EIGHT DAYS: BIBLICAL REFLECTIONS
Day 1 – Changed by the Servant Christ
Zech. 9:9-10 Ps. 131
Rom. 12:3-8 Mk. 10:42-45
Commentary
Jesus wants a spirit of service to fill the hearts of his followers. He teaches us that true greatness consists in serving God and one’s neighbour. Christ gives us the courage to discover that he is the one for whom to serve is to reign – as an early Christian saying has it.
The Apostle Paul reminds us that the diverse gifts given to us are for service. In our diversity we are always one body in Christ, and members of one another. The use of our diverse gifts in common service to humanity makes visible our unity in Christ. The joint action of Christians for the benefit of humanity – to combat poverty and ignorance, to defend the oppressed, to be concerned about peace and to preserve life, to develop science, culture and art – is an expression of the practical ecumenism that the Church and the world badly need. The imitation of Christ the Servant provides eloquent testimony to the Gospel, moving not only minds, but also hearts. Such common service is a sign of the coming Kingdom of the Servant Christ.
Consider: What opportunities for service are most threatened by pride and arrogance?
In our community, what can Christians of different traditions do better together than in isolation to reveal the Servant Christ?
Prayer
Almighty and eternal God, by travelling the royal road of service, your Son leads us from the pride of our disobedience to humility of heart. Unite us to one another by your Holy Spirit, so that through service to our sisters and brothers, your face may be revealed; all praise be to you. Amen.
Day 2 – Changed through patient waiting
1 Sam. 1:1-20 Ps. 40
Heb. 11:32-34 Mk 3:13-17
Commentary
Victory is often associated with immediate triumph. From a Christian perspective, victory is a long-term process of transformation. It occurs in God’s time, not ours, calling for our patient trust and deep hope in God.
In resisting the evil one, Jesus does not succumb to the temptation to usher in the Kingdom of God without delay. He patiently reveals what life in the kingdom means through his own life and ministry, which leads to his death on the cross. While the Kingdom of God breaks through decisively in the resurrection, it is not yet fully realized. So we wait in patient hope and trust with the cry “Come, Lord Jesus.”
Our longing for the visible unity of the Church also requires patient and trustful waiting. Our attitude of patient waiting is not one of passivity, but a deep trust that the unity of the Church is God’s gift, not our achievement. Such patient waiting, praying and trust transform us and prepare us for the visible unity of the Church – not as we plan it, but as God gives it.
Consider: In what situations do we need to practise a greater trust in God’s promises? What areas of church life are particularly at risk from the temptation to act hastily?
Prayer
Faithful God, you are true to your word in every age. May we have patience and trust in your steadfast love. May we not obstruct the fullness of your justice by our own hasty judgments, but rather discern your wisdom and love in all things. Amen.
Day 3 – Changed by the Suffering Servant
Is. 53:3-11 Ps. 22:12-24
1 Pt. 2:21-25 Lk. 24:25-27
Commentary
The divine paradox is that God can change tragedy and disaster into victory. After suffering enormous agony, the Man of Sorrows shall see his offspring. We are that offspring, born from the Saviour’s suffering. In this way we are made one family in him.
Christians experience suffering as a result of humanity’s fragile condition; we recognize this suffering in social injustice and situations of persecution. The power of the cross draws us into unity. Here we encounter Christ’s suffering as the source of compassion for and solidarity with the entire human family. As one contemporary theologian puts it, the closer we come to the cross of Christ, the closer we come to one another. The witness of Christians together in situations of suffering assumes remarkable credibility. In our shared solidarity with all who suffer, we learn from the crucified Suffering Servant the lessons of self-emptying, letting go and self-sacrifice. These are the gifts we need from his Spirit on our way to unity in him.
Consider: How can our faith help us in our response to long-lasting suffering?
How can Christians bear witness together to the power of the cross?
Prayer
God of consolation, you have transformed the shame of the cross into a sign of victory. Grant that we may be united around the cross of Christ. May the Holy Spirit open our eyes and our hearts, so that we help those who suffer to experience your closeness. You who live and reign for ever and ever. Amen.
Day 4 – Changed by God’s victory over evil
Ex. 23:1-9 Ps. 1
Rom. 12:17-21 Mt. 4:1-11
Commentary
In Jesus we learn what ‘victory’ really means: he has overcome the destructive forces that damage humanity and all of God’s creation. In Jesus we can share in a new life that calls us to struggle against what is wrong in our world with renewed confidence and with a delight in what is good.
The word of God is a sure guide and enables a person to lead a life full of fruitfulness for the good of others. Jesus’ victory over the temptations in the desert is fulfilled in his obedience to the Father, which leads him to the cross. The Saviour’s resurrection confirms that God’s love overcomes death. The risen Lord is near! He accompanies us in every struggle against temptation and sin in the world. His presence calls Christians to act together in the cause of goodness.
The scandal is that because of our divisions, we cannot be strong enough to fight against the evils of our time. United in Christ, delighting in his law of love, we are called to share in his mission of bringing hope to the places of injustice, hatred and despair.
Consider: In what ways can our faith in Christ help us to overcome evils in our time and the evil one?
What can we learn from situations in our community where division has given way to reconciliation?
Prayer
Lord Jesus Christ, we thank you for your victory over evil. Help us in our daily struggle against all adversity. May the Holy Spirit help us overcome evil with good, and division with reconciliation. Amen.
Day 5 – Changed by Christ’s peace
Mal. 4:5-6 Ps. 133
Eph. 2:14-20 Jn. 20:19-23
Commentary
Jesus brings unity, because he has demolished the wall of hostility between people in his own body. Jesus does not reject or destroy or humiliate; he puts an end to alienation; he transforms, heals and unites all, that they may become members of God’s household.
Peace be with you – that is Christ’s greeting and also his gift. It is an invitation to seek peace with God and establish new, lasting relationships within the human family and all of creation. By the gift of the Holy Spirit, the risen Lord invites his disciples into his mission of bringing peace, healing and forgiveness to all the world. As long as Christians remain divided, the world will not be convinced of the full truth of the Gospel message that Christ has brought about one new humanity. Peace and unity are the hallmarks of this transformation. The churches need to appropriate and witness to these gifts as members of the one household of God built upon the sure foundation of Jesus as the cornerstone.
Consider: How do we experience hidden hostilities that affect our relationship to each other as Christian communities?
How can we learn to welcome each other as Christ welcomes us?
Prayer
Loving and merciful God, teach us the joy of sharing in your peace. Fill us with your Holy Spirit so that we may tear down the walls of hostility separating us. May the risen Christ unite us as members of his household. We ask this in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.
Day 6 – Changed by God’s steadfast love
Hab. 3:17-19 Ps. 136:1-4, 23-26
1 Jn. 5:1-6 Jn. 15:9-17
Commentary
Faith in God keeps hope alive in spite of failure. Lamentation turns to joy in God’s fidelity that supplies strength in the face of despair. Recalling God’s great works is a source of joy, gratitude and hope, which believers have for centuries expressed in prayer, hymns of praise and music. Victory in Christ involves a change of heart, perceiving life from the perspective of eternity, and believing in the final victory over death. This victorious force is faith, the bestower and source of which is God. And its most perfect manifestation is love.
Jesus’ relationship to his disciples is based on love. He calls them his friends. Their service consists of conforming their lives to the commandment of love, arising from internal conviction and faith. In a spirit of love, even when the progress to full visible unity seems slow, we do not lose hope. God’s steadfast love will enable us to overcome the deepest divisions.
Consider: What can we do to become more credible witnesses to God’s steadfast love in a divided world?
How can Christ’s followers more visibly support one another throughout the world?
Prayer
Lord Jesus Christ, Lord of life, out of love for us you have chosen us to be your friends. May the Holy Spirit unite us to you and to one other, that we may faithfully serve as witnesses to your steadfast love; for you live and reign with the Father and the Holy Spirit, one God for ever and ever. Amen.
Day 7 – Changed by the Good Shepherd
1 Sam. 2:1-10 Ps. 23
Eph. 6:10-20 Jn. 21:15-19
Commentary
Some things happen only with the help of God. Through God’s grace, Hannah and her husband became parents. Psalm 23 proclaims that those who place their trust in the Lord have no need to fear, as their shepherd will lead them. Paul urges us to be strong in the Lord by embracing truth and righteousness; proclaiming the Good News; having faith; accepting salvation and the word of God; and offering prayer and supplication. The risen Lord urges Peter – and, by extension, each disciple – to claim a love of Christ, the one true Shepherd. If you have such love, then feed my sheep – because they are mine and belong to me! Be my good servant and teach them mutual love, cooperation, and boldness as they go along the twists and turns of life.
The Good Shepherd, by his life and teaching, strengthens all who have put their trust in his grace. So let us become strong in the Lord, that we may strengthen others in a joint testimony of love.
Consider: How does the Good Shepherd inspire us to comfort, revive and restore the confidence of those who are lost?
In what ways can Christians of various traditions strengthen each other in confessing and bearing witness to Jesus Christ?
Prayer
Father of all, you call us to be one flock in our Good Shepherd, Jesus Christ. In following him, may we so care for others that all see in us the love of the one true Shepherd, our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God forever and ever. Amen.
Day 8 – United in the Reign of Christ
1 Chr. 29:10-13 Ps. 21:1-7
Rev. 3:19b-22 Jn. 12:23-26
Commentary
Everything happens by grace. Even an earthly monarch can be an image of the reign of God, who is able to make great and to give strength to all. The psalm of thanksgiving continues this idea. Christian tradition also gives it a Messianic sense; Christ is the true King, full of blessing and life, the perfect presence of God among people. The letters to the seven local churches in Revelation are a message to the Church in all times and places. All who welcome Christ will be invited to share with him in the banquet of eternal life. In the Gospel lesson, we can link Jesus’ “I am” to the name of God [Ex. 3:14].
Christians know that unity among them, even if it requires human effort, is above all a gift of God. Our participation in Christ’s victory reaches its fullness in heaven. Our common witness to the Gospel needs to show the world a God who does not limit or overpower us. We try to proclaim in a way that is credible to the people of our era that Christ’s victory overcomes all that keeps us from sharing fullness of life with him and with each other.
Consider: How do we express together our faith in the Reign of Christ?
How do we live out our hope in the coming Kingdom of God?
Prayer
Almighty God, grant that we may accept your gifts with humility. May your Holy Spirit strengthen us for the spiritual struggles ahead, so that united in Christ we may reign with him in glory. Grant this through the exalted Christ, who lives with you and the Holy Spirit, forever and ever. Amen.
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