John 12:23-32
You've undoubtedly heard the expression no pain, no gain. It's a very popular secular expression usually in reference to exercise and body sculpting. I'm here to tell ya that it holds a great deal of truth. I'm not talking about lunks or no necks. I mean, if you want something, if it's worth attaining, it usually takes some effort.
While the love of our Father is free and boundless and there is nothing we can do to deserve it, our wholeness and life journey is not so easy. Anything approaching perfection is nearly impossible for us humans but an effort to be all that we can be, and should be, is greatly appreciated by God.
What this whole Lenten season is about for us is dying to ourselves, preparing to be changed, morphed into the glorious that we are meant to be. No easy task. That grain of wheat John speaks of has to fall from the plant, essentially die and wait for just the right conditions to sprout into a wheat plant and it's glorious yield. I've spoken of the beautiful butterfly that is stuck inside it's cocoon and must fight it's way out. We all know the beauty that results. What a metamorphosis!
How many young men and women dare to give up everything just to be the beautiful person God made them to be? How tough is it to say "I am gay" knowing your family may abandon you, disown you and reject you? These are life changing events for sure but the outcome is the joy of being honest, genuine and who God made you to be.
There are countless ways in which we die to ourselves to achieve a bigger goal. Many are secular but the all image the big and glorious. The cast has been set. Jesus died for us and rose in three days to the most magnificent glory we could ever know and he did it in the most selfless way we can ever know. This is why in every Sacrament we engage both new life and embrace the death that is necessary to achieve it.
So you gave up candy for lent? Coffee? Wine? Facebook? Dinners out? Lets move on to some bigger stuff. If you haven't embraced the joy of dying to self and rising to new life and being a better person, do it now.
Lent is progressing, are we? Have we something on our agenda, a plan, to become the better person? Are we moving forward towards wholeness? What are we willing to die to? for?
Jesus answered them, ‘The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. Very truly, I tell you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains just a single grain; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. Those who love their life lose it, and those who hate their life in this world will keep it for eternal life. Whoever serves me must follow me, and where I am, there will my servant be also. Whoever serves me, the Father will honour.
‘Now my soul is troubled. And what should I say—“Father, save me from this hour”? No, it is for this reason that I have come to this hour. Father, glorify your name.’ Then a voice came from heaven, ‘I have glorified it, and I will glorify it again.’ The crowd standing there heard it and said that it was thunder. Others said, ‘An angel has spoken to him.’ Jesus answered, ‘This voice has come for your sake, not for mine. Now is the judgement of this world; now the ruler of this world will be driven out. And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.’
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