Second Sunday of Lent Reflections With Rev. Lizzie Robbins
As we enter the second week of Lent, we are honored to share this Lent reflection by Rev. Lizzie Robbins.
Rev. Robbins brings her unique perspective and spiritual guidance to help us reflect on the themes of Lent and how we can apply them to our daily lives. Her second reflection delves deeper into Lenten themes and invites us to look closer at our relationships with others.
We invite you to join us in this journey of self-reflection and spiritual growth. We explore the teachings of Lent and learn how to live our lives in a way that honors God and serves those around us. Thank you for being a part of Our Little Roses community.
Why Is The Second Sunday of Lent so Important?
The second Sunday of Lent is significant because it marks the halfway point of the Holy Season, between Ash Wednesday and Easter Sunday. It is also known as Transfiguration Sunday, commemorating the moment Jesus Christ revealed his divine nature to his disciples by appearing in a glorified form on a mountaintop.
The Transfiguration is a powerful reminder of the divine nature of Jesus and the importance of his mission on earth. It also encourages us to continue our Lenten journey with a deeper faith and dedication, knowing that we, too, can be transformed and made new through Christ’s sacrifice.
The readings for the second Sunday of Lent often focus on themes of transformation, sacrifice, and discipleship. They invite us to reflect on our lives and better align ourselves with God’s will and purpose. It is an amazing time to recommit ourselves to prayer, fasting, and acts of service as we seek to grow in faith and draw closer to God.
The Second Sunday of Lent Reflection With Rev Lizzie Robbins
John 3:1-17
“How can these things be?”
As human beings, we often try to use our rational minds to understand things outside of what could be called “reasonable.” When faced with a challenge, we often try to think through it. We say, “If I could just wrap my mind around this problem, I would get it; I could just understand, I could fix it.”
But Jesus teaches us that we must interpret the world around us and ourselves with our human mind and spirit.
Have you ever been speaking with someone and realized that you’re having two vastly different conversations? In today’s Gospel, this is precisely what happens between Jesus and Nicodemus, a Jewish leader full of confusion and curiosity about who Jesus is, and how he does what he does.
When Nicodemus asks Jesus, “How can these things be?”, we sense his frustration. Nicodemus has seen the miraculous signs. He has read the scriptures that promise a Messiah. He states that he knows Jesus comes from God. Perhaps Nicodemus wants to believe, but… he first wants an explanation that will satisfy his mind.
Jesus doesn’t make things easy for Nicodemus, or us modern readers of John’s Gospel. Jesus is speaking from a different perspective, or more accurately, he is speaking from multiple perspectives at once. Jesus speaks from the perspective of human and divine–because he is fully both at the same time.
It’s so easy for us as people to compartmentalize our souls. During the week while we work in a secular world, we make Sunday the time to reconnect with our spirit. We notice we feel spiritually alive when we go on our yearly mission trip but find at other times that God feels far away. But this is not the way Jesus calls us to live. He calls us to be fully integrated as spirit-led human beings who meet the daily challenges and triumphs of living in this world.
“Indeed, God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.” Jesus shows us the way to be human and divine. We see Jesus’s humanity acutely when he cries out to God in the garden, just as we see it in his delight at breaking bread with those he loves. Jesus cannot answer Nicodemus’s question easily because the answer can only be known in the fullness of Christ’s life, death, and resurrection. When Jesus dies, it is Nicodemus who comes with the balm of myrrh and aloe to give him a royal burial. Nicodemus shows up, questions and all, to honor Jesus as the true king.
We all have big questions we bring to God. And the answers we seek are not being held back from us because we aren’t smart enough or worthy enough to understand them. The answers, if they are to be found, are discovered in living as faithful followers of Jesus Christ: bringing good news to the poor, freedom to the oppressed and hope to the hopeless.
This Series of Reflections for Lent Continues at Our Little Roses
As we conclude the second Lent reflection of our series, we want to express our gratitude to Rev. Lizzie Robbins for sharing her wisdom and insight with us. Her Lent reflections have reminded us of the true meaning of Lent and the importance of cultivating a spirit of repentance and transformation.
As we reflect on the theme of repentance, we are called to examine our own lives and seek forgiveness for the ways in which we have fallen short. We are also encouraged to engage in practices of prayer, fasting, and service, which help us to deepen our relationship with God and live more fully into his purposes for our lives.
At Our Little Roses, we strive to create a community of love and support for girls in Honduras, empowering them to discover the eternal life that is found in Christ. We invite you to join us in this important work by making a donation to support our mission.
Your support allows us to provide these girls with the resources and opportunities they need to thrive, including education, healthcare, and spiritual guidance. With your help, we can continue to make a difference in the lives of these girls and their families, providing them with a brighter future and a hope that endures. Please donate today.
Thank you for your support, and we look forward to sharing the next additional reflections in our Lenten series with you soon.