Friday in Lent 5

This is my 1,000th post on this blog.

But we have this treasure in clay jars, so that it may be made clear that this extraordinary power belongs to God and does not come from us. (2 Corinthians 4:7)

What a great verse for me today, lest I start thinking I'm hot snot or something because I have fun blogging and folks enjoy it, praise it, or whatever. I also know how very ignorant, biased, broken, and immature I am. I try to add to knowledge, grace, compassion, and beauty in the world but we all know I fall far short of that. As do we all, even in our best intentions. Let's set aside our worst intentions for now.

We are all clay jars. And that is fine. It is a glorious thing to be useful and appropriate for what is needed. My Hebrew Scriptures professor opined that "good" and "very good" in Genesis 1 meant "adequate and appropriate for its purpose." It is not some superficial moral quality, its is rightness for what God intends.

Would that we could recognize, appreciate, and celebrate being adequate and appropriate for our purpose. Is that not glory enough?

They were on the road, going up to Jerusalem, and Jesus was walking ahead of them; they were amazed, and those who followed were afraid. (Mark 10:32)

Jesus walked ahead of them. He goes before us. He will not take us where he is not willing to go (unlike some politicians).

President AWOL on Afghanistan (yesterday):

"I must say, I'm a little envious," Bush said. "If I were slightly younger and not employed here, I think it would be a fantastic experience to be on the front lines of helping this young democracy succeed."

Need we comment about what happened when he was younger and had a chance to be on the front lines?

So Jesus called them and said to them, ‘You know that among the Gentiles those whom they recognize as their rulers lord it over them, and their great ones are tyrants over them. But it is not so among you; but whoever wishes to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wishes to be first among you must be slave of all. For the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life a ransom for many.’ (Mark 10:42-45)

This really is the nitty gritty, the culmination of Jesus' teachings on discipleship during the journey toward Jerusalem. It is linked with the third and final passion prediction in Mark. The world (and the predominant imperial social structure of his time, and ours) proclaims that it is all about dominance--who is in charge, who gives the orders, who reaps the benefits.

Jesus tells his disciples, then and now, that this is not his way.

Yesterday's collect:
O God, you have called us to be your children, and have promised that those who suffer with Christ will be heirs with him of your glory: Arm us with such trust in him that we may ask no rest from his demands and have no fear in his service; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.


O Lord, you relieve our necessity out of the abundance of your great riches: Grant that we may accept with joy the salvation you bestow, and manifest it to all the world by the quality of our lives; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
--the BB