Easter- Mark 16: 1-8

 The great day has arrived. Christians rightly rejoice on this day because we commemorate the great triumph of Jesus Christ which is at the heart of our faith. Christ is risen! He is risen indeed!

 Nevertheless, as the alternate Gospel from Mark 16: 1-8 shows us, the first Easter did not begin with joy. It began with sorrow and fear. Why fear? For several reasons. The disciples, both women and men, were afraid that the Romans and the Jerusalem priesthood might track down followers of the executed Messiah. They were afraid that the authorities might have desecrated the tomb of their beloved rabbi. They were also afraid because one did not expect to run into angels every day. They were afraid as they considered the real possibility of Christ's Resurrection. The empty tomb, the angels, and the transformed Lord Jesus were great and unusual manifestations of divine power, and throughout the Scriptures, a normal human reaction to divine power is a holy fear. God is holy, His power exceeds human understanding, and weak and sinful creatures should stand in awe and amazement.

Our perspective is a little different from that of the women on the first Easter. We do not fear Romans or Temple guards, and we are not afraid that someone has stolen Jesus' body. Yet, we would do well to have a bit of holy fear as we think of the Resurrection. We are amazed because Christ's Resurrection is the greatest manifestation of divine power seen in human history. God's new act through Jesus Christ His only Son is truly awe-inspiring. Since Christ's Resurrection was long ago and since we have heard the story many times, we must be careful not to take it for granted. Early that Sunday, a power greater than any natural force we know broke into human history. Divine energy transformed the dead body of an executed Jewish leader into the glorious body of the Lord of all creation. 

The Resurrection is the great mystery at the heart of the Christian faith, and we should be amazed. Jesus rising from the dead is an awesome event that we should appreciate in diverse ways. After being amazed, we develop other reactions. We can move on and allow Easter to fill our hearts with joy. Divine goodness has triumphed. Grace and mercy abound. And we can truly begin to appreciate the joy Christ brings. Alleluia! Christ is risen!

Tuesday before Easter- Isaiah 50; Mark 15

For the Tuesday before Easter (Tuesday in Holy Week), the Book of Common Prayer continues the Passion Gospel from Mark 15:1-39. It also provides a reading from Isaiah 50: 5-11 as a liturgical epistle. This Suffering Servant passage continues the theme of the way of the cross, and its wording is reflected in the 1928 collect of the day: "O Lord God, whose blessed Son, our Saviour, gave his back to the smiters and hid not his face from shame..."

Holy Week is a special reminder that earthly life will always involve suffering. The pertinent question is not whether we human beings suffer but rather how we suffer. Do we merely try to avoid as much suffering as possible? Do we respond as pagan stoics? Or do we complain loudly when we suffer? For Christians, none of these responses is sufficient. Rather we look to our Lord Jesus Christ. Of course, our sufferings do not really compare to those of the holy and innocent Son of God. But we should seek divine grace to accept earthly suffering as a way to draw closer to Jesus Christ.  As we contemplate Christ's way of the cross, may we draw closer to Him and see all our human problems as opportunities to grow in grace!

Monday before Easter- Mark 14

This Monday before Easter (also known as the Monday in Holy Week) is an appropriate day to reflect on several matters. Since it is March 25 on the calendar, it is also the traditional date for the Annunciation of Christ's birth to the Virgin Mary. Because of Holy Week, most liturgical calendars postpone observing the Annunciation. Nevertheless, it is interesting to note how our Lord's Incarnation,  Passion, and Resurrection are related. This connection is beautifully expressed in the Collect for the Annunciation:

We beseech thee, O Lord, pour thy grace into our hearts; that, as we have known the incarnation of thy Son Jesus Christ by the message of an angel, so by his cross and passion we may be brought into the glory of his resurrection; through the same Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

The Prayer Book Gospel assigned for today is the Passion account from Mark 14. This Scripture includes Mark 14:3-9, the story about the woman who anointed Jesus with costly fragrance. In typical human disagreeableness, some people murmur. Instead of honoring Jesus or respecting the woman who honors Him, some of those present feel compelled to criticize the woman and by implication, Jesus who accepts her gift. They try to make their criticism seem justifiable by using high-sounding phrases. They resort to moralistic words about helping the poor to mask their unbelief.

Of course, these critics are not really as pious as they pretend. Their words betray a condescending attitude toward the woman and a lack of appreciation for Jesus. They don't care about the suffering that awaits Him. They are really hypocrites using pious words in order to hide their own lack of faith and love.

Unfortunately, many people in the world continue to behave this way. Many acts of devotion or worship can be criticized as impractical wastes of time, energy, or resources. In fact, all Holy Week devotions might be attacked this way. After all, instead of praying and reading Scripture, one could be engaged in some "productive" or charitable activity. For many people, almost any mundane activity seems more valuable and practical than devotional reading or prayer.

Yet, Christians must not ignore the spiritual life.We must not always focus on the practical, and we must not even elevate concern for the poor above our devotion to God. Believers are called to honor God and His Christ above all. Such devotion is the reason that the Church observes this special week. God deserves this honor and praise, and such activity is also good for our own souls. We should not ignore the poor or others in need, but we must put our devotion to God first. 

Epiphany II- Mark 1

 From the Second Sunday after Epiphany through the Fourth Sunday after Epiphany,  the sequence of propers in the 1928 American BCP diverges from the 1662 Book of Common Prayer. By placing a Gospel about the Baptism of our Lord (St. Mark 1:1-11) on this Sunday in the Epiphany season, the 1928 revisers were paying homage to ancient associations of Epiphany. In the ancient eastern churches, Christ's Baptism was the key epiphany or manifestation. Among western churches. Christ's Birth and manifestation to the Magi became central, and Christ's Baptism was ignored in some liturgies such as Sarum.

So although commemorating our Lord's Baptism on this particular Sunday is not universal, even among Anglicans, it is certainly appropriate that we should reflect upon this important Gospel event. Although Jesus of Nazareth did not need to be cleansed from any sin, He underwent this ritual of cleansing to give His followers an example and to dedicate Himself publicly to His mission. And as He did so, the Holy Spirit blessed Christ's human nature while the heavenly Father proclaimed His approval of His only Son. Christ's Baptism is unique because Jesus Christ is unique. 

Nevertheless,  Christ's Baptism prefigured later Christian Baptism. He provided a model for His later followers. Every Christian Baptism is a uniting with Christ, a blessing by the Holy Spirit, and an adoption as a child of God the Father.

Trinity VII- Feeding the Four Thousand- Mark 8:1-9

Food and eating are common themes in human life and in Holy Scripture. The Gospel for this Seventh Sunday after Trinity is the miracle of Jesus Feeding the Four Thousand from Mark 8:1-9. This account may seem more familiar than it really is because a similar Feeding of the 5000 occurs in all four Gospels. So let us highlight a few details in this account. 

As is the case in many New Testament miracles, we see that our Lord is moved with compassion. Besides having a general concern for human need, Jesus cares for particular people in particular circumstances. The  people in this account have shown interest in Christ's spiritual message and have come out into an unsettled area to hear the Gospel. Any food they brought is gone, and Christ is concerned that they return home safely.

We should also note the location. It happens in the Decapolis, a predominately Gentile region beyond the Sea of Galilee. So the crowd that listens to Jesus is probably a mixture of Jews and Gentiles. While Jesus’ earthly ministry focused on the Jews, this is one of several examples where He also ministers to Gentiles.

In addition to these details, let us highlight two points. Point 1) - This physical miracle has spiritual and symbolic importance. The meal Jesus provides points toward the Messianic kingdom of God. People from various places and backgrounds come together, grow in faith, and are fed by God and His Christ. They are fed from seven loaves, and there are seven baskets of food remaining. Seven is a biblical number representing fullness or completeness. This means that Jesus the Messiah brings fulfillment or completion. Those who follow Him may not always have lavish feasting, but they do receive good, satisfying, and strengthening nourishment.

Point 2) – The miracle of Feeding 4000 teaches us what Jesus Christ continues to do for people from all sorts of backgrounds. He provides us bread from heaven. He Himself is the very bread of life. He provides us the bread that nourishes, strengthens, and satisfies our souls. He meets our deepest needs as spiritual and moral beings. He feeds us through Word and Sacrament. Whenever we are open to His Word in Scripture and His Presence in the Eucharist, He offers us forgiveness, grace, and renewed strength to follow Him. Thanks be to God for His Son Jesus Christ, the living bread from heaven!

Epiphany II- The Baptism of our Lord- Mark 1: 1-11

For centuries Christ's Baptism has been associated with Epiphany, but the traditional Books of Common Prayer in England did not include it as a Sunday Gospel. The 1928 American BCP reintroduced the account from Mark 1:1-11 for the Second Sunday after Epiphany. By coming to John to be baptized, Jesus fulfilled all righteousness. Although sinless, our incarnate Lord expressed His solidarity with sinful human beings who all need cleansing. He also received a special outpouring of the Holy Spirit as He began His public ministry. And the heavenly voice acknowledged Him as the Son of God. Thus, at Christ's Baptism, there is a proclamation of the Holy Trinity. This moment is a unique manifestation or epiphany of the divine glory in Christ. It also points to His whole public ministry and work for human salvation.

Because of Christ's uniqueness, there are certainly historical and theological differences between His Baptism by John and the later institution of Christian Baptism. Yet, in part, the Baptism of our Lord is also a model for us. He underwent Baptism to point to the human need for washing or cleansing. Although He was pure, He identified with us sinners who need to be cleansed. Although He was already in unity with the Spirit, we continually need to be strengthened by fresh outpourings of the Holy Spirit. While He was eternally the Son of God by nature, we need to be adopted as children of God. We also need to notice that Baptism is a beginning of ministry. All those who have been baptized into Christ are called to continue the ministry that Christ started in this world.

Trinity XII- Mark 7: 31-37

On the Twelfth Sunday after Trinity, the Gospel from St. Mark 7:31-37 raises several points about Jesus and about the Christian mission. Every New Testament miracle is a general proclamation of the heavenly kingdom of God at work in the world. In addition, three key points struck me about the healing of the deaf mute.

Those three points are: 1) The location of this miracle is in the Decapolis, a mixed Jewish and Hellenistic area, and this points to the universal goals of Christ’s redeeming work for all peoples; 2) The miracle proclaims Jesus as God’s anointed Savior who fulfills Messianic prophecies; and 3) Christ shows mercy and grace to the afflicted, and He calls His followers to participate in His continuing labor in the world.

Trinity VII- Mark 8:1-9

 The Gospel for the Seventh Sunday after Trinity is from St. Mark 8:1-9. This is one of several gospel accounts of feeding the multitudes (there is similar account in St. Mark 6). In addition to the miracle itself which is a manifestation of Christ's divine power over nature, the story of Christ feeding the 4000 shows us several things about our Lord's earthly mission.  It shows Christ's compassion toward the physical hunger of crowds (8:2). In addition, the setting of this particular feeding is in a Gentile area near Galilee. This fact implies that Christ's compassion extends to all sorts and conditions of humanity.

Furthermore, the context shows that our Lord has a deep concern for spiritual hunger. The people that He feeds physically are those who hunger for His words, His spiritual nourishment. They are people who have followed Jesus out into the countryside and listened to His teachings for three days. They are physically hungry because in the words of the Sermon on the Mount, they "hunger and thirst after righteousness" (Matthew 5:6). So here we see Christ's special mercy for those who seek to follow Him.

Besides telling us about Christ's earthly ministry, our Gospel also teaches us about the continuing mission of the Church.  1) Like our Lord, we should manifest compassion for the basic physical needs of human beings, such as hunger. 2) Christian concern for both physical and spiritual needs is universal. That is, compassion extends to all people. Although compassion is most often expressed in our everyday human contacts, it must extend to anyone that we meet who has a physical or spiritual need.

3) This compassion for human hunger also has spiritual dimensions. Indeed, while it may be less obvious, spiritual hunger is a deeper need. Human beings are designed for fellowship with God. Even when people are not aware of its existence, there is a spiritual hunger in every soul which can only be supplied by Jesus Christ. As Christians, we are all called to point others to Christ who continues to nourish human souls through His Word and His Sacraments.

Easter Day, the Resurrection of our Lord- Mark 16:6; Luke 24:34

 He is risen. The Lord is risen indeed. (St. Mark 16. 6; St. Luke 24. 34)

Some Christians have celebrated Easter so long or so often that they may take it for granted, but we should pause for serious reflection about the Resurrection. We ought to be excited and joyful. Christ's Resurrection should continue to fill us with amazement and awe. It is the greatest manifestation of divine power, the greatest miracle, yet seen in human history. God's new act through Jesus Christ His only Son is truly awe-inspiring. 

Early on a Sunday in the first century,  the crucified Christ rose from the dead. A power greater than any natural forces we know broke into human history. Divine energy transformed the dead body of a defeated Jewish teacher into the glorious body of the Lord of all creation. God overcame sin and death and by raising Jesus, He also offered us new and eternal life. He transformed the Cross, the cruel instrument of shame and painful death into a symbol of new and glorious life. This is the great mystery at the heart of the Christian faith, and it still fills our hearts with awe and with joy. This is the day which the LORD hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it. (Psalm 128. 24)

Epiphany II- the Baptism of our Lord- Mark 1:1-11

The Books of Common Prayer from 1549 through 1662 follow the usage of Sarum and do not have a Sunday Gospel on Christ's Baptism during the Epiphany season. The 1928 American BCP re-introduced the reading from Mark 1:1-11 to observe this important event. By coming to John to be baptized, Jesus fulfilled all righteousness. Although sinless, our incarnate Lord expressed His solidarity with sinful human beings who all need cleansing. Jesus also received a special outpouring of the Holy Spirit on His human nature as He began His public ministry. And the heavenly voice acknowledged Him as the Son of God. This moment is a unique manifestation or epiphany of the divine glory in Christ. It also points ahead to His whole public ministry and work for human salvation. 

Because of Christ's uniqueness, there are certainly historical and theological differences between His Baptism by John and later Christian Baptism commanded by the risen lord in Matthew 28:19. Yet, in part, the Baptism of Jesus is also a model for us. He underwent Baptism to point to the human need for the washing of regeneration. He was pure, but we need to be cleansed. He was already in unity with the Spirit while we need to be born anew by the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. He was the Son of God by nature, but we need to be adopted as children of God. Baptism also points us to our ministries. Being baptized into Christ makes us members of Christ's Body and calls us to continue Christ's ministry in this world.

Trinity VII- Hungering for Righteousness- Mark 8:1-9

The Gospel for this Sunday from St. Mark 8:1-9 is one of several gospel accounts about Jesus feeding the thousands who came to hear Him (in this case, 4000 people). One can see several points in the account- Christ's miraculous power, His compassion for those in need, and the somewhat ambiguous response of His disciples. However, in re-reading the story this week, I was struck by another point: the identity of the people who received His miraculous act of compassion.

Without a doubt, the compassion of our Lord extends in some ways to all people. He surely cares for all hungry people. But in this instance, the physically hungry are not random human creatures. They are people who have followed Jesus out into the countryside and listened to His teachings for three days. They are physically hungry because in the words of the Sermon on the Mount, they "hunger and thirst after righteousness" (Matthew 5:6). So here we see Christ's special mercy that nourishes those who seek to follow Him.

Lent VI commonly called Palm Sunday- Mark 11; Matthew 27

This last Sunday in Lent is commonly called Palm Sunday by many Christians. The triumphal entry of Christ into Jerusalem at the beginning of the first Holy Week started being observed publicly in Palestine in the early fourth century. However, Books of Common Prayer from 1549 until the 1928 revision did not call it Palm Sunday. The 1928 BCP restored the title Palm Sunday, and it included the account from St. Mark 11 for an alternate Morning Prayer lesson. In addition, many Anglicans have included the Liturgy of the Palms from other sources.

Certainly, the story of Christ's entrance into Jerusalem should be remembered. The occurrence was rich in symbolism. Jesus came on a donkey as a peaceful king from the ancient East would come to be enthroned. And the children and humble people present that day welcomed and praised Him. He deserved the praise and recognition. He was the true king of God's people, the divinely anointed deliverer. Unfortunately, the crowds still did not really understand Jesus. They did not really accept His spiritual way of being a leader. They were looking for a political deliverer, and as disappointed crowds are apt to do, they would quickly turn on Jesus and accept His crucifixion. 

Thus, the Palm Gospel naturally leads us to the Passion Gospel (Matthew 27) which is the main reading on this day. The events surrounding Christ's Passion are key to the whole Christian message. Holy Week and Easter are the goals of the Incarnation. The Passion, Death, and Resurrection of Christ are the greatest acts of God for our salvation. Without them, Jesus' birth and ministry would fade into insignificance. Without them, we would have no hope of redemption from our sins, no hope of eternal life. A faithful response to the events of Holy Week and Easter is central to what it means to be Christian. So let us take time throughout this week to listen, read and meditate on these painful but mighty acts of God.