Jesus Lifted Up Draws Us to Himself

Jesus Lifted Up Draws Us to Himself Lent 5, John 12:20-33

The crowd had thought his glory would be power.
He chose to ride a donkey as foretold,
but though they shouted: “Blessings on the King!”
he knew their expectations soon would sour.
But when some Greeks were drawn to seek him out,
he saw it as a sign his hour had come,
and though he spoke of glory, he described
how buried seed would have to die to sprout.
Through Spirit-led disciples, word would flow
beyond the bounds of culture and of race,
but still his soul was troubled. Could he pray
to God to save him? He decided: “No!”.
He must be lifted up so we are drawn
through death to life and new creation’s dawn.

So as we face this Easter, do we fear
the many threats of death that plague our world,
while expectations of the ones who lead
are dashed, and tawdry glories disappear?
Where all are subject to pandemic’s blight,
and all must own the threat of climate change,
we might regard all living things as kin,
and so lift up fresh wisdom into sight.
Believing that through death new life can rise,
we might accept the troubling of our souls
and face the harsh necessities of loss,
encouraged by the hope of some surprise
that bursts beyond the bounds of what we know,
as seeds long lost in dust with floods can grow.