Today’s reading (John 11:1-6, 30-37) speaks of Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead, and Sally Welch urges us to look at two paintings which focus on this scene: Rembrandt’s ‘The Raising Of Lazarus’ and Van Gogh’s ‘The Raising Of Lazarus (After Rembrandt)’. Art can give us a different perspective on what we read, and both these paintings, although very different in style, remind us that Jesus fully lived among us, sharing our grief and sorrows as He shared our joy and celebration. This incident reminds us of the love Jesus had for people, of His humanity (He wept at the graveside, even though He knew the end of the story before anyone else!) and of His deity, for His power is manifested here in ways that must have astonished those present.

As we ponder this amazing event, we are invited to ‘step out of the darkness and half-life of the tomb, to strip off the grave clothes of worldly preoccupations which entangle us and step gladly into the Son-lit world which is ours should we choose to accept it.’ (‘Sharing The Easter Story’, P 184) Once more, Scripture is not just there to give us a historical story; it invites us into the story to live it in the present day.

Deuteronomy 6:1-9 reminds us of the importance of teaching what we believe to others, especially our own families, and reminds us that the most important thing in life is to love the Lord our God with all we are and to love others as we love ourselves.

Teaching can be in many different forms (and these days, there are so many different Bibles, comics, cartoons and videos which can be used), but love is (as they say) ‘better caught than taught.’ Our words and deeds must be combined into a congruent lifestyle which children (and others) can read; our lives are living letters (2 Cor 3:3). We are called to pass on the baton of truth to the next generations, but most of all, we are called to love them as God loves them so they may glimpse God’s love through ours.

Our reading today is from the last chapter of the book of Ruth (Ruth 4:13-17). This Old Testament story not only gives us a glimpse into the lineage of David (and ultimately of Jesus), but shows us how God works His purposes out even through sorrow and sadness. Naomi, Ruth and Boaz all show us something of what it means to live an ordinary life of faith (something we often think is insignificant, but in truth is all God asks from each of us.) They remind us that our lives influence others and so ‘everything we say or do must echo God’s loving intentions for all humanity.’ (‘Sharing The Easter Story’, P 177)

This is a heart-warming story about human relationships and ‘going the extra mile’ for someone. So often, we think of showing God’s love in extravagant sacrifice as being the only acceptable way, but Jesus reminded His disciples that giving a cup of cold water to someone can earn a reward! (Matt 10:42) The book of Ruth shows us that ‘ordinary’ kindness and love go a long way. Who can we show kindness to today?

Romans 8:31-39 reminds us that nothing at all can separate us from God’s love. Paul lists plenty of adverse things in these verses (including trouble, hardship, persecution, famine, nakedness, danger, sword and even death), but God’s love triumphs over every adversity. “The love of God for each one of us shines like a star in the darkness. We must follow where it leads, regardless of the dangers and difficulties we face on the journey,” says Sally Welch (‘Sharing The Easter Story’, P 173) These verses are triumphant and confident, proclaiming not only Christ’s victory over death but our victory in Him (we are ‘more than conquerors through him who loved us.’) Because of Christ’s victory over death and sin, we can have hope that God’s love will be more than enough for us.

There may well be times when we feel separated from God’s love, but these verses remind us of solid truth on which we can stand at all times. If God is for us, nothing can be against us. If He is on our side, then we will be undefeated. Hope and reassurance ooze from these verses and give us the confidence to face an uncertain future with a smile on our faces and love in our hearts.

Today’s reading (Mark 10:17-22) looks at a rich man who came to Jesus wanting the answer to the question ‘What must I do to inherit eternal life?’ Once more, we see someone viewing a relationship with God on a transactional level and when Jesus challenges that view by asking him to give up his material possessions, he cannot bring himself to ‘cut loose all that binds him to earthly values in order to become truly free.’ (‘Sharing The Easter Story’, P 168)

On one level, this encounter shows us that we have to be prepared to let go of earthly ties, but one other aspect in Mark’s gospel shows us Jesus loving this man, even though he ultimately doesn’t reciprocate this love. Jesus looks at us and loves us too, even when we fail to be loving. ‘He looks into our hearts and sees our failures and our flaws, our efforts and our disasters, and he loves us.’ (‘Sharing The Easter Story’, P 169) That is tremendously encouraging and liberating news!

This week’s Lent theme is ‘Loving’, right at the heart of the Christian message, but possibly the hardest thing we find to do! God’s love is perfect, and we are to love as He loves: to extend our love beyond our families to those who may be unworthy in our eyes, to those who may actively hate us, to love without ceasing, regardless of the effort or cost involved!

Our reading today (Matt 5:43-48) leaves us, as Sally Welch puts it, quailing at the thought! We hear the words to ‘be perfect’ and give up at the thought of this, let alone at any attempt! But she goes on to offer the thought-provoking notion that Jesus is not so much commanding us to be perfect as promising us His perfection which opens the door to a new kind of living. This is not to pretend that loving others as Jesus wants us to is not difficult or costly. He wants much more than ‘fluffy, indiscriminate love.’ He wants incarnated love, love that can be seen and felt, love that is articulated. But knowing that we do not have to love in our own strength is a weight off our shoulders and helps us to realise that God’s love needs God in our lives if we are to see this manifested at all.