Tag: poetry

John the Baptist, in his words and in his life, prepared the way for the Lord. How are you preparing the way for the Lord during this season of Lent?

The first chunk of John 3 is filled with truth and life and seeming mysteries and contradictions: How can an adult be born again? How are we born of the Spirit? Why did God send his Son to die? Why do those doing evil seek darkness over the light?

For those who have ears to hear, Jesus gives the answers.

As we see in today’s reading, Jesus called for true worship of his Father. We can picture the ruckus he must have caused among the people in Jerusalem, with all the gossip and discussion afterward – not only of driving out the merchants, but in his cryptic remark about raising the temple in three day. We with hindsight know what he means, but try to place yourself back in the temple, imagining the confusion and intrigue his words would have caused.

Questions and answers. The questions – who was this? The answers – he knew their name. He saw who they were at their essence. So does he with us today. He calls us by name. He knows us.

“Look and see!” says John the Baptist. He who had been given a special grace of seeing the unseen called those around him to open their eyes and see. To know that this Jesus was God’s Chosen One, the Lamb of God who would take away the sins of the world.

Have mercy on us, Lord, as we come before you during this season of Lent, pondering the gift and mystery of your coming and saving us.

Today’s poem comes from the point of view of John the Baptist.

Jesus the Word, dwelling among us and making the Father known. Jesus who brings us grace and freedom and salvation. Jesus, without whom we would not observe Lent.