BRETT J. ANDERSON
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2020
Lenten Reflection Series

The Offer

2/28/2020

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The fifth chapter of The Lord, “Baptism & Temptation” deals with Jesus’s temptation and fasting in the desert. It’s a fitting thing to focus on, seeing as we are currently in Lent and that is, after all, what Lent is based around. However there’s something in the sixth chapter, “Interim,” that draws my attention more intensely.

Guardini spends the sixth chapter talking about the time after Jesus left the desert, and began his public ministry. He began traveling around, meeting people, teaching, and rapidly gathering followers. It’s here where we see the disciples join him. Jesus encounters each of them, and each of them makes the decision to follow him. But it’s not like it was mere chance encounters. People had heard talk of this Nazarene Rabbi and were curious. They were drawn to him, more than they even realized. They were drawn to the mystery of the man, yes, but they were also drawn to the divine mystery of the Son as well, even if they didn’t realize it. There was something about this man Jesus that drew people to him.

And once they actually encountered Jesus, everything changed. It was no longer a force of attraction that was pulling them toward him. That encounter with the God man fundamentally changed their lives. This is something we’ll see with Levi, the tax collector, in tomorrow’s Gospel reading, Luke 5:27-32 (and something I wrote about in my first Lenten Reflection Series). Levi has this brief encounter with Jesus where all Jesus says is “Follow me.” We hear nothing more from that interaction. But that is apparently enough for Levi to drop everything, and follow Jesus. The same happens of Simon, and Andrew, and James, and John. No matter what their lives were, no matter what worries or concerns or ambitions they had, no matter what initial hesitations they may have had about Jesus, none of that mattered as soon as the offer was made. “Follow me.” And that’s what they all did. Everything changed for them because of those two simple words.

It’s truly incredible to think about. But it does bring to mind those that had an encounter with Jesus, and yet did not change. Herod comes to mind, or the High Priest. No offer of “Follow me” was explicitly made to these men, or at least it wasn’t recorded in the Gospels. Perhaps Jesus simply knew these men would reject him, and therefore didn’t bother. But that doesn’t seem an adequate explanation. The salvation he offers is for all (John 3:16). The difference between these men and the disciples must lie in the heart. The offer was made to the disciples because they were open to it, they approached Jesus with the curiosity that seeks to delve deeper into the mystery.
But Herod and the High Priest were not curious at all. They hated Jesus from the outset. They opposed him at every turn. He was merely a troublemaker—a vagrant radical who posed a threat to the order and the power they had worked so hard to keep, and who was taking their people with him. They had no interest in the mystery. There was no mystery, for them. He was something to be stamped out or ignored. Their hearts were closed. And so no offer was made.

Are our hearts open to the offer? Are we willing to encounter the mystery, to allow ourselves to delve deeper into what we do not understand?
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    Series Info

    Every day of Lent, I am writing a reflection piece on two chapters of "The Lord" by Romano Guardini. If you'd like to read or follow along, you can find the full calendar of where we're at below, or Click Here for the main landing page.

    Archives

    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020

    Categories

    All
    Part 1; I-II: History & Destiny
    Part 1; III-IV: Love Does Such Things
    Part 1; IX-X: Walking In Infirmity
    Part 1; VII-VIII: Accepting The King
    Part 1; V-VI: The Offer
    Part 1; XI-XII: Fools For Christ
    Part 2; III-IV: Impossible
    Part 2; I-II: Love & Reward
    Part 2; IX-X: Sin And Death
    Part 2; VII-VIII: Evil
    Part 2; V-VI: Miraculous Mystery
    Part 2; XI-XII: The Jesus Of John
    Part 3; III-IV: Lawful Evil
    Part 3; I-II: The Blind Sheep
    Part 3; IX-X: Help My Unbelief
    Part 3; VII-VIII: Inner And Outer Life
    Part 3; V-VI: Attachment
    Part 4; I-II: Get Behind Me Satan
    Part 4; III-IV: Life Eternal
    Part 4; IX-X: Ordinary And Extraordinary
    Part 4; VII-VIII: Christian Maturity
    Part 4; V-VI: Prophets & Community
    Part 4; XIII-IX: Forgiveness
    Part 4; XI-XII: Font Of All Blessing
    Part 5; I-II: Hosanna!
    Part 5; III-IV: Judgment
    Part 5; IX-X: Mysterium Fidei
    Part 5; VII-VIII: Unmasking Judas
    Part 5; V-VI: The Measure Of Love
    Part 5; XIII-XIV: United In Sin
    Part 5; XI-XII: The Pain Of Sin
    Part 6; III-IV: The God Who Comes And Goes
    Part 6; I-II: The Resurrection
    Part 6; IX-X: Christian Personality
    Part 6; VII-VIII: Pentecost
    Part 6; V-VI: The Holy Spirit
    Part 6; XI-XII: Christian Anticipation
    Part 7; III-IV: Without Ceasing
    Part 7; I-II: Visions And Dreams
    Part 7; IX-X: Judgment Fire And Annihilation
    Part 7; VII-VIII: So Much Stuff!
    Part 7; V-VI: The Ultimate Flood
    Part 7; XI-XII: Faith

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