Saturday, February 20, 2021
Call to repentance
An excerpt from Matthew 9:12b-13 (NRSV)
Jesus said, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. Go and learn what this means, ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’ For I have come to call not the righteous but sinners.”
Reflection from Jenny Stadelmann:
A few years ago my daughter had a bad break in a leg from a gymnastics accident that affected her growth plate. This injury not only took her out of gymnastics for most of her first competitive season, but it resulted in further challenges that needed complicated surgery and recovery a year later.
We found a surgeon who spent an hour over facetime with us while he was in the hospital after a surgery. He pulled up her xrays, drew over them to show us measurements, explained the history of this surgery and how he developed it with his mentor, and showed us the math of why his approach would work (he knew how much Ellie loves math and how I as the engineer needed to be convinced with the science), and with patience answered every single one of our questions.
We were won over by his empathy and understanding. He never made us feel like he was making a big sacrifice for us, but it was his mercy and care that showed through. Going through this experience with this doctor (a journey that still continues today as Ellie began having an unrelated painful bone growth problem which she sees him for now) reminds me that the overwhelming gratitude that I feel for him as I watched my daughter go through such pain, anxiety, and all the emotions that have come with this difficult journey is because we were in such need and he met us during this low moment and went above and beyond to bring healing to her. I truly understood in a new way that it is the sick who experience mercy to the greatest depths. In the same way, how true is it that the times when we are most broken and feel the most unworthy is when we are most open to experiencing the unconditional love and overwhelming comfort, mercy, and peace that Christ can bring.
For further study and prayer, the readings assigned for today are:
Psalm 25:1-10, Psalm 32, Matthew 9:2-13, Matthew 9:2-13
Music:
“Lacrymosa”
from Mozart Requiem
English translation:
“Full of tears shall be that day
On which from ashes shall arise
The guilty man to be judged;
Therefore, O God, have mercy on him.
Gentle Lord Jesus,
grant them eternal rest. Amen.”
