Facing up to toxic feelings

From Monday to Friday this week, readings from the Servant Songs of the Prophet Isaiah accompany the Gospel stories of leading up to the Passion of Jesus. These poems were an important part of his spiritual inheritance. It is unclear whether the subject of the poems is meant to be an individual whom God appoints as his envoy, his Messiah; or whether it refers collectively to the whole people of Israel; or to the remnant of the people of Israel surviving the Babylonian exile, returning to their homeland. 

Jesus takes the message of the poems to heart personally in his understanding of prophetic ministry to which he believes the Father calls him. He realises that it can lead to a cruel fate with undeserved suffering, that must be endured patiently, as part of God's plan to redeem the world from sin. He doesn't broadcast this, but does share it with this disciples as he prepares to make his last journey to Jerusalem.

'He warned them and instructed them not to tell this to anyone, saying, "The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed and be raised up on the third day".' (Luke 9:22)

There is a certain lack of clarity about whether Jesus did regard himself as God's Messiah. He doesn't proclaim himself publicly to be Messiah as such, and if people acclaim him as Messiah in response to a healing, he tells them to keep quiet about it. When asked under interrogation about allegations of messiahship, his response is ambiguous. 

Jesus prefers to speak of himself as Son of (the) Man, a phrase with overtones of 'everyman' about it. It can, however, also refer to a heavenly archetype of the human being, sometimes this is equated with the concept of Messiah, though not exclusively. There are occasions, such as the story of his encounter with the Samaritan woman at the well (John 4:25-26), when he speaks of himself as Messiah, on a one to one basis, and to someone whose status would lead to her evidence being considered unreliable. 

Jesus' self understanding is in many ways presented in the Gospels as a tantalising mystery. This is deliberate. The evangelists aims to let the hearer or reader decide who Jesus is on the evidence provided.  As John states in the final verse of his Gospel

'Therefore many other signs Jesus also performed in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; but these have been written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ (=Messiah), the Son of God; and that believing you may have life in His name.' (John 21:31)

Isaiah 42:1-7, today's, reading speaks of the character, qualities and divine vocation of this servant, called to reveal true justice - quietly, steadfastly, courageously, gently. By this most gentle means, without violence, will sight, healing, freedom from captivity will bring light to the nations of the world. 

The Gospel passage from John 12 again recounts the anointing of Jesus by Mary, sister of Lazarus whom he raised to life from the grave. Her act of loving gratitude is interpreted by Jesus as an unknowingly prescient anticipation of his coming death and burial. The traitor Judas is portrayed as expressing resentment at the waste of a valued resource. His personal dishonesty is denounced by the evangelist. All part of setting the scene for Jesus' betrayal.

Resentment harboured by friends and enemies alike contributes to fate of Jesus. It is a stark reminder of the need to search our hearts and deal with our own resentments before during and after we pray. 

'See to it that no one fails to obtain the grace of God; that no root of bitterness springs up and causes trouble, and by it many become defiled.' (Hebrews 12:15)

'Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamour and slander be put away from you, along with all malice.' (Eph 4:31)

It is so important in prayer, even when we feel defenceless, to let go and leave God to deal with those we feel have wronged us, and cannot yet feel good about

'You O God, who have made me see many troubles and calamities will revive me again; from the depths of the earth you will bring me up again. You will increase my greatness and comfort me again.... My lips will shout for joy, when I sing praises to you; my soul also, which you have redeemed. And my tongue will talk of your righteous help all the day long, for they have been put to shame and disappointed who sought to do me hurt.' 
(Psalm 71:20-21, 23-24)

Fasting and Abstinence

The Christian way of prayer recommends simplicity and economy in words, words that are considered, emerging from inner stillness and emptiness attained by suitable preparation of mind, heart. All kinds of meditative technique may be used beneficially to this end, yet the scriptures have little to say directly about them. It does, on the other hand, have a great deal to say about preparation of the body. 

Fasting is the voluntary limitation of food intake, going without meals, with various degrees of severity. It is not required of the young, the aged or the infirm, but on those whose lives are charged with activity for whatever reason. Abstinence is the selective renunciation of certain kinds of food, (mainly meat, fish, eggs, cheese), luxuries or even activities like parties or sexual intercourse. Both exercise discipline over desire and appetites. A moral effort is made to reduce dependency upon comforting pleasure, as this can be a way of avoiding the need to face things that are not right about our lives. 
   

Fasting and abstinence are associated with intense seriousness by all religions in relation to prayer. The intention is to free space within the self where God can be encountered without distraction from relatively trivial needs, feelings and activities. In Jewish tradition fasting has been practised with prayer since ancient times, in preparation for some great festivity, and as an expression of penitential sorrow and grief for sin committed. Even so, this kind of extra self-discipline is meant to be undertaken with due control, not taken to excess. The dietary laws of the Jewish Torah and rules for fasting and abstinence are inter-related, seen as the practical dimension of a wholesome life of prayer and worship. 

Christian use of prayer and fasting is derived from Jewish practice adapted to a wider range of social and cultural settings. Traditionally, the weekdays of Lent were days of abstinence, with occasions for fasting recommended on Wednesdays and on Fridays, the day each week when the crucifixion of Jesus is particularly remembered in devotional prayer. The full forty day fast has been practised in some communities since ancient times, remembering the testing sojourn of Jesus in the wilderness. Islam's forty day fasting season during Ramadhan is derived from the practise of Christian ascetics in the Arabian peninsula before the rise of the prophet Muhammad.

Readings from the Jewish prophets used in the initial days of Lent are notable for their critique of decadent religiosity, in the behaviour of those whose exercises in piety are not accompanied the practice of social justice as required by the Torah, particularly in relation to treatment of the poor and powerless. 

Isaiah's voice is echoed by other prophets, and by the teaching of Jesus. 

“In the day of your fast you find pleasure and exploit all your labourers. Indeed you fast for strife and debate, and to strike with the fist of wickedness. You will not fast as you do this day. To make your voice heard on high. Is it a fast that I have chosen, a day for a man to afflict his soul? Is it to bow down his head like a bulrush, and to spread out sackcloth and ashes? Would you call this a fast, and an acceptable day to the Lord?"  (Is 58:3b-5)

“Is this not the fast that I have chosen: To loose the bonds of wickedness, To undo the heavy burdens, To let the oppressed go free, And that you break every yoke? Is it not to share your bread with the hungry, and that you bring to your house the poor who are cast out; When you see the naked, that you cover him, and not hide yourself from your own flesh?" (Is 58:6-7)

Hunger and thirst, as an expression of longing for God, cannot be separated from hunger and thirst to see social justice done. 

'My soul yearns for you in the night; in the morning my spirit longs for you. When your judgements come upon the earth, the people of the world learn righteousness.' (Psalm 26:9) 

Mary's song of praise reminds us that God does answer prayer.

'He fills the hungry with good things, but the rich he has sent empty away' (Luke 1:53)