ILC Devotion - 11 March 2013

Immanuel Lutheran Church Weekly Devotion

Monday 11 March 2013

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NAB John 12:7-8  So Jesus said, “Leave her alone. Let her keep this for the day of my burial.  You always have the poor with you, but you do not always have me.”

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Many of you have grown up in protestant churches. If you are 50 years old or older, and you grew up worshiping in a rural congregation, and had access to old Sunday School hymnals, chances are the hymn In the Garden, will be familiar to you. This is a classic Rodeheaver Company published hymn; it is not that old - the copyright is 1940. This hymn offers to us a romantic, idealized setting where we are with Jesus. Yet how many of us desire and wish in the deepest recesses of our heart, that we could engage in conversation with Jesus, just as the refrain states: And He walks with me, and He talks with me, And He tells me I am His own; And the joy we share as we tarry there, None other has ever known. I seek that singular joy, I want to spend time in the garden with Jesus engaged in conversation, where he tells me he loves me and I am his own. But the last half of the 3rd verse tells us we cannot spend all our time at Jesus’ feet: But He bids me go - thru the voice of woe, His voice to me is calling.

Jesus speaks to his disciples and us quite honestly when he says: “You always have the poor with you, but you do not always have me.” As much as we want to be with Jesus, we only have the promise of one day being with Him and joining with the saints who have gone before us around the table, sharing the banquet that has no end. But until that time, in the meantime, we have the words of Jesus revealed to us in Holy Scripture, we experience the power of the Holy Spirit in our lives. Jesus promises that we will have many opportunities to serve Him, by serving the least of these our brothers and sisters in this world. This is our opportunity to minister to others as Jesus has taught us. This is where we will find Jesus caring for the poor who are with us always.

Being a follower and seeker of Jesus is not idol worship, it is not putting Jesus on a pedestal and idolizing Him. Being a follower of Jesus is active, engaging, work. Jesus bids us to roll up our sleeves and turn away from idle chit chat in the garden, and enter the world of those who are hurting, suffering, seeking and caring for them, helping them, being with them. It is not easy work to follow Jesus, but in following Jesus we find Jesus in the face of those we care for and look after, and serve. There are plenty of opportunities in this world to be with Jesus.

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We pray: We long to be with you Lord. Yet you call us into the world to help, care and serve those in need. Open our eyes, open our hearts so we may respond as you have taught us. Help us to be your hands, your feet to those in need. Help us to see your face in those we care for. In Your Holy Name we pray.  Amen.