February 23rd - Reflection

Reading
Zechariah 3:1-10 (NRSV)
Satan tempts Joshua

Then he showed me the high priest Joshua standing before the angel of the Lord, and Satan standing at his right hand to accuse him. And the Lord said to Satan, "The Lord rebuke you, O Satan! The Lord who has chosen Jerusalem rebuke you! Is not this man a brand plucked from the fire?" Now Joshua was dressed with filthy clothes as he stood before the angel. The angel said to those who were standing before him, "Take off his filthy clothes." And to him he said, "See, I have taken your guilt away from you, and I will clothe you with festal apparel." And I said, "Let them put a clean turban on his head." So they put a clean turban on his head and clothed him with the apparel; and the angel of the Lord was standing by.

Then the angel of the Lord assured Joshua, saying "Thus says the Lord of hosts: If you will walk in my ways and keep my requirements, then you shall rule my house and have charge of my courts, and I will give you the right of access among those who are standing here. Now listen, Joshua, high priest, you and your colleagues who sit before you! For they are an omen of things to come: I am going to bring my servant the Branch. For on the stone that I have set before Joshua, on a single stone with seven facets, I will engrave its inscription, says the Lord of hosts, and I will remove the guilt of this land in a single day. On that day, says the Lord of hosts, you shall invite each other to come under your vine and fig tree."

Reflection
My dirty clothes of sin and guilt are removed from God's servant the Branch. What a wonderful thought. I am tempted and fall to sin. I become dirty. But God brings forth the servant Branch. Branch that grows straight from the Father and the Spirit.

In a single day the guilt of this land will be removed. A Stone with seven perfect facets --- the Lord of hosts. Facets of smooth cuts. Pain polished to perfection. Jesus pain and death is the perfect sacrifice for my dirty clothes of sin and guilt.

An what is my response? I invite others to come under my vine and fig tree. I will show you the Branch in my life. I will point to that day that the perfect stone was cut in pain yet polished in resurrection for our sin and guilt! Thanks be to God!

Prayer
Lord, you tempt no one to sin. Yet here I am a failure to sin and guilt. I need you to save me. I need you to forgive me. I need you to lead and guide me. I need you! For you are the Branch of life that I feed from. You are that perfect stone with the perfect seven facets shining in all glory. You are God! ---Amen