Light to the Nations

Since many of us won’t be “at church” during Holy Week, I’ve deviated from the Sunday readings about the Palms and the Passion. So here are the lessons for MONDAY of Holy Week, reminding us that the Justice of God does indeed prevail, “although the wrong seems oft so strong, God is the ruler yet”.

ISAIAH of Babylon addressed the community of Exiles there, the last remnants of Judaism. Far away from their Traditions and Temple, many doubted that God would hear them “over here”. In 42:1-9 he speaks of the Suffering Servant, chosen specifically to point out where God is at work. Of whom was YHWH speaking? Some will say that it’s giving the community of exiled Jews a new role; others maintain that this is a pre-announcement of the Christ. At any rate, the Church is the Community that has survived, one that has become “light to the nations, to open the eyes that are blind, to bring out the prisoners from the dungeon…” The Servant WILL suffer in proclaiming an alternative to the System, offering God’s Love to broken, hopeless humanity. Don’t give up! Celebrate the flowers wherever they bloom…

The Letter to the HEBREWS 9:11-15 calls that community of now-believing Hebrews to steadfastly practice this displayed love. Despite the injustices displayed to the Children of Abraham over the years, they are to affirm a new covenant, a priest forever.

And then in JOHN 12:1-11, comes the familiar story of Jesus being anointed for burial just after (?) the Triumphant Entry of Jerusalem on Palm Sunday. Jesus & Friends were being feted in Bethany, at the home of Mary, Martha and Lazarus. John tells the story as one of the transitions between glory and crucifixion: some scholars will aver that Mary was looking both ways, back to the raising of her brother and forward to the cross and beyond. Whichever, it’s a call to acceptance of how things are now and how they will be in the future… Maybe even unfolding in our midst! Will we continue to point to Light to the Nations?

These are challenging texts: those that hear them are encouraged to move beyond mere individualism into a community that practices love and justice. There’s a sign on my desk that reads, “Resist the Doom, Rainbows Bloom!” Then look for the Light to the Nations.

In the process of unfolding, Horace Brown King

Please visit horacebrownking.com every Tuesday to wrestle with Scriptural passages soon to be heard at worship.