I will make with them a covenant of peace;
it shall be an everlasting covenant with them,
and I will multiply them, and put my sanctuary among them forever.
Even more consoling is the Psalm Refrain: The Lord will guard us, as a shepherd guards his flock. This is so gentle and protective compared to all of the warrior images that we have been reading from the Old Testament earlier this Lenten Season. The image of our God as a Shepherd is one of the most comforting images in the entire Bible.
John's Gospel is almost like an ongoing saga of espionage. Mind games, power struggles and sinister plots. I find myself longing for the Parables and ready for the positive, formative readings from the Acts and Paul in the Easter Season. I fully realize we need to walk the road to Calvary before we can experience the gifts of the resurrection, but it seems more painful this year.
So, Jesus has been forced to withdraw from public, but not from his Mission, in that there is consolation.
So Jesus no longer walked about in public among the Jews,
but he left for the region near the desert,
to a town called Ephraim,
and there he remained with his disciples.
Now the Passover of the Jews was near,
and many went up from the country to Jerusalem
before Passover to purify themselves.
They looked for Jesus and said to one another
as they were in the temple area, “What do you think?
That he will not come to the feast?”
but he left for the region near the desert,
to a town called Ephraim,
and there he remained with his disciples.
Now the Passover of the Jews was near,
and many went up from the country to Jerusalem
before Passover to purify themselves.
They looked for Jesus and said to one another
as they were in the temple area, “What do you think?
That he will not come to the feast?”
These final days are a real test of faith, both that of the human Jesus and my own faith. I was gifted with the opportunity to console a woman yesterday whose husband had taken his life 2 days prior with a gun. They were both patients. She presented for a routine scheduled appointment and that was the first we learned of the suicide. They have both struggled with depression and both been very supportive of the other. My strongest consolation to her was the gift of faith. That her husband can see in her grief how much she truly loved him. Faith that a loving and forgiving God will welcome him home and restore him to the fullness of eternal life, that he can continue to walk with her in the days ahead. The Israelites were so dependent upon a physical sign. Not to sound arrogant, but their faith was really limited. God, give us evidence and we will build an altar to worship you! Yesterday I was challenged to see and to share the presence of God when it is indeed difficult. That is faith. As I listened to this woman pour her heart out I was able to love her and offer consolation, forgiveness and healing. This, too, is faith -- recognizing and responding to the presence of God when it is right in front of us.
May we continue to grow in faith as we enter into the final phase of this Lenten Season! And, YES, Jesus WILL come to the feast and he will welcome us with open arms.
Love,
MF
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