Today's Reading: Isa 66:10-11, Ps. 122 (Introit for Laetare)
Daily Lectionary: Genesis 41:1-27; Mark 11:1-19
“Rejoice with Jerusalem, and be glad with her all you who love her; that you may feed and be satisfied with the consolation of her bosom.”
(Isaiah 66:10-11)
Happy Lent! In the name of Jesus. Amen. Yes, Happy Lent. Glad Lent! Thank God! We’ve been spending this Lenten Season being happy. In case we had run out of gas, we’ve reached “rejoice” week in Lent.
Laetaremeans “Y’all rejoice.” It’s an imperative, a command! “Rejoice with Jerusalem and be glad with her all you who love her.”
Jerusalem has a Savior! He’s on His way to die for her. He has nothing but comfort, peace, prosperity, and forgiveness.
She will reject Him. She’d rather have any God, but Him. She’ll abuse Him, she’ll mock Him, and she’ll beg for Caesar rather than have Him as her Savior.
She’ll have the Gentiles beat on Him, and watch as He carries His own Cross to His execution. She’ll strip Him and gamble for His clothes. She’ll pound nails into His hands and feet and hoist Him up above the earth.
Him? He’ll pray for her. “She doesn’t know what she’s doing. If she did, she’d never do this to her Savior.”
He even speaks well of her as she crucifies him. For her, He is crowned with thorns. For her peace, He suffers. For her salvation, He dies.
He rises from the dead—for her. His love, His faithfulness conquers even death itself. He comes out of the tomb, to proclaim His love for her so that her joy and salvation would be complete.
He comforts her with His Words, with His promises, with His forgiveness. He washes her transgressions away and speaks tenderly to her. He feeds her bread from heaven—His very Body and Blood.
He holds her in His arms. He weeps when she weeps. He laughs when she laughs. He is for her and no one can separate Him from His beloved Bride.
How can you find this place, His Jerusalem? Where His Gospel is preached in it’s purity and where His gifts are rightly given, there is His Jerusalem. You are His Jerusalem, His Bride, His church.
Be glad. Rejoice with Jerusalem. Be happy. Be forgiven. This is Lent–and a happy one at that! In the name of Jesus. Amen.
“I was glad when they said to me, Let us go into the house of the LORD. Our feet have been standing within your gates, O Jerusalem! Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: ‘May they prosper who love you. For the sake of my brethren and companions, I will now say, Peace be with-in you.’"
(Psalm 122:1-2, 6, 8 - Introit for Laetare)