Lent, Day Twenty-Six, Fourth Sunday of Lent

Lent, Day Twenty-Six, Fourth Sunday of Lent
Nicodemus admired Jesus, but was afraid to lose the respect of his own colleagues. I am becoming more and more aware of the importance of looking at these fearful sympathizers because that is the group I find myself mostly gravitating toward.

I love Jesus but want to hold on to my own friends even when they do not lead me closer to Jesus. I love Jesus but want to hold on to my own independence even when that independence brings me no real freedom... I love Jesus but do not want to give up my writing plans, travel plans, and speaking plans, even when these plans are often more to my glory than to the glory of God.

So I am like Nicodemus, who came by night, said safe things about Jesus to his colleagues, and expressed his guilt by bringing to the grave more myrrh and aloes (John 19:39) than needed or desired.

Henri J.M. Nouwen
The Road to Daybreak: A Spiritual Journey, pg 52

Scripture:
⁴⁰ On hearing his words, some of the people said, “Surely this man is the Prophet.”
⁴¹ Others said, “He is the Messiah.”
Still others asked, “How can the Messiah come from Galilee? ⁴² Does not Scripture say that the Messiah will come from David’s descendants and from Bethlehem, the town where David lived?” ⁴³ Thus the people were divided because of Jesus. ⁴⁴ Some wanted to seize him, but no one laid a hand on him.
⁴⁵ Finally the temple guards went back to the chief priests and the Pharisees, who asked them, “Why didn’t you bring him in?”
⁴⁶ “No one ever spoke the way this man does,” the guards replied.
⁴⁷ “You mean he has deceived you also?” the Pharisees retorted. ⁴⁸ “Have any of the rulers or of the Pharisees believed in him? ⁴⁹ No! But this mob that knows nothing of the law—there is a curse on them.”
⁵⁰ Nicodemus, who had gone to Jesus earlier and who was one of their own number, asked, ⁵¹ “Does our law condemn a man without first hearing him to find out what he has been doing?”
⁵² They replied, “Are you from Galilee, too? Look into it, and you will find that a prophet does not come out of Galilee.”John 7:40-52

PRAYER
Dearest God, help me to evaluate my motivations and actions in the light of your purposes and not be held sway by the advice of friends and opinion makers. Let me look to you rather than to others for guidance, for in setting that priority I learn to renounce my own will and keep peace with you. Amen.

LENTEN ACTION
Make a list of those things and people who most influence you, for example, friends, family, media, public opinion, and so on. Weed out one of those influences that are most unhealthy. In addition, this Lent make it a point to stand up for one unpopular but morally sound point of view.

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The Fourth Sunday in Lent
The Collect.
GRANT, we beseech thee, Almighty God, that we, who for our evil deeds do worthily deserve to be punished, by the comfort of thy grace may mercifully be relieved; through our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen.

The Epistle. Galatians iv. 21. TELL me, ye that desire to be under the law, do ye not hear the law? For it is written, that Abraham had two sons, the one by a bondmaid, the other by a freewoman. But he who was of the bondwoman was born after the flesh; but he of the freewoman was by promise. Which things are an allegory: for these are the two covenants; the one from the mount Sinai, which gendereth to bondage, which is Agar. For this Agar is mount Sinai in Arabia, and answereth to Jerusalem which now is, and is in bondage with her children. But Jerusalem which is above is free, which is the mother of us all. For it is written, Rejoice, thou barren that bearest not: break forth and cry, thou that travailest not: for the desolate hath many more children than she which hath an husband. Now we, brethren, as Isaac was, are the children of promise. But as then he that was born after the flesh persecuted him that was born after the Spirit, even so it is now. Nevertheless what saith the scripture? Cast out the bondwoman and her son: for the son of the bondwoman shall not be heir with the son of the freewoman. So then, brethren, we are not children of the bondwoman, but of the free.


The Gospel. St. John vi. 1. JESUS went over the sea of Galilee, which is the sea of Tiberias. And a great multitude followed him, because they saw his miracles which he did on them that were diseased. And Jesus went up into a mountain, and there he sat with his disciples. And the passover, a feast of the Jews, was nigh. When Jesus then lifted up his eyes, and saw a great company come unto him, he saith unto Philip, Whence shall we buy bread, that these may eat? And this he said to prove him: for he himself knew what he would do. Philip answered him, Two hundred pennyworth of bread is not sufficient for them, that every one of them may take a little. One of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, saith unto him, There is a lad here, which hath five barley loaves, and two small fishes: but what are they among so many? And Jesus said, Make the men sit down. Now there was much grass in the place. So the men sat down, in number about five thousand. And Jesus took the loaves; and when he had given thanks, he distributed to the disciples, and the disciples to them that were set down; and likewise of the fishes as much as they would. When they were filled, he said unto his disciples, Gather up the fragments that remain, that nothing be lost. Therefore they gathered them together, and filled twelve baskets with the fragments of the five barley loaves, which remained over and above unto them that had eaten. Then those men, when they had seen the miracle that Jesus did, said, This is of a truth that prophet that should come into the world.

 

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Hymn Suggestions

Kind maker of the world (office hymn) - Jesu dulcis memoria 56
O food to men wayfaring - O esca viatorum 192
My God, thy table now is spread - Rockingham 203
Humbly I adore thee - Adoro Devote 204
Deck thyself, my soul, with gladness - Schmuecke Dich 210
How wondrous and great thy works - Old Hundred Fourth 260
How wondrous and great thy works - Lyons 260
When all thy mercies, O my God - Durham 297
The King of love my shepherd is - St. Columba 345
The King of love my shepherd is - Dominus regit me 345
O very God of very God - Bangor 442
Lord dismiss us with thy blessing - Sicilian mariners 489
Lord dismiss us with thy blessing - Dismissal 489
O mother dear, Jerusalem - Southwell 584
O mother dear, Jerusalem - Materna 584
Jerusalem, my happy home - Land of Rest 585
Jerusalem, my happy home - Diana 585
O what their joy and their glory must be - O Quanta Qualia 589
There is a blessed home - Beulah 591