St. Nicolai Notes

EXCHANGES ON THE WAY: LENTEN PRAYERS
Day 34: Sixth Saturday
Mark 14:43-52

     Jesus, we are ashamed of the way You were treated because we know that we would have acted no differently. Even now, after years of following You, and in our fickleness, we might turn a sign of intimacy into an act of betrayal. Even now, we might flee naked into the night if we came under real threat. Even now, our faith is more often like a shallow trickle than a deep, flowing stream.
     You asked those who came out to arrest You, "Am I leading a rebellion." Of course the answer was no, and yes. You did not arm your followers for physical battle, but You did disrupt cherished structures and traditions. Your teaching challenged the ultimacy of both religious and political powers. Your actions, particularly your healings and exorcisms, demonstrated that there was power and authority at work in You that neither religious nor political leaders possessed.
     You threatened massive change that many resisted, but especially the wealthy and powerful. Swords and clubs were an expression of fear about the power that You had shown. Today, we would come with guns, but no less fear.
     We know, in the deepest part of our being, that You could not and cannot be controlled. We know that while facing powerful threat with sorrow and distress, You faced them unflinchingly. We know that if we take You seriously, then more drastic change to our personal and communal lives is demanded than we have so far had the will to undertake.
     Jesus, we still fear You in ways that we cannot fully fathom or express. Overcome our fears. Remove our shame. Align our lives more completely with yours. Amen.