March 29
Readings – IS 42:1-7; JN 12:1-11
These readings offer us a very powerful start to Holy Week. Just as a suggestion, if you are able to, perhaps take a little more time this week – for stillness, for prayer, for reflection – to take in the richness in of what we are entering into.
In the reading from Isaiah, I’d direct our attention to the words that are spoken (and we hear said by God at Jesus’ baptism): “Here…is my chosen one with whom I am pleased.” We go on to hear of the one who is sent by God being a humble servant who will give sight to those who are unable to see, release those who are imprisoned and set free those living in forms of bondage.
The gospel offers the story of Mary anointing Jesus’ feet with Judas’ famous protest that the money could have been used to feed the poor. Jesus responds with his classic and often misunderstood line, “You will always have the poor with you,” and the story ends with a whole lot of people coming around because word was out about Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead.
These are really powerful readings for me.
First off, my sense is that most of us live with a good deal of negative inner chatter. We judge ourselves, put ourselves down and focus on a lot of the ways we don’t measure up. We did not do that on our own. Those are echoes of the voices and judgements of others that ‘got inside’. But there’s a deeper voice, God’s voice, that wants you to hear how pleased God is with you and how much God loves you. While the chosen one has come to free the literal prisoners, they have also been sent to free us from our inner critics and judgements.
I think Jesus also gives us a good model of letting others be good to us. So many of us live with unbalanced models of how much we should do for others and feel guilty when something is done for us (or we do things for ourselves). Jesus’ allowing himself to be cared for sends a powerful message that it is good when we are taken care of and not something that we need to deny or reject because of these distorted narratives that we have inherited. We, too, need care and attention.
And in my opinion, Jesus’ phrase, “the poor you will always have with you,” has been grossly misinterpreted through the years. Jesus – who spent his whole life around the poor and destitute and felt their pain and brokenness – would now say that they’re always going to be around? I can’t imagine him suggesting that this form of oppression would be accepted somehow.
Many scripture scholars instead suggest that it might have been Jesus indicating that the disciples would always have the poor IN THEIR COMPANY because that’s who he directed us to be around. Jesus says, “The poor are always going to be around you, but I am not, so let her do this for me. You can help THEM anytime you wish…”
Jesus’ words are an invitation to continually reflect on how and in what ways our lives intersect with the poor (because they always do whether we are conscious of it or not). Are people living in poverty on our agenda, in our circles, in our hearts and part of our decision making? Are their lives a consideration for us in what we buy, where we go and what we do? What impact does their presence have on our lives?
For today, perhaps we can reflect on freedom – ours and everyone else’s What do we need to be freed from and what does the world need to be freed from? How might we achieve that?
4 Comments
Sally Partner
Thank you for talking about our internal chatter. I once saw a counselor who called it the “Council of Elders” in my head, always there to tell me that I am not doing enough or doing it well enough, etc. Despite her efforts, I still struggle with them far too often.
Sarah Brownell’s comments last week about all the expectations we feel resonated with me along these lines, as well, even though I am no longer raising a young child. There are so many people in the world and in our community that are struggling and need help, so many causes to lend our voices to, and our families and friends also need love and attention at whatever age. It is easy to feel that what we do is never enough.
It is helpful to reflect on how Jesus allowed Mary to take care of him, to do something nice for him. Too many of us are wired to feel undeserving of that. In truth, we serve others better when we take care of ourselves, too–something I try to remind myself.
Mike Boucher Author
Sally, thanks for the reminder that we do not need to be a parent to have all of the self-expectations heaped on us that we are not doing enough, being enough, etc. I read somewhere recently that if we treated our friends and loved ones like like we talked to/treated ourselves, we’d have no friends! I appreciate your invitation to keep reminding ourselves of these things!
Maggie
I have been following this Lenten blog on most days . I have been inspired and also perplexed at times. .
I truly appreciate the deep introspection and interpretation of the scripture because growing up Catholic I was not heavily exposed to the Bible stories.
Mike , you bring a clarity and life application to the scriptures that is helpful. Thank you for that .
How do we respond to the people that stand at intersections asking for money ? Some times I give
Them money even Though I know there are community resources and I suspect they are collecting to support a habit…. How do we identify the poor and disadvantaged? It is not always what it seems.
I believe that working for social justice and all that surrounds that cause t will free us all…
Maggie Odhner
Mike Boucher Author
Maggie, thanks so much for following along and for your reflections. I would be more than willing to have a conversation with you on responding to the people at intersections – and there seem to be people at just about every intersection these days. I also know that different people will have different perspectives. I personally have known some of the people at the intersections, and I even love that word to describe these places of encounter…You raise some really great questions about who is ‘poor and disadvantaged’ and I see the gospels as constantly destabilizing us – so just when we get comfortable with an answer, there’s a shift. As you said in the end working for social justice and its causes will free all of us. I don’t have easy answers and am perplexed myself a good deal of the time in trying to discern what is the right course of action in any given situation. Happy to share my struggle if it’s useful.
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