips of material, and a cloth over his face. Jesus said to them, ‘Unbind him, let him go free.' (John 11:28-44 NJB)

Today's Gospel lesson, the day the Orthodox celebrate as Lazarus Day, contains the answer to a popular Bible trivia answer, "what is the shortest verse in the Bible?" The answer is John 11:35, "Jesus wept." The funny thing is that though it may be the shortest, it may also be one of the most profound verses in the Bible.

These two little words tell us a lot about the person of Jesus. They say He was indeed like us. He knew about resurrection and new life. He knew the Father as no one else could. Hhe knew that there was more to life than just the transitory existence that we see around us. But He also knew the real human emotion of grief. He knew what it meant to lose a loved one. He understands how our human hearts ache and cry out against the injustice and lovelessness of death. He knows. He understands. He is one with us in every way.

I have always appreciated the real, often ignored truth, that today's Gospel also includes. As the King James Version records it, "it has been four days, and he stinketh." That's what happens to human bodies in hot climates, when they are not embalmed. The process of rot takes over and after a few days they stink of death and rot. Jesus knew that. And Jesus knew it was to be His legacy also. He, the Lord of life, would experience the horror, and the stench of death. Even enthroned back at the Father's right Hand, He through Whom all things were made, is never beyond the memory of dying and of rotting in the grave. The most sublime of truths is that even with that knowledge, even knowing that He would be so rejected by His own people, He willing came and endured it all so that we might be reconciled to God. He embraced what was completely antithetical to His Nature so that we might be empowered to embrace His Nature and become children of God.