SCRIPTURE: Numbers 9
OBSERVATION/APPLICATION:
This reading talks about the Passover, and about how the glory cloud led the people through the wilderness. God makes it plain that the Passover is for everyone, even the unclean and the foreigner. It has a strong message of grace, forgiveness and freedom for all. But that message is not disconnected from following God. It is not cheap grace – do what you want, God will forgive you anyway! To receive grace, forgiveness and freedom, the people need to follow Him. And the path that He leads us on will not always be easy. Try to imagine what it was like to go through the wilderness, following a cloud. Times when you wanted to rest, but it kept going; times when you wanted to go, but it stayed put. This was God’s agenda, God’s itinerary. But they could be assured that the destination was good!
Jesus follows God’s agenda. Even along the path of suffering, to death. But He knows that this path, though hard, is good. He was confident that God’s plan was for grace, forgiveness and freedom, the very message of the Passover: And he said to them, ‘I have eagerly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer. For I tell you, I will not eat it again until it finds fulfillment in the kingdom of God.’ [Luke 22:15-16] Jesus wants to eat the Passover, like these unclean people in Numbers 9. He wants to be assured of God’s goodness along the path that He must follow. He knows that His path will lead through suffering, but that its destination will be good, the final, perfect, wonderful kingdom of grace, forgiveness and freedom!
When Jesus says ‘follow me’, He is the visible, human form of the glory cloud, leading the way through this wilderness of suffering and death, to the promised kingdom blessing. As we go, He gives us a regular taste of His goodness, reminding us through symbols like the Lord’s Supper (which is an extension of, or fulfillment of, the Passover) that He is good, His itinerary, though not easy, has a positive destination.
Follow Me, by living for, loving and obeying God. Follow Me, by serving your neighbour. Follow Me, by denying yourself. He is leading us out of our self-centred lives into lives of justice, mercy, compassion, holiness. Today, the glory cloud is moving, pushing me out of my comfort zone, calling me to live the dream of grace, forgiveness and freedom. If we do not practically, actively follow (imitate) Jesus at home, at work, in school, in our community, we are ignoring the cloud, refusing to follow. And the result, we miss out on His grace, forgiveness and freedom.
PRAYER:
Lord, following You means more than receiving grace, it means living it! Help us, like You, to live the message of the Passover!