Daily Devotion for Lent 2017 - Easter Sunday

Today's Reading: John 21:1-25 (NRSV)

Now that Lent has finished, the daily devotions here come to a close.  We have read through the entirety of John's Gospel.  The final chapter reads more like an addition - Paul Harvey's "The Rest of the Story" if you will.  That being said, it seems that most of the very early manuscripts we have of John include parts of the 21st chapter.

The regular order of the day doesn't
seem possible for those encountering
the Living Lord.

I like how the disciples kind of go back to business as usual when they go fishing. Was it all a dream?

It wasn't.  They find Jesus on the beach and he is cooking some fish.

Like Mary Magdalene, they don't really recognize him at first.

I wonder if they felt a little chagrined.  Jesus had told them that they would be fishing for people (although this was in Mark and Matthew) and here they are back to their old job.

The resurrection seems to be saying, "You can't go back to business as usual."

Now that our Lenten disciplines are over, it may be the same for us.  We may leave the scriptures untouched and unread for a time.  Yet while there may not be daily devotions posted here, it is still possible to read scripture daily.  This practice allows us to participate in the resurrection.

The resurrection not only colors the way we read the entire Gospel of John, but it colors the way we live.  Our lives should be changed along with our outlook.

Sometimes we may not really recognize Jesus but this may be due to the distractions which seem rather abundant.  When we set these aside, we too may proclaim with confidence, "It is the Lord!"

Prayer for the day:

God, give us eyes to see the beauty of the Spring,
And to behold Your majesty in every living thing -
And may we see in lacy leaves and every budding flower
The Hand that rules the universe with gentleness and power -
And may this Easter grandeur that Spring lavishly imparts
Awaken faded flowers of faith lying dormant in our hearts,
And give us ears to hear, dear God, the Springtime song of birds
With messages more meaningful than man's often empty words
Telling harried human beings who are lost in dark despair -
'Be like us and do not worry for God has you in His care.

Amen.

    Helen Steiner Rice, 20th Century


Photo by Kosala Bandara via Flickr.com.  Used under the Creative Commons license.