Jesus Weeps

~~~ Revelation 5:1-10 ~~~ Psalm 149 ~~~  Luke 19:41-44 ~~~

As Jesus drew near Jerusalem,
he saw the city and wept over it, saying,
“If this day you only knew what makes for peace–

Jesus is weeping because Jerusalem remained blind
 to the truth that he was the source of their peace.
He longed for Jerusalem to see him as their Messiah
but it did not happen.
...he saw the city and wept over it...

The title for this part of Luke's chapter 19 is
The Lament for Jerusalem...
Lament...a passionate expression of grief or sorrow.
Lament is to mourn a person's loss.
Jesus was mourning the loss of Jerusalem.

Jesus regrets that Jerusalem turned a deaf ear to his teachings.
It was a calamity for Jesus to contemplate the sins of Jerusalem.

While we are still in the throne room
 John weeps as he fears all will be lost.
The One on the Throne holds the sacred scroll.
This scroll is sealed in seven different places.
Then in the middle of this magnificent holy space
another animal comes forward.

One of the elders said to me, “Do not weep.
The lion of the tribe of Judah, the root of David, has triumphed,
enabling him to open the scroll with its seven seals.”

But what appears is not a lion, but the slain lamb.
This is the one who has come to remove the seven seals.
This Lamb restores all of us back into our intended
 place with God in heaven.

There is no need for tears because the scroll has been opened.
We have been restored to God's grace.
We have indeed been redeemed by this Lamb, Jesus.

As the incense filled this holy space with the sweetest fragrance
all who were present fell to honor this Lamb of God.

All began to sing a new hymn...
Worthy are you to receive the scroll
and break open its seals,
for you were slain and with your Blood 
you purchased for God...

The scroll has been opened to all peoples in every nation.
The scroll was opened by the crucifixion and death
of God's only begotten Son, Jesus.

We have no idea what our existence would have been
had the scroll remained sealed.
We have no reason to fear what was written upon the sealed scroll. 

One thing we can be certain of is that we would probably
not be finding our joy in the love of God.

Do not weep...
for we are Blessed...tucked under the protective
wings of God's compassion.

Jesus can open whatever is sealed away
within your heart.

Let his Peace sustain your soul.

Grace and Peace

~~~Second Sunday in Ordinary Time~~~
~~Isaiah 49:3, 5-6~~Psalm 40~~1 Corinthians 1:1-3~~John 1:29-34~~

I will make you a light to the nations,
that my salvation may reach to the ends of the earth.

Through our Baptismal waters we were given the light of Christ.
It is only possible to pass on to others what you already have been given.
We too are to be the light of Christ to others.
Jesus made his light available for all peoples.
What about us? Are we selective as to who we are willing
to share our light with?

When we ignore people
or think it is beneath us to even speak to them;
how can our light shine forth?

Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world.

John addresses Jesus by the title of Lamb of God.
He heard the voice of the Father and he saw
the Holy Spirit descend down in the form of a dove.

As all of these signs came together at one instance in time
John was given the insight to see Jesus in a new light....
He now was able to see Jesus as the one who would redeem all sinners.
The blood of Jesus would cleanse and atone for eternity.

We have the call to pass on this light from the Lamb of God to others.

We can only sing
Hear I am, Lord; I come to do your will.
if we are willing to pass on the light of Christ.
If we cannot reflect the light of Christ
then we might as well keep quiet.

Being the bearers of light
 requires receiving the necessary grace from God.

It is by his grace that we are capable of doing his will.
Blessings in receiving the light.

What You Become

~~~ 1 John 2:29-3:6 ~~~ Psalm 98 ~~~ John 1:29-34 ~~~

Beloved, we are God’s children now;
what we shall be has not yet been revealed.
We do know that when it is revealed we shall be like him,
for we shall see him as he is.

Recently some friends of ours adopted a baby.
They spent a great deal of time, effort, and money
 to make this adoption a reality.
When they had successfully completed every criteria
and were approved to just be considered they were so happy.

Now they had to wait until a birth mother
would choose them to adopt her child.
They continued to prepare their home and their hearts
 to receive a child...a child of their own...
a child that they would welcome into their open arms...
a child that they would instantly love as their own flesh and blood.

Finally the long awaited phone call came one morning.
They had been chosen by a birth mother;
she wanted to meet them in person.
They were beside themselves with excitement
tempered a bit with anxiety.
What if she did not like them after seeing them?
What if she did not like the color of their hair?
What if she did not like the sound of their voices?
So many questions swirled about in their heads.

I am sharing this story because God has adopted us to be his own.
He wanted a way to make us his for all of eternity.
We could never be like God not even if we desperately tried.
But God had a plan, as he always does.
He sent his son, Jesus, to be one of us...now we are kin.

He came as a child in order to make us his children.

He is the light and we are the children of the light.
Our friends did get a child, a son, and they do indeed
 love him as their own.

You know that he was revealed to take away sins,

and in him there is no sin. 

For in the light the darkness of sin cannot prevail.

Jesus came to save us from the darkness of sin.

We continue during this season of Joy
to praise God for all he has done for us.

Psalm 98 sings of how generous and loving God has been to us.

For three days we hear the echos of this joyful psalm.
Sing joyfully to the LORD, all you lands;
break into song; sing praise.

John saw Jesus. John baptized Jesus.
John was given the grace to recognize Jesus
as truly the only one could take away our sins.

Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world.

In God's divine plan we were adopted by a baby's birth
and then saved by him as an adult.

Only God could have devised such an awesome plan.
Let us forever sing Our God is an Awesome God.
We are adopted, saved, and
eternally Blessed.

Gather 'Round the Lamb

~~~ Revelation 14:1-3, 4b-5 ~~~ Psalm 24 ~~~ Luke 21: 1-4 ~~~

A large crowd of a hundred and forty-four thousand
gathered around the Lamb.
Each marked on their foreheads...claimed as the Father's.

The music erupted from the harpist;
 the crowd was singing a hymn known only to them.
These one hundred forty-four thousand followed
the Lamb wherever he went.
 These are the ones who sought for him.
These are the ones who longed to see his face.

"...No one could learn this hymn
except the hundred and forty-four thousand
who had been ransomed from the earth."

Those with the Lamb were singing a new song given just to them.

The widow gives her last few coins
because she believes
she wants to live in the hope of being
counted among the one hundred forty-four thousand.
She wants to learn the new hymn.
She is eager to see his face.
The widow gave all that she had...
she gave all that she was...
in hopes of  something better in return.
Life everlasting! 

 

 

Lord, this is the people that longs to see your face.

 

I am confident that you like me say...

Lord, I am the one that longs to see your face.