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With Free Hearts

April 3, 2025

Exodus 32: 7-14 | John 5:30-47 | Psalm 106:6-7, 19-21

“Almighty and most merciful God, drive from us all weakness of body, mind, and spirit; that, being restored to wholeness, we may with free hearts become what you intend us to be and accomplish what you want us to do…”

I am meditating on today’s collect because I find that it is not only a wonderful and complete message in and of itself but also embodies the message of both of our readings and our psalm for today.  In Exodus 32: 7-14, we find ourselves with the Israelites at the moment they have cast an image of a golden calf and had begun to worship it.  In this idolatry they turned their faces against the LORD.  The LORD became very angry because of this and was prepared to consume them. It was only due to Moses’ intercession on their behalf, as he reminded the LORD of a promise he had made… “I will multiply your descendants like the stars of heaven and all this land that I have promised I will give to your descendants, and they shall inherit it forever.”  As a result of this intercession the LORD changed his mind!!!  In their idolatry, the Israelites showed weakness of body, mind, and spirit.  They had become fragmented and enslaved.  They needed to be restored to wholeness so that with free hearts they could become what the LORD intended and to accomplish what he wanted them to do. 

We read the same episode of the golden calf in the lines of Psalm 106 designated for today.  Reading further, in Part II of Psalm 106 we are reminded that this was not the end of the weakness of the Israelites, and that they suffered as a result. However, again and again the LORD “remembered his covenant with them and relented in accordance with his great mercy.” This Psalm concludes “Blessed be the LORD, the God of Israel, from everlasting and to everlasting; and let all the people say, ‘Amen!’ Hallelujah!

In the Gospel reading (John, 5: 30-47), Jesus is preaching to the Judeans, the descendants of Moses.  Once again, they do not recognize their Father, in this case by not recognizing Jesus himself, the Son.  He tells them, “I have come in my Father’s name, and you do not accept me…do not think that I will accuse you before the Father; your accuser is Moses, on whom you have set your hope.”  The Judeans demonstrate weakness of body, mind, and spirit and as they search the scriptures for eternal life and turn their backs on the Son of God in front of them.

As we pray to God to drive from us all weakness of body, mind, and spirit what would this look like?  What would it mean for us to be restored to wholeness with free hearts?  What does God intend for us to be and what does he want us to accomplish”?  Please join me in this prayer for guidance.

Trish Morokoff