Scripture: Matthew 28

28 After the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to look at the tomb.

² There was a violent earthquake, for an angel of the Lord came down from heaven and, going to the tomb, rolled back the stone and sat on it. ³ His appearance was like lightning, and his clothes were white as snow. ⁴ The guards were so afraid of him that they shook and became like dead men.

⁵ The angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. ⁶ He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay. ⁷ Then go quickly and tell his disciples: ‘He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him.’ Now I have told you.”

⁸ So the women hurried away from the tomb, afraid yet filled with joy, and ran to tell his disciples. ⁹ Suddenly Jesus met them. “Greetings,” he said. They came to him, clasped his feet and worshiped him. ¹⁰ Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid. Go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me.”

¹¹ While the women were on their way, some of the guards went into the city and reported to the chief priests everything that had happened. ¹² When the chief priests had met with the elders and devised a plan, they gave the soldiers a large sum of money, ¹³ telling them, “You are to say, ‘His disciples came during the night and stole him away while we were asleep.’ ¹⁴ If this report gets to the governor, we will satisfy him and keep you out of trouble.” ¹⁵ So the soldiers took the money and did as they were instructed. And this story has been widely circulated among the Jews to this very day.

¹⁶ Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. ¹⁷ When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. ¹⁸ Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. ¹⁹ Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, ²⁰ and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

I Corinthians 15:51-58

⁵¹ Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed— ⁵² in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. ⁵³ For the perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality. ⁵⁴ When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: “Death has been swallowed up in victory.”

⁵⁵ “Where, O death, is your victory?
    Where, O death, is your sting?”

⁵⁶ The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. ⁵⁷ But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

⁵⁸ Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.

Music: “Worthy Is the Lamb and Amen Chorus” from Messiah   Voces8    Glorious!!!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jS2osOLEe0U    Don’t miss the Amen!! To the whole Messiah.   

I’d recommend watching and listening to the entire Messiah by Voces8. It is magnificent.

Thank you all for this journey through the Lenten season concluding with the Resurrection, but remember, there is so much more. It didn’t all end there. Forty days later Jesus ascended to his Father in heaven in a glorified physical body where he sits at his Father’s right hand interceding on our behalf. At a time known only to the Father, Jesus will return to bring to final completion and restoration of the entire created order.  He will establish his Kingdom and he will reign forever and ever . . . and we’ll be there!

In the last few years, I have written daily devotionals for the fifty days of Eastertide, the time between Easter and Pentecost. This year I am foregoing doing that because I am in the process of writing a book that will cover daily devotionals for every day from Advent to Pentecost. There are several things that need to be negotiated, but the project is underway. The book’s contents will be very similar to what you normally read. I am not sure how this will impact my writing the Advent devotionals for 2023, we’ll have to see. Over the years I’ve had a number of requests to make daily devotionals extend beyond the main seasons of the Christian year. I am in the process of working through sixteen years of writing, editing, and re-writing. I’ve worked out a system that will accommodate whenever Advent or Easter occur. I’ll appreciate your prayer in this book writing endeavor. Thank you all again for passing the word along! The Lord be with you.

–Dr. Daniel Sharp

©2023 Daniel Sharp

Scripture: Luke 23:50-56

⁵⁰ Now there was a man named Joseph, a member of the Council, a good and upright man, ⁵¹ who had not consented to their decision and action. He came from the Judean town of Arimathea, and he himself was waiting for the kingdom of God. ⁵² Going to Pilate, he asked for Jesus’ body. ⁵³ Then he took it down, wrapped it in linen cloth and placed it in a tomb cut in the rock, one in which no one had yet been laid. ⁵⁴ It was Preparation Day, and the Sabbath was about to begin.

⁵⁵ The women who had come with Jesus from Galilee followed Joseph and saw the tomb and how his body was laid in it. ⁵⁶ Then they went home and prepared spices and perfumes. But they rested on the Sabbath in obedience to the commandment.

Some thoughts:

This particular Saturday was undoubtedly the darkest day in the history of the world. The disciples and followers of Jesus, the Messiah, were disillusioned, grief-stricken, hopeless, fearful, utterly lost, and completely confused. All their hopes and aspirations were totally destroyed. The One in whom they had hoped, their leader, was viciously tortured and murdered. There was no place to go. The Jewish religious leaders hated Jesus and the Romans feared him. He did not fight back or lead a rebellion. Now he was dead. Had his followers been fooled?  Now, what were they to do? Go back home, forget the past months, and return to their previous lives? Note the women followers of Jesus planned to prepare spices for the body of Jesus so they followed Joseph to find out exactly where he was buried, but they ran out of time as the sun set, ushering in the Sabbath. I can imagine the Sabbath services that night and morning.

There are two things to do today. First, reflect on what it would have been like to have been one of Jesus’ disciples. What would you have thought? It is easy for us who know the resurrection is coming to skip through this day preparing for a big Easter dinner and cleaning house for the guests coming tomorrow and give little thought to the solemn nature of this day. I think if we put ourselves in the mindset of the disciples, we gain a deeper understanding of theological joy of the resurrection. I’m not sure we always reflect on the impact of what happened and the difference it makes now. Our tendency is to rehearse the events and move on. Maybe not, but something to consider. Maybe plan ahead so there is as little activity on this Saturday as possible. I realize some things have to be done in advance.

Second, read the following Scripture passages. The Christians in the first centuries after Christ held Easter Vigils. They had a special midnight service to usher in the Resurrection. During that service they read the following passages which told God’s story from the beginning, his story of bringing redemption to the whole of creation. Today is sometimes called Silent Saturday, a day of silence, fasting, prayer, reflection, and Scripture reading.

The Beginning

Genesis 1:1-2:3

1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. ² Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.

³ And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. ⁴ God saw that the light was good, and he separated the light from the darkness. ⁵ God called the light “day,” and the darkness he called “night.” And there was evening, and there was morning—the first day.

⁶ And God said, “Let there be a vault between the waters to separate water from water.” ⁷ So God made the vault and separated the water under the vault from the water above it. And it was so. ⁸ God called the vault “sky.” And there was evening, and there was morning—the second day.

⁹ And God said, “Let the water under the sky be gathered to one place, and let dry ground appear.” And it was so. ¹⁰ God called the dry ground “land,” and the gathered waters he called “seas.” And God saw that it was good.

¹¹ Then God said, “Let the land produce vegetation: seed-bearing plants and trees on the land that bear fruit with seed in it, according to their various kinds.” And it was so. ¹² The land produced vegetation: plants bearing seed according to their kinds and trees bearing fruit with seed in it according to their kinds. And God saw that it was good. ¹³ And there was evening, and there was morning—the third day.

¹⁴ And God said, “Let there be lights in the vault of the sky to separate the day from the night, and let them serve as signs to mark sacred times, and days and years, ¹⁵ and let them be lights in the vault of the sky to give light on the earth.” And it was so. ¹⁶ God made two great lights—the greater light to govern the day and the lesser light to govern the night. He also made the stars. ¹⁷ God set them in the vault of the sky to give light on the earth, ¹⁸ to govern the day and the night, and to separate light from darkness. And God saw that it was good. ¹⁹ And there was evening, and there was morning—the fourth day.

²⁰ And God said, “Let the water teem with living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth across the vault of the sky.” ²¹ So God created the great creatures of the sea and every living thing with which the water teems and that moves about in it, according to their kinds, and every winged bird according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. ²² God blessed them and said, “Be fruitful and increase in number and fill the water in the seas, and let the birds increase on the earth.” ²³ And there was evening, and there was morning—the fifth day.

²⁴ And God said, “Let the land produce living creatures according to their kinds: the livestock, the creatures that move along the ground, and the wild animals, each according to its kind.” And it was so. ²⁵ God made the wild animals according to their kinds, the livestock according to their kinds, and all the creatures that move along the ground according to their kinds. And God saw that it was good.

²⁶ Then God said, “Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals,^[a] and over all the creatures that move along the ground.”

²⁷ So God created mankind in his own image,
    in the image of God he created them;
    male and female he created them.

²⁸ God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky and over every living creature that moves on the ground.”

²⁹ Then God said, “I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food. ³⁰ And to all the beasts of the earth and all the birds in the sky and all the creatures that move along the ground—everything that has the breath of life in it—I give every green plant for food.” And it was so.

³¹ God saw all that he had made, and it was very good. And there was evening, and there was morning—the sixth day.

2 Thus the heavens and the earth were completed in all their vast array.

² By the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day he rested from all his work. ³ Then God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it he rested from all the work of creating that he had done.

Did you notice that Jesus Christ rested in the tomb on the seventh day, his work on the cross completed? His words also were, “It is finished.”

God Provides Deliverance for his people

Exodus 14:10-31

¹⁰ As Pharaoh approached, the people of Israel looked up and panicked when they saw the Egyptians overtaking them. They cried out to the Lord, ¹¹ and they said to Moses, “Why did you bring us out here to die in the wilderness? Weren’t there enough graves for us in Egypt? What have you done to us? Why did you make us leave Egypt? ¹² Didn’t we tell you this would happen while we were still in Egypt? We said, ‘Leave us alone! Let us be slaves to the Egyptians. It’s better to be a slave in Egypt than a corpse in the wilderness!’”

¹³ But Moses told the people, “Don’t be afraid. Just stand still and watch the Lord rescue you today. The Egyptians you see today will never be seen again. ¹⁴ The Lord himself will fight for you. Just stay calm.”

Escape through the Red Sea

¹⁵ Then the Lord said to Moses, “Why are you crying out to me? Tell the people to get moving! ¹⁶ Pick up your staff and raise your hand over the sea. Divide the water so the Israelites can walk through the middle of the sea on dry ground. ¹⁷ And I will harden the hearts of the Egyptians, and they will charge in after the Israelites. My great glory will be displayed through Pharaoh and his troops, his chariots, and his charioteers. ¹⁸ When my glory is displayed through them, all Egypt will see my glory and know that I am the Lord!”

¹⁹ Then the angel of God, who had been leading the people of Israel, moved to the rear of the camp. The pillar of cloud also moved from the front and stood behind them. ²⁰ The cloud settled between the Egyptian and Israelite camps. As darkness fell, the cloud turned to fire, lighting up the night. But the Egyptians and Israelites did not approach each other all night.

²¹ Then Moses raised his hand over the sea, and the Lord opened up a path through the water with a strong east wind. The wind blew all that night, turning the seabed into dry land. ²² So the people of Israel walked through the middle of the sea on dry ground, with walls of water on each side!

²³ Then the Egyptians—all of Pharaoh’s horses, chariots, and charioteers—chased them into the middle of the sea. ²⁴ But just before dawn the Lord looked down on the Egyptian army from the pillar of fire and cloud, and he threw their forces into total confusion. ²⁵ He twisted their chariot wheels, making their chariots difficult to drive. “Let’s get out of here—away from these Israelites!” the Egyptians shouted. “The Lord is fighting for them against Egypt!”

²⁶ When all the Israelites had reached the other side, the Lord said to Moses, “Raise your hand over the sea again. Then the waters will rush back and cover the Egyptians and their chariots and charioteers.” ²⁷ So as the sun began to rise, Moses raised his hand over the sea, and the water rushed back into its usual place. The Egyptians tried to escape, but the Lord swept them into the sea. ²⁸ Then the waters returned and covered all the chariots and charioteers—the entire army of Pharaoh. Of all the Egyptians who had chased the Israelites into the sea, not a single one survived.

²⁹ But the people of Israel had walked through the middle of the sea on dry ground, as the water stood up like a wall on both sides. ³⁰ That is how the Lord rescued Israel from the hand of the Egyptians that day. And the Israelites saw the bodies of the Egyptians washed up on the seashore. ³¹ When the people of Israel saw the mighty power that the Lord had unleashed against the Egyptians, they were filled with awe before him. They put their faith in the Lord and in his servant Moses.

Exodus 15:20-21

²⁰ Then Miriam the prophet, Aaron’s sister, took a tambourine and led all the women as they played their tambourines and danced. ²¹ And Miriam sang this song:

“Sing to the Lord,
    for he has triumphed gloriously;
he has hurled both horse and rider
    into the sea.”

Invitation to the Lord’s Salvation

Isaiah 55:1-11

“Is anyone thirsty?
    Come and drink—
    even if you have no money!
Come, take your choice of wine or milk—
    it’s all free!
² Why spend your money on food that does not give you strength?
    Why pay for food that does you no good?
Listen to me, and you will eat what is good.
    You will enjoy the finest food.

³ “Come to me with your ears wide open.
    Listen, and you will find life.
I will make an everlasting covenant with you.
    I will give you all the unfailing love I promised to David.
⁴ See how I used him to display my power among the peoples.
    I made him a leader among the nations.
⁵ You also will command nations you do not know,
    and peoples unknown to you will come running to obey,
because I, the Lord your God,
    the Holy One of Israel, have made you glorious.”

⁶ Seek the Lord while you can find him.
    Call on him now while he is near.
⁷ Let the wicked change their ways
    and banish the very thought of doing wrong.
Let them turn to the Lord that he may have mercy on them.
    Yes, turn to our God, for he will forgive generously.

⁸ “My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts,” says the Lord.
    “And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine.
⁹ For just as the heavens are higher than the earth,
    so my ways are higher than your ways
    and my thoughts higher than your thoughts.

¹⁰ “The rain and snow come down from the heavens
    and stay on the ground to water the earth.
They cause the grain to grow,
    producing seed for the farmer
    and bread for the hungry.
¹¹ It is the same with my word.
    I send it out, and it always produces fruit.
It will accomplish all I want it to,
    and it will prosper everywhere I send it.

The Resurrection

Luke 24:1-12

24 But very early on Sunday morning the women went to the tomb, taking the spices they had prepared. ² They found that the stone had been rolled away from the entrance.³ So they went in, but they didn’t find the body of the Lord Jesus. ⁴ As they stood there puzzled, two men suddenly appeared to them, clothed in dazzling robes.

⁵ The women were terrified and bowed with their faces to the ground. Then the men asked, “Why are you looking among the dead for someone who is alive? ⁶ He isn’t here! He is risen from the dead! Remember what he told you back in Galilee, ⁷ that the Son of Man must be betrayed into the hands of sinful men and be crucified, and that he would rise again on the third day.”

⁸ Then they remembered that he had said this. ⁹ So they rushed back from the tomb to tell his eleven disciples—and everyone else—what had happened. ¹⁰ It was Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and several other women who told the apostles what had happened. ¹¹ But the story sounded like nonsense to the men, so they didn’t believe it. ¹² However, Peter jumped up and ran to the tomb to look. Stooping, he peered in and saw the empty linen wrappings; then he went home again, wondering what had happened.

Sin’s Power Is Broken

Romans 6:1-11

6 Well then, should we keep on sinning so that God can show us more and more of his wonderful grace? ² Of course not! Since we have died to sin, how can we continue to live in it? ³ Or have you forgotten that when we were joined with Christ Jesus in baptism, we joined him in his death? ⁴ For we died and were buried with Christ by baptism. And just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glorious power of the Father, now we also may live new lives.

⁵ Since we have been united with him in his death, we will also be raised to life as he was.⁶ We know that our old sinful selves were crucified with Christ so that sin might lose its power in our lives. We are no longer slaves to sin. ⁷ For when we died with Christ we were set free from the power of sin. ⁸ And since we died with Christ, we know we will also live with him. ⁹ We are sure of this because Christ was raised from the dead, and he will never die again. Death no longer has any power over him. ¹⁰ When he died, he died once to break the power of sin. But now that he lives, he lives for the glory of God. ¹¹ So you also should consider yourselves to be dead to the power of sin and alive to God through Christ Jesus.

Music: Part II of Messiah    (Passion Portion)    Octopus Chorus    (50:00)

“Requiem”   John Rutter      Rivertree Singers    (37:00)

Prayer: How holy is this day, when wickedness is put to flight, and sin is washed away. It restores innocence to the fallen and joy to those who mourn. It casts out pride and hatred and brings peace and concord. How blessed is this night, when earth and heaven are joined and man is reconciled to God. May Christ, the Morning Star who knows no setting, find it ever burning, he who gives his light to all creation, and who lives and reigns for ever and ever. Amen 

                                                                                    – adapted from Book of Common Prayer

Scripture: Psalm 31:9-16
⁹ Have mercy on me, Lord, for I am in distress.
    Tears blur my eyes.
    My body and soul are withering away.
¹⁰ I am dying from grief;
    my years are shortened by sadness.
Sin has drained my strength;
    I am wasting away from within.
¹¹ I am scorned by all my enemies
    and despised by my neighbors—
    even my friends are afraid to come near me.
When they see me on the street,
    they run the other way.
¹² I am ignored as if I were dead,
    as if I were a broken pot.
¹³ I have heard the many rumors about me,
    and I am surrounded by terror.
My enemies conspire against me,
    plotting to take my life.

¹⁴ But I am trusting you, O Lord,
    saying, “You are my God!”
¹⁵ My future is in your hands.
    Rescue me from those who hunt me down relentlessly.
¹⁶ Let your favor shine on your servant.
    In your unfailing love, rescue me.

Some thoughts:

This psalm of David has shadows of Golgotha. It is not hard to read it from the perspective of our Savior as he transverses his final steps and hours. It could easily be read as his prayer in Gethsemane pouring out his heart to his Father. This is a true and honest psalm of lament, something that is often overlooked in our walk of faith. Not everything is rosy in life and turns out well. There are dark moments to be expressed and here David helps us.

There is an interesting phrase in the latter part of verse ten. “Sin has drained my strength.” No doubt sin is draining and weighs us down. But have you ever thought of Jesus’ carrying the sin of the world as he went to the cross? Jesus suffered enormous physical torture and exhaustion to be sure. But even of greater significance, he bore the total weight of the sin of the whole world since the beginning of time; all the sin ever committed by humanity through thousands of years was borne by one man, the Son of God, at one point in time! Such a truth is beyond our comprehension. Yet Jesus did it out of love for those he created.

The wrath of God toward sin was poured out in full in those moments. Such wrath is not anyone’s; it is that of the holy God, the uncreated Creator. We cannot possibly comprehend the draining on Jesus’ life. He took the full force of God’s justice being served. As the song says, “It was our sin that nailed him to the tree.”

A little later in the psalm we read “even my friends are afraid to come near me. When they see me on the street, they run the other way . . .” These lines remind me of the Garden of Gethsemane . . . and all too often, me. The loneliness of that drain Jesus bore alone in the Garden as his three closest friends slept, the very time he could have used their encouraging prayers. Yet, he prayed alone. Despite the horror of bearing sin as a man without sin and being betrayed by those closest to him, our Lord responded with, “My future is in your hands . . . into your hands I commit my spirit.” Let us take up our cross daily praying his words, “Father, my future is in your hands . . . into your hands I commit my spirit.”

Music: “Were You There?”  

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lz_kvFjQqaU    Moses Hogan Singers

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P4Aktws3V0s    Annie Moses Band

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JKEboH3cGNo    Collin Raye

Prayer:

Gracious Lord, in truth I do not often think of the horror of sin. Too often it is simply a “mistake” or “bad judgment.” When I read and begin to grasp the horror of what Jesus accepted, what he willingly took on, I am sobered. Too often it seems minor and just not that significant. For the most part, our world has lost all sense of sin, so it is not surprising that there is little attention paid to its devastating effect and impact. Holy Father, help me to see more clearly the horror of my own sin and not simply think that since Jesus paid the debt long ago, my sin is not of that great of concern today. Thank you, Father, for your Son through whom is my cleansing and salvation. Quicken my heart to recognize the seriousness of sin as I bow before my Lord in gratitude for his redeeming work. In the name of the Savior who suffered, bled, died, rose, ascended to the Father, and even now, intercedes on my behalf. Amen.    –Daniel Sharp                                                

Scripture: John 13: 33-35

³³ “My children, I will be with you only a little longer. You will look for me, and just as I told the Jews, so I tell you now: Where I am going, you cannot come.

³⁴ “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. ³⁵ By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”

Some thoughts:

In this passage, Jesus uses an endearing term “my little children” in addressing his disciples. Followers of rabbis were often referred to as children and learners. He tells them clearly that he is not going to be around much longer and where he is going, they cannot follow. These are men who have been traveling with Jesus for the past three years so the idea that “we can’t come with you” is perplexing to the twelve. So, Thomas circles back to the question in chapter fourteen. How would they function without him? What impresses me about the disciples is that though they had some idea who Jesus was as the Son of God, they were not afraid to ask him questions when they didn’t understand something. They are a model for us.

If you knew you were going to die in the next day or so, what would you say to your family and closest friends? My guess is you would be telling them how much you loved them. Jesus does that but he also introduces something new. “A new commandment” I give you. He is indicating a new kind of community of faith as a result of his Passover departure from this world. The new community is based on Jesus’ love for them. Without knowing his love firsthand, loving one another is not possible. His love is the cornerstone of the building of the spiritual community. Without that block, we have just an ordinary human powered community, and we’ve seen how successful those are!

In order for people to love one another, they must understand the love of Jesus as expressed in the Passover death on their behalf and in the gift of the Holy Spirit. Jesus describes and enacts that love and care in chapters 13, 14, 15, & 16. In chapter 17 we get to listen firsthand to Jesus’ conversation, his prayer to his heavenly Father. Chapters 13 through 19 cover less than twenty-four hours and account for about a third of the entire book of John. The apostle John did us a great favor in recording these final conversations of Jesus. Over the next couple of days, take your time and read these passages several times, putting yourself in the midst of the disciples and listen to a dear Friend who knows he is about to die. What do you notice?

Music: “Ubi Caritas” -4th century (text written specifically for Maundy Thursday worship possibly as early as the 4th century)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z_Pp0jKn1zQ   Audrey Assad

Bonus: This setting of the text by Ola Gjeilo 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zvI5sNucz1w   Central Washington University Chamber Choir      Outstanding choir

Translation:

Where charity and love are, there God is.

The love of Christ has gathered us into one flock.

Let us exult, and in Him be joyful.

Let us fear and let us love the living God.

And from a sincere heart let us love each other (and Him).

Where charity and love are, there God is.

Therefore, whensoever we are gathered as one:

Lest we in mind be divided, let us beware.

Let cease malicious quarrels, let strife give way.

And in the midst of us be Christ our God.

Where charity and love are, there God is.

Together also with the blessed may we see,

Gloriously, Thy countenance, O Christ our God:

A joy which is immense, and also approved:

Through infinite ages of ages. Amen.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, like Judas, we have betrayed you; like Peter, we have denied you; and like the other disciples, we have forsaken you. Yet you remain faithful to us unto death, even death on a cross. We plead for your forgiveness and mercy. And we ask that you strengthen us so that we do not turn aside but follow you to the very end-for the final victory belongs to you. 

–The Worship Sourcebook, p. 597

Scripture: John 13:21-30

²¹ After he had said this, Jesus was troubled in spirit and testified, “Very truly I tell you, one of you is going to betray me.”

²² His disciples stared at one another, at a loss to know which of them he meant. ²³ One of them, the disciple whom Jesus loved, was reclining next to him. ²⁴ Simon Peter motioned to this disciple and said, “Ask him which one he means.”

²⁵ Leaning back against Jesus, he asked him, “Lord, who is it?”

²⁶ Jesus answered, “It is the one to whom I will give this piece of bread when I have dipped it in the dish.” Then, dipping the piece of bread, he gave it to Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot. ²⁷ As soon as Judas took the bread, Satan entered into him.

So Jesus told him, “What you are about to do, do quickly.” ²⁸ But no one at the meal understood why Jesus said this to him. ²⁹ Since Judas had charge of the money, some thought Jesus was telling him to buy what was needed for the festival, or to give something to the poor. ³⁰ As soon as Judas had taken the bread, he went out. And it was night.

Some thoughts:

Betrayal is one of the most difficult, if not the most horrendously awful acts between supposed friends. To be disregarded and despised by a friend is horrible. The betrayer must put self and self-interest above the relationship and the other person. Betrayal is an evil, malicious disregard of the friend and relationship. In order to betray, one must connivingly gain complete trust from the one betrayed.

Judas was all about money and power. He was apparently a crook long before this incident. One who looks out for the best interest of another will not betray. Jesus shows us how to respond when betrayed. Knowing what was to happen, Jesus washed the feet of Judas anyway. Can you imagine what was going on in the mind of Judas?

The last four words of this pericope are so significant on several levels. I’m reminded of the passage in Isaiah (9:2), “the people who walk in darkness have seen a great light . . .” Judas walked for several years next to the Light of the world. He heard Jesus say, “If the light you think you have is actually darkness, how deep that darkness is!” Yet, at a crucial moment Judas sought the darkness of night and the cover of darkness. I would guess more evil happens in darkness than in light. In Judas’ descent into night, he opened his soul to Satan, the epitome of evil and betrayal. Satan consumes all who make a deal with the devil.

Jesus let the consequences of Judas’ action deal with Judas. Jesus’ words were “I did not come to judge the world but to save it.” Remember, betrayal pays its own horrendous dividend, always. On the other hand, Jesus offers forgiveness to the repentant sinner. Just ask Peter. When betrayed, Jesus is our model. When we betray, Peter is our model.

Music: “My Song is Love Unknown”    Sylvia Burnside    

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oOEjZb-rHc0   (I know I’ve used this before, but her rendition is gorgeous!)

Bonus: “My Song is Love Unknown” St. Martins Church Choir, Beautiful setting! Great singing

Prayer: I bind unto myself today the power of God to hold and lead, his eye to watch, his might to stay, his ear to hearken to my need. The wisdom of my God to teach, his hand to guide, his shield to ward; the word of God to give me speech, his heavenly host to be my guard. I bind unto myself the name, the strong name of the Trinity; by invocation of the same, the Three in One, the One in Three, of whom all nature hath creation; Eternal Father, Spirit, Word, Praise to the Lord of my salvation, Salvation is of Christ the Lord.           –Patrick of Ireland 390? -461?

Scripture: John 12:37-50

³⁷ Even after Jesus had performed so many signs in their presence, they still would not believe in him. ³⁸ This was to fulfill the word of Isaiah the prophet:

“Lord, who has believed our message
    and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?”^[a]

³⁹ For this reason they could not believe, because, as Isaiah says elsewhere:

⁴⁰ “He has blinded their eyes
    and hardened their hearts,
so they can neither see with their eyes,
    nor understand with their hearts,
    nor turn—and I would heal them.”^[b]

⁴¹ Isaiah said this because he saw Jesus’ glory and spoke about him.

⁴² Yet at the same time many even among the leaders believed in him. But because of the Pharisees they would not openly acknowledge their faith for fear they would be put out of the synagogue; ⁴³ for they loved human praise more than praise from God.

⁴⁴ Then Jesus cried out, “Whoever believes in me does not believe in me only, but in the one who sent me. ⁴⁵ The one who looks at me is seeing the one who sent me. ⁴⁶ I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in me should stay in darkness.

⁴⁷ “If anyone hears my words but does not keep them, I do not judge that person. For I did not come to judge the world, but to save the world. ⁴⁸ There is a judge for the one who rejects me and does not accept my words; the very words I have spoken will condemn them at the last day. ⁴⁹ For I did not speak on my own, but the Father who sent me commanded me to say all that I have spoken. ⁵⁰ I know that his command leads to eternal life. So whatever I say is just what the Father has told me to say.”

Some thoughts:

How many times have you heard, “If I can just see it, I’ll believe it.” It’s not true, there is more to it. We read here that some people saw and believed, yet others saw the same thing and did not believe. The Scriptures even say that God hardened their hearts! As human beings we like to have clear, definitive conclusions, so generally, we are very confident of our own abilities to discern and form our opinions, even when we are wrong! What was it about the hearts that made them hard? What the hard-hearted saw did not fit with what they knew. Their inability and unwillingness to let go of what they knew created a flint-like heart.

We can see and still not believe, especially when it comes to faith. Remember the story Jesus told of Abraham, Lazarus and the rich man after they had died? The rich man told Abraham to have Lazarus tell his brothers he was tormented in Hades and that they should believe God so they wouldn’t have to come to his place of torment. Abraham’s response was if they didn’t believe Moses and the prophets, they wouldn’t believe someone coming back from the dead. Seeing someone rise from the dead did not result in belief. Unbelief in Jesus’ resurrection continues to this day.

Jesus had just raised Lazarus from the dead and done other miraculous signs in the Pharisees’ presence and still they would not believe. Many others did believe. Apparently, a major factor in the unbelievers was, “What will my friends think?” The believing leaders were unwilling to openly express their faith. How many times have you and I kept our mouths shut in regard to the various social issues of this day because of what others would think or speaking the truth about abortion, gender, or biblical marriage would have made for an awkward moment? May our hearts never become hardened.

Music: “Ah, Holy Jesus” –Johann Heermann, early 17th century

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s4MKOP-vhQ0      traditional tune

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kXzKXBz9mgw    Fernando Ortega

Prayer: O Lord Jesus Christ, you have said that you are the way, the truth, and the life. Suffer us not to stray from you, who are the way, nor to distrust you, who are the truth, nor to rest in anything other than you, who are the life. –Erasmus, 1469-1536

Scripture: John 12:1-11

 Six days before the Passover, Jesus came to Bethany, where Lazarus lived, whom Jesus had raised from the dead. ² Here a dinner was given in Jesus’ honor. Martha served, while Lazarus was among those reclining at the table with him. ³ Then Mary took about a pint^[a] of pure nard, an expensive perfume; she poured it on Jesus’ feet and wiped his feet with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume.

⁴ But one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot, who was later to betray him, objected, ⁵ “Why wasn’t this perfume sold and the money given to the poor? It was worth a year’s wages.^[b]” ⁶ He did not say this because he cared about the poor but because he was a thief; as keeper of the money bag, he used to help himself to what was put into it.

⁷ “Leave her alone,” Jesus replied. “It was intended that she should save this perfume for the day of my burial. ⁸ You will always have the poor among you,^[c] but you will not always have me.”

⁹ Meanwhile a large crowd of Jews found out that Jesus was there and came, not only because of him but also to see Lazarus, whom he had raised from the dead. ¹⁰ So the chief priests made plans to kill Lazarus as well, ¹¹ for on account of him many of the Jews were going over to Jesus and believing in him.

Some thoughts:

How is it that two people can look at one situation and see things so completely differently? For the Jews, touching the feet of someone was very degrading experience, normally reserved for slaves or people of low honor. Yet in this public setting, Mary anointed Jesus’ feet and wiped them with her hair. In her act, we are reminded of Jesus’ washing his disciples’ feet a few days from now, both acts of which were culturally inappropriate for a normal person. Yet Mary saw Jesus as one to honor while from Judas came a disingenuous condemnation. John is blunt in telling us why Judas responded the way he did. The actions days later would reveal the true heart of each; Mary was among the first to see the risen Christ, and Judas hanged himself in remorse.

How does what Mary did relate to what Jesus said in the passage above? There is a connection. The perfume which Mary used to anoint Jesus was worth a year’s wages. It may well have been her dowry for marriage. But her humbling act anointed Jesus for his death and burial. Mary saw the deeper significance of the moment, that of preparing him for his departure from this world. He accepted what she did and gave Judas a curt response, “Leave her alone.” (Jesus never spoke to any of the other disciples that way.) Jesus was not saying don’t help the poor. He was saying Mary recognized the significance of the moment.

How many significant moments with the Lord have we missed? Our head was elsewhere, and we failed to see the God given opportunity to honor our Lord right in front of us. Mary was focused on her Lord, oblivious of those around her or what they thought and she gave her all.

Music: “When I Survey the Wondrous Cross”   –Isaac Watts    Keith and Kristyn Getty

Bonus: “When I Survey the Wondrous Cross”   A family gathering to sing!

Prayer: Almighty God, you alone can bring into order the unruly wills and affections of sinners: grant your people grace to love what you have commanded and desire what you promise; that, among the swift and varied changes of the world, our hearts may surely there be fixed where true joys are found; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.        -from Book of Common Prayer

Scripture: Mark 11:1-11

As they approached Jerusalem and came to Bethphage and Bethany at the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two of his disciples, ² saying to them, “Go to the village ahead of you, and just as you enter it, you will find a colt tied there, which no one has ever ridden. Untie it and bring it here. ³ If anyone asks you, ‘Why are you doing this?’ say, ‘The Lord needs it and will send it back here shortly.’”

⁴ They went and found a colt outside in the street, tied at a doorway. As they untied it, ⁵ some people standing there asked, “What are you doing, untying that colt?” ⁶ They answered as Jesus had told them to, and the people let them go. ⁷ When they brought the colt to Jesus and threw their cloaks over it, he sat on it. ⁸ Many people spread their cloaks on the road, while others spread branches they had cut in the fields. ⁹ Those who went ahead and those who followed shouted,

“Hosanna!”

“Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!”

¹⁰ “Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David!”

“Hosanna in the highest heaven!”

¹¹ Jesus entered Jerusalem and went into the temple courts. He looked around at everything, but since it was already late, he went out to Bethany with the Twelve.

Some thoughts:

This is a fascinating passage on many accounts. To begin with, Jesus’ riding on the back of a donkey does not seem all that appropriate for a supposed king. Really, a donkey? We need to know a little more Old Testament history and the culture of the day. The people shouting all knew that Jesus was a descendant from the tribe of Judah, the tribe of Israel’s greatest king, King David, and the tribe of the Messiah, hence their shouting “Hosanna to the Son of David!” In addition, the “hosanna’s” harkened back to Maccabean revolt some 160 years earlier in the aborted attempt to throw off Seleucids occupation of Israel and the Hellenistic influence on Judaism. There was great hope that Jesus would lead the overthrow of Roman occupation. It was finally the perfect setting!

But there is great irony here. You will recall that when David’s son Absalom rebelled and stole the kingdom from his father, David fled Jerusalem on the back of a donkey in sackcloth and ashes by the Mount of Olives some 1,000 years earlier, while Absalom rode a mule as he attempted to take over the kingdom. Now Jesus, the Son of David, was fulfilling the prophecy of Zechariah (9:9) by riding into Jerusalem via the very same road his kingly ancestor had escaped a 1,000 years earlier. “See, your king comes to you, righteous and having salvation, gentle and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.” What irony!

You see also in this culture, the donkey was the “royal limousine.” The donkey was gentle and humble, the image of a king coming in peace. The horses or mules, on the other hand, were signs of wealth, power, and war and aggression. Interestingly, God did not tell the children of Israel to gather horses or buy them from Egypt (Deut 17:16). God, not horses fought Israel’s battles. God was never opposed to donkeys, the real work horses of the economy. For example, Job had camels and donkeys, but no horses. Interestingly, in Revelation 19:11 we read of Jesus riding a white horse in the final battle where the beast and false prophet are cast into the lake of fire. 

Jesus was strong, gentle, and locked in on the road before him. The sword Jesus brings to earth is not one of earthly battle, but one of dividing those who believe from those who reject the Savior. He had come to give his life for the ransom of many. He entered into this task on the back of a donkey. What a fitting picture of the true earthly mission of our Savior. With the presence of the donkey, God was showing his people the humble nature of the mission of his Son, one of bringing forgiveness and peace, reconciling men and women to God.

Music: “Ride on, King Jesus”   Kathleen Battle and James Levine

Prayer: Lord Jesus Christ, the King of Glory, you entered a rebellious city filled with fickle people who had their own ideas as to what, when, and how you should rule. Forgive the arrogance in my own heart which too often expects the same things of you. May the reminder of the humble, gentle donkey be in my heart today and throughout the coming week as I reflect on your great love and sacrifice on behalf of all your people. Forgive my aggressive ways and calm me down to quiet service to you that your name may be carried wherever I go. In the Messiah’s name I pray. Amen.          –Daniel Sharp

Scripture:  John 11:36-45

³⁶ Then the Jews said, “See how he loved him!”

³⁷ But some of them said, “Could not he who opened the eyes of the blind man have kept this man from dying?”

³⁸ Jesus, once more deeply moved, came to the tomb. It was a cave with a stone laid across the entrance. ³⁹ “Take away the stone,” he said.

“But, Lord,” said Martha, the sister of the dead man, “by this time there is a bad odor, for he has been there four days.”

⁴⁰ Then Jesus said, “Did I not tell you that if you believe, you will see the glory of God?”

⁴¹ So they took away the stone. Then Jesus looked up and said, “Father, I thank you that you have heard me. ⁴² I knew that you always hear me, but I said this for the benefit of the people standing here, that they may believe that you sent me.”

⁴³ When he had said this, Jesus called in a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out!” ⁴⁴ The dead man came out, his hands and feet wrapped with strips of linen, and a cloth around his face.

Jesus said to them, “Take off the grave clothes and let him go.”

⁴⁵ Therefore many of the Jews who had come to visit Mary, and had seen what Jesus did, believed in him.

Some thoughts:

The above phrase “deeply moved” can also be translated “disgusted” or “angered” as Jesus dealt with the skepticism from the crowd concerning his power and will to heal. Jesus’ response is perhaps further indication of his sadness, maybe even frustration in the people’s blindness to his mission.

So, he heads to the tomb where he utters the first of three commands, “Take away the stone.” A more accurate translation of Martha’s response would read, “Lord, he already stinks!” Jesus’ second comment was that it was Martha’s responsibility to believe. Since she had already said she believed, it was now time to see the glory of God revealed. Note that Jesus never did miracles simply as a show of power or for some spectacular affect. Satan tried to get him to do that when he challenged Jesus to jump from the Temple wall. His miracles were always related specifically to his divine mission of bringing glory to God as witnesses to his identity as God’s Son.

Hence, Jesus offered his prayer to the Father once again stating his mission to the world in his prayer so that those standing at the tomb might hear and see the results of his prayer. Jesus then cried out in a loud voice those victorious words, “Lazarus, come forth!” Jesus enabled all the mourners to see the glory of God by raising Lazarus from the dead. They had even been involved in the miracle by rolling the stone away and in unraveling Lazarus’ grave clothes. As a result, many more Jews put their trust in God. They saw that Jesus had power over death and God was glorified, the point of the miracle.

But this victory, while bringing salvation to many, also was most significant in moving things ahead in God’s plan for redeeming the world. Because of fierce hatred from the Jewish leaders, and because the positions of power and influence of the Romans were all being challenged by this itinerate carpenter from Nazareth, in their jealous and frightened perspective, Jesus had to be killed. On a still grander scale with the crucifixion and death of Jesus, it appeared that the establishment of the kingdom of God was foiled and that things did not turn out as they should have.

If anything, we are shown again and again and again in the life of Jesus, that we can trust the Father regardless of how things look at any given moment in our life. If we continue to trust, we will eventually see “the glory of God,” if not in this life, the next. The empty tomb still speaks! While humans were involved in rolling away the stone from Lazarus’ tomb and unwrapping the grave clothes, it was God alone who rolled the stone away from the tomb of Jesus that resurrection morning and neatly folded the grave clothes, never to be used again, either for Jesus or for you and me. As human beings, we were involved in bringing death but had nothing to do with bringing life! That was the mission of the Son of God. Glory to God!

Music: “And the Glory of the Lord” from Messiah Voces8  It dances not like we usually hear it!

Prayer: Lord Jesus, here I am again praying with words, words, and more words. I seem stuck with the same old ones all the time. I have trouble finding the right ones to express my love and complete gratitude for what you have done and continue to do on my behalf. Our words are so limiting! If you had not done what you did, there would be no hope at all. I cannot begin to imagine what that would be like. I very much connect with Paul Gerhardt’s phrase, “What language shall I borrow to thank thee dearest friend, for this thy dying sorrow, thy pity without end?” I still don’t have words, but please listen to my heart, it’s trying to tell you what’s in there. This I pray as Jesus intercedes on my behalf, my loving Lord. Amen.     –Daniel Sharp

Scripture: John 11:28-35

²⁸ After she had said this, she went back and called her sister Mary aside. “The Teacher is here,” she said, “and is asking for you.” ²⁹ When Mary heard this, she got up quickly and went to him. ³⁰ Now Jesus had not yet entered the village, but was still at the place where Martha had met him. ³¹ When the Jews who had been with Mary in the house, comforting her, noticed how quickly she got up and went out, they followed her, supposing she was going to the tomb to mourn there.

³² When Mary reached the place where Jesus was and saw him, she fell at his feet and said, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.”

³³ When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come along with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in spirit and troubled. ³⁴ “Where have you laid him?” he asked.

“Come and see, Lord,” they replied.

³⁵ Jesus wept.

Some thoughts:

This shortest verse in the Bible underscores this whole passage. Why did Jesus weep? He was about to raise Lazarus from the dead. He knew what was coming. So why would he cry? The mourners visiting Mary and Martha, assumed he was weeping because of the death of his friend. Or was he weeping out of pity for the sisters because of the sadness of their own grief? Is there more to it, something we are missing?

The weeping of Jesus was of a different kind. Normal Jewish expression of sorrow at death would be a loud wailing which was the case of the sisters and those comforting them. The Greek word used for Jesus’ weeping is used only one time in the New Testament and it is here. John wanted us to know that Jesus’ weeping was of a different kind from the traditional mourning and loud wailing. The word is for a soft, subdued weeping.

In other places in the Gospels where Jesus expressed a depth of emotion, it was specifically related to his mission (Lk.19:41). It may be that he wept over his people’s failure to recognize and understand his mission of bringing redemption to this world. The Son of God was in their midst, and they did not fully recognize him. The people were so immersed in their own world and their perception of their world that they were unable to get outside of themselves and see who was among them. As the end of his earthly ministry approached, they still did not grasp what was happening. Have you ever felt frustrated that someone you deeply loved just couldn’t understand something, and persisted down a wrong path? Jesus knows exactly how you feel when we weep those soft tears.

Music: “When Jesus Wept” –William Billings,1746-1800, American composer

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ap_ckOb__SY     QuireCleveland

When Jesus wept, a falling tear

In mercy flowed beyond all bound.

When Jesus groaned, a trembling fear

Seized all the guilty world around.

Prayer: O Jesus, who wept over the death of Lazarus, be with all who grieve. O Jesus, who wept alone in Gethsemane, be with all who feel alone, all who face difficult decisions. O Jesus, who cried, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” be with all who are tortured, all who are victims. O Jesus, who offered up prayers with loud cries and tears, hear our prayers. O living God, who knows all our pain and joy, be with us in our lives. Amen.

                                                   The Worship Sourcebook, p.573

An outstanding book on dealing with grief is Jerry Sittser’s, A Grace Disguised: How the soul grows through loss

Scripture: John 11:25-27

²⁵ Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; ²⁶ and whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this?”

²⁷ “Yes, Lord,” she replied, “I believe that you are the Messiah, the Son of God, who is to come into the world.”

Some thoughts:

To Martha, Jesus spoke the electrifying words that no one expected, “I am the resurrection and the life.” Resurrection and life are two related dimensions of Jesus’ statement. Once again earthly life is linked to eternal life through Jesus Christ, the victor over death. After four days, Lazarus returned to life! The significance is not so much that he returned to life, for Jesus had raised people from the dead before, but that Jesus is victor over death, Christus victor. In this passage, John makes sure that we know that Lazarus was not “mostly dead,” in the words of Mad Max in the Princess Bride, but “dead” dead! (Reference yesterday’s devotional if you missed it.) Put this in the context of Jesus’ words. “He who believes in me will never die.” Think about that. “Never” is an absolute word. If you believe in Christ, you will never die. Your loved ones who died in Christ are live in his presence even as you read this. No more glorious words have been spoken since the beginning of language. Is there life after death? Without a doubt! Jesus’ words couldn’t be clearer. Believe in him and live on in his presence, even when your body doesn’t!

You’ll recall when Jesus was a baby, Mary and Joseph took him to the old priest Simeon. Do you remember Simeon’s words about his own death? They were, “Lord, now let your servant depart in peace.” He didn’t say “die in peace.” On the Mount of Transfiguration the same word was used in speaking of Jesus’ “departure” from this earth. Our bodies are simply transformed. When we die, we simply depart from this physical body. Sometime today or tonight, find a quiet place and talk to the Lord. “Jesus, I believe in you, and because of you, the real me will never die. I will only depart this life.” Instead of saying this Christian brother or sister died, we should say, “Brother Sam, sister Sarah has departed this life. We’ll see them later.”

Music: In Christ Alone   –Stuart Townend and Keith Getty, Allison Kraus

In Christ alone my hope is found,

He is my light, my strength, my song

This Cornerstone, this solid ground,

firm through the fiercest drought and storm

What heights of love, what depths of peace,

when fears are stilled, when strivings cease

My Comforter, my All in All,

here in the love of Christ I stand

In Christ alone, who took on flesh,

fullness of God in helpless babe

This gift of love and righteousness,

scorned by the ones He came to save

‘Til on that cross as Jesus died,

the wrath of God was satisfied

For every sin on Him was laid,

here in the death of Christ I live

There in the ground His body lay,

light of the world by darkness slain

Then bursting forth in glorious Day,

up from the grave He rose again

And as He stands in victory,

sin’s curse has lost its grip on me

For I am His and He is mine,

bought with the precious blood of Christ

No guilt in life, no fear in death,

this is the power of Christ in me

From life’s first cry to final breath,

Jesus commands my destiny

No power of hell, no scheme of man,

can ever pluck me from His hand

‘til He returns or calls me home,

here in the power of Christ I’ll stand.

PRAYER: You are God and we praise you; you are the Lord and we acclaim you; You are the eternal Father; all creation worships you. To you all angels, all the powers of heaven, cherubim and seraphim sing in endless praise, ‘Holy, holy, holy, Lord, God of power and might; heaven and earth are full of your glory.’ Throughout the whole world the holy church acclaims you, Father of majesty unbounded; Your true and only Son worthy of all worship and the Holy Spirit advocate and guide. Come then Lord and help your people bought with the price of your own blood; and bring us with your saints to glory everlasting. Amen    –from Te Deum, 4th century

Scripture: John 11:17-24

¹⁷ On his arrival, Jesus found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb for four days. ¹⁸ Now Bethany was less than two miles^[a] from Jerusalem, ¹⁹ and many Jews had come to Martha and Mary to comfort them in the loss of their brother. ²⁰ When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went out to meet him, but Mary stayed at home.

²¹ “Lord,” Martha said to Jesus, “if you had been here, my brother would not have died. ²² But I know that even now God will give you whatever you ask.”

²³ Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.”

²⁴ Martha answered, “I know he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day.”

Some thoughts:

It looks on the surface like it is over. With one day of travel time to cover the forty or so miles to get to Jesus, by the time he got the message, Lazarus had already died and was buried, as Jewish burials were held as soon as possible after death. The Jewish belief was that the soul of the deceased hovered around the corpse for three days in anticipation of some possible means of re-entering the body. On the third day it was believed the body lost its color and the spirit was locked out. On the fourth day the spirit left the corpse to enter the chambers of Sheol, the place of the dead. Entering the fourth day after death meant that life on earth was over. Notice after Jesus heard the news, he waited two more days and then took another day to travel to Bethany. It meant he arrived four days after Lazarus’ death.

When Martha heard of Jesus’ proximity to their home, she went to meet him. Mary, on the other hand, remained in their home seated as guests had come to sit with her in her grief. The custom was for the grieving to remain seated and for guests to come and sit in silence with the bereaved. (Think of Job’s first week with his friends.)

In going to meet Jesus, Martha expresses a human understanding of faith. She had been around Jesus and seen him heal people before and wished that he had been there earlier because he could have healed her brother, but that was of little consolation now. When and why Jesus chooses to heal remains a mystery even today. But Martha understood the biggest picture of the resurrection which is indicated in her response to Jesus’ words, “he will rise when everyone else arises, at the last day.” This is one of those difficult moments when we have faith in the biggest picture but are still in pain and at a loss for the present time. Maybe there is someone today grieving with whom you can “sit with” to bring comfort and encouragement. You don’t have to say anything. It’s called the “ministry of presence,” not the “ministry of explanation.”

Music: “If You Will Trust in God to Guide You”    –Georg Neumark, 1641

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zFPe_G-Lqcc    Fountainview Academy

If you will trust in God to guide you

and place your confidence in him,

You’ll find him always there beside you,

to give you hope and strength within.

For those who trust God’s changeless love

build on the rock that naught can move.

Sing, pray, and keep his ways unswerving,

offer your service faithfully,

And trust his word; though undeserving,

you’ll find his promise true to be.

God never will forsake in need

the soul that trusts in him indeed.

Prayer: And now unto him who is able to keep us from falling and lift us from the dark valley of despair to the bright mountain of hope, from the midnight of desperation to the daybreak of joy; to him be power and authority, for ever and ever. Amen     –Martin Luther King Jr., 1928-1968

Scripture: John 11:7-16

⁷ and then he said to his disciples, “Let us go back to Judea.”

⁸ “But Rabbi,” they said, “a short while ago the Jews there tried to stone you, and yet you are going back?”

⁹ Jesus answered, “Are there not twelve hours of daylight? Anyone who walks in the daytime will not stumble, for they see by this world’s light. ¹⁰ It is when a person walks at night that they stumble, for they have no light.”

¹¹ After he had said this, he went on to tell them, “Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep; but I am going there to wake him up.”

¹² His disciples replied, “Lord, if he sleeps, he will get better.” ¹³ Jesus had been speaking of his death, but his disciples thought he meant natural sleep.

¹⁴ So then he told them plainly, “Lazarus is dead, ¹⁵ and for your sake I am glad I was not there, so that you may believe. But let us go to him.”

¹⁶ Then Thomas (also known as Didymus^[a]) said to the rest of the disciples, “Let us also go, that we may die with him.”

Some thoughts:

“But I thought, Lord, that . . .” and I can hear the Lord say to me, “Yes, Dan, you thought . . .” We see here how tuned Jesus was to his Father in heaven. To us, the timing seems off and not quite logical. A short time prior to this, Jesus had to flee some forty miles from the region of Judah because some in the religious establishment there wanted to kill him. His growing popularity had become a major threat. Jesus had become very famous and people from everywhere were clamoring to see him with the hope of seeing one of his miracles. Yet his dear friends’ call for help came from the very place that sought to kill him.

So here Jesus’ unusual response of “there are twelve hours in the daylight” was a way of telling his followers that God, his Father, had given him a task to do, but one, which in this case, defied human understanding. In Jesus’ words to his disciples, “You do your work while it is daylight” and you accomplish the Father’s will. Someone who walks in the dark, stumbles and gets off course. “Stumbling” in this context further conveys a lack of belief, a lack of understanding. Jesus was in the spiritual “daylight” and the disciples were in the spiritual “night.” (We must remember that the disciples were in the process of learning who Jesus was. It wasn’t until after Pentecost and the coming of the Holy Spirit that they fully understood all that had happened and came into the “daylight.”)

The disciples clearly did not understand the bigger picture of what God was doing. The raising of Lazarus from the dead was part of his Father’s course of action, so Jesus spells it out specifically for the disciples. Despite this, Thomas’ final comment confirms that they still did not understand. The truth is, there are times when you and I are in the “night” concerning the working of God. Remember, God never is. The next time you and I are tempted to question, “Lord, but I thought . . .”, be reminded of Moses’ words to the Israelites before crossing the Red Sea, “be still and watch the mighty hand of God.”

Music: “God Moves in a Mysterious Way”   –William Cowper, 1774  Sovereign Grace

God moves in a mysterious way

His wonders to perform

He plants his footsteps in the sea,

And rides upon the storm.

His purposes will ripen fast,

Unfolding every hour

The bud may have a bitter taste

But sweet will be the flower.

Blind unbelief is sure to err

And scan his work in vain,

God is his own interpreter

And he will make it plain.  (Eventually)

PRAYER: Lord God in heaven, who knows all things, who understands all things, who has power over all things, who has created all things, who sustains all things, who loves all things, who is over all things, who is everywhere present, who has been revealed in Jesus Christ, who is present in the Holy Spirit, who has given his written word, who has made provision for the restoration of the whole created order, grant us one more thing: faith to trust you when we cannot understand your ways in this world. This we pray through Jesus Christ, who reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, world without end. Hallelujah! Amen.          –Daniel Sharp

(As we travel these last two weeks of the Lenten journey, our focus moves from more introspective themes to the historical events culminating in Jesus traveling the road to Calvary. So, this week we will look at Jesus’ traveling to the home of Mary and Martha after the death of Lazarus. This event happened shortly before Palm Sunday and was a major event in triggering the plot to kill Jesus.)

Scripture:  John 11:1-6

1Now a man named Lazarus was sick. He was from Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha. 2This Mary, whose brother Lazarus now lay sick, was the same one who poured perfume on the Lord and wiped his feet with her hair. 3So the sisters sent word to Jesus, “Lord, the one you love is sick.”

4When he heard this, Jesus said, “This sickness will not end in death. No, it is for God’s glory so that God’s Son may be glorified through it.” 5Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. 6Yet when he heard that Lazarus was sick, he stayed where he was two more days.

Some thoughts:

Does it ever seem like God doesn’t do the right thing, or at least his timing is noticeably off? He clearly could do something and just doesn’t. We were talking in our family about some disappointments for something we had prayed and hoped for, something which just didn’t happen. In fact, it emphatically did not happen! In trying to console our family member, I commented, “The Lord’s ways are not our ways.” And the family member responded with the truth we all felt, “And that’s what makes it so annoying!”

Such was the case with Lazarus. He was sick at home. His good friend Jesus was elsewhere in another part of the country. His sisters sent word for Jesus to come to help, after all, Jesus had healed other people. Though Jesus was a close friend, what kind of a “friend” does not offer to help in time of need? Yet, Jesus ignored their request.

Though the sisters did not know it nor could imagine it, something better was in store. That something better was not even the resurrection of Lazarus from the dead; it was the glorification of Jesus, as the Son of God, as the One who had the power over death. What better way to demonstrate the power of Jesus over life and death thereby bringing glory to God than to raise a dead man! Jesus waited to come to their home, because he was listening to his Father who had perfect timing in his magnificent plan.

You may be going through a “Jesus stayed two more days” frustration phase of your life and your prayer is “Why doesn’t God act now before it’s too late?” Instead pray that God might be glorified in what is coming your way. As my father-in-law so often reminded us, “The Lord may tarry, but he is never too late.” Just you wait! Your passage “through the river” into the Celestial City is certain! Read chapter eleven of Pilgrim’s Progress again and you’ll see what we mean! Remember, God has your biggest picture in mind.

Music: “Alleluia, Sing to Jesus”  Chet Valley Churches

Prayer: O Lord, let me not henceforth desire health or life except to spend them for you, with you and in you. You alone know what is good for me; do therefore what seems best to you. Give to me or take from me; conform my will to yours; and grant that with humble and perfect submission and in holy confidence I may receive the orders of your eternal providence and may equally adore all that comes to me from you.          –Blaise Pascal, 1623-1662

Scripture:John 12:20-33

²⁰ Some Greeks who had come to Jerusalem for the Passover celebration ²¹ paid a visit to Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee. They said, “Sir, we want to meet Jesus.”²² Philip told Andrew about it, and they went together to ask Jesus.

²³ Jesus replied, “Now the time has come for the Son of Man to enter into his glory. ²⁴ I tell you the truth, unless a kernel of wheat is planted in the soil and dies, it remains alone. But its death will produce many new kernels—a plentiful harvest of new lives. ²⁵ Those who love their life in this world will lose it. Those who care nothing for their life in this world will keep it for eternity. ²⁶ Anyone who wants to serve me must follow me, because my servants must be where I am. And the Father will honor anyone who serves me.

²⁷ “Now my soul is deeply troubled. Should I pray, ‘Father, save me from this hour’? But this is the very reason I came! ²⁸ Father, bring glory to your name.”

Then a voice spoke from heaven, saying, “I have already brought glory to my name, and I will do so again.” ²⁹ When the crowd heard the voice, some thought it was thunder, while others declared an angel had spoken to him.

³⁰ Then Jesus told them, “The voice was for your benefit, not mine. ³¹ The time for judging this world has come, when Satan, the ruler of this world, will be cast out. ³² And when I am lifted up from the earth, I will draw everyone to myself.” ³³ He said this to indicate how he was going to die.

Some thoughts:

We have pushed things a little out of time sequence here with this passage because I want us to see the larger picture of God’s working. Sometimes we think of events in Jesus’ life as a series of isolated stories. Normally we’d address this event as part of holy week. This response from Jesus comes after his triumphal entry into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday. As his earthly life comes to a brutal end, we are reminded in Jesus’ own succinct words, that death and bringing glory to the Father were “the very reason I came!”

Did you notice Jesus’ unique answer to Philip and Andrew’s request for some Greeks to meet Jesus? His unusual response was that his hour had come and they all would see the result of who he was and why he had come. This moment is a turning point in Jesus’ ministry and in this gospel. Until now his words had always been, “My time has not yet come.” In verse twenty-three his words are, “Now the time has come . . .” Further, his words “anyone who wants to serve me must follow me” answers the question that his salvation was for more than the Jews but included the Greeks and everyone else in answer to Philip and Andrew. The Scriptures do not tell us if the Greeks met Jesus, but they certainly heard that his message included them.

As you follow Jesus’ life through the gospels, you will notice that every event, each encounter, feeds the grand purpose for his time on earth. I cannot imagine how he processed the looming ever-present truth of his coming death for all of humanity, knowing the end of his life on earth would eventually lead to a horrible, excruciating death on a cross. In this passage, we see that Jesus knew his time on earth was ending very soon. In his humanity, he embraced the truth of his mission with a troubled soul. (v.27) Think how much anxiety we experience in the days leading up to a surgery; can you imagine something of this scale, namely the salvation of the world, going through his mind?  

We must always look at Jesus’ entire life in a larger context. His nativity can never be seen only as “the birthday of Jesus.” His life can never be measured only in the context of his moral teaching. His death can never be seen only as his “death and resurrection.” His death can never be seen as only for the salvation of humans. His resurrection can never be seen as the pinnacle of his mission. His ascension can never be seen only as his glorious exit from earth and return to heaven. His being seated at the right hand of the Father in heaven can never be seen as the completion of his work where he can now take time off and go on a vacation! Jesus’ “work” continues throughout eternity. Remember, God’s timing is perfect in everything including your life and mine. We have a wonderous SAVIOR and High Priest who walks with us and understands us perfectly.

 Music: “I Want Jesus to Walk with Me”    Fisk Jubilee Singers, Ruby Amanfu solo Glorious!

Prayer: O Father in heaven, let me never think, that I am here to stay. Let me still remember that I am a stranger and pilgrim on the earth. For here we have no continuing city, but we seek one to come. Preserve me by Thy grace, good Lord, from so losing myself in the joys of earth and that I may have no longing left for the purer joys of heaven. I thank Thee, O Lord, that Thou hast so set eternity within my heart that no earthly thing can ever satisfy me wholly.          

   –John Baillie, from A Diary of Private Prayer p.91

Scripture: Ps. 51

¹ Have mercy on me, O God,
    because of your unfailing love.
Because of your great compassion,
    blot out the stain of my sins.
² Wash me clean from my guilt.
    Purify me from my sin.
³ For I recognize my rebellion;
    it haunts me day and night.
⁴ Against you, and you alone, have I sinned;
    I have done what is evil in your sight.
You will be proved right in what you say,
    and your judgment against me is just.
⁵ For I was born a sinner—
    yes, from the moment my mother conceived me.
⁶ But you desire honesty from the womb,
    teaching me wisdom even there.

⁷ Purify me from my sins, and I will be clean;
    wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.
⁸ Oh, give me back my joy again;
    you have broken me—
    now let me rejoice.
⁹ Don’t keep looking at my sins.
    Remove the stain of my guilt.
¹⁰ Create in me a clean heart, O God.
    Renew a loyal spirit within me.
¹¹ Do not banish me from your presence,
    and don’t take your Holy Spirit from me.

¹² Restore to me the joy of your salvation,
    and make me willing to obey you.
¹³ Then I will teach your ways to rebels,
    and they will return to you.
¹⁴ Forgive me for shedding blood, O God who saves;
    then I will joyfully sing of your forgiveness.
¹⁵ Unseal my lips, O Lord,
    that my mouth may praise you.

¹⁶ You do not desire a sacrifice, or I would offer one.
    You do not want a burnt offering.
¹⁷ The sacrifice you desire is a broken spirit.
    You will not reject a broken and repentant heart, O God.
¹⁸ Look with favor on Zion and help her;
    rebuild the walls of Jerusalem.
¹⁹ Then you will be pleased with sacrifices offered in the right spirit—with burnt offerings and whole burnt offerings.
    Then bulls will again be sacrificed on your altar.

Some thoughts:

Psalm 51 is a familiar classic psalm of confession. In the Lenten season we think of repentance, humbling oneself, as we reflect on Jesus’ hard road to Calvary. His loving compassionate sacrifice made possible the forgiveness of our sin. Note in this psalm the verbs that describe God’s action on our behalf. Our God has mercy, blots out, washes, purifies, breaks, creates, renews, restores, rebuilds, removes, does not reject, and helps. Confession accomplishes all of that in our lives. Noticing verbs associated with God’s actions helps to give us greater insight into our God’s grace.

Do you see all the action of God in our lives when we will simply confess our sin and agree with God that we in fact have sinned.  God’s heart is longing to make us whole again. Notice the “re’s” above. “Renew, restore, remove, and rebuild.” God is the mover in bringing wholeness to our lives, his shalom. Our part is both simple and hard at the same time, simple because it only involves agreeing with God regarding his assessment of our actions or thoughts, hard because we are stubborn, short-sighted, arrogant, and proud. The Lord is looking for his children who have broken spirits, that is, people who are humble and honest before him about their own lives. They live daily with repentant hearts. Repentance is a central and necessary factor in the Christian life.

Music: I Need Thee Every Hour   OneVoice from Briarcrest   (arr. Sam Robson)

I need Thee every hour, most gracious Lord
No tender voice like Thine can peace afford

I need Thee every hour, stay Thou nearby
Temptations lose their power
When Thou art nigh

I need thee, oh, I need thee, every hour I need Thee
I need thee, I need thee, I need Thee every hour

Prayer: O merciful heart of God, in true penitence and contrition I would now open my heart to Thee. Let me keep nothing hidden from Thee, while I pray. Humbling as the truth about myself may be, let me yet take courage to speak it in Thy presence. What I did not think shame to commit, that let me not think shame to confess. And in Thy wisdom use this pain of confession as a means to make me hate the sins confessed. Blot out all my transgressions and let my sins be covered. Make me feel Thine hand upon my life, cleansing me from the stain of past misdeeds, loosing me from the grip of evil habits, strengthening me in new habits of pure-heartedness, and guiding my footsteps in the way of eternal life. All this I ask for His holy name’s sake. Amen.

                                                        –John Baillie from A Diary of Private Prayer, p.51

Scripture: Heb. 4:14-5:4

¹⁴ So then, since we have a great High Priest who has entered heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to what we believe. ¹⁵ This High Priest of ours understands our weaknesses, for he faced all of the same testings we do, yet he did not sin. ¹⁶ So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most.

5 Every high priest is a man chosen to represent other people in their dealings with God. He presents their gifts to God and offers sacrifices for their sins. ² And he is able to deal gently with ignorant and wayward people because he himself is subject to the same weaknesses. ³ That is why he must offer sacrifices for his own sins as well as theirs.”

⁴ And no one can become a high priest simply because he wants such an honor. He must be called by God for this work, just as Aaron was.

Some thoughts:

From the very beginning, a priest was the necessary intermediate to represent humans when coming to a holy God. Early on, Moses’ brother, Aaron, was that person. Such a position was not open to all: that person must be born of the tribe of Levi, a descendent of Aaron’s family line, and be specifically chosen by God. Communing with God was via sacrifice, which of necessity, was offered exclusively by the priest.

You are probably familiar with those necessary qualifications. So, I’d like to look at some of the reasons for our High Priest from a little different angle. What if our high priest came from heaven, something like an angelic being as our heavenly high priest. Being from heaven, they would naturally be holy and therefore could represent us in the presence of our holy God. If a high priest is to be a permanent high priest, he must be holy and sinless. This heavenly priest fulfills that requirement. But not having been human, this heavenly holy being could not fully experience the human dilemma of living in a sin-filled world. There would be no truly human connection. The transaction would be from heaven to heaven as such and not actually connect with earthly humanity.

On the other hand, clearly the human high priesthood of Aaron’s line did not ultimately solve the problem either with fallen men offering sacrifices on behalf of other fallen sinners. The necessary holiness on the part of the priest always required a blood sacrifice over and over. The fact that it had to be repeated over and over meant one thing; it did not permanently solve the sin problem. Bottom line–we have an impossible separation between humanity and God . . . that is unless this High Priest is from heaven. Being perfectly holy and sinless and also being from earth being fully human enables this High Priest to perfectly grasp every aspect of the struggles of humanity. Being the sinless Son of God from heaven in the earthly physical body as a human being enables the separation between God and man to be bridged eternally.

As you read in our pericope for today, of course Jesus Christ is that High Priest, our High Priest forever. What people often forget or just don’t think about is that Jesus sits at the right hand of the Father in his glorified human flesh in the heavenly dimension now! He is interceding on our behalf continuously. Before his ascension, there was never human flesh in heaven. In Christ, we are seated with Jesus in the heavenlies now. The temporary solution that was Aaron’s line of priesthood is no more.

There may be things in your life today that are so difficult to overcome. Who can understand those battles we face? Have you ever been embarrassed to admit those struggles to God? After all, we’re talking to a holy, perfect God! Never hesitate to speak frankly with our High Priest. He completely identifies with us in our weaknesses and temptations. He had them too without sinning, so he knows how to help us. He’s been down your road. Come boldly to the Savior this day.

Music:  How Sweet the Name of Jesus Sounds    Emu

How sweet the name of Jesus sounds
in a believer’s ear!
It soothes his sorrows, heals his wounds,
and drives away his fear.

It makes the wounded spirit whole,
and calms the troubled breast;
’tis manna to the hungry soul,
and to the weary, rest.

Dear Name, the rock on which I build,
my shield and hiding-place,
my never-failing treasury, filled 
with boundless stores of grace!

Jesus! my Shepherd, Brother, Friend,
my Prophet, Priest and King,
my Lord, my Life, my Way, my End,
accept the praise I bring.

Weak is the effort of my heart,
and cold my warmest thought;
but when I see thee as thou art,
I’ll praise thee as I ought.

Till then I would thy love proclaim
with every fleeting breath;
and may the music of thy Name
refresh my soul in death!

Words: John Newton (1725-1807), 1779

Prayer: (Our High Priest praying for us.)

Father, my people do not belong to this world any more than I do. Make them holy by your truth; teach them your word, which is truth. Just as you sent me into the world, I am sending them into the world. And I give myself as a holy sacrifice for them so they can be made holy by your truth. I am praying not only for these disciples but also for all who will ever believe in me through their message. I pray that they will all be one, just as you and I are one-as you are in me, Father, and I am in you. And may they be in us so that the world will believe you sent me.

                                                            –Jesus, from John’s Gospel

Scripture: Luke 4:18-28

⁸ “The Spirit of the Lord is on me,
    because he has anointed me
    to proclaim good news to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners
    and recovery of sight for the blind,
to set the oppressed free,
¹⁹     to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”

²⁰ Then he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant and sat down. The eyes of everyone in the synagogue were fastened on him. ²¹ He began by saying to them, “Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.”

²² All spoke well of him and were amazed at the gracious words that came from his lips. “Isn’t this Joseph’s son?” they asked.

²³ Jesus said to them, “Surely you will quote this proverb to me: ‘Physician, heal yourself!’ And you will tell me, ‘Do here in your hometown what we have heard that you did in Capernaum.’”

²⁴ “Truly I tell you,” he continued, “no prophet is accepted in his hometown. ²⁵ I assure you that there were many widows in Israel in Elijah’s time, when the sky was shut for three and a half years and there was a severe famine throughout the land. ²⁶ Yet Elijah was not sent to any of them, but to a widow in Zarephath in the region of Sidon. ²⁷ And there were many in Israel with leprosy^[b] in the time of Elisha the prophet, yet not one of them was cleansed—only Naaman the Syrian.”

²⁸ All the people in the synagogue were furious when they heard this.

Some thoughts:

Can you imagine what it would have been like to be a Jew in Nazareth and go to synagogue and have this scenario happen? The hometown boy, one whose family you knew well, got up and read this particular passage of Scripture. He had been traveling around speaking at several synagogues in the area and had become quite famous. Rumor has it he did some miracles. Now he was back home and went to his own synagogue to read. Part of every service involved reading the Scripture from the scrolls. On this occasion, one of their own, stood up to read. Rabbis would stand to read and then sit to offer an interpretation.

However, he surprisingly read only part of what he was to read, stopping at “to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.” What he said next was in fact astounding! Jesus said, “Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.” The people of Nazareth were astonished, then enraged, and then drove Jesus out of town attempting to kill him! Someone they had known from growing up days, claimed to be the anointed Messiah, God, and the fulfillment of what Isaiah the prophet had written some 700 years earlier!

There is a principle here worth noting. The Jewish people had a tight system of belief and understanding of the Law and the Prophets. Their understanding of the Jewish faith was very clear in their minds. Among one great truth was that God was a spirit. They thought they   understood this aspect of God. Also, central to their thinking was that God was only for the Jewish people. They believed they had the inside track to God’s favor. One needed to become a Jew in order to gain God’s favor as one of his children. When confronted by Jesus with the truth that salvation was extended to pagans and Gentiles and that he was God in human flesh, they erupted in explosive anger.

Here’s the principle I’m reminded of in this famous quote, “It ain’t what you don’t know that gets you into trouble. It’s what you know for sure that just ain’t so.” I’m wondering how often we presume, even subconsciously, that we know what God will or should do. We understand what we believe pretty well. But is our understanding too presumptive? Why are we surprised when his ways are not our ways. My guess is that there are times when God is working in our midst, and we don’t even recognize it. I’m reminded in this pericope that I need always to rely on the Holy Spirit for guidance and not what I am so sure about what I know about God.

Film Clip: Jesus reading this very passage in the television series The Chosen. DON’T MISS THIS.

Music: “We Come, O Christ, to You”    Grace Community Church

Prayer: Lord, help me to spread your fragrance everywhere I go – let me preach you without preaching, not by words but by my example – by the catching force, the sympathetic influence of what I do, the evident fullness of the love my heart bears to you.

                                                                                                –John Henry Newman, 1801-1890  

Scripture: Proverbs 28:3; 29:7

 3 “A ruler who oppresses the poor

is like a driving rain that leaves no crops.”

7 “The righteous care about justice for the poor, but the wicked have no such concern.”

Some thoughts:

Having grown up on a farm and seeing what driving rain can do to a cornfield makes this proverb especially clear. Driving rain cuts ruts in fields carrying away topsoil, the richest, most nutritious part of the dirt. With the topsoil gone exposing its roots, the plant is greatly weakened, if not washed away altogether. Low spots in the field are flooded playing further havoc. Not only is the immediate crop destroyed, but major work needs to be done to get the field back in shape for the next crop.

When the rain is driving that hard, you are hoping it will let up and give the field “a break.” When the poor are being oppressed by a cruel leader, the poor are hoping for some relief that does not come. Sorrow and hopelessness follow. The poor are trapped in a demoralizing situation. So, a ruler who oppresses the poor with no real concern for people, is a disaster. Such leadership that does not actually help the poor, simply acts to prolong their condition.

On the other hand, a truly righteous leader cares about justice for the poor and works to make an eternal difference. Caring for the poor among us involves being concerned that they have justice.  But this justice needs to be seen I terms of God’s moral justice with its roots being grounded in the truth that all people are made in God’s image and bare the stamp of their Creator. Much so-called justice today is about rights, control, and power. But we are talking about a different justice that begins with God, that is giving God is rightful position and bowing before him, respecting the dignity of every person, tribe, and nation. As fellow pilgrims in need of the saving grace of Christ, traveling down the tough path of life in this world, we continue to look for those we can encourage and assist along the way. Look for someone today to whom you can give assistance or a word of encouragement, always keeping our final destination in sight!

Music: “I Want Jesus to Walk with Me”   Fountainview Academy

Prayer: Bring us, O Lord God, at the last awakening into the house and gate of heaven, to enter into that gate and dwell in that house, where there shall be no darkness nor dazzling, but one equal light; no noise nor silence, but one equal music; no fears nor hopes, but an equal possession; no ends nor beginnings, but one equal eternity, in the habitations of thy majesty and thy glory, world without end. –John Donne, 1571-1631 from Eerdmans’ Book of Famous Prayers, p.52

Scripture: Proverbs 19:17 “Whoever is kind to the poor lends to the LORD, and he will reward them for what they have done.”

Some thoughts:

This verse seems rather similar to what Job expressed the other day. He was abundantly kind to the poor yet did not appear to receive any credit or benefit from God in his mind. There have been times when I have acted in kindness towards the poor with the only apparent result being I had less money than before! Call me Job. I was thinking money and expected gratitude and God was thinking kindness! I know you are smiling analyzing my greedy little sinful mind! I repent. God is looking at our hearts.

There are several things at play here. In spite of the promises of some erroneous preachers, God is not obligated to bring material blessing when we assist those in need. “Giving to get from God” is the very heart attitude Jesus condemned. God will not be manipulated. The Good Samaritan was out money, time, and personal expense because he gave to one in need. Yet his reward was huge. He was commended by God for his acts of kindness. Kindness is not material; it is an expression of the heart. Anyone can offer it to any other person. Kindness may take patience, make take listening, and it may take inconvenience. What it does take is a will.

The Message records this Proverbs passage as: “Mercy to the needy is a loan to God, and God pays back those loans in full.” In other words, the kindness shown in giving to the needy is like money being lent to the Lord. In God’s time, those loans come back in full in God collateral. As we meet fellow pilgrims traveling along the road today, let us ever keep our final destination in sight. “Gracious words are like a honeycomb, sweetness to the soul and health to the body.”  Prov.16:24

Music: “Jesus, I Adore Thee”  University Presbyterian Sanctuary Choir, Dan Sharp directing!

Jesus, I adore Thee, Word of truth and grace,

Who in glory shineth light upon our race.
Christ, to Thee surrendered, my whole heart is bowed.
Alpha and Omega, thou true Son of God.

Taste and touch and vision to discern Thee, fail;
faith that comes by hearing pierces through the veil.
I believe whate’er the Son of God hath told.
What the truth hath spoken, that for truth I hold.

Word of God incarnate, Lord of life and light,
teach me how to love and worship Thee aright.
Holy Spirit, ever bide within my heart,
speaking Thy commandments, telling all Thou art.

Wondrous revelation, verity and grace.
Lo, in heaven’s glory I see Thee face to face.
Light of endless light Whom heaven and earth adore,
fill me with Thy radiance, now and evermore.

(text by St. Thomas Aquinas; translation by Stephen Caracciolo. This video was recorded in the early 2000’s long before the technology of today! This first song has a marvelous text. “Filling with the radiance of Christ is the essence of kindness. There is a second song on this clip. The first is 3:41)

Prayer: Fix thou our steps, O Lord, that we stagger not at the uneven motions of the world, but steadily go on to our glorious home; neither censuring our journey by the weather we meet with, nor turning out of the way for anything that befalls us. The winds are often rough, and our own weight presses us downwards. Reach forth, O Lord, thy hand, thy saving hand, and speedily deliver us. Teach us, O Lord, to use this transitory life as pilgrims returning to their beloved home; that we may take what our journey requires, and not think of settling in a foreign country.                            –John Wesley (1703-1791)

Scripture: Proverbs 14:31 “Whoever oppresses the poor shows contempt for their Maker, but whoever is kind to the needy honors God.”

Some thoughts:

We are all familiar with the phrase Jesus spoke, “If ye have done it unto one of the least of these, ye have done it unto me.” (Matthew 25:40) Solomon works with a similar idea here. Sometimes I forget that every person I see was made by God. He breathed life into each of these souls. If I am honest, there are times when I cower away from someone on the street because of smell or dirt. I’m embarrassed to admit it, but it’s the truth. The first thought in my mind is not, “this is someone made in God’s image.” The following incident is a reminder in my life.

Many years ago, I was driving to church with one of my young sons about 6:45 AM on this particular Sunday morning. We came to a stop light and there standing on the corner six feet from our car was perhaps the most oddly dressed and unusual looking person I’ve ever seen. We both glanced quickly and then looked straight ahead without saying a word. As we cleared the intersection my son commented, “God spent a little extra time on that one didn’t he dad!” I cracked up and was then brought up short in realizing how true my son’s words were. We need to look at everyone as someone personally designed by God’s own hand, made in his image. In giving people freedom, they get to tinker with what God made, but all people are to be treated with respect and honor, which honors not only them, but honors their Maker. It was Solomon who also wrote: “The rich and the poor have this in common, the LORD is the maker of them all.” Look in the mirror and you’ll see what I mean! You are some of God’s handiwork and he didn’t make a mistake!

Music: “Alone Yet not Alone”      Sam Robson

Prayer: Dearest Lord, may I see you today and every day in the person of your sick, and, whilst nursing them, minister unto you. Though you hide yourself behind the unattractive disguise of the irritable, the exacting, the unreasonable, may I still recognize you, and say: ‘Jesus, my patient, how sweet it is to serve you.’ Sweetest Lord, make me appreciative of the dignity of my high vocation, and its many responsibilities. Never permit me to disgrace it by giving way to coldness, unkindness, or impatience. Lord, increase my faith, bless my efforts and work, now and for evermore, Amen.                       –Sister Teresa of Calcutta, 1910

Scripture: Job 29:7-17

7 “When I went to the gate of the city and took my seat in the public square,

8 the young men saw me and stepped aside and the old men rose to their feet;

9 the chief men refrained from speaking and covered their mouths with their hands;

10 the voices of the nobles were hushed, and their tongues stuck to the roof of their mouths.

11 Whoever heard me spoke well of me, and those who saw me commended me,

12 because I rescued the poor who cried for help, and the fatherless who had none to assist them.

13 The one who was dying blessed me; I made the widow’s heart sing.

14 I put on righteousness as my clothing; justice was my robe and my turban.

15 I was eyes to the blind and feet to the lame.

16 I was a father to the needy; I took up the case of the stranger.

17 I broke the fangs of the wicked and snatched the victims from their teeth.

Some thoughts:

This portion of Scripture forms the backdrop of a key principle surrounding giving to the poor. Job is here describing the early days of his prosperity. In these days he was honored and respected by those in his world. Job had a position of great esteem in his society. At the same time, he was a very generous man. He looked after the poor and helped them again and again. He took care of the widow, the orphan, and the stranger. He advocated on behalf of the less fortunate and he did so with apparent pure motives. Job was obedient to his calling and abundantly shared God’s blessing of his life. But I think there is something interesting about Job’s assessment in his monologue.

In listing all the things Job had done in terms of giving to his community, it almost seems that he attributed his societal esteem to his generosity. But I wonder. Could the admiration for him have come from the nature of his person, and not from something he had done? He may have succumbed to the danger of thinking what he accomplished was the measure of who he was as a person. His troubled heart seems a little “off center” as he makes some assumptions about God’s view of generosity.

A second question arises in the following chapters, Job is puzzled that all his generosity counts for nothing. Like Job, do we perhaps have some sense that giving should bring distinctive favor from God? Job is struggling to discover any correlation between what happens in life and blessing from God. The truth is, giving to the poor may or may not bring any kind of earthly blessing other than knowing we have been obedient to the Lord to care for the poor. Is there a lingering expectation that God will notice what we did or said that incurs his favor? Does such an expectation reveal a less than pure heart motive? 

I have even more appreciation for the rabbi’s comment from yesterday; it is best to drop your money behind you then you will not know who picked it up. The person will not know who gave it, and I would add, you also wouldn’t know the impact of your gift. You were obedient to the Lord, which seems to be the point. Generosity combined with God’s wisdom brings glory to God.

Music: “Humble Yourself in the Sight of the Lord”   A cappella   unique setting! Beautiful

Prayer: O Divine Love who dost everlastingly stand outside the closed doors of the souls of men, knocking ever and again, wilt Thou not give me grace to throw open all my soul’s doors? Let every bolt and bar be drawn that has hitherto robbed my life of air and light and love. Give me an open ear, O God, that I may hear Thy voice calling me to high endeavor. Too often have I been deaf to the appeals Thou hast addressed to me, but now give me courage to answer, Here am I, send me. And when any one of Thy children, my human brothers, cries out in need, give me then an open ear to hear in that cry Thy call to service. Give me open hands, O God, hands ready to share with all who are in want the blessings with which Thou hast enriched my life. Deliver me from all meanness and miserliness. Let me hold my money in stewardship and all my worldly goods in trust for Thee; to whom now be all honor and glory. Amen.

                                                        –John Baillie from A Diary of Private Prayer, p.63

Scripture: Matthew 6:1-4

1 “Be careful not to practice your righteousness in front of others to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven.

2 “So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. 3 But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, 4 so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.

Some thoughts:

In addition to prayer and fasting, there is this business of “almsgiving” or “giving to the poor.” Here again, we see this word “when” as Jesus directs our attention to giving to the needy. The assumption is that followers of Christ will give to those in need as a normal part of living out their faith. In this passage Jesus is addressing the heart’s attitude like he did previously with prayer and fasting.

To the Jews of Jesus’ day, almsgiving was viewed as the most sacred of all the religious duties. So, Jesus makes very clear that we are to resist the temptation to announce our generosity to others. The Pharisees had that problem. Jesus’ words are aimed at correcting the common perspective of his day. God alone sees our heart motivation and attitude. We are giving not to be noticed or with an eye out to what others have given. What we do, we are to do quietly. That’s what it means by not letting your left hand know what your right hand is doing. One rabbi commented that it is best to drop your money behind you then you will not know who picked it up and the person will not know who gave it.

We are to give with humility. God loves the humble, but he resists the proud. There is great difference between social and spiritual significance. What is given may look the same on the outside, but when faith and love for the Lord is the motivator in the giving, the result has eternal consequences for the giver and brings glory to God. Once again, heaven and earth are tied together in daily living through a simple act of giving.

Music: “Lord, Whose Love Through Humble Service”   -Albert Bayly, 1961

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3XuZjzEqSRc     St.George and St. Michael Episcopal

Prayer: Take, Lord, all my liberty, my memory, my understanding, and my whole will. You have given me all that I have, all that I am, and I surrender all to your divine will, that you dispose of me. Give me only your love and your grace. With his I am rich enough, and I have no more to ask.                                –Ignatius Loyola 1491-1556

Scripture:  Matthew 6:16-18

¹⁶ “And when you fast, don’t make it obvious, as the hypocrites do, for they try to look miserable and disheveled so people will admire them for their fasting. I tell you the truth, that is the only reward they will ever get. ¹⁷ But when you fast, comb your hair and wash your face. ¹⁸ Then no one will notice that you are fasting, except your Father, who knows what you do in private. And your Father, who sees everything, will reward you.

Some thoughts:

There are several interesting things here regarding fasting. Think about it. Fasting was a normal part of the life of every major character in the Bible, both Old and New Testaments. Notice here then that Jesus said when you fast, not if you fast. This is the third of the three “when’s” in this part of his Sermon on the Mount. “When” you give alms, “when” you pray, and “when” you fast. As with the other “when’s,” it also had a warning with it because of the nature of the people to whom Jesus was speaking, including us.

There were religious leaders in the society of Jesus’ day who wanted to make a show of their spirituality (imagine that!). Jesus warned that fasting is not a trick, a gimmick, or a show to gain God’s or anyone else’s approval. Even if people can be fooled or manipulated by a pious show, God will not be.  Jesus’ words were simple. Do not let anyone know when you are fasting.

He then goes on to point out that the practice unifies heaven and earth in a unique way. How so? Proper fasting is “unseen” on earth. No one on earth knows it is happening except God and the person fasting. The irony is that earth is the place where we can see things. But we cannot see into heaven as it is hidden from our view at this point. But our Father who is in heaven, who is unseen to us on earth, sees what people on earth cannot. As we keep our mouth shut both from words and food, our heavenly Father rewards us. For fasting is a matter of the heart and desire to turn away from earthly things and find the mind of God. In other words, to get to know our Savior better. Loving God is one of the motivating factors in fasting.

Music: “O Love that Will Not Let Me Go”  Indelible Grace    new tune

“O Love that Will Not Let Me Go”   Sam Robson       phenomenal arrangement!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XZad7yBVm5o       regular tune

Prayer: O God and Father, I repent of my sinful pre-occupation with visible things. The world has been too much with me. Thou hast been here and I knew it not. I have been blind to Thy Presence. Open my eyes that I may behold Thee in and around me. For Christ’s sake, Amen.

                                                            –A.W. Tozer, from The Pursuit of God, p.72

Scripture: Act 13:1-5

1 Now in the church at Antioch there were prophets and teachers: Barnabas, Simeon called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen (who had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch) and Saul. 2 While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.” 3 So after they had fasted and prayed, they placed their hands on them and sent them off.

On Cyprus4 The two of them, sent on their way by the Holy Spirit, went down to Seleucia and sailed from there to Cyprus. 5 When they arrived at Salamis, they proclaimed the word of God in the Jewish synagogues. John was with them as their helper.

Some thoughts:

The context of this setting is that the church is rapidly expanding amidst persecution. Herod had recently killed James, the brother of John. (These are the brothers who were fishermen and disciples of Jesus.) Herod had arrested Peter and put him in prison only to have an angel of the Lord lead him out of his cell in the night. Barnabas and Saul had just finished a mission trip to Jerusalem and had returned to Antioch. There were a group of believers in Antioch who were prophets and gifted teachers. They sensed an urgency in spreading the gospel to the Roman and Greek world. As this group was worshiping and fasting waiting on the Lord, we read that the Holy Spirit spoke to them in a clear way telling them to set apart Barnabas and Saul for the work to which they had been called, namely that of carrying the gospel to the Gentile world.

In the early days of the church, weekly fasting was a normal practice. The early Christians regularly fasted on Wednesdays and Fridays. Fasting was commonly practiced by the Jews on Mondays and Thursdays. Being already familiar with the practice, the Jewish Christians simply changed the days, wishing to commemorate Jesus’ crucifixion. The believers at Antioch had a decision to make as to who should go on the mission. Prayer and fasting were their normal course of action in cases. As you read on, you see evidence of the Lord’s blessing the ministry of Barnabas and Saul through the Holy Spirit’s working through them. As their ministry continued, Saul evidently took greater leadership of the pair, for by the end of the chapter they are referred to as Paul and Barnabas. Saul was his Hebrew name and Paul was his Roman name. As they ministered in a Gentile world, it was likely more advantageous to use his Roman name, Paul.

As significant decisions confront you and me, praying and fasting to find the mind of the Lord is a centuries old practice and well worth doing.

Music: “Facing a Task Unfinished”         Keith and Kristyn Getty 

Prayer: O God, our Great Shepherd, you tenderly gather us as lambs, carrying us with your all-embracing love. Yet, like sheep, we wander from you, following our own ways, ignoring your voice, and distrusting your provisions. Forgive our stubborn rebellion, our arrogance, our hardened hearts, and our lack of trust. Refresh us once again by your flowing waters of mercy and restore our souls by your redeeming love that we might follow the narrow path more closely through Jesus Christ, our Good Shepherd, we pray. Amen      –Daniel Sharp

Scripture:  Matthew 4:1-11

1 Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. 2 After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. 3 The tempter came to him and said, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.”

4 Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’”

5 Then the devil took him to the holy city and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. 6 “If you are the Son of God,” he said, “throw yourself down. For it is written:

“‘He will command his angels concerning you, and they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.’”

7 Jesus answered him, “It is also written: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’”

8 Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. 9 “All this I will give you,” he said, “if you will bow down and worship me.”

10 Jesus said to him, “Away from me, Satan! For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God and serve him only.’”

11 Then the devil left him, and angels came and attended him.

Some thoughts:

Since our attention is on different biblical examples of fasting this week, I wanted us to look at Jesus’ fast as a model for us for several reasons. While his situation is unique, it is most significant to me that he was led by the Holy Spirit to fast and undoubtedly pray, before launching into his public ministry. All that lay ahead would take a superhuman effort that only God could accomplish. Satan had failed via King Herod to subvert and destroy God’s redemption plan and here he tried again.

Fasting sharpens the mind and the spirit. People often comment that they can see things more clearly during a fast. Often things that seem so important at the time fade into insignificance. Other concerns emerge in our minds needing more attention. In other words, we are growing in wisdom. In addition, spiritual discernment often increases as the physical hunger seems to transfer to a kind of spiritual appetite and an increased hunger to know the mind of God.

This fast put Jesus in a nutritionally vulnerable position, but what did happen was his clear resolve to be obedient to his Father’s will regardless of his earthly human situation. There is a food principle here regarding fasting. Our bodies clearly need physical food to survive. Our spiritual body needs spiritual food, God’s Word, to survive. Notice how Jesus answered the food temptation from the devil. Jesus referred to the Scripture as his spiritual food. Spiritual food was more necessary that physical food. He often said, “My food is to do the will of my Father in heaven.” (John 4:34) We need to grasp and treat spiritual food as seriously as did Jesus.

While we may fast at the physical level, there is never a fast on the spiritual level or we die. Again, the purpose of these devotionals is to help us develop a regular fourth meal of the day: Scripture, breakfast, lunch, and dinner. We must feed our body and soul daily. The dinner you ate today does not last until next week or next month. By the same token, encountering God in his word daily feeds our souls and helps prevent spiritual malnutrition, a deadly disease.

The devil wanted Jesus to shortcut obedience to God and doubt God’s care and provision. The devil wanted to sever the spiritual connection between the Father and Son to try to convince Jesus that he could live apart from his Father and survive on his own. Earthly fasting, rather than making Jesus weaker, made him stronger in resisting. The devil tries the same thing with you and with me and with every person who has ever lived. You cannot overeat spiritual food, the best food there ever was. Like physical food, spiritual food always involves exercise, in a word, faith.

Music: “Welcome Holy Spirit”  Girl Named Tom    beautiful!

Prayer: O Thou to whom I owe the gift of this day’s life, give to me also, I ask, the spirit to use it as I ought. Forbid that I should stain the brightness of the morning with any shameful deed. Let Thy Holy Spirit breathe into my heart today all pure and heavenly desires. Let Thy truth inform my mind. Let Thy justice and righteousness make a throne within me and rule my errant will. Let Christ be formed in me, and let me learn of Him all lowliness of heart, all gentleness of bearing, all modesty of speech, all helpfulness of action, and promptness in the doing of my Father’s will. Defeat all selfish and worldly-minded schemes and prosper all that is conceived among us in the spirit of Christ and carried out to the honor of his blessed name. Amen

                                                       –John Baillie, from A Diary of Private Prayer, p.109

Scripture: Esther 4:9-5:3

9 Hathak went back and reported to Esther what Mordecai had said. 10 Then she instructed him to say to Mordecai, 11 “All the king’s officials and the people of the royal provinces know that for any man or woman who approaches the king in the inner court without being summoned the king has but one law: that they be put to death unless the king extends the gold scepter to them and spares their lives. But thirty days have passed since I was called to go to the king.”

12 When Esther’s words were reported to Mordecai, 13 he sent back this answer: “Do not think that because you are in the king’s house you alone of all the Jews will escape. 14 For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place, but you and your father’s family will perish. And who knows but that you have come to your royal position for such a time as this?”

15 Then Esther sent this reply to Mordecai: 16 “Go, gather together all the Jews who are in Susa, and fast for me. Do not eat or drink for three days, night or day. I and my attendants will fast as you do. When this is done, I will go to the king, even though it is against the law. And if I perish, I perish.”

17 So Mordecai went away and carried out all of Esther’s instructions.

(Esther 5)

1 On the third day Esther put on her royal robes and stood in the inner court of the palace, in front of the king’s hall. The king was sitting on his royal throne in the hall, facing the entrance. 2 When he saw Queen Esther standing in the court, he was pleased with her and held out to her the gold scepter that was in his hand. So Esther approached and touched the tip of the scepter.

3 Then the king asked, “What is it, Queen Esther? What is your request? Even up to half the kingdom, it will be given you.”

Some thoughts:

This is one of the famous stories in Scripture which contains the well-known line “Who knows but that you have come to your royal position for such a time as this?” Let’s back up a bit. As you recall the evil man, Haman, has tricked the king into issuing a decree to exterminate all the Jews. The uncle of the Jewish queen Esther learns of the plot and asks his niece to go to the king to ask that the Jews might be spared from annihilation. Her uninvited appearance before the king breaks the law meaning death unless the king has mercy.

In our day, Esther would be a whistleblower! What? “A whistleblower is a person, often an employee, who reveals information about an activity within a private or public organization that is deemed illegal, immoral, illicit, unsafe or fraudulent.” Esther qualifies. In her case, and in some cases today, one’s very life is at stake. If not the life, then continued employment, reputation, harassment, or family safety is at stake. In the absence of the king’s mercy, Esther was dead.

Though God’s name is never mentioned in the entire book, Uncle Mordecai expresses confidence that if Esther decided not to confront the injustice, God’s protection of his people will come from someplace else. In other words, God’s grand plan for his people will not be thwarted by human cowardness.

When you and I have an opportunity to address a wrong, could it be that God has put us in the very position we are in to further his work of truth and justice in our world? Certainly, in the governmental and corporate world we read of whistleblowers frequently. But it isn’t only in those places that God gives opportunity. Every one of us as followers of Christ find ourselves in places where we have a chance to speak up for what is right and truthful and just. When the occasion arises, how do we prepare? Look again at Esther and her uncle.

Esther and Mordecai and friends agree on three days of fasting and prayer in preparation of Esther’s going in to make the request of the king. They completed their fast and Esther was granted an audience with the king who granted her request. The evil Haman, the instigator of the plot to annihilate the Jews, was hanged on the very gallows he had built for Mordecai.

The fasting by God’s people indicated in this instance that of total devotion in submitting to the will of God as indicated in Esther’s response, “If I perish, I perish.” Rejoice. God has put you in the very place you are in this world “for such a time as this” to speak up for his kingdom. If we perish, we perish.  

Music: “Once to Every Man and Nation” Classic Hymns Gospel Quintet  (Don’t miss this!)

Prayer: God of compassion, you are slow to anger and full of mercy, welcoming sinners who return to you with penitent hearts. We confess that at times we have been cowardly children. We have been silent when we should have spoken up; we have been afraid to speak the truth in love; in fact, we didn’t love enough to speak at all. Our hearts have been timid and too willing to get along, to not make waves. We have failed you, have hurt others, and dishonored your name as a result. Our sin is against you. Grant us renewed courage and receive us yet again as your beloved children, surely not because we are worthy, but for the sake of him who loved us and gave himself for us. Amen.             –Daniel Sharp

Scripture: Jonah 3

1 Then the word of the LORD came to Jonah a second time: 2 “Go to the great city of Nineveh and proclaim to it the message I give you.”

3 Jonah obeyed the word of the LORD and went to Nineveh. Now Nineveh was a very large city; it took three days to go through it. 4 Jonah began by going a day’s journey into the city, proclaiming, “Forty more days and Nineveh will be overthrown.” 5 The Ninevites believed God. A fast was proclaimed, and all of them, from the greatest to the least, put on sackcloth.

6 When Jonah’s warning reached the king of Nineveh, he rose from his throne, took off his royal robes, covered himself with sackcloth and sat down in the dust. 7 This is the proclamation he issued in Nineveh: “By the decree of the king and his nobles:

Do not let people or animals, herds or flocks, taste anything; do not let them eat or drink. 8 But let people and animals be covered with sackcloth. Let everyone call urgently on God. Let them give up their evil ways and their violence. 9 Who knows? God may yet relent and with compassion turn from his fierce anger so that we will not perish.”

10 When God saw what they did and how they turned from their evil ways, he relented and did not bring on them the destruction he had threatened.

Some thoughts: (I am greatly indebted to the bibleproject.com for some of the insights for today’s devotional.)

The story of Jonah is full of great irony. Normally we think of a prophet as someone who boldly proclaims God’s truth and coming judgment with great urgency and conviction (Elijah, Isaiah, Jeremiah). Jonah is the exception. As you know he avoided at all costs going to Nineveh because he did not want them to repent since they were not Jews. He did not want God to forgive their sinful ways. Bluntly, he wanted them to die in their rebellion against God. He hated pagans. What kind of a prophet of God is that? That’s Jonah!

More irony. As Jonah fled from God, the pagan sailors on the ship repented and worshiped Israel’s God! God used Jonah’s own rebellion to bring more non-Jews to faith. In his eventual message to the Ninevites, he never even mentions God, yet from the greatest to the least among the people, even the cows wore sackcloth and ashes! You would think a prophet of God would rejoice in the transformation of these peoples’ hearts. Not so with Jonah.   

At the heart of this account, we learn that God extends his grace to all peoples and nations, not only the Jews. That concept was hard for the Jewish Jonah to accept. But it fulfills God’s promise to Abraham over a thousand years earlier. “All the peoples of the earth will be blessed through you.” (Gen. 12:3)  

Now the question for today, are you and Jonah related? Like Jonah, sometimes we can resent God’s mercy and grace to all peoples and sinners. How often have you said or thought, “I hope they get what they deserve” or “those people are so disgusting, I’m glad there’s a hell.”

When you look in a mirror, per chance do you see any distant relative of Jonah’s?

Music: “What Wondrous Love Is This?” –American folk hymn, Fernando Ortega

What wondrous love is this, O my soul, O my soul?

What wondrous love is this, O my soul?

What wondrous love is this, that caused the Lord of bliss,

To bear the dreadful curse for my soul, for my soul?

PRAYER: Almighty God, to you all hearts are open, all desires known, and from you no secrets are hid. Cleanse the thoughts of our hearts by the inspiration of your Holy Spirit, that we may perfectly love you and worthily magnify your holy name, through Christ, our Lord. Amen.

                                                                                        –Book of Common Prayer

We have mentioned the three primary themes of this season: prayer, fasting, and alms or giving to the poor. This week we focus on the spiritual discipline of fasting.

Scripture: Joel 1:13-15

13 Put on sackcloth, you priests, and mourn; wail, you who minister before the altar. Come, spend the night in sackcloth, you who minister before my God; for the grain offerings and drink offerings are withheld from the house of your God.

14 Declare a holy fast; call a sacred assembly. Summon the elders and all who live in the land to the house of the LORD your God, and cry out to the LORD.

15 Alas for that day! For the day of the LORD is near; it will come like destruction from the Almighty.

Some thoughts:

The Day of Atonement was the only required day of fasting for the Jews, but there were certainly other days and occasions set aside for voluntary fasting. (Num 29:7) The biblical fast most often involved a total abstinence from all food for a set period of time. Lengths of fasts varied. In the passage from Joel, we see fasting combined with the wearing of sackcloth as people went into mourning over the state of their nation. Fasting was always accompanied by prayer as an expression of grief, repentance, and humiliation before the Lord. In times of national crisis in particular the entire nation of Israel would fast and pray. Such is the case here.

The dating of the book is unclear. The problem the nation was facing was not unlike today in our world, it is safe to say, where nations are in rebellion and rejection of God. Fasting and prayer were a common response in the Scriptures by God’s people as we’ll see all this week. What is it about fasting that makes situations of stress, hopelessness, or uncertainty so common a response in the Scriptures?

In vibrant healthy faith our trust is in God alone. In short, he is the one we rely upon for everything; he is our life. But where there is rebellion toward God, judgment follows at some point creating a gaping hole and estrangement from God. Fasting is a reminder that something vital is missing. When we fast, the first thing we notice is we are hungry. Food has always been there, now it is not. We never thought about it before, we just ate. Now, the hunger of fasting reminds us there is a gap in our relationship with God and our dependance on him.

But something else happens at a deeper level. In fasting our mental focus sharpens. We see things around us more clearly. As we pray, (prayer always accompanies biblical fasting), it is common to discover things we have missed or see other situations from a different perspective. In fasting and prayer, the mind becomes sharper, the spirit more perceptive.

Fasting is something to consider as a spiritual discipline. Perhaps you may choose to set aside one day a week for the rest of the season of Lent to fast and pray during the time you would normally be eating. (Be wise and aware of your own physical condition.)

Music: “KATONDA ONSEMBEZZE (Near My God To Thee)”  Jehovah Shalom

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tkApjl0gqoE&list=OLAK5uy_lFSNGZLMCHepAjMKF_6JuZjOFMYtpKbeU&index=26     Terrific! Six voice acapella band from Kampala, Uganda

1. Nearer, my God, to thee,

          Nearer to thee!

E’en though it be a cross

That raiseth me.

Still all my song shall be

Nearer, my God, to thee,

Nearer, my God, to thee,

Nearer to thee!

2. Though like the wanderer,

         The sun gone down,

Darkness be over me,

My rest a stone,

Yet in my dreams I’d be

Nearer, my God, to thee,

Nearer, my God, to thee,

Nearer to thee!

3. There let the way appear,

          Steps unto heav’n;

All that thou sendest me,

In mercy giv’n;

Angels to beckon me

Nearer, my God, to thee,

Nearer, my God, to thee,

Nearer to thee!

4. Then with my waking thoughts

          Bright with thy praise,

Out of my stony griefs

Bethel I’ll raise;

So by my woes to be

Nearer, my God, to thee,

Nearer, my God, to thee,

Nearer to thee!

5. Or if, on joyful wing

         Cleaving the sky,

Sun, moon, and stars forgot,

Upward I fly,

Still all my song shall be

Nearer, my God, to thee,

Nearer, my God, to thee,

Nearer to thee!

Text: Sarah F. Adams, 1805–1848

Music: Lowell Mason, 1792–1872

Prayer: Behold, Lord, an empty vessel that needs to be filled. My Lord, fill it. I am weak in the faith; strengthen me. I am cold in love; warm me and make me fervent, that my love may go out to my neighbor. I do not have a strong firm faith; at times I doubt and am unable to trust you altogether. O Lord, help me. Strengthen my faith and trust in you. In you I have sealed the treasure of all I have. I am poor; you are rich and came to be merciful to the poor. I am a sinner; you are upright. With me, there is an abundance of sin; in you is the fullness of righteousness. Therefore, I will remain with you. Of whom I can receive, but to whom I may not give.

                                                                                   –Martin Luther 1483-1546

Scripture: John 17:1-5; 20-24

1 After Jesus said this, he looked toward heaven and prayed:

“Father, the hour has come. Glorify your Son, that your Son may glorify you. 2 For you granted him authority over all people that he might give eternal life to all those you have given him. 3 Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent. 4 I have brought you glory on earth by finishing the work you gave me to do. 5 And now, Father, glorify me in your presence with the glory I had with you before the world began.

20 “My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, 21 that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. 22 I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one— 23 I in them and you in me—so that they may be brought to complete unity. Then the world will know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.

24 “Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am, and to see my glory, the glory you have given me because you loved me before the creation of the world.

Some thoughts:

This portion of Scripture is often referred to as the Lord’s prayer or the High Priestly Prayer, for here is the extended prayer he prayed prior to his arrest in the Garden of Gethsemane. We have included the beginning and the ending portions of the prayer in our reading for today.

Jesus’ prayer contains the basic elements of an Old Testament priest’s prayer just before he offers a sacrifice. Verses three to five refer to the glorification of Father and Son. Then there is the reference to the work Christ came to do. (v.6-8) Intercession on behalf of others follows. (9, 11, 15, 20, 21, 24) A final element of a priest’s prayer is found in verse one and five, that statement declaring the offering.

Verse one affirms that Jesus is the Lord of time itself. Throughout the previous months and years, he often stated, “My time is not yet come.” Now as time’s Creator, his words here carry greatest authority and power, “Father, the time has come. Glorify your Son, that your Son may glorify you.” Out of great love, he volunteered to ascend to the cross to complete the work he came to do, being the only possible bridge between heaven and earth. Participation in the life of Christ and communion with God is again possible as the ultimate sacrifice is paid in full.

In the latter portion of the passage, we find Jesus praying specifically for you and for me, for we are the people who have believed in Jesus based on the truth of the disciples’ message being passed down through the centuries. 2,000 years ago Jesus prayed for us, even as he has continued to pray for his people through the centuries.

On a side note, Jehovah Witnesses claim that Jesus did not always exist, but that God the Father created him. John’s words here decisively destroy their claim as verse five can only be understood in terms of Christ’s pre-existence. God the Father, Jesus the Son, and the Holy Spirit, one God, have never not existed as the only uncreated Being.

There is so much in this prayer, considerably more than this space allows. Take some time and go slowly through the whole prayer (chapter 17) noting how the different sentences relate to each other. Observe for what and for whom Jesus prays. What are the relationships? Don’t you wonder what Jesus prayed when he went alone to the mountains to pray? This passage is a treasure trove into the prayer life of our Savior.

Music: “O Children Come” Kristin Getty and Ladysmith  Black Mambazo

Prayer: May God support us all the day long, till the shades lengthen, and the evening comes, and the busy world is hushed, and the fever of life is over, and our work is done! Then in His mercy may He give us a safe lodging, and a holy rest, and peace at the last. Amen

                                                                                                –John Henry Newman 1801

Scripture: Matthew 6:5-15

5 “And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. 6 But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. 7 And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words.

8 Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.

9 “This, then, is how you should pray:

“‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, 10 your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. 11 Give us today our daily bread. 12 And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. 13 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.’

14 For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. 15 But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.”

Some thoughts:

In this passage Jesus is giving us insight into prayer from God’s perspective! The disciples once asked the Lord to teach them how to pray. (Luke 11:1-4) Well, here is a lesson. Praying to be seen or admired by people isn’t effective prayer. Have you ever prayed in public where you were more focused on the words and thoughts you were praying rather than being aware you were talking to God? Judging by most people’s reluctance to pray in public, this is probably not most people’s response.

But then I wonder how many of us follow through on the next part of his discussion. Do we regularly go into a private place to pray to our Father who is unseen? Jesus further explains: “Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.” Note the irony of praying to someone who is unseen by us, yet who sees us. As we pray, we are acknowledging two simultaneous worlds, the visible world in which we live with the invisible dimension of heaven. Therefore, when we pray, we do not need to describe or explain to God the details of the situation about which we are praying. He is more aware of the details than we are and sees quite clearly.

So, when we pray, Jesus reminds us not to fill the time with endless words, but to be clear and to the point. He then gives us an example of what he means . . .  the most frequently prayed prayer in the Bible, the Our Father. Carve out some time this week and find a quiet place where you can spend time alone pouring out your heart to the Lord. A closet in your house may not be a bad place to start! (Don’t get sidetracked into cleaning it out, you can do that later! You know the devil is not concerned with neatness; he only wants to keep you from praying!)

Examples of Paul’s prayers: Col 1:9-14, Phil 1:9-11, Eph 1:15-19

Music: “Blessings”  Laura Story

Prayer: Come now little man, turn aside for a while from your daily employment, escape for a moment from the tumult of your thoughts. Put aside your weighty cares, let your burdensome distractions wait, free yourself awhile for God and rest awhile in him. Enter the inner chamber of your soul, shut out everything except God and that which can help you in seeking him, and when you have shut the door, seek him. Now, my whole heart, say to God, ‘I seek your face, Lord, it is your face I seek.’             –Anselm 1033-1109

Scripture: I Samuel 1:10-18; 2:1-3

10 In her deep anguish Hannah prayed to the LORD, weeping bitterly. 11 And she made a vow, saying, “LORD Almighty, if you will only look on your servant’s misery and remember me, and not forget your servant but give her a son, then I will give him to the LORD for all the days of his life, and no razor will ever be used on his head.”

12 As she kept on praying to the LORD, Eli observed her mouth. 13 Hannah was praying in her heart, and her lips were moving but her voice was not heard. Eli thought she was drunk 14 and said to her, “How long are you going to stay drunk? Put away your wine.”

15 “Not so, my lord,” Hannah replied, “I am a woman who is deeply troubled. I have not been drinking wine or beer; I was pouring out my soul to the LORD. 16 Do not take your servant for a wicked woman; I have been praying here out of my great anguish and grief.”

17 Eli answered, “Go in peace, and may the God of Israel grant you what you have asked of him.” 18 She said, “May your servant find favor in your eyes.” Then she went her way and ate something, and her face was no longer downcast.

Chapter Two 1 Then Hannah prayed and said: “My heart rejoices in the LORD; in the LORD my horn is lifted high. My mouth boasts over my enemies, for I delight in your deliverance. 2 “There is no one holy like the LORD; there is no one besides you; there is no Rock like our God. 3 “Do not keep talking so proudly or let your mouth speak such arrogance, for the LORD is a God who knows, and by him deeds are weighed.

Some thoughts:

Here is yet another fervent prayer from a humble servant of God. In the first passage we read of a barren Hannah pouring out her heart to the Lord. These were dark days in Israel with the nation adrift. Eli was the old priest and evidently didn’t recognize passionate godly prayer when he saw or heard it! Apparently, he had seen, (and experienced?), a fair amount of drunkenness. His boys were not shining examples of integrity or godliness, quite the opposite. At any rate, Eli blessed Hannah and asked God to grant her request. God did and she became pregnant with her son Samuel, who became one of the most gifted and significant leaders in Israel’s history ushering in the first monarchy with King Saul and bringing vital spiritual leadership as prophet and fulfilled some priestly duties. Hannah followed through on her promise and gave Samuel to serve in the Temple with Eli.

The second portion of Scripture above is Hannah’s song and prayer of gratitude to the Lord for answering her prayer after she brought little Samuel to Shiloh, the place of worship at that time. You’ll notice there are a great many similarities to Mary’s song, the Magnificat, (Luke 1:46-55).

(You may want to refer to the Advent devotional on December 21, 2022 for a fuller discussion of the similarities.)

What do you see or notice in Hannah’s character, in her person as relates to her prayer? She did not pray passively! Look at the words: deep anguish, bitter weeping. She was broken hearted and in misery! She “kept on praying;” she was persistent over many years. She was praying in her heart, almost in groans too deep for words? She was “pouring out her soul” to the Lord. She was praying out of great anguish and grief. With Eli’s words, “Go in peace. May God grant your request,” she rejoiced and praised God before she had conceived. She believed God. Hannah was a zealous prayer in her lifetime and a marvelous prayer mentor for us. There was nothing passive in her expressing her heart.

Music: “The Lord’s Prayer”    Andre Bocelli and Mormon Tabernacle Choir

Prayer: Lord, teach me to listen. The times are noisy and my ears are weary with the thousand raucous sounds which continuously assault them. Give me the spirit of the boy Samuel when he said to Thee, “Speak, for thy servant heareth.” Let me hear Thee speaking in my heart. Let me get used to the sound of Thy Voice, that its tones may be familiar when the sounds of earth die away and the only sound will be the music of Thy speaking Voice. Amen.

                                                           –AW Tozer, from The Pursuit of God, p.83

Scripture: Nehemiah 1:5-11

“LORD, the God of heaven, the great and awesome God, who keeps his covenant of love with those who love him and keep his commandments, 6 let your ear be attentive and your eyes open to hear the prayer your servant is praying before you day and night for your servants, the people of Israel. I confess the sins we Israelites, including myself and my father’s family, have committed against you. 7 We have acted very wickedly toward you. We have not obeyed the commands, decrees and laws you gave your servant Moses.

8 “Remember the instruction you gave your servant Moses, saying, ‘If you are unfaithful, I will scatter you among the nations, 9 but if you return to me and obey my commands, then even if your exiled people are at the farthest horizon, I will gather them from there and bring them to the place I have chosen as a dwelling for my Name.’

10 “They are your servants and your people, whom you redeemed by your great strength and your mighty hand. 11 Lord, let your ear be attentive to the prayer of this your servant and to the prayer of your servants who delight in revering your name. Give your servant success today by granting him favor in the presence of this man.”

Some thoughts:

The context and content of this prayer of Nehemiah is instructive to us. Think parallels in your situation as you read this. A broken Israel had rejected the Lord and been in captive exile for many years under several foreign powers. Nehemiah’s heart was broken as he prayed for his wayward nation. He was a man of much prayer. In fact, there are references to his praying to the Lord at least ten times in the thirteen chapters of this book. He prayed before, during, and after events. In this case we read of his final prayer prior to his going to the king to ask to return to Jerusalem to rebuild his beloved city and encourage those Jewish exiles who were living in that city. (You note here again the practice of mourning and fasting being associated with earnest prayer for a specific situation.)

Nehemiah begins his prayer with words of adoration commenting on God’s character and being. He then simply asks that God would hear his prayer. Confession enters at this point, both confessing his own sin and confessing on behalf of the nation. He is specific about their disobedience and rebellion against the Lord. He then reminds God of the covenant made with his people. Despite their rebellion, they are still his people. He asks in faith for God to listen to his prayer and declares his personal love for God and offers his one specific request, “Give your servant success today in granting him favor in the presence of this man” [the king].

When our hearts are heavy about a specific situation, note Nehemiah’s approach. He puts the bigger picture into perspective. 1)He is truthful about his and the people’s sinfulness. 2)This prayer is instructive of the importance of including ourselves as sinners when praying for our nation. It is very easy to see the flaws of our local and national leadership believing their public sins are more egregious than our “little” sins. 3) He reminds God of the covenant promise he made to his people. 4) He articulates Israel’s history of God’s deliverance.  5) He makes his request-direct, nothing vague.  Notice there is a deep reverence toward God. There is humility and honesty. There is much to gain in studying the honesty and pattern of the prayer life of Nehemiah. You may want to work your way through the short thirteen chapters of the book noting the circumstances of each of his time of prayer. What would happen if Christians fervently and regularly prayed for our cultural and societal repentance?

Music: “The Lord’s Prayer”   in Aramaic (the spoken language of Jesus)

Prayer: Lord Jesus, our Intercessor, may our hearts be open to you, to see as you see. May we be obedient to your voice. May our prayer life with you multiply many times throughout the day. We ask that you bring people and circumstances to our minds during the day that need your touch. May we be free to pray with those in need as we go through the mornings, afternoons, and evenings of our lives. In all of this, may you receive glory and may your kingdom be advanced. Thank you for continually interceding on our behalf. We pray this in your tender name. Amen.

                                                                                                         –Daniel Sharp

Scripture: I Chronicles 17:16-24

16 Then King David went in and sat before the LORD and prayed, “Who am I, O LORD God, and what is my family, that you have brought me this far? 17 And now, O God, in addition to everything else, you speak of giving your servant a lasting dynasty! You speak as though I were someone very great, O LORD God! 18 “What more can I say to you about the way you have honored me? You know what your servant is really like. 19 For the sake of your servant, O LORD, and according to your will, you have done all these great things and have made them known.

20 “O LORD, there is no one like you. We have never even heard of another God like you! 21 What other nation on earth is like your people Israel? What other nation, O God, have you redeemed from slavery to be your own people? You made a great name for yourself when you redeemed your people from Egypt. You performed awesome miracles and drove out the nations that stood in their way. 22 You chose Israel to be your very own people forever, and you, O LORD, became their God.

23 “And now, O LORD, I am your servant; do as you have promised concerning me and my family. May it be a promise that will last forever. 24 And may your name be established and honored forever so that everyone will say, ‘The LORD of Heaven’s Armies, the God of Israel, is Israel’s God!’ And may the house of your servant David continue before you forever.

Some thoughts:

King David gives us a model of humility in this prayer. A telling line to me occurs in verse eighteen, “You know what your servant is really like.” Are you ever embarrassed when you are praying, knowing that the Lord knows what you are really like . . . and hears you anyway? I am challenged by the authenticity and transparency in his prayer. David doesn’t pray, “Lord, you are my number one priority in life.” God is not a category in David’s life.  He is David’s life in his saying, “There is no one like you.” His prayer reveals his humble heart.

Like today, David lived in an era where there were many gods, yet he made clear his heart’s desire and focus. His humility is further expressed in listing all the things God had done for his chosen people. He was God-focused in his prayer. Have you ever prayed listing all the things God has done on your behalf? Try it. God has provided you the specific place where you live. The clothes you have come from him as has the food you eat today. Your ability to see and hear and talk are all gifts from him. Your very breath and beating heart are in his hands. He has given you the money you have to steward. It is so easy to presume, isn’t it? In the words of Dennis Prager, “Memory permeates faith. No memory, no faith. Memory permeates gratitude, no memory, no gratitude.”

King David closes his prayer by uniting the earthly with the heavenly with these words, “And may your name be established and honored forever so that everyone will say, ‘The LORD of Heaven’s Armies, the God of Israel, is Israel’s God!’” Have you thought of the blessings in your earthly life as being united with eternal blessing bringing glory to God? In this prayer, David has given us a wonderful guide for our prayer content as well as a God-focused heart perspective when we pray.

Music: “O for a Closer Walk with God” -William Cowper, 1772    Stuart Townend

PRAYER: O God, I have tasted Thy goodness, and it has both satisfied me and made me thirsty for more. I am painfully conscious of my need of further grace. I am ashamed of my lack of desire. O God, the Triune God, I want to want Thee; I long to be filled with longing; I thirst to be made more thirsty still. Show me Thy glory, I pray Thee, that so I may know Thee indeed. Begin in mercy a new work of love within me. Say to my soul, “Rise up, my love, my fair one, and come away.” Then give me grace to rise and follow thee up from this misty lowland, where I have wandered so long, in Jesus’ Name, Amen.        –A.W.Tozer from ThePursuit of God, p.20

Scripture: Daniel 9:3-19

3 So I turned to the LORD God and pleaded with him in prayer and fasting. I also wore rough burlap and sprinkled myself with ashes.

4 I prayed to the LORD my God and confessed:

“O Lord, you are a great and awesome God! You always fulfill your covenant and keep your promises of unfailing love to those who love you and obey your commands. 5 But we have sinned and done wrong. We have rebelled against you and scorned your commands and regulations. 6 We have refused to listen to your servants the prophets, who spoke on your authority to our kings and princes and ancestors and to all the people of the land.

7 “Lord, you are in the right; but as you see, our faces are covered with shame. This is true of all of us, including the people of Judah and Jerusalem and all Israel, scattered near and far, wherever you have driven us because of our disloyalty to you. 😯 LORD, we and our kings, princes, and ancestors are covered with shame because we have sinned against you. 9But the Lord our God is merciful and forgiving, even though we have rebelled against him. 10We have not obeyed the LORD our God, for we have not followed the instructions he gave us through his servants the prophets. 11All Israel has disobeyed your instruction and turned away, refusing to listen to your voice.

“So now the solemn curses and judgments written in the Law of Moses, the servant of God, have been poured down on us because of our sin. 12 You have kept your word and done to us and our rulers exactly as you warned. Never has there been such a disaster as happened in Jerusalem. 13 Every curse written against us in the Law of Moses has come true. Yet we have refused to seek mercy from the LORD our God by turning from our sins and recognizing his truth. 14 Therefore, the LORD has brought upon us the disaster he prepared. The LORD our God was right to do all of these things, for we did not obey him.

15 “O Lord our God, you brought lasting honor to your name by rescuing your people from Egypt in a great display of power. But we have sinned and are full of wickedness. 16 In view of all your faithful mercies, Lord, please turn your furious anger away from your city Jerusalem, your holy mountain. All the neighboring nations mock Jerusalem and your people because of our sins and the sins of our ancestors.

17 “O our God, hear your servant’s prayer! Listen as I plead. For your own sake, Lord, smile again on your desolate sanctuary.

18 “O my God, lean down and listen to me. Open your eyes and see our despair. See how your city—the city that bears your name—lies in ruins. We make this plea, not because we deserve help, but because of your mercy.

19 “O Lord, hear. O Lord, forgive. O Lord, listen and act! For your own sake, do not delay, O my God, for your people and your city bear your name.”

Some thoughts:

Daniel and his people were in a very difficult and disturbing situation. He turned to the Lord (in sackcloth, ashes, and fasting-he pulled out all the stops in expressing his repentant heart!) to seek an answer. Notice the structure of his plea. His prayer begins with confessing (agreeing with God) regarding God’s power. He affirms that God keeps his covenant with unwavering love to those who love him and are faithful. Daniel affirms what is true about God’s character and being. God’s character is the foundation for our repentance. He remembers who God is.

He then moves from affirming the truth about God to confessing the truth about his people. “We have sinned and done wrong . . .” We have not obeyed your laws. We have not listened to your messengers, the prophets who spoke in your name to our current leaders, to our ancestors in the past, and, in fact, to all of us. We have rejected your word at every point. Righteousness is on your side. Shame is on our side no matter if we are here in Jerusalem or anywhere else in the world. We are totally and completely at fault for what we and our ancestors have done. To you Lord, belongs mercy and forgiveness. We have completely rejected you and the people who brought your words to us. Our whole nation has rejected your law and refused to heed your word. Does this description of Daniel’s nation seem at all familiar and apropos to our nation and world? Our rebellion necessitates our repentance.

Daniel continues. We are justly cursed under your law, the law you gave Moses. We had it in writing what would happen if we broke our covenant with you and we went ahead and rebelled anyway. God kept up the grief on us which we certainly deserved. God is right in what he is doing. There are always eventual and just consequences for our sinful rebellion.

Daniel then appeals to God’s actions of delivering his people in the past. He pleads for the Lord to deliver them based on God’s mercies rather than their righteousness. He likewise appeals to the Lord’s own name’s sake for deliverance. (This is not uncommon in biblical prayers.) Daniel then concludes with three impassioned pleas: “O Lord, hear; O Lord, forgive; O Lord listen and act and do not delay! For your own sake, O my God, for your city and your people bear your name.” In Daniel’s prayer we are given an articulate model of fervent prayer. In typical Hebrew fashion, he prays in duplets: hear and forgive, then listen and act; and don’t delay for your own sake God. Daniel’s advice? Humbly speak the truth in your prayers and don’t be shy. The nations of the world and our cultures are certainly in full-on rebellion against God. Does Daniel’s prayer strike you as one your nation could, should pray? Pray it today and in the days ahead on behalf of your country. The nations of the world desperately need fervent prayer. You can use Daniel’s words, he won’t mind.

Music: “Breathe On Us Again” –Maranatha Singers    (An ‘old’ prayer with words that are ever true!)

O Lord, hear. O Lord, forgive us. We have lost the awe of You, Have mercy, have mercy.

O Lord, cleanse our hearts which are divided. Stir the faith that we once knew.

We’re thirsty, we’re thirsty.

O Lord, restore the church that bears Your name.

O Spirit, send a revival to this nation.

Breathe on us again, breathe on us again.

Prayer:

Gracious Father in heaven, filled with compassion, tenderness, and love, our nation has brought great sadness to you by its arrogant pride and defiant ways of rejecting your word. Our culture has delighted in rejecting you and your creation preferring its own perverted ways. Forgive us Lord, have mercy. In truth, we have all sinned and fallen very, very short of your glory. We have  no forgiveness except in you. There is no healing except in you. There is no transformation except in you. There is no hope except in you. There is no health except in you. Lord, have mercy on us and on our nation and bring revival to the glory of your great name. This we pray through Jesus, who with you and the Holy Spirit reign one God, world without end. Amen.

                                                                                                       –Daniel Sharp

Scripture: Mark 8:31-39

³¹ Then Jesus began to tell them that the Son of Man must suffer many terrible things and be rejected by the elders, the leading priests, and the teachers of religious law. He would be killed, but three days later he would rise from the dead. ³² As he talked about this openly with his disciples, Peter took him aside and began to reprimand him for saying such things.

³³ Jesus turned around and looked at his disciples, then reprimanded Peter. “Get away from me, Satan!” he said. “You are seeing things merely from a human point of view, not from God’s.”

³⁴ Then, calling the crowd to join his disciples, he said, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must turn from your selfish ways, take up your cross, and follow me. ³⁵ If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake and for the sake of the Good News, you will save it. ³⁶ And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul? ³⁷ Is anything worth more than your soul? ³⁸ If anyone is ashamed of me and my message in these adulterous and sinful days, the Son of Man will be ashamed of that person when he returns in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.”

Some thoughts:

In the gospel of Mark, we read several times where Jesus tells the person he has healed not to tell anyone who he was. He wanted to keep his identity low key in regard to the public, Jewish religious leaders, and the occupying Romans. Why? I’d suggest his message was more important than his identity at this point, or perhaps it was because he wanted time to proclaim the kingdom of God and what it actually was like-not the military overthrow of Roman occupation, for which the people were hoping. He wanted to show the public that the nature of God’s kingdom had to do with the inner transformation of the heart and not a political manifesto. But as Jesus comes closer to the end of his time on earth, he lets his full identity come front and center. The above pericope then follows.

In the context of this passage, Jesus is walking with his disciples after just having healed a blind man when he asks his followers, “Who do people say I am?” Peter boldly announces that Jesus is the Christ, the Messiah.

Peter did not want to hear that Jesus would suffer many horrible things and eventually be killed and, as you just read, and he told Jesus so! Peter had become a tool of Satan at this point. Jesus recognized the devil’s ploy and issued the sharp rebuke to Peter. Do you remember in Jesus’ moment of temptation in the Lukan account where the physician wrote the devil departed for a more “opportune” time? (Luke 4:13) Well, here it was, another attempt to sidetrack the divine mission. Jesus quickly, loudly, and firmly rejected Peter’s ill-advised plea. He went on to say to his disciples (and us) that following him would be most difficult and demand that the person give up their life.

Frankly, the best thing we “give up for Lent” is our life. I can think of nothing better to give. Your and my pilgrim journey consists of taking up our cross every single day of our life on earth for Jesus’ sake and letting go of this world as we proclaim the coming kingdom of God. There is no day or moment off in following Christ. Don’t be surprised that the devil fights us every step of the way. He’s already lost the battle. Remember Jesus’ words, “Get away from me, Satan!” The victory has been won!

Music:  “More Love to Thee”      Omar Dickinson   Hampton University Choir Directors and Organist Guild

Once earthly joy I craved,

Sought peace and rest,

now Thee alone I seek,

‘Give what is best,

This all my prayer shall be

More love, O Christ, to thee,

More love to Thee

More love to Thee.

Prayer: (Instead of us praying today, this is part of Jesus’ prayer, praying for us. –from John 17)

“My prayer is not for the world, but for those you have given me, because they belong to you. I have given them your word. And the world hates them because they do not belong to the world, just as I do not belong to the world. I’m not asking you to take them out of the world, but to keep them safe from the evil one. They do not belong to this world any more than I do. Make them holy by your truth, teach them your word, which is truth. Just as you sent me into the world, I am sending them into the world. O righteous Father, the world doesn’t know you, but I do; and these disciples know you sent me. I have revealed you to them, and I will continue to do so. Then your love for me will be in them, and I will be in them.”    –Jesus

Comments:

(During this week we’ll center on one of the three primary themes of the Lenten season, prayer, the other two being fasting and giving to the poor. To enhance our own prayer life and to gain a better understanding of prayer and praying, we’ll look at six different recorded prayers from both Old and New Testaments. Today we turn to study Daniel ’s prayer.)

Book Recommendations: A Diary of Private Prayer, John Baillie, Scribners; Eerdmans’ Book of Famous Prayers, ed. Veronica Zundel, Eerdmans

Scripture: Numbers 14:18-25

18 ‘The LORD is slow to anger and filled with unfailing love, forgiving every kind of sin and rebellion. But he does not excuse the guilty. He lays the sins of the parents upon their children; the entire family is affected—even children in the third and fourth generations.’ 19 In keeping with your magnificent, unfailing love, please pardon the sins of this people, just as you have forgiven them ever since they left Egypt.” 20 Then the LORD said, “I will pardon them as you have requested. 21 But as surely as I live, and as surely as the earth is filled with the LORD’s glory, 22 not one of these people will ever enter that land. They have all seen my glorious presence and the miraculous signs I performed both in Egypt and in the wilderness, but again and again they have tested me by refusing to listen to my voice. 23 They will never even see the land I swore to give their ancestors. None of those who have treated me with contempt will ever see it. 24 But my servant Caleb has a different attitude than the others have. He has remained loyal to me, so I will bring him into the land he explored. His descendants will possess their full share of that land. 25 Now turn around, and don’t go on toward the land where the Amalekites and Canaanites live. Tomorrow you must set out for the wilderness in the direction of the Red Sea.”

Some thoughts:

This is one of the hard passages in Scripture for it brings to mind the truth that there are consequences for disobedience and lack of trust in God. You recall God told Moses to send twelve spies into Canaan to check out the land for forty days and bring back a report as to what it was like. The twelve tribal leaders brought back their assessment. Joshua and Caleb responded with “The Lord has given them into our hands. Let’s go and take the land.” The other ten men brought a bad report. The long and the short of it was those ten men died of a plague for their lack of trust in God’s word.

The Israelites then changed their minds and decided to go fight the Canaanites after all and were crushed. As a result, every Israelite twenty years and older died in the desert over the next forty years, one year for each day the spies were gone. Forty years later, only faithful Joshua and Caleb, who were now in their eighties, entered the Promised Land of Canaan with the descendants of those who had doubted God. The children did not suffer for their parent’s lack of faith. They had seen how God provided during those four long decades.

Though God has tremendous love, compassion, and forgiveness for his children, we read some of the saddest words in the Old Testament, (v.25). “Now turn around, tomorrow you must set out for the wilderness . . .” Can you imagine the frustration of not trusting and then after trying to force God’s hand after your first disobedience, you disobey Moses and fail again; and then after that, must live with the consequences of your own disobedience causing your children also pay the price for forty years? With all their parents finally gone, now in their sixties and seventies, the “children” finally get to cross the Jordan into Canaan. Forty years and hundreds of thousands of deaths later, the faithful children of the unfaithful parents entered the Promised Land along with Joshua and Caleb. What’s the lesson?

There comes a moment, a right time to make a decision to proceed in faith trusting God. Do it again and again. The sad news is these children of the faithless parents did the same thing to their children which eventually ended with their descendants being hauled off into exile. The “again and again” part of faith from the Shema was missing. Let us encourage one another to trust and walk by faith (“Buy the Truth!”) every day and experience God’s blessing so that we pilgrims and our children for generations to come may spend little time “wandering in the desert” and much time on the narrow path that leads to the Promised Land and everlasting life.

Some familiar words of wisdom from C. S. Lewis: “And if you have taken a wrong turning then to go forward does not get you any nearer. If you are on the wrong road progress means doing an about-turn and walking back to the right road and in that case the man who turns back soonest is the most progressive man. There is nothing progressive about being pig-headed and refusing to admit a mistake. And I think if you look at the present state of the world it’s pretty plain that humanity has been making some big mistake. We’re on the wrong road. And if that is so we must go back. Going back is the quickest way on.” –Mere Christianity, Book I, Chapter 5

A very short antidote: Several decades ago we attended the Sharp Amish reunion in Big Valley, Pennsylvania. The butcher paper on the wall listed a family tree of at least seven generations back to the early 1800’s. After finding our place on the tree, the first thing we did in our gathering was to pray and then sing hymns. Will seven generations from you and me sing and pray when they gather? Stay on the road; teach the Narrow Path.

Music: “On Jordan’s Story Banks I Stand” -Alabama

Prayer: O Lord, Jesus Christ, who art as the shadow of a great rock in a weary land, who beholdest thy weak creatures, weary of labor, weary of pleasure, weary of hope deferred, weary of self; in thine abundant compassion, and fellow feeling with us, and unutterable tenderness, bring us we pray thee, unto thy rest.                –Christina Rosetti 1830-1894

Scripture: Matthew 4:1-11

1Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted there by the devil. 2For forty day and forty nights he fasted and became very hungry. 3During that time the devil came and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become loaves of bread.”

4 But Jesus told him, “No! The Scriptures say, ‘People do not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’”

5 Then the devil took him to the holy city, Jerusalem, to the highest point of the Temple, 6 and said, “If you are the Son of God, jump off! For the Scriptures say, ‘He will order his angels to protect you. And they will hold you up with their hands so you won’t even hurt your foot on a stone.’”

7 Jesus responded, “The Scriptures also say, ‘You must not test the LORD your God.’” 8 Next the devil took him to the peak of a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. 9 “I will give it all to you,” he said, “if you will kneel down and worship me.” 10 “Get out of here, Satan,” Jesus told him. “For the Scriptures say, ‘You must worship the LORD your God and serve only him.’”

11 Then the devil went away, and angels came and took care of Jesus.

Some thoughts:

In this passage we have the most commonly sited reason for the forty days of Lent. The early Christians pointed to Jesus’ forty days in the wilderness during which he fasted and was tempted by the devil as a basis for reflecting on Jesus’ journey to the cross. In Romans and in I Corinthians, the Apostle Paul contrasts the First Adam in the Garden of Eden with Jesus, the Second Adam in the Garden of Gethsemane. Writing in Romans 5 of the temptation of the first Adam, Paul points out that Adam, who in his failure, did something to us by ushering sin into the world bringing sin, condemnation, judgment, and death to the whole human race.  Adam-dust from the earthly mortal body.

Paul points out in I Corinthians 15, in the words of the Second Adam, that Jesus did something for us, “not my will but thine be done.” Through his victory over death, Jesus brought us righteousness not sin, forgiveness not condemnation, justification not judgment, restoration and eternal life not death. While the mortal body of the First Adam was formed from the dust of the earth, the imperishable body of the Second Adam was formed from heaven. Jesus’ resisting the temptations by Satan was monumental in impact on all of creation. We now have access to having an immortal body in heaven. Jesus truly did something for us! And that is an understatement!

There is a practical component because of Christus victor. In overcoming temptation, fulfilling his mission, and gaining ultimate victory over death, Jesus made possible the sending of the Holy Spirit to empower us in times of temptation and testing. I’m sure you have noticed a significant recurring phrase Jesus used in the passage above, “the Scriptures say . . .” As you move through this day, be aware that the work of the tempter continues in our world, in your world. The temptations of Jesus’ are the same to us today; appealing to satisfy physical desires, the desires of the eyes, and the chasing after wealth. Jesus answered every temptation by proclaiming what was true, God’s word. I’m reminded of the passage in Pilgrim’s Progress where Christian is in Vanity Fair and is asked the question, “What will ye buy?” His response was powerful. “We buy the Truth.” Is there a passage of Scripture you might memorize during this season? A suggestion: II Peter 1:3-11.

“Christian, Do You Struggle?” -translated John Mason Neal, 1862, based on Andrew of Crete (660-732 AD)

Christian, do you struggle on the battleground

‘gainst the powers of darkness closing in around?

Christian, rise, take armor, soldier of the cross,

For the sake of Jesus count your gain but loss.

Christian, do you battle Satan’s power within,

All his striving, luring, tempting you to sin?

Christian, do not tremble, do not be downcast,

Arm yourself for battle, watch and pray and fast.

Christian, do you wrestle those who taunt and claim,

“Why keep fast and vigil? Prayer is said in vain!”

Christian, answer boldly: “While I breathe I pray!”

Peace shall follow battle, night shall end in day.

Music: “Jesus Paid It All”     Fernando Ortega

Prayer: Father, I want to know Thee, but my coward heart fears to give up its toys. I cannot part with them without inward bleeding, and I do not try to hide from Thee the terror of the parting. I come trembling, but I do come. Please root from my heart all those things which I have cherished so long and which have become a very part of my living self, so that Thou mayest enter and dwell there without a rival. Then shalt Thou make the place of Thy feet glorious. Then shall my heart have no need of the sun to shine in it, for Thyself wilt be the light of it, and there shall be no night there. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.     –A.W. Tozer from The Pursuit of God, p.31

Scripture: Genesis 6:5-8; 7:1-5

5 The LORD saw how great the wickedness of the human

race had become on the earth, and that every inclination of the thoughts of the human heart was only evil all the time. 6 The LORD regretted that he had made human beings on the earth, and his heart was deeply troubled. 7 So the LORD said, “I will wipe from the face of the earth the human race I have created—and with them the animals, the birds and the creatures that move along the ground—for I regret that I have made them.” 8 But Noah found favor in the eyes of the LORD.

1 The LORD then said to Noah, “Go into the ark, you and your whole family, because I have found you righteous in this generation. 2 Take with you seven pairs of every kind of clean animal, a male and its mate, and one pair of every kind of unclean animal, a male and its mate, 3 and also seven pairs of every kind of bird, male and female, to keep their various kinds alive throughout the earth. 4 Seven days from now I will send rain on the earth for forty days and forty nights, and I will wipe from the face of the earth every living creature I have made.”

5 And Noah did all that the LORD commanded him.

Some thoughts:

On a side note, we mentioned in the introduction to these devotionals concerning the forty days of Lent and how we arrived at this number. As you might suspect, there is significance in the observance of the number forty. There are many, many forty day or forty-year periods in the Scriptures. There is the forty days of rain with Noah and the Flood. There is Moses’ and Elijah’s forty days and nights on the mountain of the Lord or the Israelites’ forty years in the wilderness or Jesus’ temptation. There are many other examples we could point to. What is the common thread in all these accounts? Whether it is days or years, this time frame is often associated with a period of probation, trial, and/or chastisement of a people in covenant relationship with God.

What touches me most in the above Scripture is “The LORD regretted that he had made human beings on the earth, and his heart was deeply troubled.” Another example deeply troubling to God would be when he wanted to wipe out the Israelites and start all over and Moses persuaded God to act differently. (Deut 9:13-14) God has emotions. Our behavior affects our Creator. You and I can cause God regret or sorrow, he is not indifferent to us. Notice once again how very personal God is to individual people throughout the Scriptures. His deep individual concern does not change just because you and I are not in the Scriptures. Let our obedience in these forty days bring him joy not regret.  

As people with whom God has made a new covenant, how can we best benefit from our forty days of Lent? Let us each make a concerted effort to listen to the Lord letting him show us what needs attention. Are there places where we need to die to self? Is there an old grudge we need to let go of? Is there a habit that needs to be jettisoned? Ask him to show you. He will. Can you let go of that returning worry and trust God for his resolution in his time? Take some quiet time each of these days and listen for the voice of the Holy Spirit.

Music: “O Breath of Life”   Emu Music

Prayer: Almighty and everlasting God, although you hate nothing that you have made, your creation may still cause you grief. So, forgive the sins of all those who are penitent. Create and make in us new and contrite hearts, that, lamenting our sins and acknowledging our wretchedness, we may receive from you, the God of all mercy, perfect forgiveness, and peace through Jesus Christ our Lord. And may the transforming power of the Holy Spirit in our lives bring you joy upon joy. Amen.            –Thomas Cranmer, 1489-1556 adapted Daniel Sharp

Scripture: Psalm 30

1 I will exalt you, LORD, for you lifted me out of the depths and did not let my enemies gloat over me.

2 LORD my God, I called to you for help, and you healed me.

3 You, LORD, brought me up from the realm of the dead; you spared me from going down to the pit.

4 Sing the praises of the LORD, you his faithful people; praise his holy name.

5 For his anger lasts only a moment, but his favor lasts a lifetime;

weeping may stay for the night, but rejoicing comes in the morning.

6 When I felt secure, I said, “I will never be shaken.”

7 LORD, when you favored me, you made my royal mountain stand firm; but when you hid your face, I was dismayed.

8 To you, LORD, I called to the Lord I cried for mercy:

9 “What is gained if I am silenced, if I go down to the pit? Will the dust praise you? Will it proclaim your faithfulness?

10 Hear, LORD, and be merciful to me; LORD, be my help.”

11 You turned my wailing into dancing; you removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy,

12that my heart may sing your praises and not be silent.

LORD my God, I will praise you forever.

Some thoughts:

Oft times we read in the Bible of people repenting in “sackcloth and ashes.” Why are these two things paired?  Sackcloth can be a coarse burlap kind of material, or more commonly in biblical times was made of coarse black goat’s hair. (Burlap is perhaps the closest material we have today to biblical sackcloth.) As you might guess, it was not comfortable to wear against bare skin. The black goat hair was a sign of mourning, repentance, and humiliation before the Lord. There are numerous accounts in the Bible of people repenting in sackcloth and ashes in moments of great stress and fear.

Ashes are a humbling reminder that we came from dust . . . then the Lord God formed man from the dust of the ground and breathed into him the breath of life and man became a living being.” (Gen.2:7) Humans are not naturally inclined to humility. Dust is a reminder that we are not ultimately in charge of our own life. Last week on Ash Wednesday many people heard these words, “from dust you came to dust you will return” during the imposition of ashes. Dust reminds us of the transitory nature of our pilgrimage on this earth.

In I Kings 21:27-29 we see King Ahab repenting in sackcloth over the wrong he had done when confronted by the prophet Elijah.  There is the story of Mordecai praying, sprinkling ashes upon himself, and wearing sackcloth when confronted with the news of the planned annihilation of the Jews. Donning this attire was Jacob’s response when he learned of the supposed death of his son Joseph. Jesus himself referred to “repentance in sackcloth and ashes” when speaking to the people who refused to believe the message of John the Baptist. The rough cloth on the skin was a constant reminder that the current situation is not comfortable, things are not settled. There is no present peace.

Sackcloth was a cloth of humility.  If you don’t have some black goats near you to weave their hair into sackcloth (!), maybe find a piece of burlap and cut out a two-inch square and put it in your pocket or wallet or purse to carry with you reminding you that we do not mourn as those who have no hope, but that Jesus has “turned our mourning into dancing; you [Lord] removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy.” True peace is found only in Christ.

In this era of ever-expanding technology and exaggerated claims of humans’ abilities, we would do well to replace this worldly arrogance with humility, bowing before the One who created us from the dust of the earth. Have you ever been prostrate on the floor in humble prayer? The view from there is very different. What simpler words of humility than “I need you Lord, every hour.”

Music: “I Need Thee Every Hour” arr. Sam Robson      Christmas at Briarcrest

Prayer: Almighty God, unto whom all hearts are open, all desires known, and from whom no secrets are hid: Cleanse the thoughts of our hearts by the inspiration of thy Holy Spirit, that we may perfectly love thee, and worthily magnify thy holy name; through Christ our Lord. Amen.

                                                                                      –Book of Common Prayer

Scripture: Psalm 32:1-11

1 Blessed is the one whose transgressions are forgiven,

2 whose sins are covered. Blessed is the one whose sin the LORD does not count against them and in whose spirit is no deceit.

3 When I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long.

4For day and night your hand was heavy on me;                                                                           my strength was sapped as in the heat of summer.

5 Then I acknowledged my sin to you and did not cover up my iniquity. I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the LORD.” And you forgave the guilt of my sin.

6 Therefore let all the faithful pray to you while you may be found; surely the rising of the mighty waters will not reach them.

7 You are my hiding place; you will protect me from trouble and surround me with songs of deliverance.

8 I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go;

9 I will counsel you with my loving eye on you. Do not be like the horse or the mule, which have no understanding but must be controlled by bit and bridle or they will not come to you. 10 Many are the woes of the wicked, but the LORD’s unfailing love surrounds the one who trusts in him.

11 Rejoice in the LORD and be glad, you righteous; sing, all you who are upright in heart!

Some thoughts:

In keeping with the healthy reality of facing life and death head on, it is necessary to likewise face our sin head on for it is the reason we have death in the first place. Facing our own sin forthrightly involves repentance, one of the key themes of this season. Confessing involves facing our sin honestly, not making excuses, saying no to continued sinning, and repenting.

Repenting involves viewing our lives as God does. David writes in the second verse of Psalm 32, “blessed is the one whose sin the LORD does not count against him, and in whose spirit there is no deceit.” What matters is not what you and I think about our own sin, but rather, what God thinks about it. We are also reminded that deceiving ourselves about our sin does not bring blessing either. Keeping quiet about it, ignoring it, or pretending it didn’t happen or doesn’t exist, does not make it go away. Unrepentant sin eats at us continually. It is an osmosis that will not leave or dry out in time! It’s more like a growing mold. In verse five David has had enough. He finally acknowledged his sin to the LORD and did not try to cover it up anymore. He said, “I will confess my transgressions to the LORD.” And wonder of wonders, God forgave him (and us)! In fact, God has already forgiven all your sin.

The word for “confess” in Greek is “homologeo,” means “same word.” In other words, to confess is to agree with God’s perfect assessment of my situation. Confessing is not a negotiation process with God! God does not need our explanation. I need to humble myself and bow before him. The resultant fruit is a clear conscience, blessedness (being on the right road), lifted guilt, and protection. Look at what the result of repentance is (v.8-10). The Holy Spirit 1) instructs and teaches us as we move along this pilgrim path; 2) the Holy Spirit counsels us with his loving eye on us. Notice it is his loving eye on us. 3) We are not to be stubborn like animals that need to be driven and controlled. 4) Those people who reject God’s care and voice are in for a rough time. 5) God’s unfailing love surrounds those who trust him. What joy there is in repentance. Again, notice the emphasis is not on what we have done wrong, but on the joy and care God wants to shower on us.

In Pilgrim’s Progress we see Christian, upon conviction coming to the place of repentance, cried out, “I perceive by the Book in my hand, that I am condemned to die, and after that to come to Judgment; and I find that I am not willing to do the first, nor able to do the second.” He saw his life as God did and began his pilgrimage of faith.

Music: “Miserere Mei Deus”    Allegri    Voces8    Brilliant and gorgeous. (I had the privilege of seeing and hearing this ensemble live. Yes, that are that good in person!)

The song is a Latin translation of Psalm 51 David’s psalm of confession.

Prayer: O Lord our God, grant us grace to desire you with our whole heart, that so desiring we may seek and find you, and so finding you, may love you, and loving you, may hate those sins from which you have redeemed us.                –Anselm 1033-1109

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Monday, February 27

Monday, February 27      “If someone dies, will they live again?”

Scripture: Job 14:13-22

13 “If only you would hide me in the grave and conceal me till your anger has passed! If only you would set me a time and then remember me! 14 If someone dies, will they live again? All the days of my hard service I will wait for my renewal to come. 15 You will call and I will answer you; you will long for the creature your hands have made. 16 Surely then you will count my steps but not keep track of my sin. 17 My offenses will be sealed up in a bag; you will cover over my sin18 “But as a mountain erodes and crumbles and as a rock is moved from its place, 19 as water wears away stones and torrents wash away the soil, so you destroy a person’s hope. 20 You overpower them once for all, and they are gone; you change their countenance and send them away. 21 If their children are honored, they do not know it; if their offspring are brought low, they do not see it. 22 They feel but the pain of their own bodies and mourn only for themselves.”

Some thoughts:

The season of Lent brings to all the bold confrontation with what we focused on last week; separation from God brings death. We live in a culture and world that ignores death and reminders of death as much as possible in favor of life, entertainment, arts, sports, recreation, travel, and health-anything to avoid thinking about the inevitable. When was the last time you visited or even noticed a cemetery? These places of burial used to be right beside churches. In some parts of the country, where church buildings are old, such is still the case. We even have two small cemeteries on our farmland in Illinois.

With the increasing “popularity” of cremation, seldom do we see a corpse. Put simply, when a person dies, it’s more like “we just don’t see them anymore.” The went on a trip and never came back. Funerals with closed caskets have often been replaced with memorials or “celebrations of life” with pictures of the deceased, usually in reasonable health. Putting it bluntly, does it seem we are avoiding seeing a coffin confirming that our loved one is dead? There are even instances where a memorial or funeral is eliminated altogether. We have several gentle expressions to communicate that a person has died. They “have passed away or passed on.” The infamous “they have gone to a better place,” they “are no longer with us,” or for the less religious, “they have “gone to meet their maker.” (Notice theology can sometimes get a little interesting and fuzzy at this point.)

In the first part of this passage, Job struggles to keep his hope alive of an eventual hereafter with his Creator even as he suffers presently. In his wrestling with his life of suffering, Job asks the fundamental question of life, “If someone dies, will they live again?” Jesus has made the answer very clear, (Jn 3:16) but I fear many people in our world today are afraid to ask Job’s question, preferring to be absorbed in the present. After all, the thought is often “since everyone dies and I’m a reasonably good person, I’ll take my chances things will be OK.”

These weeks of Lent boldly state reality. Nothing is covered, ignored, or glossed over. Life is real, sin is real, and death is real. Everyone’s days are numbered. Everyone dies including you and me and those who are wise will be prepared and acknowledge this reality. We rejoice in the truth that Jesus Christ has overcome death, sin, and the powers of evil. In answer to Job’s question, if a person dies in Christ, they will most certainly live again . . . with Christ forever!

Music: “O Lord, throughout These Forty Days” Cathedral Church of the Advent -Birmingham

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jzqjglKoEpU    Don’t miss this! Unique setting. Beautiful.

Prayer: Who can tell what a day may bring forth? Cause me therefore, gracious God, to live every day as if it were to be my last, for I know not but that it may be such. Cause me to live now as I shall wish I had done when I come to die. O grant that I may not die with any guilt on my conscience, or any known sin unrepented of, but that I may be found in Christ, who is my only Savior and Redeemer. This I pray through Jesus Christ, my Lord and Victor over death. Amen.                  –Thomas á Kempis 1380-1471, from Eerdmans’ Book of Famous Prayers, p.38



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Monday, February 27      “If someone dies, will they live again?”

Scripture: Job 14:13-22

13 “If only you would hide me in the grave and conceal me till your anger has passed! If only you would set me a time and then remember me! 14 If someone dies, will they live again? All the days of my hard service I will wait for my renewal to come. 15 You will call and I will answer you; you will long for the creature your hands have made. 16 Surely then you will count my steps but not keep track of my sin. 17 My offenses will be sealed up in a bag; you will cover over my sin18 “But as a mountain erodes and crumbles and as a rock is moved from its place, 19 as water wears away stones and torrents wash away the soil, so you destroy a person’s hope. 20 You overpower them once for all, and they are gone; you change their countenance and send them away. 21 If their children are honored, they do not know it; if their offspring are brought low, they do not see it. 22 They feel but the pain of their own bodies and mourn only for themselves.”

Some thoughts:

The season of Lent brings to all the bold confrontation with what we focused on last week; separation from God brings death. We live in a culture and world that ignores death and reminders of death as much as possible in favor of life, entertainment, arts, sports, recreation, travel, and health-anything to avoid thinking about the inevitable. When was the last time you visited or even noticed a cemetery? These places of burial used to be right beside churches. In some parts of the country, where church buildings are old, such is still the case. We even have two small cemeteries on our farmland in Illinois.

With the increasing “popularity” of cremation, seldom do we see a corpse. Put simply, when a person dies, it’s more like “we just don’t see them anymore.” The went on a trip and never came back. Funerals with closed caskets have often been replaced with memorials or “celebrations of life” with pictures of the deceased, usually in reasonable health. Putting it bluntly, does it seem we are avoiding seeing a coffin confirming that our loved one is dead? There are even instances where a memorial or funeral is eliminated altogether. We have several gentle expressions to communicate that a person has died. They “have passed away or passed on.” The infamous “they have gone to a better place,” they “are no longer with us,” or for the less religious, “they have “gone to meet their maker.” (Notice theology can sometimes get a little interesting and fuzzy at this point.)

In the first part of this passage, Job struggles to keep his hope alive of an eventual hereafter with his Creator even as he suffers presently. In his wrestling with his life of suffering, Job asks the fundamental question of life, “If someone dies, will they live again?” Jesus has made the answer very clear, (Jn 3:16) but I fear many people in our world today are afraid to ask Job’s question, preferring to be absorbed in the present. After all, the thought is often “since everyone dies and I’m a reasonably good person, I’ll take my chances things will be OK.”

These weeks of Lent boldly state reality. Nothing is covered, ignored, or glossed over. Life is real, sin is real, and death is real. Everyone’s days are numbered. Everyone dies including you and me and those who are wise will be prepared and acknowledge this reality. We rejoice in the truth that Jesus Christ has overcome death, sin, and the powers of evil. In answer to Job’s question, if a person dies in Christ, they will most certainly live again . . . with Christ forever!

Music: “O Lord, throughout These Forty Days”  Cathedral Church of the Advent -Birmingham

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jzqjglKoEpU    Don’t miss this! Unique setting. Beautiful.

Prayer: Who can tell what a day may bring forth? Cause me therefore, gracious God, to live every day as if it were to be my last, for I know not but that it may be such. Cause me to live now as I shall wish I had done when I come to die. O grant that I may not die with any guilt on my conscience, or any known sin unrepented of, but that I may be found in Christ, who is my only Savior and Redeemer. This I pray through Jesus Christ, my Lord and Victor over death. Amen.                  –Thomas á Kempis 1380-1471, from Eerdmans’ Book of Famous Prayers, p.38

Scripture:     I Peter 3:18-22

¹⁸ Christ suffered for our sins once for all time. He never sinned, but he died for sinners to bring you safely home to God. He suffered physical death, but he was raised to life in the Spirit.

¹⁹ So he went and preached to the spirits in prison— ²⁰ those who disobeyed God long ago when God waited patiently while Noah was building his boat. Only eight people were saved from drowning in that terrible flood. ²¹ And that water is a picture of baptism, which now saves you, not by removing dirt from your body, but as a response to God froma clean conscience. It is effective because of the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

²² Now Christ has gone to heaven. He is seated in the place of honor next to God, and all the angels and authorities and powers accept his authority.

Some thoughts:

This pericope has one of the more curious passages of Scripture. In the Apostles’ Creed we repeat the phrase regarding Jesus, “He was crucified, dead, and buried. He descended into hell. The third day he rose from the dead.” Many Christians have wondered about that phrase and also about the verse which states that in the days of Noah, Jesus preached to the spirits in prison. Did Jesus go into hell between his crucifixion on Good Friday and his resurrection on Sunday? Did Jesus’ preaching to the “spirits in prison” give them a second chance? Is that what it means? Through the centuries, theologians have had many long and various discussions resulting in several viewpoints.

But what do these words of Peter have to do with Lent? One of the central themes of these six weeks is human’s sin problem resulting in eternal death. The depth of Jesus’ love for fallen sinners is displayed in his death on the cross and the events that followed, including this somewhat mysterious phrase the Apostle wrote in his epistle.

You will recall that Noah is noted in this passage as a “preacher of righteousness.” At various times in Scripture, we read that a person spoke God’s words, in other words, God was speaking using that person’s voice to communicate his message (e.g., Isaiah, Nathan, Elijah, Samuel). Of the various explanations and interpretations of this passage, the one that seems to me to be the most consistent with similar passages and phrases in Scripture would lead me to believe that through the person and voice of Noah, Christ was urging the people of Noah’s day to repent of their sin and humble themselves before God and God’s judgment. (This viewpoint is not an interpretation to die for!)

When there is a somewhat isolated idea in Scripture, meaning it is not expanded nor expounded upon elsewhere in the Bible, wisdom would dictate that it not be a main point in doctrine and that we should be careful not to be too dogmatic in its interpretation. Never forget the context. The most significant things are quite clear in Scripture. For example: “²⁷ Just as people are destined to die once, and after that to face judgment, ²⁸ so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many; and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him.”  (Heb. 9:27) One must look at the whole context and the main point Peter is making which is: Christ suffered and died, paid the price for your sin, and gloriously won the victory. Be encouraged in your suffering and persecution. The end is glorious!

Music: “I Will Arise and Go to Jesus”       Krista Stolarski

I will arise and go to Jesus

He will embrace me in his arms

In the arms of my dear Savior

O, there are ten thousand charms.

Prayer: Our heavenly and holy Father, the tenacity of your love persists through the most unimaginable suffering and death. As those who have lived in the prison of sin and death, you have overcome our awaiting death and brought redemption. In your faithful love, you have come after your children, calling us to come home. We bow before you with humbled hearts. Receive our love through Christ our Lord and Redeemer. Amen.      – Daniel Sharp

Scripture: Genesis 3:17-19

17 To Adam he said, “Because you listened to your wife and ate fruit from the tree about which I commanded you, ‘You must not eat from it’, “Cursed is the ground because of you; through painful toil you will eat food from it all the days of your life. 18 It will produce thorns and thistles for you, and you will eat the plants of the field. 19 By the sweat of your brow you will eat your food until you return to the ground, since from it you were taken; for dust you are and to dust you will return.”

Some thoughts:

Just before the passage you just read, we have these beautiful words of creation, “Then the Lord God formed the man from the dust of the ground. He breathed the breath of life into the man’s nostrils, and the man became a living person.” (Gen. 2:7)

Dust. Really?There is a bit of irony here. In Psalm 72:9 concerning king Solomon, we read the phrase, “The desert tribes will bow before him and his enemies will lick the dust.” This phrase from the King James Bible later became “bite the dust.” Dust is a fascinating word that is associated with loss or death, like being defeated and falling to earth, getting a mouth full of dust. Dust is nothing more than tiny particles of earth or waste matter lying on the ground that is blown by the wind. We even “dust” to get rid of dust!

In the Garden of Eden, God formed man from the dust of the earth. Talk about our humble beginning! Adam and Eve literally “bit the dust” and death entered all of humanity. As a result, these bodies of ours will in fact return to dust (to ash) again as we are reminded each Ash Wednesday, “from dust you came, to dust you will return.” For many people in the world, that’s the sad end of their story. You are born, grow up, have as many good experiences as possible and die. But wait! God did something about our “dust!” God took on human flesh; he took on our dust and became one of us. The Son of God, the Creator of dust, identified fully and completely in every way to make possible the great reversal of rebellious sons and daughters.

The good news of the gospel is that we will get a renewed body, not a “dusting up” of this old one. The new one is not subject to dust or death. Your mortal earthly body of dust, the flesh and blood that makes up you now, gets a “new” body that will never die. It will be immortal! “Just as we have borne the likeness of the earthly [dusty] man, so shall we bear the likeness of the man [Jesus] from heaven.” (I Corinthians 15:42-54) Dust cannot inherit the kingdom of God. We will all be changed in the twinkling of an eye. “Thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” (I Corinthians 15:57)

The sign of the cross made in ashes on your forehead on an Ash Wednesday proclaims that death is defeated forever.  Our “dust” will be recreated by the One who created you in the first place . . . and He does really good work! You will never bite the dust again!

Music: What Wondrous Love is This?  Concordia Choir

Prayer: Glorious God, give me grace to amend my life, and to have an eye to my end without begrudging death, which to those who die in you, good Lord, is the gate of a wealthy life.  And give me, good Lord, a humble, lowly, quiet, peaceable, patient, charitable, kind, tender and pitiful mind, in all my works and all my words and all my thoughts, to have a taste of your holy, blessed Spirit. Give me, good Lord, a longing to be with you, not to avoid the calamities of this world, nor so much to attain the joys of heaven, as simply for love of you. And give me, good Lord, your love and favor, which my love of you, however great it might be, could not deserve were it not for your great goodness. These things that I pray for, give me your grace to labor for. Amen.  –Thomas More, 1478-1535

Scripture: Genesis 3: 14-16

14 So the LORD God said to the serpent, “Because you have done this, “Cursed are you above all livestock and all wild animals!

You will crawl on your belly and you will eat dust all the days of your life.

15 And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel.”

16 To the woman he said “I will make your pains in childbearing very severe; with painful labor you will give birth to children. Your desire will be for your husband, and he will rule over you.”

Some thoughts:

The perfect creation is coming unraveled. With Eve’s disobedience, the holy sinless Garden of Eden is gone. God proclaims there will be continual strife between the serpent, the devil, and the woman. The woman will eventually triumph, but not without a heavy cost. How do we get all of that out of this passage? The serpent is placed under a curse by God, noting his words, “you will eat dust all the days of your life.” We’ll see in tomorrow’s passage that “dust” signifies death, (hence, the ashes of Ash Wednesday).  The serpent, slithering in the dust, is forever reminded that his ultimate end is eternal death, God’s fatal message to Satan.

The devil deals and dwells in death eternally. His kingdom brings not only physical death, death to freedom, but death in relationship to God. In addition, we read of strife between the offspring of the devil and the offspring of the woman. What is interesting here is the phrase the “seed of the woman.” Elsewhere in Scripture, “seed” is always associated with the man, not the woman. Here, however, we see “seed” being associated only with the woman, a precursor to the fact that the victory over the devil and evil will come through one born not of an earthly father, but of God, even Jesus Christ.

We see further that the offspring of the woman (Jesus) will crush the head of the serpent (fatally) even while the heel is being bruised (wounded) by the serpent. The crushing of the head is a mortal wound. (Romans 16:20 & Hebrews 2:14) In other words, Satan will be defeated by the virgin born offspring of the woman, even as our Lord Jesus Christ defeats death itself. The fear of Satan’s weapon of death is now gone. The pilgrim journey has heavy trials along the way, but the victory is assured, then and now.

In the meantime, we, as the offspring children of Eve, find evidence everywhere in the world where Satan is still warring with the whole human race contradicting God’s truth. Notice how easily our cultures embrace moral corruption, lying, and killing, the fruit of Satan’s work. God’s words on marriage, the sacredness of human life, sexuality, and care for the poor are summarily dismissed and/or redefined. The world truly is under the power of the prince of darkness and evil. None of this is new or news. The point is, we should not be surprised. As you read or hear the news broadcasts this day throughout the world, remember Jesus’ journey via the cross ended with him seated at the right hand of the Father interceding for you and for me even as you read this.

The devil . . . defeated, but still kickin’ and fightin’.

Music: “Agnus Dei”    Gjejlo  The Los Angeles Master Chorale

Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world

Have mercy on us.

Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world

Have mercy on us.

Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world

Grant us peace.

Prayer: God in heaven, you have helped my life to grow like a tree. Now something has happened. Satan, like a bird, has carried in one twig of his own choosing after another. Before I knew it, he had built a dwelling place and was living in it. Tonight, my Father, I am throwing out both the bird and the nest.                 –Prayer of a Nigerian Christian

Scripture: Genesis 3:8-13

8 Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the LORD God as he was walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and they hid from the LORD God among the trees of the garden. 9 But the LORD God called to the man, “Where are you?”

10 He answered, “I heard you in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid.”

11 And he said, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree that I commanded you not to eat from?”

12 The man said, “The woman you put here with me— she gave me some fruit from the tree, and I ate it.”

13 Then the LORD God said to the woman, “What is this you have done?”

The woman said, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate.”

Some thoughts:

On the heels of that first question comes the second question in the Bible, not surprisingly, it’s a question from God. It too is a question posed to every living human and it is a question God asks you today. “Where are you?” He knew full well where Adam and Eve were hiding. Adam answered the literal, physical question and the Lord went to the heart of the issue because the “Where are you?” was a heart question. The God/human relationship was now different. It had been severed. Then come more pointed questions from God. “Who told you that you were naked?” “Have you eaten from the tree whose fruit I commanded you not to eat?” God zeros in. And a final question to Eve, “What have you done?” The Lord was walking on a path in the Garden, a path he had created, a path of closeness. The three of them had been in communion and that relationship was now cut off resulting in a chasm. Adam and Eve were “off the path” and with them, the whole human race.

Have you ever asked someone you love this same basic question when the two of you were experiencing difficulties, “Where are you?” “Where are we?” One of the themes of the season of Lent is that of spiritual self-examination in which we might ask ourselves, “Where am I with the Lord?” And like the case with Adam and Eve, the Father knows exactly where you are and is longing for close communion with you. The answers to these two questions “Did God say?” and “Where are you?” determine the path we take and whether or not we stay on the path.

(I would suggest that you read one-half a chapter of Pilgrim’s Progress each day.  If you begin today, read chapter one up to the entrance of Worldly Wisdom. Christian asks this very question, “What shall I do?” He answers it by taking the pilgrimage journey of faith and heading down the path to the Celestial City.)

Music: “If Ye Love Me” Thomas Tallis   the King’s Singers

Prayer: O thou great Chief, light a candle in my heart, that I may see what is therein, and sweep the rubbish from thy dwelling place.       – An African schoolgirl’s prayer, from Eerdman’s Book of Famous Prayers, p.90

A PILGRIM’S JOURNEY

Lent 2023

Most Illustrations from Pilgrim’s Progress and Dorè’s woodcuts

In our Lenten devotionals this year, we want to look at the whole idea of life as a pilgrim journey. So often in the Scriptures, the writers speak of the journey of faith and use images of travel to the Festivals in Jerusalem. One of the greatest classics in all of literature is John Bunyan’s Pilgrim’s Progress, having been translated into more than seventy languages and never having been out of print in more than 300 years! It is often the first book translated by missionaries after the Bible. Let me encourage you to read or re-read this great allegory during this season as a companion to these daily devotionals. (I love to read and re-read it in the old language because of the words and manners of description. It’s an education in the English language!)

The Christian observance of the season of Lent first appears in the fourth century, though fasting and prayer were a part of the exercise of faith throughout the First Testament. Since Sundays were never fast days, the forty-two days of the six weeks period had only thirty-six actual fast days. The result was four additional days were added to make the forty days. That is why the season of Lent always begins on a Wednesday. Since Easter Sunday was the primary time for baptisms in the early church, the catechumens, or those who were learning the Christian faith and preparing to be baptized, completed these forty days as the culmination of several years of preparation.

We began our reading in the Lenten season with passages in Genesis because we gain context as to why these days are even necessary. The Lenten season is about God’s Great Story of healing and redemption through Jesus’ journey to the cross. In the readings for the following days, we’ll be looking at various passages in Scripture that can give us insight into our own journey both toward the cross of Christ at Easter and our eventual “crossing” of the Jordan into the Promised Land (heaven). This will be a wonderful forty-six day journey and it’s my prayer that the Holy Spirit may be our Teacher and Guide as we pilgrims move through these intriguing days, along this most interesting path called faith. (We have devotionals on the six Sundays.)

Devotional overview: Each day has a passage of Scripture and a short commentary on that passage. There is a YouTube link with music related to the Lenten theme as well as a concluding prayer. Sometimes there is continuity in passages and discussions from day to day or during a whole week in an effort to give context to a passage of Scripture. C.S. Lewis warns us, “Do not live these days for things in your life that will end when you do.” That’s our prayer

Please pass the word along that people may subscribe for free at: sharpdevotional.com Type in first and last name, email address, and click “Submit.” That’s it.

Scripture taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION Ó Copyright Ó1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved.

                                                       Ó Daniel Sharp 2023

Ash Wednesday – February 22 “Did God say?”   

Scripture: Genesis 3:1-7

1 Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the LORD God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden’?”

2 The woman said to the serpent, “We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden, 3 but God did say, ‘You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die.’”

4 “You will not certainly die,” the serpent said to the woman. 5“For God knows that when you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”

6 When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it. 7 Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves.

Some thoughts:

Among other things, the season of Lent, which begins today with what is known as Ash Wednesday, brings us to a bold confrontation with human mortality, specifically your mortality and mine. As has been said, you and I are part the ultimate statistic, one in one die. On this cheery note we look at how we got into this situation because it wasn’t always this way. In God’s plan, people were to live forever . . . and we do.

We’d like to start this Lenten season with the question, “How did this business of human mortality come about?” Our passage contains the first question in the Bible by guess who? Right, the serpent, the ever-lying Satan. His words, “Did God really say?” And Eve’s and Adam’s response to that question is the beginning of the human problem that ended in our earthly mortality. But it is this same question from the serpent which comes to every person who has ever lived, sometimes in a slightly different version, but the bottom line is the same, “Can you trust God’s word?” Did you notice that the devil tempted Jesus with the same question at the conclusion of the Savior’s forty days of fasting and prayer in the wilderness? Can you trust God’s word? Satan comes at us with the same question. In appealing to people’s pride, it has been a very effective question since creation!

Can you think of a time when you asked yourself that infamous question? “If God is really God, then why does he allow . . .” Or “God promised to . . . but I surely don’t see any evidence of . . .” One thing is true about the serpent, he lies . . . always.

Music: “Lord, Hear My Prayer” Henry Purcell

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OISUntqbXvc  Voces8

Prayer: Lord God, our Creator, we thank you for your mercy in pursuing us when we chose our own path. Help us to see the truth when we are tempted to doubt your word, your character, or your promises. May we learn to know you and hear your voice better so that we may not be so easily deceived. Guard us with your Holy Spirit so that we may recognize the first inklings of deceit and lies about you. This we pray in the name of the Second Adam, who did not fall for the lie, even our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.    –Daniel Sharp