Lenten Reflection Week 6: John 19:30

When Jesus had taken the wine, he said, “It is finished.” And bowing his head, he handed over the spirit.

With just one more week left in this Lenten season, let us take a moment and look back on what we’ve finished/accomplished.

Jesus had a mission, a purpose, a goal He had to complete. Yet, He did many other things on His way to accomplish His goal. Jesus never lost sight of His main objective, but set an example of service for us to follow. An example of living for a purpose and with a purpose.

When Jesus uttered these words, “It is finished“, He knew He had fulfilled all the work His Father had sent Him to do (John 4:34, Jesus said to them, “My food is to do the will of the One who sent me and to finish His work” ). In it’s fullest sense, His work was to bring redemption for fallen humanity. Yet as He walked down life’s pathway He encountered fallen, broken, diseased sinners that needed not only spiritual life and forgiveness, but physical help, care, healing and love. 

I’ve heard it said, “Let us not be so spiritually minded that we are no earthly good.” As disciples of Jesus Christ, we are commanded to show our love for others, not just spiritually but in tangible ways as well. Did Jesus Himself not say, “This is how all will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another” ? So, we can gather from this that if we don’t have love for one another, that we are telling the world that we are not His disciples?! Not only did Jesus give us this command but the apostles Paul and John, along with James, did as well.

• This saying is trustworthy. I want you to insist on these points, that those who have believed in God be careful to devote themselves to good works; these are excellent and beneficial to others. Titus 3:8
• If someone who has worldly means sees a brother in need and refuses him compassion, how can the love of God remain in him? Children, let us love not in word or speech but in deed and truth. I John 3:17-18
• If a brother or sister has nothing to wear and has no food for the day, and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, keep warm, and eat well,” but you do not give them the necessities of the body, what good is it? James 2:15-16  

As we ponder these verses for a moment, let us think about what we have accomplished in (the big picture):

• Our lives
• Our faith journey

And what we’ve accomplished in (the snap-shot):

• Our Lenten journey

Have we moved closer to God through Christ this year? Have we moved closer to God through our prayer, fasting and alms-giving? Have we made or taken the opportunities to minister to those in need, either in spiritual or physical need? It isn’t to late to begin, or to get better – but to begin or get better we must!

I say this, not to overwhelm us or cause us any discouragement. So if you haven’t changed the world (or even your little corner of it) don’t worry, Jesus didn’t call us to be successful, He called us to be faithful.

So for this week’s reflection, let us examine our strengths and our weaknesses concerning our service to God and others. Setting our minds, hearts and actions to better serve our Lord through our actions for others (as Jesus tells us in Matthew’s gospel;  ” ‘Amen, I say to you, whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me’ “). Remember, when we show compassion and truly love people, we instill in them hope. Isn’t this what God did for us through Jesus Christ His Son? (But God proves his love for us in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us. Rom. 5:8). This is indeed our hope – redeemed by the Blood of the Lamb!

It’s a great privilage but a daunting task we have been assigned, yet we have His promise, “for nothing will be impossible for God” Luke 1:37.

Amen.