So here we are at Ash Wednesday, beginning the journey with Jesus to Jerusalem. As the scripture in Luke 9:3 says,"He said to them, "Take nothing for the journey, neither walking stick, nor sack, nor food, nor money, and let no one take a second tunic." Jesus desires us to be so empty so he can provide exactly what we need. Is this not exactly what Lent is all about? To empty self of all the things that would keep us from a deeper relationship with Jesus. To make us hungry for him and his love and truth. It takes our focus off of self and puts it in right order. Being empty also makes us what? Vulnerable! We no longer have our comforting things to hold onto if we give them up, right? Wrong, it allows us to find comfort in the right place and see just how much Jesus desires to provide for us and be the most important part of our lives. The more we empty ourselves of self the more Jesus can fill us with him.
In the scripture Luke 9:18-22, in this scripture Jesus was in prayer in solitude with his disciples. He asks them the question, "Who do the crowds say that I am?" They answered him saying, "John the baptist, Elijah, one of the ancient prophets." Then Jesus asks them," Who do you say that I am?" At this point the disciples had been with Jesus for awhile he was drawing them in to see where they were in their relationship with him, to see if they really knew him or just knew about him. There is a big difference.
It speaks to me of just how much we need to not just know about Jesus but really know him personally and intimately. The world does not but the disciples, especially Peter, knows who he is. Peter answers saying, "You are the Messiah." The root of the the word disciple is "to learn" and were not the disciples learning all about Jesus on their journey with him?
Lent is a time of being emptied out of ourselves, our sins, maybe bad habits, and anything that would hinder us from having a personal relationship with Jesus. It is a time of showing him we love him and are willing to give up things that we love and are important for him just as he did for us. It is a time to do for others out of love just as he did for us.
If Jesus were to ask us personally the question who do you say that I am, what would be our reply? Let us place ourselves in the scripture Luke 9:18-22 and be there with Jesus in the scene as one of the disciples. Let us answer Jesus' question of who do you say that I am. It will give us an idea of where we are in our relationship with him if we are honest and where we need to grow.
Spending time with Jesus on the way to Jerusalem will answer all the questions of who he is that maybe we do not know fully. Maybe it will take away some false ideas of who we believe he is, the ones the world has given us. After we spend time telling Jesus who we think he is then allow him to tell us who he says we are. I can imagine he will confirm us in our identity, our true identity and not of the one we may have of ourselves or the one that maybe others has portrayed for us.
Maybe some of the questions we would have would be:
1.) Jesus, when you look at me, what do you see?
2.) Jesus, what do you desire to do in me this Lent and why?
3.) Spend some time telling Jesus how you feel about Lent, your desires for Lent, the changes you wish to make.
4.) Give Jesus permission this Lent to take you on his journey to Jerusalem.
I can only imagine if we journey each day with him through his life, persecution, crucifixion, and resurrection, we will fall in love with the one who loves us the most. We will see, hear, and experience that profound love first hand. We will see that he has already experienced many of our life journeys. We will have a deeper, more personal, intimate relationship with him. Maybe we will have a new best friend or companion for our journey!
