Lenten blog | February 24, 2024

Clarity and confusion mixed together

Throughout the year, the Southern New England Conference of the United Church of Christ reproduces the Daily Lectionary for use by churches.  These are the suggested readings for February 24th:  Genesis 16:7-15; Psalm 22:23-31; and Mark 8:27-30.  I would encourage you to read these short selections as part of your Lenten practice.

Just prior to today’s Gospel passage is the extraordinary account of Jesus’ miraculous cure of a blind man at Bethsaida.  It’s a miracle, so by definition it is extraordinary.  However, this miracle is extraordinary in another way, as well.  This is a miracle that requires two takes.  This is unique.  Jesus’ first attempt at a cure is only partially successful.  The man reports, “‘I can see people.  They look like trees to me, but they are walking about.’” (8:24)  This partially successful miracle requires Jesus to try a second time, and now the man “could see everything plainly and distinctly.” (8:25)

This is a transition passage in Mark’s Gospel.  The man’s cure symbolizes the movement toward clarity as to the nature of Jesus, which is an appropriate introduction to the following events at Caesarea Philippi.  Here Peter declares of Jesus, “‘You are the Christ.’” (8:29)  This declaration is the definition of clarity.  It is the succinct revelation of the nature of Jesus as the Messiah, the Christ, the Saviour sent by God.  It is to see finally who Jesus really is.  It is a process that repeats what happened in the miracle at Bethsaida.  It is a gradual, by stages, clarity of spiritual insight. 

However, and this will have to wait until tomorrow’s sermon, problems remain.  With the hindsight of an established faith in Jesus as the Christ, there is a 20/20 clarity to Peter’s declaration.  In the verses that follow, though, we soon realize that in the immediacy of the moment Peter’s statement had harboured profound misconceptions.  His words were clear, but his intent was muddied by his own predilections.  Jesus as the Christ meant one thing for Jesus and something completely different for Peter.

It is one thing to say the words our faith expects, but it is more important to grasp who Jesus is.  Words can be memorized, but Jesus needs to be experienced with a constancy of conversation and an openness to discovery.  This Jesus-experience is a Lenten opportunity.  During these sacred weeks of spiritual introspection, Jesus says not only to Peter but to each of us, “‘But who do you say that I am?’”

If you would like to join us at worship tomorrow as we take this reading one step further, and where we have a chance to focus our attention on Jesus’ question “‘But who do you say that I am?’, I invite you to walk through our church doors and into our church community.  If that is not possible or uncomfortable, you are more than welcome to join us online by sending an email to [email protected].
​    
If you’d like, here is the link to the Southern New England Conference’s daily reading schedule:  www.sneucc.org/lectionary.