Wednesday of the Second Week of Lent
Life can be difficult. Especially when we see life unfolding in a way that we think will harm us or at least wreck the world as we know it. We often bring the turmoil to prayer in a way that gives the Lord a narrow path in which to operate. “Lord hear my prayer request and answer it in this way.” While we do have the right to ask for specific prayer requests, these pleas must have a sense of openness.
The Lenten readings open our minds not merely to the need for conversion, but also to the need for God in general. Today’s scripture prayerfully calls on God for protection and for extraordinary help. We are reminded of our own requests for shelter from the storms of life and for blessings beyond what we deserve. The scripture also reminds us that do we not always understand what we are asking.
In the first reading the people of Judah are plotting against the prophet Jeremiah. They conspire to destroy Jeremiah with his own tongue; “let us carefully note his every word.” (Jeremiah 18:18c) The prophet, sensing the hatefulness growing around him prays for protection. And in what seems a great irony, Jeremiah is being plotted against by the very people for whom he has advocated protection from God’s wrath. The plot twist is not lost on us, in that many of us know of or have experienced how a good deed can be repaid with unkindness and sometimes outright evil. We, like Jeremiah, might be dumbfounded at these unforeseen consequences of our actions.
Thus our prayer might be that of today’s psalm response, “Save me, O Lord.” The psalm not only echoes Jeremiah’s plea but also foreshadows Jesus final hours as alluded to by Jesus in today’s Gospel. Matthew’s Jesus declares, “The Son of Man will be handed over…mocked and scourged and crucified.” (Mt 20:18, 19) These prophetic words of Jesus were little understood even by Jesus closest followers as witnessed by the rest of today’s Gospel. Immediately following the third prediction of the suffering servant Jesus is asked what seems to us an absurd statement; “Command that these two sons of mine sit, one at your right and the other at your left, in your kingdom.” Jesus asks if they are prepared to drink the cup from which Jesus will drink, and they answer affirmatively. Even as they talk the other disciples get into the discussion out of their own jealous reaction.
The monolog that follows has Jesus speaking to his disciples and all of us, “the Son of Man did not come to serve but to serve”. (Mt 20:28) This service comes to us in the form of the suffering servant. Jesus paid our ransom, became a slave and died for us. Jesus accepted the cup He was given.
What character are we in the story? Are we the one with the absurd requests? Or are we like Jeremiah begging God to have this cup of suffering pass us by? The point is not that we need to suffer for suffering's sake. Suffering has redemptive value, especially when we are living the law of love and are rewarded with pain.
Today, let us ask ourselves, is the pain in our life being given to us in order to better understand the pain Christ underwent for us. If it is there to connect us with Christ, may our prayer request be, “Save us, O Lord; we put our life in your hands.”
Our trust is in you, O LORD; I say, You are my God. In your hands is my destiny; rescue me. Amen.'
-Michael Montgomery