Friday • 3/17/2023 •
Week of 3 Lent
This morning’s Scriptures are: Psalm 88; Jeremiah 11:1–8,14–20; Romans 6:1–11; John 8:33–47
This morning’s Canticles are: following the OT reading, Canticle 10 (“The Second Song of Isaiah,” Isaiah 55:6–11; BCP, p. 86); following the Epistle reading, Canticle 18 (“A Song to the Lamb,” Revelation 4:11; 5:9–10, 13, BCP, p. 93)
Welcome to Daily Office Devotions, where every Monday through Friday we bring to our lives that day’s Scripture readings, as given in the Book of Common Prayer. I’m Reggie Kidd, and I’m grateful to be with you this Friday of the third week of Lent, as we prepare for Holy Week.
Three passages on slavery and freedom.
A break with sin—Jeremiah. The covenant that Yahweh established through the exodus experience should have re-oriented God’s people around lives of freely offering themselves in grateful service to the Lord of the covenant. Alas, it didn’t. The overt demands that the Egyptians had laid on them, it turns out, were nothing compared to the covert demands imposed by their own disobedient, stubborn, and idolatrous hearts. “Cursed be anyone who does not heed the words of this covenant, which I commanded your ancestors when I brought them out of the land of Egypt, from the iron-smelter, saying, Listen to my voice, and do all that I command you” (Jeremiah 11:3–4). Rather than to Yahweh, God’s people gave themselves to “an evil will,” to “vile deeds,” and to offering empty sacrifices to idols instead (Jeremiah 11:8,15).
Baptism is the believer’s exodus—Romans. Baptism into Christ’s death means to become dead to a former life of slavery, and to be made alive to a new life of freedom not to sin. With Christ’s resurrection, Paul believes that death to sin and newness of life are possible: “Therefore we have been buried with him by baptism into death, so that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life” (Romans 6:4).
Image: "BREAKING THE CHAINS" by marc falardeau is licensed under CC BY 2.0
Freedom—John. “The truth will set you free,” Jesus declares to people who had come to believe in him (John 8:31–32). Thus he implies that they are in a state of slavery from which they need to be released. They are flummoxed and insulted by his insinuation. They protest, “We have never been anybody’s slaves” (John 8:33). Jesus could have responded, “Never? Never to the Philistines or the Assyrians or the Babylonians—or now to the Romans?!” Instead, he goes deeper. “I tell you the solemn truth, everyone who practices sin is a slave of sin” (John 8:34 New English Translation).
His listeners are slaves to sin because they are children of the devil. Strong words: a challenge to examine what—or rather, whom—they love. “If God were your Father, you would love me, for I came from God and now I am here” (John 8:42). Love me, he says, and become children of my Father. And be rescued from your sin, and be set free!
Collect for the Third Sunday in Lent. Almighty God, you know that we have no power in ourselves to help ourselves: Keep us both outwardly in our bodies and inwardly in our souls, that we may be defended from all adversities which may happen to the body, and from all evil thoughts which may assault and hurt the soul; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
Be blessed this day,
Reggie Kidd+