To Live in His Presence

To Live in His Presence

Saturday of the Third Week of Lent

"Come, let us return to the LORD, it is he who has rent, but he will heal us; he has struck us, but he will bind our wounds. He will revive us after two days; on the third day he will raise us up, to live in his presence. Let us know, let us strive to know the LORD; as certain as the dawn is his coming, and his judgment shines forth like the light of day! He will come to us like the rain, like spring rain that waters the earth." Hosea 6:1-3

But the tax collector stood off at a distance and would not even raise his eyes to heaven but beat his breast and prayed, 'O God, be merciful to me a sinner.' I tell you, the latter went home justified, not the former; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and the one who humbles himself will be exalted." Luke 18:13-14

Piety

Our God Reigns

How lovely on the mountains are the feet of Him

Who brings good news, good news;

Announcing peace, proclaiming news of happiness:

Our God reigns, our God reigns!

Our God reigns! Our God reigns!

Our God reigns! Our God reigns!

Study

The tax collector stood off at a distance.  The Pharisee was probably in the front pew, if not on the “predella.”  Yet who was closer to a right relationship with God? (No answer needed.)

How much did you pay for the rain last Friday? (No answer needed.).

No amount of money can deliver rain.  Rain is freely given. Sometimes we get less than we need.  Sometimes we get more than we need (Superstorm Sandy, Hurricanes Irma or Harvey or fill in your least favorite storm).  Yet no amount of cash will get us more rain nor less rain. 

No amount of money can deliver God’s reign.  We are born and raised to live in His presence.  There is no ticket for admission that can be bought with money.  We cannot get more grace.  No matter what we do, we cannot get less grace either.  The only ticket is friendship with Jesus.  The only way to get into friendship with Jesus is through the greatest commandment…and after all, that boils down to piety, study, and action.  Our God rains and reigns over the weeds and the wheat, over all the living and the dead including the tax collector in the back of the church.

Action

Lent gives us time to adopt the attitude and disposition of the tax collector.    It gives us time to ask the question, “What can we do to get closer to God?” 

Tomorrow is the Fourth Sunday of Lent.  In two weeks, we celebrate Palm Sunday.  There is still time to get the interior “dinner table” set for the Paschal meal. Jesus does not set his altar above us.  He sits right down at the table with the Denier (Peter), the Tax Collector (Matthew), the Doubter (Thomas) and even the Betrayer (Judas).

Our time of preparation is waning but it is not over.  We still have time to get to the back of the church with the tax collectors and other sinners.

"Weeds spring up and thrive; but to get wheat how much toil we must endure."  Lent gives us time for the piety, study, and action needed to pull the weeds out of our lives and give the wheat a chance to grow.