Barrier No. 7: The Barrier Between the Ordinary and the Divine

Matthew 27: 50 – 54

“And when Jesus had cried out again in a loud voice, he gave up his spirit. At that movement the curtain of the temple was torn in tow from top to bottom. The earth shook and the rocks split. The tombs broke open and the bodies of many holy people who had died were raised to life. They came out of the tombs, and after Jesus’ resurrection they went into the holy city and appeared to many people. When the centurion and those with him who were guarding Jesus saw the earthquake and all that had happened they were terrified, and exclaimed, “Surely he was the Son of God.”

So many of the barriers that Jesus broke down throughout Holy Week were cultural, institutional, or personal. Yet there still remains the mystery of the resurrection. For everything we understand about it there are so many things that we do not understand. A supernatural act that has both supernatural and practical, physical results. And at the end of it all, when it seems that maybe, despite Jesus intelligence, cleverness, and spiritual depth, the darkness wins there is one more barrier to be removed.

The Veil is torn  and we are given the greatest gift of all, access to God the Father, the Creator, the Eternal. Everything that came before becomes encapsulated in this one divine act that separates Jesus from all of the rest of the spiritual teachers, dispensers of wisdom, and miracle workers. Jesus was divine and alone gives us access to the divine.

Be blessed fellow travelers to know that Friday is here, but Sunday is coming…

Barrier No. 6: Internal Barrier of Weakness

One of the most powerful prayers is that of the prayer in Gethsemane, in Matthew 26:36-46. The prayer, similar to a lament, expresses a sorrow which cannot be answered. Yet in this time Jesus also finds a strength that can carry us through the darkest of times…”Not my will, but yours be done.” Jesus removes the barrier of a weakened will, of fear, of inaction in the face of sorry. He removes it through a beautiful process of grief, sorrow, acceptance, and submission to a higher calling. Jesus does not remove grief or sorrow of fear, just the barrier that it creates in our lives. Jesus is not unfeeling or reckless or brave without fear. Yet out of loyalty and love to a greater cause, a higher calling, and others over self he is able to push past the doubts and fears that he held. Jesus showed us how to move past those things when we find them in ourselves, and thus have the courage to join in the work of the Kingdom of God, not through our strength, but in our weakness.

Reflection:

Think of a time when you were afraid of something you were called to do or needed to do for others.

Did you power through or give up?

Did you end up with a Garden of Gethsemane moment?

How, in this time of uncertainty, are you submitting to God’s will and seeking strength through submission?

Prayer:

God of sorrow and might. God of grief and peace. God of fear and bravery. We pray for the strength to drink the cup, accept your will, and move forward with love of others in our hearts. May we run this race where ever it may take us.

Barrier No. 5: The Internal Barriers of Hate and Anger

The first four barriers that Jesus removed, allowing us a relationship with God and showing us the path to the Kingdom of God were mostly about the external. Culture, institutional religion, and the rituals and ordinances that can distract from what is truly important. However, as with many things with Christ, he was interested In the exterior and interior, knowing that one without the other is worthless.

During Holy Week in Jerusalem Jesus was not the only active one. Others were actively plotting his betrayal, including his own disciples. Judas plotted to betray Jesus to the officials for 30 pieces of silver. However, a person plotting betrayal for money is not something that should really surprise us. We are a fallen race. What is amazing is how Jesus reacts to it. Just a few verses later Jesus is sharing a meal, a sacred meal, a high festival. Jesus institutes a new covenant in the same space as someone who offered the ultimate betrayal. Jesus in the midst of teaching the disciples service and setting up a new world order had time for another object lesson…don’t let hate and anger win. Be willing to sit at a table and share a meal even with your enemies. Don’t let the internal being any more of a barrier to the kingdom of God then the external. Just as Jesus recently told the pharisees, make sure the inside is just as clean as the outside.

Reflection:

Have you ever allowed other’s actions to control your emotional state?

Have you ever felt betrayed by a fellow Christian and allowed it to sour your relationship with God?

Is there someone even today who you need to forgive, not for their sake, but for yours?

Prayer:

God of mercy, Prince of Peace, please forgive us. Forgive us when we try to find excuses for everything going on inside of us by placing blame on everything going on outside of us. Forgive us when we cause hate and anger in others through our actions and our betrayals. Help all of us, as we contemplate our own roles and own sin that helped place Christ on the cross to forgive others and not allow our own hate and anger to be a barriet to reaching you. Amen.