Week of 2 Lent, Year One
[Go to Mission St Clare for an online version of the Daily Office including today’s scripture readings.]
Today’s Readings for the Daily Office:
Psalms 69:1-23(24-30)31-38 (morning) // 73 (evening)
Jeremiah 5:1-9
Romans 2:25-3:18
John 5:30-47
As in my last post, I continue to be struck by the ways that Jesus prefers to work behind the scenes in John’s gospel. Recall that in his first miracle, Jesus works with the servants when they run out of wine, while the guests and hosts have no idea where the new wine has come from. And when Jesus heals the blind, lame, and paralyzed man, he disappears into a crowd after the healing rather than stick around for the credit.
In today’s gospel passage, Jesus offers an explanation for this way of working: “I do not accept glory from human beings.” How can we, like Jesus, work behind the scenes today, and not for our own glorious reputations? What acts of generosity and healing can we offer, in ways unattached to our names and identities?
Offering glory to Jesus is such an integral part of our worship, with our hymns of praise and our traditions of bowing at his name. Whether or not Jesus accepts the glory we offer him, he would surely be pleased by our continuing to serve this world the way he so often did: without its even knowing we were here.
Lora Walsh blogs about taking risks and seeking grace at A Daily Scandal. She serves as curate of Grace Episcopal Church in Siloam Springs and as director of the Ark Fellows, an Episcopal Service Corps program sponsored by St. Paul’s in Fayetteville, Arkansas.