journey, patience, effort

Saturday, March 7, 2008

Deut. 11:18-28; Heb. 5:1-10; John 4:1-26

(7) In the days of his flesh, Jesus offered up prayers and supplications, with loud cries and tears, to him who was able to save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverence. (8) Although he was a son, he learned obedience through what he suffered. (9) And being made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation to all who obey him...
(Hebrews 5)


These readings in Hebrews during Lent are intentional, I think. Alexander Schmemann writes in Great Lent: Journey to Pascha that one set of lenten readings [the Saturday lenten eucharistic feast, the Divine Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom] in the Orthodox Church are from this epistle, and he says why:

During Lent this meaning of Saturdays acquires a special intensity, for the purpose of Lent is precisely to recover the Christian meaning of time as preparation and pilgrimage and of the status of the Christian as "alien" and "exile" in this world (I Peter 2:11). These Saturdays refer lenten effort to the future fulfillment and thus give Lent its special rhythm... The particular character of that feast is that it refers itself to Lent as journey, patience, and effort... whose purpose is to make us reflect on the ultimate goal of that journey. (pp. 69-70)

Anyway, I trust the readings are intentional in our Anglican Daily Office tradition as well.

Today we hear of the beloved Son, God's anointed King (Psalm 2) who is also The High Priest, who in his earthly pilgrimage suffered, even "learned obedience through what he suffered" (that's a good reflection, for another day). And because of this suffering, he offered up prayers and supplications with loud cries and tears to him who was able to save him from death - but did not, or better said, he did save him from death, through death.

We hear of Jesus' "journey, patience, and effort." We see him as "alien" and "exile" even in the world made by and through and for himself. He was made perfect through the whole journey - the suffering, the crying out in reverent fear, the pains and the tears, in his dying, in his resting on the seventh day, and in his vindication on the first day of the New Creation. And therefore, he is the source of eternal salvation (another interesting phrase to ruminate on at another time) for those who obey him.

What does it mean to obey him? It means to heed his command: "repent and believe the good news." It means to do what he says, "believe in God, believe also in me;" and "Follow me;" and "watch and pray that you enter not into temptation, for the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak."

Yes, I know those are all pre-Easter, pre-Pentecost commands or expectations... prior to his empowering presence in our midst and within our very bodies. And this makes it even more important and encouraging to obey him, to walk in his footsteps, for one to indeed "deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me."

We have joined ourselves to him. We have committed ourselves to his kingdom and kingship. We have cast our whole existence into his saving and redeeming love. We have been forgiven. We are blessed. Certainly, we can be honest enough now to recognize where we are in this journey of following him; and if he cried out in fear and tears and suffering, how much more must we. Our sins, in attitude and actions, do separate us from God (Isaiah 59:2); perhaps not ultimately or finally, but certainly from his renewing work in us transforming us into the image of his Son. And so we "strive" to enter that rest; so we "toil, struggling with all his energy that he powerfully works within me" (Col. 1:29). This is worth "all our heart, all our soul, and all our strength."

Lent reminds us of the journey, that we have not arrived, and yes, it calls us to effort and to patience, as we work out our salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who is at work in us, both to work and to will for his good pleasure.


Collect for 1st Sunday of Lent
Almighty God, whose blessed Son was led by the Spirit to be tempted by Satan: Come quickly to help us who are assaulted by many temptations; and, as you know the weaknesses of each of us, let each one find you mighty to save; through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.