Lenten Meditation: ARISE

ARISE, FOR THE TASK IS YOURS…. TAKE COURAGE AND DO IT.

~Ezra 10:4

The words of an Epiphany collect: Give us grace, O Lord, to answer readily the call of our Savior Jesus Christ and proclaim to all people the Good News of his salvation, that we and the whole world may perceive the glory of his marvelous works; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

ARISE would mean to answer readily

THE TASK would mean the call of God to proclaim the Good News of his salvation to us and the whole world

The words of Isaiah 9:1-4 give us reason to TAKE COURAGE AND DO IT:

The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light

God has multiplied the nation, he has increased its joy

He has broken the burden of the people

The words of Psalm 27:1, 5-13 give us reason to TAKE COURAGE:

The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom then shall I fear?

The Lord is the strength of my life; of whom then shall I be afraid?

1 Corinthians 1:10-18 calls for unity, ARISE, TAKE COURAGE, and DO THE TASK:

Be in agreement

Let there be no divisions among you

Be united in the same mind and the same purpose

(There was substantial unity among the Israelites about confessing to being unfaithful to God by marrying foreign women, about making a covenant with God to send away all the foreign wives and their children, about acting in accordance with the law, and about taking an oath to do so. Ezra 10:2-3)

Matthew 4:12-23 tells about Jesus calling his first disciples, four fishermen on the Sea of Galilee. They did ARISE, TAKE COURAGE AND DO IT.

When Jesus saw Peter and his brother Andrew, he said, Follow me,

And I will make you fish for people.

Immediately they left their nets and followed him.

Then Jesus saw James and his brother John in a boat with their father Zebedee.

Jesus called them. Immediately they left the boat and their father and followed him.