Wednesday in the Fourth Week of Lent
Isaiah 49:8-15; John 5:17-30
Every year around Thanksgiving, I used to travel down to the Dallas area to visit family. On the way, certain landmarks reminded me where I was: first, the Arch in St. Louis; next, the cotton fields of Arkansas; finally, the great plains of Texas.
Lent has landmarks, too. First, Ash Wednesday; then, the 4th Sunday of Lent (“Laetare,” meaning “Rejoice,” Sunday); finally, Palm Sunday. While each features a special liturgical color, they also feature themes that will persist in the readings.
In the first three weeks of Lent, the Old Testament readings reminded us of our human frailty and need to repent. But note the difference this week! First, Isaiah bid us rejoice at what God is making new; then, Ezekiel spoke of the life-giving water flowing from the right side of the Temple. Today, again through Isaiah, God speaks gently of a time of favor, refreshment, and restoration. The focus isn’t so much on what has gone wrong, but on how God is reaching out to renew and redeem His people. There is still suffering and darkness, but there is also light and hope.
We see a change in the gospel readings, too. From Ash Wednesday until this week, Christ has challenged us to look at our lives, confront the reality of sin, and re-commit to following God’s will more closely. But this week, the call is more forward-looking and hopeful. On Monday, we listened as he raised a child to life; yesterday, he healed a crippled man at the pool of Bethesda. Today, he speaks of healing and life, telling us that he has the authority to heal, and while he holds the keys to judgment, he also holds the keys to eternal life.
So, what are we to do with this new direction the Church has given us for the next several days? A couple of things. First, we should do what Laetare Sunday urged us to do – rejoice! We have good reason! No matter what struggles or feelings of abandonment we go through, God has assured us that we aren’t alone; He is always working for our good, even when we do not see it. Second, since Jesus has the authority to give life and to stand in judgment of us, we should continue asking ourselves if and how we are deepening our commitment to Him. Lent is a journey, after all. Have we moved from complacency to more active discipleship? Finally, just as Jesus said He could do nothing apart from the Father, so should we be examining our daily lives for unity with God’s will. Are the choices we make every day in line with our faith? Do we seek to serve rather than be served? Do we bear witness to Christ’s life-giving power in a world that so desperately needs His light?
Just like the landmarks of our travels, each of the landmarks of Lent is there to remind us not only of where we’ve been, but also where we’re going. As an artist’s work gains richness and depth with each successive layer, so our experience of Lent deepens as we move from reflection to hopeful anticipation. The readings this week and next are an open invitation to re-examine our hearts, to seek God’s healing in times of darkness, to celebrate His infinite mercy, and to commit ourselves anew to living in unity with His will. Above all, let us rejoice in the joyful assurance that, no matter what challenges we face, God is with us, with the bright promise of hope and redemption. And, as we move closer to the events of Holy Week, let us open our hearts to His transformative love, confident that the road ahead is one of renewal and the promise of eternal life with Christ, our journey’s destination.
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Mark 10:45 