Lent Day 5 February 27

Lenten Reflection for Day 5

Date: February 27, 2012

Author: Carol Brudnicki

Bible Passage: Luke 10:25–29 (NRSV)

²⁵ Just then a lawyer stood up to test Jesus. “Teacher,” he said, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?” ²⁶ He said to him, “What is written in the law? What do you read there?” ²⁷ He answered, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbor as yourself.” ²⁸ And he said to him, “You have given the right answer; do this, and you will live.” ²⁹ But wanting to justify himself, he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”

Reflection:

Throughout Jesus teaching he summarizes the Laws passed down from Moses and the Prophet into two commandments – To love God and to love your neighbor as yourself. All other laws support these two.

We so often find it hard to put God first and love him with all our heart, soul, strength and mind. We are distracted with having the latest or newest items. We put others ahead of God. We think of our needs or wants. Our hectic lives interfere with putting God first and foremost. Yet all things come from God and are his gifts to us. We need to start each morning with praise to God asking him to help us put God first and to ask for guidance for the day.

The commandment to Love your Neighbor is one of the hardest to follow. Our neighbor is everyone – They are similar and different from each of us. They are your brother, your friend, and the stranger. They are the person who cuts you off when driving, the one who gossips or spreads false information about you, and the person who would do anything for you. I am reminded of the bracelets that were common a few years ago with the initials WWJD on them. It was to remind the wearer to think “What Would Jesus Do” in all their actions and dealing with others. To Love your Neighbor is to treat your neighbor as you would like to be treated, as Jesus would do.

Prayer:

Lord, Thank you for all you have done for me and for all you have given me. Help me to relate to my neighbor in a loving and caring way. Guide me in seeing their needs and viewpoints.

Name Him Jesus

Advent Day 21

Third Saturday in Advent

December 17, 2011

Reading: Matthew 1:20–21 (NRSV)

²⁰ But just when he had resolved to do this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife, for the child conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. ²¹ She will bear a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.”

Theme: Name Him Jesus

Reflection:

Naming a child is one of the great dilemmas that new parents face. What does the name mean? How does it sound with our last name? What persona will this name create for this new baby? In Biblical times, naming a child had even more significance. For the Hebrew people, a child’s name was not just a label, or the way he/she was called. The name was the essence of the person. Children were typically named after a relative who was no longer living. Some of the relative’s identity was thought to be transferred to the child.

The angel tells Joseph that the child to be born to Mary is to be called Jesus (the Hebrew version of this is Joshua) because he will save his people from their sins. Jesus’ name, given before he was born, gives his identity as the Savior. His name is derived from a Hebrew verb (yasha) which means to save, deliver or liberate.

Imagine Jesus, growing up from a young age, aware that his name means that he is to save his people. Even for a child whose is both human and divine that is a large responsibility to put on small child. Jesus’ identity was shaped by his name, and the community’s awareness of what his name would have signified.

As we come ever closer to the celebration of this child’s birth, let us thank God for sending a Savior to us—the young child who bears the responsibility of saving us.

Prayer: Loving God, we thank you for the gift of your Son, Jesus—the One who Saves. Help us to realize the magnitude of your gift and to express our gratitude in love. Amen