“He came to His own home, and His own people received Him not.” (John 1: 18).
We are nearly at the end of Lent. And as we approach the end of the Lenten season, I cannot help but think of the Beginning…
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God; all things were made through Him, and without Him was not anything made that was made. In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it... The true light that enlightens every man was coming into the world. He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, yet the world knew Him not. He came to His own home, and His own people received Him not.” (John 1:1-18).
And today, as I think of the beginning, I can see how it is related to the end. For “He came to his own home, and His own people received Him not.”
And today I have to consider myself and my own behaviours. How have I treated my Beloved and my Blessed Lord? Have I welcomed Him? Have I accepted Him? Have I received Him into my home?
And though my head would like to say that I have, my heart is not so sure… you see, I am sinful by nature and through my sin, I have rejected my Beloved and I have held the whip that flayed His Holy Skin. It is through my sin that I have spat at Him. It is through my weakness and my fault that I have offended Him.
How many times have I promised my God and myself that I would not fail again? How many times have I promised my God and myself that I would control my temper, or hold my tongue or refrain from gossip? How many times have I promised my God and myself that I would be more attentive in prayer? And time and time again I have failed in this. Time and time again I have refused to let go of my pride or my weakness or my selfishness.
And each time I have failed, I have slapped my Beloved in His Holy Face. Each time I have failed, He has first listened with patience and humility to my empty promises and then accepted with patience and humility the indignity of my failure.
And through all of this, my Lord and my God has loved me and will love me until the end of time. Watching me as a petulant child, He has chosen to engage with me again and again. He has not said, I have gone too far or done too much. Instead, He has said, “Come unto Me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you, and learn of Me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For My yoke is easy, and My burden is light.” (Matthew 11:28-30).
And I am thinking about that today when I remember the beginning as I stand right here at the end…
For with prayer, I stand on Holy Ground where everything is clear. Here. At the Foot of the Cross.
Comments