Some time ago, at one of my former places of residence, I was leaning over the fence talking to my neighbour, who was a drummer in a rock band. I said to him, “You know, there might come a time when we need you to come and share your talents during our church worship.” He exclaimed, rather pointedly, 'Oh no, the Lord wouldn’t know what to do if the likes of me showed up there.’ I said, ‘Try Him, you might just be surprised. God accepts and includes everyone.’ The fellow wasn’t convinced, or at least, not at that point, but my message is true. God loves, accepts, values, and includes everyone, no matter who they are. This is one of the messages of today’s Scripture passage and meditation and is a good one for us to remember--and share.

While my meditation for today was based on a passage from Ephesians, the gospel for today was from John, the story of the nighttime meeting between Jesus and Nicodemus. Here--at least the way that I read it--was a man who ‘had everything’ and yet was still searching. In spite of ‘everything’, his life was empty--and so he came to Jesus looking for answers. He is like the second kind of person that I mention in my meditation, and indeed, is this not like a lot of people in our world today. All the more reason to reach out to them with the Gospel.

Back in March/ April of 2021 the Canadian magazine, Walrus, published an article entitled, “Climate Blues: More and more people are seeking therapy to treat anxiety about the future of the planet.” I would suggest that this level of anxiety has increased, not decreased, over time, and has increased in spite of the various measures that have been introduced to try to deal with the question of climate change. I would suggest that people are now more stressed than ever, and about other things as well, things like health and politics and world affairs.

It is a very challenging and disturbing world in which we presently live, a world that certainly fits in with the psalmist’s words about transience and instability. And so, his words about the permanence and stability and reliability of Almighty God are certainly welcome. Indeed, they are things that we need to embrace, hold on to, and trust in wholly.

Saint Paul had a heart for people and a passion for them that they might all come to know and love Jesus. It was so important for him because he knew from his own experience what it was like to be outside of the love of God and to try to ‘earn’ that love by doing all the right things and following the rules, but never feeling ‘good enough’, never feeling that he ‘measured up.’ And so, that is why he was so zealous, so single-minded about sharing the Good News.

So, what about us? Do we have that same heart for people, that same passion, that Paul had? Unfortunately, those can grow dim over time. I know that for me, when I first came to Christ, they were very, very strong. After all, I had experienced that feeling of ‘never being good enough’, never ‘measuring up’--and then, in Christ, knowing for the first time that I was loved and accepted unconditionally, loved and accepted and valued regardless of what I did or did not do. What a relief, and what a wonderfully freeing idea. I sense that I need to reawaken those thoughts. How about you? Maybe this is something that we need to rediscover, reawaken, as God’s people, so that we might become more intentional and deliberate in sharing, and being, that Good News.

The latter part of Psalm 95, the Venite, makes the claim that many of God’s people ‘did not know my ways’ and gives this as the reason why they were ‘wayward in their hearts.’ In contrast to this, we have today’s psalm, Psalm 85, where the psalmist relates his experience of God’s mercy and loving kindness, his experience of ‘knowing God’s ways’, and applies this as his justification for seeking God’s help and submitting himself to God’s direction and care.

And surely this is something that we can relate to. We too have experienced God’s love and care, and so, should not we respond in similar fashion, with love and devotion most certainly but with honour and respect and obedience as well.

In his description of the ‘race of life’ in Hebrews 12 verse, its author suggests two things that can impede us in running that race. On of them is rather obvious, ‘the sin that just won’t let go.’ The other is undefined, unlabeled, and is simply described as ‘everything that slows us down’, that is anything that gets in the way. I don’t know about you, but for me that could be a myriad of things, habits, prejudices, ambitions, natural inclinations, you name it. It is those kinds of things that our passage and meditation for today suggest, and what a better time to prayerfully consider such things as in this season of Lent.

There is nothing new under the sun, and certainly, when it comes to the sinfulness and waywardness of human nature, this must undoubtedly be true. Ever since Adam and Eve we have generally stood with Frank Sinatra in wanting to ‘do it my way.’ That’s why repentance, that is, turning our lives over to God, and faith, that is, trusting Him with our lives is so difficult. That’s what it was like for the audiences in today’s Scripture reading, just as it is for us here today.

There are many profitable lessons that can be gleaned from the story of Joseph and his brothers in the Hebrew Scriptures, most certainly with the story of Joseph himself, being ‘sold’ into slavery (like us being ‘sold’ into sin by Adam and Eve), suffering profusely and forgiving, even as Christ suffered and forgave us. But today, I want to dwell on one of the other brothers, Judah, who also exhibited certain Christ-like attributes. He too is worthy of notice, and of imitation.

In a very real sense, it is splendid that King David authored so many of our psalms, for his life experience covered an incredible array of highs and lows. And so, he is well placed from his own experience to describe many, if not most, of the things that we go through. And so, there is a psalm basically for ‘every occasion’, and as many Bible commentators have suggested, they thus become an ideal tool, an ideal means, for expressing our own thoughts and emotions to God. In today’s psalm, we once again hear of many of the threats and dangers impinging upon his life, and is this not also, something of our own experience as well?

Here, I probably sound like a ‘broken record’--I’m trusting that you know what I mean by 'a broken record’, my kids don’t--but I need to reiterate what I have often said before, and that is that our lives count, count for something in this world, and count for something in God’s eyes. We may think little of our efforts--they are so very small and have such a limited impact--but in reality they are like the seeds that Jesus speaks of in today’s parables. And, even those they may be unnoticed and be done in secret, they still count for something, whether for better or for worse.

Today’s psalm, a prayer to God for the king, almost sounds too good to be true--especially when one considers some of the folks that have ruled in our world. But is it too much to expect those that lead our communities, our churches, our nations and indeed our world, to be honest and fair and to safeguard and help the poor and the homeless and the vulnerable? I think not, and especially of those who call themselves Christians, who claim to follow in the footsteps and example of our Lord, who certainly exemplified this kind of leadership in His earthly life. Should not we, you and I, seek to be like Him and expect others, especially those who claim His Name, to be like Him as well? That, anyway, is my thought and conviction.

One of my favourite stories from the Scriptures is the incident of Jesus calming the storm in the Sea of Galilee. In one of the accounts, Jesus had expressly told them to launch out. And yet, even so, they encounter storms. If I had been there, I would have been terribly cross with Jesus--and all the more so because He was asleep in the stern of the boat, seemingly oblivious to what was going on. I would have had ‘some words’ for Jesus: “hey, you told me to do this, and look what a mess I’m in. I would have expected you to pave the way for me and make sure that I didn’t run into trouble!” However, that is not the way that it always works. Sometimes we encounter issues and problems even when we are fully in His will and doing as He says. But notice: Jesus takes their concerns seriously--just as God does with David’s complaints in today’s psalm. In the case of the storm on Galilee, Jesus merely stilled it. Other times, instead, He sees us through it. But either way, He is there, He cares, and He acts. Such is our wonderful God.

Here’s hoping that you are having a great day.

How did God get things done? How did Jesus? The answer is simple: enlist helpers, delegate. And the answer is still the same today. God/ Jesus still has much work to be done today, and just as before, there are needed willing people to help out. And, those people, among others, happen to be you and me. Yes, even if we don’t think we have much to give, much in the way of talents. God can make use of every single one of us--if only we will be open to the idea and listen to what He suggests. That’s what our meditation for today is about.

Scholars have long suggested that Peter’s confession of Jesus as the Messiah at Caesaria Philippi was a kind of thematic hinge, a turning point, to Mark’s Gospel. Up until then, there was speculation, even among the disciples, as to who Jesus really was. But now, with Peter’s confession, this question has been answered, at least for the disciples. But then there was the question: ‘Okay, what kind of Messiah will He be? And, what will that mean to His disciples, those who follow Him?

Here, in today’s passage, this comes to a head, namely with the question of whether Jesus will be the Messiah of popular opinion and expectation--which Peter clearly is thinking of-- or whether He will be the suffering Messiah prophecies by Isaiah. And clearly, if He is to be the latter, there will be huge implications for His followers. They won’t be ‘in the train’ of a victorious and triumphant liberator, but somewhere else, which doesn’t sound at all exciting--which is exactly how Jesus describes it.

But then the crunch really comes down to this: are we willing to surrender our own ambitions and control, and let God take charge? But then, there’s that cost, the cost to following Him. That’s what it comes down to. But only in the latter, Jesus explains, will we truly find life and happiness. What a choice!

Growing up, one of my favourite hymns was #16 in the old blue hymnbook, “Abide with Me”. I know that many people now dislike it because of its association with funerals, but I liked it for my own reasons. Firstly, as an evening hymn it conveys a sense of one’s peaceful surrender come nighttime into the loving hands of our wonderful Saviour. And secondly, because it was the hymn that we sang at the close of Junior Choir practice each Thursday afternoon. Somehow it just seemed so fitting.

Our reading and meditation for today speak of us abiding with Jesus, and so this hymn seems to be a most appropriate counterpoint, an appropriate response, to that injunction of His, in that we are now asking Him to abide with us. To me, this is exactly what we should be asking every single day.

I guess that it is probably only natural that we humans get set in our ways--and somewhat impervious to change--but this is not always what God wants. We are told that God is about to do a new thing (see Isaiah 43:19), so maybe it would be best for us to be alert for it, see it, and embrace it. Something to think about, especially during this Lenten season when we remember what God in Christ Jesus has already done. Maybe He isn’t finished, and has yet something else ‘up His sleeve’!

Today’s meditation touches on what, for me at least, is a rather difficult question. In the Scriptures we are constantly advised to be humble, and yet, how do we do that while acknowledging and accepting praise or appreciation from others? The best way through this so far, for myself at least, is to accept that praise, even though I'm usually thinking that I am ‘just doing my job’ as far as I am concerned, but then willingly acknowledging that it is God who directs it and makes it possible. What’s your ‘take’ on this?

The problem with the folks in Jesus’ hometown of Nazareth was one of expectations. They really did not expect much from Jesus, and were, quite frankly, quite miffed when He went ‘outside the box’ as it were in terms of what they expected of Him.

I think that sometimes we, you and I, have the same problem with God. Perhaps, on occasion, we expect too much of Him, but I think that is probably rare. I would guess that far too often it is the opposite: we think too little of Him by way of expectations. When we have things like a common cold or a minor spat with a relative or neighbour or church member, we figure that it is much too little to ‘worry’ Him about. And, when it is some ‘big’ problem, like Canadian or American politics, or the war in Ukraine, or the Hamas-Israel war, we figure that it is too big. Either way, just as took place with that crowd in Nazareth, we underestimate what God can and will do, and, because of this lack of faith in Him, we don’t see quite the results that we might see otherwise. I pray that our expectations might be broadened, now and always. Amen.