reflecting and repenting
Dear First Pres SLO Family,
Grace and peace to you in the name of Jesus Messiah, whose life of sacrifice is a model for us all.
We are deep into the season of Lent now. How is it going for you? Are you finding time and space to do a little reflecting and repenting, so that Easter can be that much more meaningful this year? I hope so, for you and for me, and I know it’s not always easy.
Some of us are reading through the little devotional called Rise, by John Pavlovitz—it’s a good and challenging guide to the season. I tend to bounce around between Henri Nouwen’s Show Me The Way, whatever the congregation is doing, and the lectionary (a daily set of readings that take us through the whole Bible over three years).
On one lectionary site I was challenged by this part of today’s Gospel reading (you can find the readings here):
“You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them,
and the great ones make their authority over them felt.
But it shall not be so among you.
Rather, whoever wishes to be great among you shall be your servant;
whoever wishes to be first among you shall be your slave.
Just so, the Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve
and to give his life as a ransom for many.” (Matthew 20:25-28)
Here's what strikes me about this, especially during a season when we’re meant to be focusing on getting our inward lives in order:
Our values and priorities can be twisted by the demands (or temptations) of our culture.
And then we see Jesus, living and loving and serving, as he reminds his closest friends about the true meaning of greatness. You have to serve other people.
Now I can’t think of a contemporary motivational speaker who would say this. They usually focus on taking what’s yours, defeating your competition, and forgetting your past. But that’s not what the Messiah has on offer for us. That’s not the path to a meaningful Lenten season.
Even the wording of Jesus’ teaching is important. Bear with me here. Jesus says:
“Rather, whoever wishes to be great among you shall be your servant;
whoever wishes to be first among you shall be your slave.”
Notice that it’s not: “If you want to be great among you shall be a servant;
if you wish to be first among others you shall be a slave.”
Jesus is saying that if you want to know who is really great among you, look for the servants, the generous ones, the ones who sacrifice for others. Just like Mister Rogers taught us (or our kids), “Look for the helpers.” Jesus says all of this knowing how the story will go. “The Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
That’s our model. That’s whose life we’re called to build our lives around.
During this season of Lent, let me invite you to do some honest reflection on what you value most. See if some internal housecleaning can help you clear out the junk and open your heart to a more meaningful experience of the Resurrection this year.
That’s my prayer, for you and for me. Blessings to you,
Pastor John