______________________________________________________
5th
SUNDAY IN LENT
This day’s texts bring together the idea/s of fundamental change: changes that God
seeks to bring, the vision of what that change looks like through the Christ-event, and
the reverberating changes that that one life has made to the Jewish and gentiles world.
These passages may be treated individually or through common themes such as
"change." Enjoy!
Jeremiah 31:31-34-A New Law & A New Way of Knowing
In this lesson God speaks in the first-person and thus, in the apodictic genre. The
God-speech is remarkable: God promises to cut a new covenant with Israel and Judah, one
that will be quite unlike the arrangement they’ve previously known: "It
won’t be like the covenant I made with their forefathers . . ." God says,
"because they broke my covenant . . ." The new covenant will include an
internalizing of God’s laws inside the head and hearts of Israel. This spiritual
internalizing of God’s law coupled with an intimate relationship that God chooses to
share with Israel will result in a new way of knowing. "No longer will a person teach
a neighbor . . . saying, ‘Know the LORD,’ because they all will know me . . .
from the least of them to the greatest."
Hebrews 5:5-10-high priests and the Great High Priest
As high priests are chosen to be representatives for the people and to offer
gifts/sacrifices to God on their behalf, so Jesus as the Great High Priest came to his
office in a similar way as corroborated by the Scriptures (Psalm 2:7: You are my Son;
today I have become your Father / Psalm 110:4: You are a priest forever, in the order of
Melchizadek). The writer then points out other historical evidence that points to
Jesus’ mediatory work: he offered up prayers/ petitions . . . (an allusion to Psalm
110:4 and Melchizadek?) and was heard because of his reverent submission. And as a son (an
allusion to Psalm 2:7?) he grew and became "the source of eternal salvation for all
who obey him" (v. 9). Thus the writer instructs that in Jesus we have a great high
priest bar none.
John 12:20-33-From One Comes Many
The gospel lesson begins with mention of certain Greeks (God-fearers or Jewish
proselytes?) who have arrived for Passover. Their request to Philip is to meet Jesus.
Philip tells Andrew and together they tell Jesus. Jesus’ response seems at first
ambiguous and even unconnected to the encounter. But the interpreter will note that here
Jesus offers the image of a seed planted and "dying" in the ground, yet
producing many more seeds. The passage could suggest an expanding vision that breaks
beyond race, nationality, and geographical boundaries. Following that, Jesus continues his
call to self-denial and service to the gaining of eternal life. A voice from heaven
confirms Jesus’ speech, which he says was meant for those around him. The passage
closes with Jesus’ allusion to being lifted up from the earth and drawing all people
(including Greeks) to himself.
