Lent

Dec 13 2024

Scripture Study for

The mountain upon which God speaks to Moses is a holy mountain (“Remove your sandals”), because it is a place of divine revelation. The God who speaks is the God worshiped by the ancestors. This same God promises to release the Israelites from Egyptian bondage. The name that God reveals is similar in sound and appearance to a form of the verb “to be.” It denotes continuing action and may mean “I AM always.” This new name implies God’s continuing active involvement. The promise of deliverance identifies the way that God will be with the people: always present to rescue.

Paul warns the Corinthians about over-confidence in their status as Christians. Although Baptism and Eucharist are means of union with God, they do not work automatically. Paul turns to the wilderness events to illustrate this. The miraculous events in the wilderness were of no avail for most of the people of that generation. Likewise, the Corinthians’ own calling and initiation into its mysteries was, in itself, no guarantee of salvation. They would have to demonstrate their fidelity again and again. Christian life requires persistent Christian living.

Jesus speaks of the suddenness of recent tragedies and the possible unpreparedness of their victims. He exhorts his hearers to repent lest they suffer the same fate—not that they might be spared such calamity, but that they should be prepared for it. They should be reconciled with God before disaster strikes. He then tells a parable to demonstrate the mercy of God. In it, God is like both the owner and the diligent worker, willing to give time to repent. However, final condemnation is still a real possibility. Jesus teaches that we should always be prepared for sudden death by being reconciled with God at all times. While God might be patient with us, this patience requires that we participate with the opportunities that God provides for our maturing in righteousness. We risk God’s judgment if we disregard God’s grace.

Dec 13 2024

The Glory Yet to Come

God’s promises are not empty words carried off by the wind soon after they are uttered. From the beginning, God has backed up divine promises with action. We see this today in the story of God sealing the promise to Abraham of many descendants and the gift of the land with the mystifying occurrence of a floating fire pot and flaming torch passing through Abraham’s sacrifice. God’s words lead to a ratifying action.

In the Gospel, God comes to Jesus. At first, this is made evident in the change of Jesus’ face and clothing. Then the great prophets Moses and Elijah appear, mediators of God’s word to the people through both the Torah and prophetic deeds, who speak with Jesus about his coming death in Jerusalem. Finally, as with Israel in the desert, God manifests the divine presence, coming in a cloud and proclaiming Jesus as “chosen Son.” “Listen to him,” the voice says. Divine word is backed up by divine deed.

This yearly glimpse of glory in the story of the Transfiguration tells us yet again that God recognizes our need for signs and support in our journey of faith. Walking in faith is not all shadows and darkness. Light comes into our lives, sometimes in such unexpected ways that we only become aware of it in retrospect. These moments whisper of God’s ongoing presence with us, of promises yet to be fulfilled. Paul speaks of our citizenship even now being in heaven, calling us to “stand firm in the Lord.”

Consider/Discuss

Can you remember a moment when the promise of our faith was affirmed by a gracious event, enabling you to recognize God’s presence?
Do you believe that our citizenship is in heaven and that our bodies are destined to being conformed to Christ’s glorified body?

Responding to the Word

Lord, enlighten the eyes of our hearts, providing a glimpse of the glory promised us because of your saving death and resurrection. As we move toward renewing the promises made at baptism, make our hearts ever more confident in the Father’s fidelity and the ongoing strength that comes from the Spirit.

Dec 13 2024

Scripture Study for

Two promises are made to Abram: a multitude of descendants, and a vast expanse of land to be given to those descendants. Abram’s response of faith is credited to him as righteousness. The passage also contains a divine self-identification similar to the one that introduces the Decalogue. The ritual known as “cutting the covenant” is performed. It is a dramatized curse in which the covenant partners promise that if either partner transgresses the prescriptions of the covenant, the other can inflict the fate of the animals on the violator. The harshness of the penalty signals the seriousness of this covenant-making.

In his exhortation to the Philippians, Paul compares the fate of the true believers with that of opponents of the gospel. It is not clear who these opponents were. Perhaps they were Gnostics (who believed they’d been given a “special knowledge”)—Christians who believed that they had already passed into a spiritualized form of existence and could live in this world unscathed by its temptations. True believers, on the other hand, were really aliens in this earthly place. Their citizenship was in heaven. Unlike the enemies of the cross, they knew that they would have to embrace that cross, and then, with Christ’s coming, they would be transformed into his glory.

At the time of his transfiguration Jesus is joined by Moses and Elijah, who represent Israel’s law and the prophets. The exodus of which they speak is Jesus’ death, resurrection, and ascension, all of the important events in God’s plan of salvation. This discussion indicated that Jesus’ death was not a tragic mistake, something that he was unable to avoid. Rather, those who represented the entire religious tradition of Israel knew it beforehand. The voice from heaven not only authenticates who Jesus is, but also instructs the disciples to listen to his words, regardless of how challenging or perplexing they might be. It will take the actual unfolding of the events of Jesus’ exodus for them to understand its meaning.

Dec 13 2024

Pledging Allegiance

Lent’s journey will take us to the celebration of the paschal mystery of Easter. During these forty days we are invited into a space of sensory deprivation when we gather for worship: no flowers on the altar, no music for its own sake but only to accompany our singing, and no colorful banners that might distract us from the task at hand: to prepare our minds and hearts to renew our baptismal promises during the celebration.

We will be asked both to renounce Satan and all his perks and promises and to place our wholehearted trust in God who created us, in the Son who redeemed us, and in the Spirit who dwells within us and enlightens us. Lent is a serious season but not necessarily a somber one; it is the waiting room for Easter joy. One Lenten Preface (the priest’s prayer before the Holy, Holy, Holy) even speaks of it as a season that is a gracious gift from God, making us joyful because we are purified to celebrate the Easter mysteries.

Just as Jesus was tempted throughout his ministry to turn aside from his mission, his followers will be, too. The three temptations speak to our own experience when we seek self-gratification rather than the glory of God.

God’s word today calls us to make God our true nourishment, our true wealth, our faithful source of strength, and the solid foundation of our trust. Paul’s bold proclamation to the Romans extends to us: the Lord enriches all who call upon him. All who call on him will be saved.

Consider/Discuss

Where do you want to find yourself at the end of this Lenten journey?
What temptation lures you to turn aside from having God and Christ at the center of your life?

Responding to the Word

Lord Jesus, as you had the help of the Spirit to turn aside from the temptations that came to you during the time in the desert and the years of your ministry, help us to turn to this same Spirit to help us in our efforts to grow in faith, hope, and charity this Lent.

Dec 13 2024

Scripture Study for

The reading from Deuteronomy contains one of the most important creedal statements found in the Pentateuch. This profession of faith was part of the Israelite celebration of First Fruits. The cultic ritual described here consisted of both action (the offering of the basket containing the produce) and the recitation of the saving acts of God on behalf of the people. This passage describes Moses instructing the Israelites for future observances of this festival. Since these directives come from Moses, the spokesperson of God, they have Mosaic and therefore divine legitimacy.

The essence of Paul’s preaching is twofold: the centrality of Christ in the drama of salvation, and the need to accept the gospel in order to open oneself to Christ’s saving power. To call Jesus Lord had ramifications in both Jewish and Greek circles. In the Jewish tradition, it identified Jesus with the one true God. In a Greek culture, it claimed that Jesus—and no other political lord or master—was the one to whom whole-hearted allegiance belonged. Finally, it is faith in Jesus, not membership in the chosen people of Israel, that justifies and saves.

The account of Jesus’ temptations in the wilderness states that Jesus was under the influence of the Holy Spirit. In each temptation Jesus is challenged to prove that he is the Son of God. The temptation to produce bread recalls Israel’s hunger in the wilderness and God’s graciousness in supplying the people with manna. In the second temptation, Jesus rejects the devil’s offer to turn over control of the world to him. The last test was an attempt to force God to protect Jesus. In each instance Jesus rejects the temptation and refers to a passage from Deuteronomy. Three times the devil tempts Jesus; three times Jesus proves his allegiance to God. He never directly addresses the question of his divine sonship, but he always shows himself to be faithful, whereas Israel was not.