LENT 2011, Day 34

Today in sequence is Mark 9.

Tomorrow is Palm Sunday and beginning tomorrow I will follow Jesus' last week leading to His resurrection. I'm so glad I know the end of the story. But - the journey is still painful.

That's so with the earthly journey as well. Today marks the first anniversary of the date a lovely lady named Melanie went to be with the Lord. I only got to know her through the process of her battle with cancer - and then, only through the faithful email updates her husband sent out - but in that, I shared their journey, and have watched him grapple with losing her.

He knows the end of the story. She is with the Lord. She is happy and healthy and whole - but his loss is palpable. The first year has been really, really hard for him. Every day is the 'first' without her. Everyone experiences grief differently, but one thing I know for certain: Jesus walks with us through our grief. He knows grief inside out. And He cares.

On this day +- 1978 years ago, Jesus was preparing Himself for the week ahead. He knew what was coming. His disciples didn't.

Approximately 6 months before this Jesus took Peter, James and John and went up on a high mountain, where Moses and Elijah came down and Jesus was transfigured into a being who glowed gloriously. Again - I love Peter's response: 'Hey, this is great. Just you, Moses, Elijah, James, John and me. Let me build us little cabins - and we can just stay here.' It felt good!

We have this wonderful post-resurrection view that lets us shake our heads and roll our eyes at Peter's perspective. But - I know I'm no different. I like the feel good times - - and rather deplore when things get painful and messy - yet the one guarantee of life is that it is going to change - - and painful and messy are just par for the course.

But - - what I love seeing in this account is that Jesus provided his inner circle the opportunity to see His deity clearly +-6 months before all hell broke loose. Just like at His baptism by John, God's voice spoke from heaven, "This is my beloved Son." This time God also told them, "Listen to him."

As they were coming down the mountain Jesus told them not to tell anyone until after he had risen from the dead. They did keep quiet....but they didn't understand. About 4 months after that event, Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead - an event that occurred just about 2 months before His own death. Jesus talked a lot with them about His impending death during the last several months before he died but they just didn't get it - it didn't compute.

In fact, they were still hung up on the kingdom idea they had grown up with and they, in their total humanity, were thinking about who was going to be greatest in His kingdom. Jesus knew their hearts and read their minds - and in that teachable moment He declared, "If anyone would be first, he must be last of all and servant of all," then he took a little child in His arms and used him as an object lesson for acceptance. Basically: care for a child in my name, and you are caring for me. Care for me, and you are caring for God. The word in different versions varies: accept, welcome, care - but we get the idea. It is another of the "as you have done it to the least of these my brethren, you have done it unto me" messages.

They will remember. They will welcome. They will care. And so must we.

This is another rich chapter. I haven't even hit all of the highlights - but I have enough to chew on for today.

As for Jesus, stepping back to that year...He was probably in Bethany, since that is where He was the night before (Friday) - for dinner - the dinner where Mary anointed him with the expensive perfume, raising greedy Judas' hackles. On Saturday we know what He would have been doing. It was his final Sabbath on earth. He would have been in worship at the local synagogue. He was faithful in worship. Faithful in prayer. Faithful in following.