One Mediator

A Reflection on the Second Reading for Sunday, September 21st, 2025:
Twenty-Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time

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1 Timothy
​2.1-7

Beloved: I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for everyone, for kings and all who are in high positions, so that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and dignity. This is right and is acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour, who desires everyone to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.

For there is one God; there is also one mediator between God and the human race, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself a ransom for all; this was attested at the right time.

For this I was appointed a herald and an apostle, a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and truth. I am telling the truth, I am not lying.

Pause. Pray. Reflect.

Maybe it’s the fickleness of my habits. Maybe it’s the brokenness of my human nature. Maybe it’s something else I haven’t put my finger on. When I read this Scripture reading, I was struck by how I struggle with the reality that Jesus is the one mediator between God and the human race.

It’s not that I don’t believe it intellectually. All of my years in the Church and of personal reading and theological training confirm it. It simply is the truth.

And yet, my life doesn’t always reflect that belief. When I face struggle, my first instinct is not always to give it to Jesus. Often, it’s to whine, complain, or seek some external advice to help me fix my problems. When I want to overcome my bad habits and sins, I first try to fix them myself through research and sheer force of will. When I should turn to Jesus, to rely on Him for my salvation, I am instead tempted to turn away and trust other things, people, or myself to make my life right.

In the Second Reading, Paul reminds us that God’s will for me (and for all of us) is “a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and dignity.” Jesus gave His very life to make that life possible for me, despite my sin and brokenness.

I needed this word today, this direction for my cares, worries, and trials. The world is, at the time that I’m writing this, experiencing another challenging season. Wars rage on. Lives are being senselessly taken. The most vulnerable are suffering. As a human race, we are wrestling with why this is happening and how we can fix it. How can we disrupt the endless cycle of bad news and bad behaviour?

We won’t fix the world by electing the “perfect” politician, following the advice of the best self-help book, or funding a specific social program. No law will end all sin. No best intention will make all things good. 

The answer is in these readings. It’s Jesus, our God and Saviour. Through His sacrifice, we are given access to grace, healing, and salvation. He is the cure to the sickness of the world.

So when I face despair, either in my own life or outside my front door, my answer shouldn’t be to run to the world for my answers. It should be to run to Jesus. In Him lies every good thing. In Him I have all that I will ever need. And all I need to do is surrender in trust. He will send His Holy Spirit to teach me, protect me, and guide me. Through Jesus, I can conquer my own sin, shame, and brokenness. Through Jesus, this world can be transformed. 

Precious Jesus, please help me always to turn to You when I am overwhelmed and in need of Your care. Send your Spirit over me with grace and lead me always in the right path, totally trusting in Your goodness.

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Stéphanie Potter

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