The Journey to Jerusalem

“That upon which all being depends is love expended in self-giving, wholly expended without residue or reserve…” (W.H. Vanstone)

The whole of March this year is within Lent, a season which in our society has, by and large, disappeared from view apart from the need felt by many to ‘give something up’. Our modern word ‘Lent’ comes from the Anglo-Saxon word ‘lencthen’ meaning ‘spring’. That, of course, tells us something about the time of year in which it takes place without giving us much of a clue as to its significance.

Christians have observed a forty day period of preparation prior to Easter for many centuries. Originally the ‘forty days’ of what we call Lent (which, of course, is actually a seven week period in which the Sundays don’t count) was a period of preparation before the baptism of new converts on Easter Eve (which was itself preceded by a forty hour fast). This period of preparation included classes lasting three hours daily – it was a serious business!

As we continue our journey through Lent we can reflect on the very serious business of the passion and commitment of Jesus as he walked the way of the cross. I find great power and meaning in one verse from Mark’s gospel that could easily be passed over, “They were on their way up to Jerusalem with Jesus leading the way, and the disciples were astonished, while those who followed were afraid” (Mark 10 v 32).

Why the astonishment and fear? Was there awe in the face of Jesus holding nothing back, in the realisation that in him the love of God was totally ‘expended in self-giving, wholly expended without residue or reserve’? That level of passion and commitment was hard for some to handle, even amongst Jesus’ disciples.

Only Jesus knew where all this was going; those to whom he tried to explain the nature of his vocation were unable to grasp the reality. The enormity of such self-giving love is hard for us to contemplate yet in a society that is, in many ways, defined by self indulgence, our continuing Lenten journey leads us ultimately to the cross where all is given. Here we gaze both in horror and wonder; here we see that true self-giving love can be costly, love that holds nothing back, can indeed cost everything. Yet at that place of pain and sacrifice the light of God’s love burns bright and a new story begins.

Those Christian converts who spent forty days preparing for baptism believed themselves to be included in the story of God’s love in Christ. The day after their baptism, on Easter Day itself, they received the sacrament of Holy Communion for the first time. How appropriate! The story of the total commitment of Christ to the loving purposes of God doesn’t end at the cross; because he is the living Lord the story goes on for ever and you and I are invited to be part of it.

During March we are ‘on the way’, as it were; journeying with Jesus. All journeys have a destination; for Jesus that was Jerusalem. Does our journey through Lent have a destination or are we simply chugging along as normal? When we arrive at Easter how will we reflect on our Lenten journey? Seasons such as Lent and Advent are opportunities to reflect on the self-giving love of God, who gives without residue or reserve; imagine the divine sadness that a love so deep goes unrecognised by so many.

Christians are called to tell this story of self-giving love in word and deed; to demonstrate that this is not an ancient story about a man who lived an admirable life but died long ago. We worship and serve the risen Lord whose love burns as brightly as it did on that lonely hill outside Jerusalem. In this way Christ becomes present and ‘that upon which all being depends’, God himself, is made real and relevant.

Rob Green