Devotional 3-20-08

Jesus chose on his last day to eat with his friends. He sat around the table with them, he washed their feet, he showed them what it is like to truly be a servant. He predicted what all of them would do. One of you will betray me…another will deny me…all of you will desert me. Those who were closest to Jesus were the ones who seemed to leave when the going got rough.


As we get ready to conclude this time of self-reflection and self-examination…let us consider when there have been times when we have deserted Jesus. When have there been times when we have turned our backs on the God who loves us so deeply?

In spite of the things that the disciples did and in spite of the things that we do to put up walls between us, Jesus reaches through all of that and shows us life. On that Maundy Thursday a series of events were set into motion. The cheers of Palm Sunday were drastically changed into the jeers of Good Friday. Hope seemed to fade from the world. Death’s vale had fallen upon the earth.

For those few days, it was as if the world had died. In some ways it is as if the entire world was in the most severe part of winter. All hope seemed to be lost…the color of love seemed to fall away from the earth…everything seemed dark. But in the midst of the death, we are reminded that there IS life. Jesus broke through the darkness of death…he thawed the coldness of hopelessness and gave us life.


Today is the first day of Spring, it’s a day when we begin to think about new life…warmer weather…sunshine and flowers. We know that as the days get longer we will see more color…the grass will be greener, the flowers will begin to spring up. We will begin to see signs of life.


As we continue Holy Week and look at the events leading to Jesus’ death may we be reminded that the Good News does not end there. There is life beyond death…there is hope offered to us through the love and grace of God. As we see the signs of life around us this first day of spring, let us remember the life that Jesus offers to us through his death and resurrection.

Rev. Carol McKay