Have you ever wondered why you seldom, if ever, hear people speak of their “Journey through Easter?” We often refer to our Lenten journey but how many of us have heard others tell of their Easter journey? And yet, these seven weeks of Easter are exactly that for which we have been preparing during the past forty days of Lent. This is the time when we are invited to walk ever more deeply into this New Life promised and fulfilled in the death and resurrection of Jesus.
What about today over 2000 years later, what significance does the Resurrection of Christ have for the believer … for you and me? … While it is true that the remembrance of the feast evokes a joyful, heartfelt “Alleluia”, what is the true meaning of Jesus’ rising for the individual? I believe that each of us is called to witness to Jesus alive right now, right where we are … ready to change our lives at any moment. Yes, the resurrection is not just something that happened in history, but has made possible the transforming presence of Jesus in the life of every human being.
As I sit here listening to the sleet tapping against the window, I find myself identifying very much with the weather…another storm… this time a wintry mix caused by the warm air creeping up from the south colliding with the cold air that has been hovering over us for so many days. It seems to reflect what is going on within me as we prepare to enter into the drama of Holy Week, the culmination of our Lenten journey. We are faced with the cold realization of the hate, cruelty and destruction displayed during the passion and death of Jesus,… and at the same time we experience the ultimate warmth of God’s most tender love for us. And again, we can spend time dwelling in the coldness and hardness of our past failings or we can gently acknowledge our sinfulness and move into the healing rays of God’s compassionate love which surpasses all we could hope or even imagine.
Our story today is found in the Hebrew Scriptures taken from the 2nd Book of Kings, chapter 5, versus 1 -15 It speaks of a valiant Army Commander who is highly respected by the King for his outstanding military achievements. However, there is one problem, Naaman has leprosy for which at that time there was no remedy or cure.
Today as I sit here with yet another snow storm raging outside, I am reminded of a Scripture passage found in the book of the prophet Isaiah where it compares the rain and snow to God’s Word which is sent to bring “new life” within the human heart.
