Old Testament: Ezekiel 37:21–28
Gospel: John 11:45–53
Psalm 85:1–7
“I will make them one.” Ezekiel 37:22
Since Christmas I have sung my child to sleep with the sweet Advent hymn, “O Come, O Come Emmanuel.” I do not know all 7 verses, so I take my lyrical liberties with faith that the Creator of all allows some creative work on my end. Of all the verses though, it is the 7th that touches my heart every time:
O come, O king of nations, bind
in one the hearts of all mankind.
Bid all our sad divisions cease
and be yourself our King of Peace.
It seems odd leading up to Holy Week that our reading from Ezekiel would harken back to lyrics from this classic Advent hymn. Ezekiel’s prophecy involves gathering a divided people into one as God saves them “from all the apostasies into which they have fallen, and will cleanse them. Then they shall be my people, and I will be their God.”
It feels difficult to hold this encouraging and reassuring text next to today’s Gospel reading where Caiaphas calls for the killing of Jesus almost flippantly. Who is helping to “bid all our sad divisions cease” and where has the “King of Peace” gone? Following the bright high of Jesus raising his dear friend, Lazarus from the dead (right before today’s text), the Gospel has taken a dark and fearful dip. What now?
As we walk into Holy Week, may we intentionally enter together, laying down our sad divisions, remembering our hearts are tightly knit together in God, our King of Peace.
Kimberly Meuth Olson
No comments:
Post a Comment