Lent Week 4—Saturday
Psalm 108:1-13, Exodus 2:23-3:15, 1Corinthians 13:1-13, Mark 9:14-29
“I believe, help my unbelief” A distraught father cries out for Jesus to help his beloved son who is possessed by a demon. The father hopes his son can be cured. He loves his son. While Jesus was transfigured on a nearby mountain with Peter James and John as witnesses, his disciples have been unable to expel the demon and a crowd has gathered, scribes are involved arguing with the disciples and there is a commotion. In response to the father’s plea Jesus expels the demon and explaining the disciples failure to expel the demon says, “This kind can only come out through prayer.” Jesus lives in union with the Father and Holy Spirit which is continual prayer.
Psalm 108:4 says, “…Your steadfast love is higher than the heavens, and Your faithfulness reaches to the clouds.” Although the Israelites have experienced setbacks their hope in the love and faithfulness will bring success, “…with God we shall do valiantly…”
In Exodus Yahweh hears the hope filled cries of the enslaved Israelites and recalls His covenant with them. He appears to Moses and chooses him to be the spokesperson to the Pharaoh. Yahweh promises to be with him and shares His name with Moses so he can convince the Israelites of the truth of his mission. The faithfulness and love of Yahweh for his people fulfills the hope of Israel.
The reading from 1 Corinthians is perhaps one of the most well-known of St. Paul’s writings. “…love never ends…And now faith hope and love abide, these three; and the greatest of these is love.”
We see the love and faithfulness of Yahweh give hope to Israel. We see the love and hope of a father for his son move the father to an act of faith that was acknowledged by Jesus.
Our universe, our creation and being is from the never-ending love of God. Let this understanding lead us to pray as Jesus prayed, continually in union with the Father and Holy Spirit, and to care for our world and fellow man with love as we come to experience again the trauma of Good Friday and the Joy of Easter.
God wants to be thought of as our Lover.
I must see myself so bound in love
As if everything that has been done has been done for me.
That is to say,
The love of God makes such a unity in us that when we see this unity No one is able to separate oneself
From another.–Julian of Norwich
Robert McVie
The Carpenter's Nail 