February 26, 2009 Daily Lenten Meditation

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February 26, 2009
Daily Lenten Meditation
Dear Friend,

Here is your daily Lenten meditation devotion. If you find it inspirational, we hope you will pass it along to your family and friends.
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February 26th
John 1:29-34

The next day [John] saw Jesus coming towards him and declared, 'Here is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! This is he of whom I said, "After me comes a man who ranks ahead of me because he was before me." I myself did not know him; but I came baptizing with water for this reason, that he might be revealed to Israel.' And John testified, 'I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and it remained on him. I myself did not know him, but the one who sent me to baptize with water said to me, "He on whom you see the Spirit descend and remain is the one who baptizes with the Holy Spirit." And I myself have seen and have testified that this is the Son of God.

The author of John's gospel -- writing many years after Jesus' life on earth -- had what we today might call a retro-vision: In many ways he saw the larger context of the Master's life and what its significance was for the early Christians. In this passage he saw Jesus not as a militant Messiah but rather as a lamb -- the Lamb of God. This term "lamb" in Jewish theology was closely associated with ritual sacrifice.

Of course, we don't make sacrificial offerings any longer, but as discussed yesterday, we do seek for fresh and renewed meanings through these scriptural accounts. John goes on to see the Spirit as a dove descending upon the Christ. What could that mean for us today on our Lenten journey to embrace the life of Christ?

Looking beyond the old ritual significance, could we say that with the lamb quality of gentleness we can foster compassion -- true caring and nurture in our own lives and in our communities; that through the tenderness of the lamb we can cultivate practical and continuing affection towards friends, partners, spouses - and to ourselves; and that