How open are you to the Lord’s presence?
When God establishes his covenant with Noah in the Book of Genesis, he places his bow – a rainbow – in the heavens as a visual reminder that God is with God’s creation – every living creature – always. God’s promise – never again shall all bodily creatures be destroyed by the waters of a flood — is made without requiring anything in return, foreshadowing the salvation that will come in the incarnation of Jesus. Psalm 25 recalls God’s faithfulness: Your ways, O Lord, are love and truth to those who keep your covenant. But our relationship with God requires ongoing learning, and we have to make an effort at comprehension: Your ways, O Lord, make known to me; teach me your paths. God seeks relationship with us; the psalm speaks of God’s kindness and compassion and goodness, while 1 Peter reminds us that God patiently waited in the days of Noah. We, for our part, need to open to God’s Word, that we might know where he leads us, aware of his kindness and compassion, his goodness and patience on our journey.
The same Spirit that appeared at his baptism leads Jesus out into the desert in Mark’s Gospel. The passage suggests that Jesus can endure this lengthy period among wild beasts, tempted by Satan, because he knows God is with him and he is with God. Although the Spirit drives Jesus there, it does not abandon him. At the conclusion of his forty days in the desert, Jesus knows that now is the time of fulfillment. The promise made to Noah and to so many after him will be fulfilled in Jesus’ death and resurrection, allowing humanity to find peace in God, to abide in God even in the midst of beasts and temptation. As 1 Peter reminds us, Christ suffered for sins once. But now is the time of our fulfillment: now, as our Lenten season opens, is the time to draw closer to the Lord, aware that he is with us, present to us, no matter what we face. The kingdom of God is at hand!
This post is based on Fr. Pat’s Scripture class.
Image source: www.wordclouds.com
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