Monthly Archives: March 2021

Holy Wednesday

31 Wednesday Mar 2021

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Then Satan entered into Judas called Iscariot, who was one of the twelve; he went away and conferred with the chief priests and officers of the temple police about how he might betray him to them. They were greatly pleased and agreed to give him money. So he consented and began to look for an opportunity to betray him to them when no crowd was present. — Luke 22:3-6

Every day of Holy Week is marked with special events of Jesus’ life, and Holy Wednesday is no different. After Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday, his cursing of the fig tree on Holy Monday, and his Olivet Discourse on Holy Tuesday comes Holy Wednesday.

“ONE OF THE TWELVE, who was called Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests and said, ‘What will you give me if I deliver him to you?’ And they paid him thirty pieces of silver. And from that moment he sought an opportunity to betray him”(Mt 26:14-16).

Judas Iscariot had been personally chosen by Christ. Alongside Jesus, he could have been as joyful as the others, and become one of the pillars of the Church. However, he chose to sell, at the price of a slave, the one who gave him everything. And it was God’s will that Holy Scripture should not silence this fact.

The tragic outcome takes place at the Last Supper, when Jesus is assailed by the anguish of the approaching Passion and the heartbreak of abandonment by those he loved. When they were at supper, he said, “Truly I say to you, one of you will betray me” (Mt 26:21). The other eleven apostles, with experience of their own failings and great trust in Christ’s words, exclaimed in surprise: “‘Is it I, Lord?’ He answered, ‘He who has dipped his hand in the dish with me, will betray me. The Son of man goes as it is written of him, but woe to that man by whom the Son of man is betrayed! It would have been better for that man if he had not been born.’ Judas, who betrayed him, said, ‘Is it I, Master?’ He said to him, ‘You have said so’” (Mt 26:22-25).

We do not know what Judas must have felt when he looked into Jesus’ eyes again. He would have discovered no anger there. Jesus was still looking at him with the same love with which he had called him a few years earlier to be an disciple. “What can we do before a God who served us even when he experienced betrayal and abandonment? We cannot betray what we were created for, not abandon what really matters. We are in the world to love him and others. The rest passes away, love remains.”[1]

JUDAS’S BETRAYAL began much earlier. First, Judas criticized Mary of Bethany’s apparent waste in anointing Jesus with precious ointment, a few days before the Passover.

But here’s the grace of God: Nothing we do nor any human weakness, is strong enough to overcome the love of a God who calls each person constantly and who always awaits our return. Saint Josemaría saw in God’s way of being, so full of mercy, our true armor: “We all have shortcomings. But these defects of ours should never lead us to turn our back on God’s call, but to take refuge in it, to clothe ourselves in this divine goodness, as the warriors of old clothed themselves in their suit of armor.”[2]

Saint Augustine, specifically referring to Judas Iscariot, said: “After he betrayed Him, and repented of it, if he prayed through Christ, he would ask for pardon; if he asked for pardon, he would have hope; if he had hope, he would hope for mercy.”[3]

Our Lord didn’t want Judas to perish, just as he does not want anyone to perish. Even in his own arrest he tries to bring him to his senses, calling him “friend” and accepting the disciple’s kiss.

Commenting on this Gospel passage, Saint Josemaría said: “Look how great the virtue of hope is! Judas recognized Christ’s sanctity, and repented of the crime he had committed. So much so that he took the money that was the price for his treason and threw it down in front of those who had given it to him as his reward for his betrayal. But he lacked hope, which is the virtue needed to return to God. If he had had hope, he still could have been a great apostle. In any case, we don’t know what took place in the heart of that man, whether he responded to God’s grace in the last moment. Only God knows what happened in his heart. So never lose hope, never despair, even though you have done the most foolish thing possible. All you have to do is speak out, repent, and let yourself be led by the hand, and everything will be put right.”[4]

I would venture to say we have all had moments where we questioned our salvation. At times, perhaps you’ve wondered if your offenses were simply too great for God’s forgiveness. Hear these words. No matter how great our offenses, God’s mercy is always greater. “Fear and shame, which stop us from being sincere, are the greatest enemies of our perseverance. We are made of clay; but if we speak clearly, the clay acquires the strength of bronze.”[5]

The shadow of the cross grows darker as we draw closer. His sacrifice is the complete culmination of our faith. Yes, this week continues to get darker but the Hope of the world is about to prove once and for all that Light still shines!

[1] Francis, Homily, 5 April 2020.

[2] Saint Josemaría, Letters 2, no. 47a.

[3] Saint Augustine, Commentary on Psalm 108, no. 9.

[4] Saint Josemaría, Notes from his preaching, 8 December 1968.

[5] Saint Josemaría, Letters 2, no. 41a.

Holy Tuesday

30 Tuesday Mar 2021

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And as Peter was below in the courtyard, one of the servant girls of the high priest came, and seeing Peter warming himself, she looked at him and said, “You also were with the Nazarene, Jesus.” But he denied it, saying, “I neither know nor understand what you mean.” And he went out into the gateway and the rooster crowed. And the servant girl saw him and began again to say to the bystanders, “This man is one of them.” But again he denied it. And after a little while the bystanders again said to Peter, “Certainly you are one of them, for you are a Galilean.” But he began to invoke a curse on himself and to swear, “I do not know this man of whom you speak.” And immediately the rooster crowed a second time. And Peter remembered how Jesus had said to him, “Before the rooster crows twice, you will deny me three times.” And he broke down and wept. —Mark 14:66-72

Why did Peter deny Jesus? He was the rock, the first to follow Jesus, leaving so much behind to walk the uncertain road of discipleship. He had witnessed incredible miracles as his Master healed the sick, cast out demons, and even raised the dead. Peter had a front row seat to the miracle of the transfiguration. And he had even walked on water. So why did Peter deny Jesus?

Fear.

Fear is the four-letter word that causes us to lock our doors. It’s why we keep a light on in the middle of the night. It prevents us from reaching for our dreams or from reaching out to others in love. Fear cripples our souls and binds our hearts. It locks us in prison and throws away the key. In fearful moments, all we think of is how to protect ourselves, perhaps at any cost.

Peter was no different than we are when faced with fear. All that he had hoped seemed to be crumbling before him. The one he believed to be the Messiah, the Savior of Israel, was now arrested. Jesus’ death seemed certain, and with his death the end of Peter’s reason for living.

Add to that the overwhelming sense of seeing his powerful Teacher so helpless must have confused Peter. Why didn’t Jesus just call down a legion of angels? Why did the one with the power to still the storm not use that power now? And if Jesus was helpless to defend himself, what did that mean for Peter? How could he escape a fate like that of Jesus…arrest, abuse, execution?

In fear, Peter did what he swore he would never do. He denied Jesus Christ, not once, but three times, just as Jesus had promised. Fear had overtaken Peter.

Though you may say you would never deny Jesus, I would challenge you to examine yourself. Truth be told, I think we’ve all denied Jesus for the simple reason of fear.

Have you felt like you were supposed to do something, but then you chickened out because you were afraid? Have you known what it’s like to downplay the significance of your faith in some conversation because your were afraid of offending someone?

What is the antidote to such fear? Trusting God. It’s believing the Word of Christ. It’s experiencing the perfect love of God that casts out fear. In today’s world, Christians must battle against fear faithfully. We must learn to fully trust God and not the world. Jesus spent Holy Tuesday avoiding traps and teaching. The priests set four traps for Jesus, the first questioning His authority, to which He answered with a question and then taught three parables: The Parable of the Two Sons, The Parable of the Tenants, and The Parable of the Wedding Banquet. The second trap challenged Jesus’ allegiance, the third trap attempted to ridicule Jesus’ belief in resurrection, and the fourth Jesus answered by claiming God’s greatest command to be “Love.”

Jesus knew what was coming but he didn’t walk through Holy Week in fear. His life was in God’s hands. That was all he needed to know.

Holy Monday

29 Monday Mar 2021

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The next day when they came out from Bethany, He was hungry. After seeing in the distance a fig tree with leaves, He went to find out if there was anything on it. When He came to it, He found nothing but leaves, because it was not the season for figs. He said to it, “May no one ever eat fruit from you again!” And His disciples heard it. Early in the morning, as they were passing by, they saw the fig tree withered from the roots up. Then Peter remembered and said to Him, “Rabbi, look! The fig tree that You cursed is withered.” Jesus replied to them, “Have faith in God. 23 I assure you: If anyone says to this mountain, ‘Be lifted up and thrown into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says will happen, it will be done for him. 24 Therefore I tell you, all the things you pray and ask for—believe that you have received them, and you will have them. 25 And whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him, so that your Father in heaven will also forgive you your wrongdoing. [26 But if you don’t forgive, neither will your Father in heaven forgive your wrongdoing.]” — Mark 11:12-14,20-26

Holy Monday is the second day of Holy Week, right after Palm Sunday. It is often forgotten but incredibly important.

While walking from Bethany to Jerusalem, Jesus saw a fig tree with no fruit. He cursed the fig tree, which immediately withered. Jesus told the disciples that if they had enough faith, they could not only tell a fig tree to wither, they could tell mountains to move.

Jesus also showed his righteous anger when he entered into the temple and found it being used for things which did not honor God.

There are many important things to observe about Holy Monday, but two are particularly important.

First, Holy Monday set up the events which happened on Maundy Thursday. By clearing the temple, Jesus criticized the leaders who allowed and promoted the deeds happening in the temple. The religious leaders had been concerned about Jesus before this, but his actions on Holy Monday and Holy Tuesday clinched it: they wanted him dead.

Second, Jesus describes these teachings and parables as being about the kingdom of God. God will offer the kingdom to unexpected people, and when the kingdom arrives in full there will be judgment.

The parable of the two sons, the evil farm tenants, and the great feast all deal with God offering the kingdom to people and varying responses, which results in God offering it to others. The son who initially does not obey the father is ultimately honored for doing what he’s asked in the end, and Jesus ends it by telling the religious leaders, “I tell you the truth, corrupt tax collectors and prostitutes will get into the Kingdom of Heaven before you do”.

Jesus wasted no time on that Monday telling those around him that things were about to change. He knew that his entrance into Jerusalem was noticed but now he was targeted. But his mission was clear. Prepare humankind for the kingdom of God.

And the mission remains the same today. We cannot be prepared for the coming kingdom if we don’t put our full self into the hands of God by way of Jesus Christ.

Jesus knew the cross was looming. And even in his final days, his entire focus was saving you from eternal death. Isn’t it time you said yes to Jesus? He has made the way clear for you.

Passion Week: Who Is This?

28 Sunday Mar 2021

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And immediately, while he was still speaking, Judas came, one of the twelve, and with him a crowd with swords and clubs, from the chief priests and the scribes and the elders. Now the betrayer had given them a sign, saying, “The one I will kiss is the man. Seize him and lead him away under guard.” And when he came, he went up to him at once and said, “Rabbi!” And he kissed him. And they laid hands on him and seized him. But one of those who stood by drew his sword and struck the servant of the high priest and cut off his ear. And Jesus said to them, “Have you come out as against a robber, with swords and clubs to capture me? Day after day I was with you in the temple teaching, and you did not seize me. But let the Scriptures be fulfilled.” And they all left him and fled. And a young man followed him, with nothing but a linen cloth about his body. And they seized him, but he left the linen cloth and ran away naked. — Mark 14:43-52

It was just a few days before He would be crucified, and Jesus had just entered Jerusalem. You can picture it, can’t you? The crowd was waving palm branches and shouting hallelujahs. But many in the crowd where wondering what was happening.

When [Jesus] had come into Jerusalem, all the city was moved, saying, ‘Who is this?’ 

This is the prophet Jesus, from Nazareth of Galilee. — Matthew 21:10-11

Not a wrong answer. He really was the prophet Jesus from Nazareth of Galilee. But it was only a half correct answer. He was more than the crowds understood or even his very own disciples understood. Not only a prophet, he was the focal point and fulfillment of all the prophecies.

And I would offer that Jesus is still not known today. Instead of being known as the Son of God, our Redeemer and Savior, Jesus is only known half-way. He is known with half-truths, bringing a half-salvation, applying a half-remedy to the magnitude of our needs — and it is easy to settle for that. Too many Christians settle for a meek, passive Jesus who is not reflected in the Biblical text. But then we wonder why it isn’t working for us. Why do we still feel so empty and lost and without hope? It’s because the Jesus we have come to know is not the authentic Jesus who died for your sins. The real Jesus, the whole Jesus, is better than we know. But we CAN know him if we ask, “Who is this?”, and then really listen for God’s answer!

When He entered Jerusalem, the whole city was shaken, saying, “Who is this?”

The whole city was shaken! Oh to see my whole city shaken over Jesus. I would love to see just our churches shaken. Our homes and our schools. Just to have people so moved by his presence is something I have longed for and continue to do so. What about you? Have you been shaken by Jesus Christ? Perhaps you have asked, “Who is this?” Who is this who put your life back together from the ashes? Who is this who redeemed you? Who is this who healed your broken heart? Who is this?

As we make the final steps to the cross, we must do so through what is known as Passion Week, the week of suffering. But to really understand what this week is about you need to know what passion really means. Passion originally meant, “A willingness to suffer for what you love.” Did you hear that? A willingness to suffer for what you love. The Passion of Christ is the unfailing, everlasting love of the Almighty Triune God, miraculously confined in a human body, suffering of His own volition for His beloved creation. So, who is this? Well, let me tell you.

  • “God is love.” 1 John 4:8
  • “For God loved the world so much that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not die but have eternal life.” John 3:16
  • “No one shows greater love than when he lays down his life for his friends.” John 15:13
  • “But God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Romans 5:8 
  • “We love because He first loved us.” 1 John 4:19
  • “And the angel answering, said to her, ‘The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore also the Holy One being born will be called the Son of God.’” Luke 1:35 
  • “All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet:‘The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel’ (which means ‘God with us’).” Matthew 1:22-23 

The Passion of Christ is unconditional love on display in living color. Who is this? He’s the savior of the world.

Lent Day 33: For God So Loved…

26 Friday Mar 2021

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And they went to a place called Gethsemane. And he said to his disciples, “Sit here while I pray.” And he took with him Peter and James and John, and began to be greatly distressed and troubled. And he said to them, “My soul is very sorrowful, even to death. Remain here and watch.” And going a little farther, he fell on the ground and prayed that, if it were possible, the hour might pass from him. And he said, “Abba, Father, all things are possible for you. Remove this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will.” And he came and found them sleeping, and he said to Peter, “Simon, are you asleep? Could you not watch one hour? Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” And again he went away and prayed, saying the same words. And again he came and found them sleeping, for their eyes were very heavy, and they did not know what to answer him. And he came the third time and said to them, “Are you still sleeping and taking your rest? It is enough; the hour has come. The Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. Rise, let us be going; see, my betrayer is at hand.”
— Mark 14:32-42

From now until the end of Holy Week, the verses which begin each devotion will be the telling of the single greatest event in history. It’s something we need to constantly hear because the foundation of our faith is being buried more and more all of the time. No matter how much some people want to change the very nature of Christianity, the truth can never be lost because darkness will never defeat the Light.

I worry sometimes, however, if the false prophets have planted so many seeds of doubt that your faith is shaken. Do you struggle to believe God truly loves you – regardless of what you’ve ever done or said? As difficult as it is, you must know that it’s truth.

Are you family with the story of Gomer? She is known to us as a prostitute in the book of Hosea. Hosea was Gomer’s husband. Although Gomer left him, their children, and sold herself for money, Hosea found her, fought for her, and bought her back. You see, Hosea didn’t see her as a prostitute. He saw her as his beloved bride, the mother of his children, the one worth fighting for.

In our culture today, too many discount the Bible as useless stories. But these historical narratives are our stories. We feel much of the same things. So this story of Gomer is worth looking at because we can relate. Gomer would have been tossed aside, considered worthless. But because of Hosea’s love for her, he saw who she really was and did everything to get her back.

This is a picture of God and us. This story is a foreshadowing of what was to come: when God sent Jesus to pursue us and do everything to win us back. His love goes beyond the ways we turn from Him to do what we want regardless of how it hurts us or others. It goes beyond what our culture says and what we tell ourselves about who we are. We are so loved and sought after by a God who is able to free us now and forever. “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” This is the message we are to take to the world. This is the IT message from God to each of us. He died so you may live!

Lent Day 32: Jesus Had To Die

25 Thursday Mar 2021

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And they went to a place called Gethsemane. And he said to his disciples, “Sit here while I pray.” And he took with him Peter and James and John, and began to be greatly distressed and troubled. And he said to them, “My soul is very sorrowful, even to death. Remain here and watch.” And going a little farther, he fell on the ground and prayed that, if it were possible, the hour might pass from him. And he said, “Abba, Father, all things are possible for you. Remove this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will.” And he came and found them sleeping, and he said to Peter, “Simon, are you asleep? Could you not watch one hour? Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” And again he went away and prayed, saying the same words. And again he came and found them sleeping, for their eyes were very heavy, and they did not know what to answer him. And he came the third time and said to them, “Are you still sleeping and taking your rest? It is enough; the hour has come. The Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. Rise, let us be going; see, my betrayer is at hand.”
— Mark 14:32-42

As Lent draws near, the resurrection is on my mind. But you can’t have the resurrection without a death. So this question must be answered. Why did Jesus die?

We know from scripture that Jewish leaders plotted against him, Judas betrayed him, Herod and Pilate tried him, and the Roman soldiers executed him. But that’s not the real reason. As Acts 2:23 says, Jesus was “handed over by God’s deliberate plan and foreknowledge.”

Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. (1 Pet. 3:18) The purpose of bringing us to God implies that, prior to Jesus dying, we were far away. “You who once were far away have been brought near through the blood of Christ” (Eph. 2:13).

Friends, our sin needed to be dealt with to bring us near: “Christ died for sins” (1 Pet. 3:18). The Bible does not mince words when it comes to human disobedience and its consequences. Hear that again. The Bible does not mince words when it comes to human disobedience and its consequences. Paul says in Romans 6:23 that “the wages of sin is death.” All humans stand condemned before God; our sins separate us from him whose character is pristine holiness and perfect justice. We are not in line with God when sin is left unaccounted.

To bring us near to God, “Christ died for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous” (1 Pet. 3:18). If “the unrighteous” is all of us, “the righteous” is Jesus himself. The one who “knew no sin, became sin” (2 Cor. 5:21)—our sin—so that we might receive mercy. There is simply no way to be a Christian without this understanding.

The New Testament tells us that Jesus died in our place. He paid the price for our redemption when he “gave his life as a ransom in the place of many” (Mark 10:45). Jesus reconciled us to God by bearing our sins himself (1 Pet. 2:24). “God presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement through the shedding of his blood” (Rom. 3:25), exhausting God’s wrath against our unrighteousness. It is the only way we are redeemed.

Jesus’s death in our place is in accordance with the Old Testament Scriptures. His death fulfills the old covenant sacrifices, such as the sin offering, the Passover lamb, and the scapegoat of the Day of Atonement. He’s the Suffering Servant who was “pierced for our transgressions” (Isa. 53:5).

God’s love is all over that Holy Week. From the time Jesus entered the city to a chorus of hallelujahs to moment he took his final breath, God’s eternal love is profoundly evident. At the cross, we see the climax of God’s covenants with Israel, and we witness the final and dramatic proof of his love and justice.

Christ’s death puts beyond all doubt the fact that God loves us. It assures us that no matter what life throws at us, we can trust that “he who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all . . . will also graciously give us all things” (Rom. 8:32).

At the cross we see not only God’s love, but the seriousness with which he takes our sin. “God presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement . . . to demonstrate his justice” (Rom. 3:25–26).

God doesn’t forgive us by turning a blind eye to our sin or by overlooking it. Forgiveness is costly to the one against whom the wrong has been done.

Honestly, where would we be if God had not sent his Son to die for us? Without the cross, we’d be “darkened in our understanding of God and alienated from the life of God” (Eph. 4:18).

The death of Jesus is for life, not just for Easter. The death of Jesus changes everything. As you prepare to take the final few steps of Lent, join Paul in saying, “I will never boast about anything except the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ” (Gal. 6:14). Praise God!!

Lent Day 31: God’s Heart

24 Wednesday Mar 2021

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Then Judas Iscariot, who was one of the twelve, went to the chief priests in order to betray him to them. And when they heard it, they were glad and promised to give him money. And he sought an opportunity to betray him. And on the first day of Unleavened Bread, when they sacrificed the Passover lamb, his disciples said to him, “Where will you have us go and prepare for you to eat the Passover?” And he sent two of his disciples and said to them, “Go into the city, and a man carrying a jar of water will meet you. Follow him, and wherever he enters, say to the master of the house, ‘The Teacher says, Where is my guest room, where I may eat the Passover with my disciples?’ And he will show you a large upper room furnished and ready; there prepare for us.” And the disciples set out and went to the city and found it just as he had told them, and they prepared the Passover. And when it was evening, he came with the twelve. And as they were reclining at table and eating, Jesus said, “Truly, I say to you, one of you will betray me, one who is eating with me.” They began to be sorrowful and to say to him one after another, “Is it I?” He said to them, “It is one of the twelve, one who is dipping bread into the dish with me. For the Son of Man goes as it is written of him, but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would have been better for that man if he had not been born.” — Mark 14:10-21

We are quite close to the beginning of Holy Week. A lot happened during that week. It went from joy to tragedy to triumph. We should all be feeling the coming anticipation. I hope as the week draws near, you are feeling closer to Jesus, perhaps more than ever before.

Hesed is found some 250 times in the Old Testament. Many biblical words such as mercy, compassion, love, grace, and faithfulness relate to the Hebrew word hesed (חֶסֶד), but none of these completely summarize the concept. Hesed is not merely an emotion or feeling but involves action on behalf of someone who is in need. Hesed describes a sense of love and loyalty that inspires merciful and compassionate behavior toward another person. Hesed surpasses ordinary kindness and friendship. It is the inclination of the heart to show “amazing grace” to the one who is loved. Hesed runs deeper than social expectations, responsibilities, fluctuating emotions, or what is deserved or earned by the recipient. Hesed finds its home in committed, familial love, and it comes to life in actions. The message of the gospel—God’s act of forgiveness and salvation in Jesus—is rooted in hesed.

The deepest longing of our soul is the all-satisfying hesed of God—not in the abstract, but first-hand knowledge and experience, a tasting of God’s hesed. Have you been delivered by the hand of God, tasted his mercy, seen his power, heard his word, felt his presence? The degree to which we have known the presence and power of God is the degree to which we get a sense for what it meant that Jesus was the Son of God, and how devastating it must have been to bear the judgment of God against sin. All lament
leads us to Jesus, in whom our sorrow and pain finds ultimate identification and hope.
The culmination of good and evil came down to Jesus was on the cross. The physical pain was excruciating, yet it was nothing compared to the shock and horror of being forsaken by the Father. You see, the wrath of God was poured out on Jesus, the whole weight of the world’s guilt bearing down on his shoulders. This is the wrath we should have experienced. This is the pain we should have felt. But Jesus felt the pain and he internalized our shame. He, who knew no sin, became sin (2 Corinthians 5:17).

In that moment, he took up the lament of King David: “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (Mark 15:34). When he said this he not only took our sin upon himself, but also voiced all our laments. For underlying all our laments are two questions: “God, where are you?” and, “God, if you love me, then why?” For the first time in all of eternity, Jesus felt the absence of the Father’s presence and the uncertainty of his love. God could not look upon the sin that Jesus became.

Why did it have to be this way? If Jesus was God’s answer to ages of laments, how did he end up in the most lamentable position of all?
One approach to the question is to consider why so many ultimately rejected him, even his own people. The disciples, too, regularly stumbled over their expectations. They hoped the Messiah would conquer the Romans and vindicate Israel. Instead, he predicted the destruction of the temple and died for the Romans. They wanted the Messiah to give them answers. Jesus gave himself. He predicted his own destruction, and then endured it in order to conquer our real enemies: Satan, sin, and death. Jesus did not take away lamenting. He took it up. Having endured the cross, he secured for us the one thing we need more than solutions: the presence of God.
“Lament is the path that takes us to the place where we discover that there is no complete answer to pain and suffering, only Presence” (Michael Card).

Lent Day 30: Resurrection Power

23 Tuesday Mar 2021

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My goal is to know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death, assuming that I will somehow reach the resurrection from among the dead. —Philippians 3:10-11

“What if we lived everyday in resurrection perspective? Instead of waking up thinking of all we need to do today, let’s wake up thinking of what He’s already done today. Instead of focusing on what was, let’s focus on what is. Instead of being stuck on what has died, let’s start with Who is alive. Instead of starting with ‘I’m trapped in fear’, let’s start with ‘I’m going to step out in faith.’”

I read these words today by Pastor Louie Giglio and they made me really ponder. How often am I focused on what was instead of what is? It’s quite easy to do. There’s no fear of the past.

I can’t think of a better time than Lent to really reflect on this. There have been lots of things in the past that I can stay fixated on. But when that happens, we lose focus on Jesus. We cannot really embrace our resurrection power if we are clinging to fears and failures of our worldly life. Quite frankly, we have to choose.

Jesus Christ paid the price for all humanity’s sins. He took them all upon himself. And then he conquered death so we may live! Why would any of us choose to ignore the resurrection power within us? Isn’t it time to say “Yes, Jesus, I choose you!!”?

Lent Day 29: It’s fine. Everything’s fine.

22 Monday Mar 2021

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I cry aloud to God, aloud to God, that he may hear me. In the day of my trouble I seek the Lord; in the night my hand is stretched out without wearying; my soul refuses to be comforted. I think of God, and I moan; I meditate, and my spirit faints. You keep my eyelids from closing; I am so troubled that I cannot speak. —Psalm 77

“I’m fine. It’s fine. Everything is fine.” So many of my clients have recited these words for so long they have forgotten how to acknowledge their real pain. I have found that people will quietly endure pain described in this psalm for weeks, months, or even years on end, until they finally become overwhelmed. This often takes the form of a divorce, an arrest, or a suicide attempt.

What do we do during the “day of trouble?” We cry aloud to God to find comfort, but for some reason, “my soul refuses to be comforted.” We lose sleep, and we cannot even describe the anguish we are in. On top of all of this, we experience a theological crisis: “God promised to never leave or forsake me, but now he has turned his back on me.”

Occasionally, clients will reveal that they have reached out to God during dark times, but they felt all they received was silence. They asked for relief from the pain but they feel forgotten. They are praying like they’ve never prayed before, but still their pain overwhelms. “Has God forgotten to be gracious?” (v. 9).

Perhaps that is the whole point. Scripture reminds us over and over that God is merciful and abounding in steadfast love (Exodus 34:6–7), that God never changes (Hebrews 13:8), and that God desires an intimate relationship with his people (Isaiah 43:1; Jeremiah 31:33). Scripture assures us that God is our everlasting hope. Because of these promises, I do not believe that God causes our suffering. I do believe He can certainly use our suffering so that we might “cry aloud to God,” “think of God,” and “meditate and search my spirit.” The psalmist reminds us that even amid our suffering, it is out of God’s character to spurn or abandon, to be unloving or to withhold compassion. Even on our darkest days, God is inseparable from his goodness and mercy. For that, as we draw ever closer to the cross, we can persevere.

Lent Day 28: A Gift

21 Sunday Mar 2021

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Now it came to pass, when the time had come for Him to be received up, that He steadfastly set His face to go to Jerusalem, and sent messengers before His face. And as they went, they entered a village of the Samaritans, to prepare for Him. But they did not receive Him, because His face was set for the journey to Jerusalem. And when His disciples James and John saw this, they said, “Lord, do You want us to command fire to come down from heaven and consume them, just as Elijah did?” But He turned and rebuked them, and said, “You do not know what manner of spirit you are of. For the Son of Man did not come to destroy men’s lives but to save them.” And they went to another village. — Luke 9:51-56

Lent is a time where we give lots of thought to the suffering that Jesus endured. For us, however, we know the outcome—an empty tomb. It was different for the disciples; it was a testing of faith. We see what God was doing in the garden of Gethsemane, and we know the great necessity of the cross of Christ. Otherwise, we too would fall asleep and run for safety. It’s easy to look back.

“When the days drew near for him to be taken up, he set his face to go to Jerusalem” (Luke 9:51). Knowing what had to happen, Jesus stayed the course. If we are to have a serious reflection on his suffering, we must account for the fact that our Lord looked forward, never back.
We look back all the time, longing for comforts past, wondering what might have been. I’ve done it even as recently as reflecting on the lost year of Covid. Even though we have taken up life with Jesus, seasons of suffering challenge our resolve and fix our attention to how things used to be or how we imagine they might be. Our hunger for restoration and relief from burdens turns our heart to the past, but Jesus has only an eye for what is set before him.

The Isrealites experienced this in the 40 years they spent wandering in the desert. They argued with Moses, idealizing their life in Egypt and questioning the goodness of the Lord. They complained about the Lord’s provision, not because he didn’t provide, but because they weren’t content with what he provided. Oh how that truth can sting!

The paradox of suffering is that it is actually a gift – one we might like at times to give back – but a gift nonetheless. God gives us suffering as a way of giving us Himself, for it is in our suffering that we become acutely aware of His presence and power. Difficulties empty us of our self-reliance so that we might soak in what it means that we are children of God, chosen by God and in covenant relationship with Him—the very covenant purchased by Christ’s blood.
The Israelites in the wilderness and Christ on the cross both stand as a testament, old and new, that God does not forsake His people.

Ultimately, suffering is about learning to receive whatever God has placed in our hands as a blessing. Honestly, that is quite difficult in painful moments. For Jesus, the journey to Jerusalem was a gift. Gethsemane and Golgotha were gifts. They were not easy gifts to receive, which is why he had to say, “Not my will, but yours” (Mark 14:36). And it is why he taught us to pray, “Your kingdom come, your will be done” (Matthew 6:10), because if we are not looking for God’s kingdom come, we always be looking back for our kingdom gone.

The season of Lent is a gift. Take time to receive it.