I love the song at the beginning of Fiddler on the Roof when Tevya enters the barn and reflects, “If I Were a Rich Man (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RBHZFYpQ6nc ),” and asks God, “So what would have been so terrible if I had a small fortune?” Perhaps your thing is not wealth but maybe beauty or talent or power. How would you like God to bless you?
A young rich man came to Jesus and asked him what he must do to inherit heaven. The man approached Jesus as “good teacher,” and Jesus corrects him because only God is good and God is the one who knows the hearts of men to answer his request. But Jesus continues and tells him to obey the commandments. The man believes he has. Most of us would feel that we have not committed big sins like murder and we try to lead a good life. We are not as bad as some but we live better lives than many. Jesus tells the man to sell his possessions, give the money to the poor and follow him. The man left sad because he was wealthy. This is a blunt answer and the disciples are shocked (Matthew 19:16-26).
I see two ways of understanding this. Jesus is reminding the man that our wealth comes from God and is meant to be shared. We are blessed to be a blessing. Secondly, Jesus may be redirecting the young man to the first commandment that says we are to love God with our whole heart, more than our blessings. Jesus is challenging the young man’s gratefulness to God as the provider of his blessings.
During Lent we would be wise to check our attitude of gratitude for our many blessings. We are to look up to God as our source and not look at the “other” and be thankful we are not as needy as them. Comparing ourselves to others often leaves us feeling like we have drawn the short straw. Thanking God opens our hearts and challenges us to hold our blessings in open hands. Let us pray today, “Thank you Lord for…
Matthew now turns to the next question. The Pharisees come to “test” Jesus and ask him about divorce. Ouch. That is a topic that has touched most all of our lives. We live in days when commitment phobia is very common. Marriage is often seen as an unnecessary piece of paper. Jesus points to creation and says that the original plan was that a man and woman would be united, to be a committed support team to face life. To take something apart that has been superglued together, will leave scars on both. We talk about “friendly divorces” where the partners work together for the sake of the children but that does not change the fact that a vow has been broken and serious discussions have occurred. The Pharisees point to Moses who allowed divorce but Jesus says that is only because of hardness of heart and adultery.” We call it incompatibility.
During Lent we bow our heads and admit that we have failed to live up to our commitments, our promises, our values, or our expectations. Maybe we personally have not gone through a divorce but we have failed our important others at some point. Interestingly Jesus does not end on a harsh condemning note. He says that the plan is for a permanent union and “the one who can accept this should accept it. (Matthew 19:12)”
It makes me think of the case of the little boy the disciples could not heal and then Jesus comes and says prayer can only heal it – by the power of God. Not all of our problems can be solved by will power, by trying a new product or a different doctor. The ideal, perfectionism, is seldom reached. We need the cross because we fail. In church services we kneel at the alter for communion, and we have the opportunity to sit quietly and pray, those confessional times are often followed by absolution when the pastor says,
“Almighty God in His mercy has given His Son to die for you and for His sake forgives you all your sins. As a called and ordained servant of Christ, and by His authority, I therefore declare unto you the total forgiveness of all your sins in the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.”
These are powerful words. Because of the cross we are forgiven. Let us spend a couple minutes this morning reflecting on ways we have not lived up to our promises and then read the absolution again. We are forgiven all our failures – divorce, failed diets, gossip – because of Jesus. Thank you, Lord, for your mercy.
Matthew next highlights a question by Peter about forgiveness. During Lent, as we travel with Jesus and the disciples to the cross and examine our own hearts, forgiveness is often a rock that needs to be dealt with.
“21 Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? Up to seven times?” 22 Jesus answered, “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times. (Matthew 18: 21-22)”
Jesus tells a parable to explain. A master forgives his servant a huge debt when the servant pleads for mercy. But then the servant leaves and goes out and harasses a fellow servant who owes him a small debt. The other servants report this to the master who is furious. How can someone who is forgiven a huge amount turn around and be cruel?
We who have been forgiven so much and promised eternity often turn around and keep petty grudges with others. These feuds in churches and in families ruin relationships and can cause huge rifts that never heal. The ugly examples we have today are those who feel offended, let the issue boil within them, and then commit mass shootings.
Lent is a time when we look for cobwebs in our souls. Let us spend time reflecting today and asking the Holy Spirit to show us any areas where we need to forgive or seek forgiveness. This is not to condone continual abuse but it is an attempt to not allow roots of bitterness to grow in our hearts. God has forgiven us so let us try to be forgiving to others. Blessings.
Matthew shifts to sharing with us some of the parables of Jesus as he heads to Jerusalem. The first one is the story of a man who owned 100 sheep but one wandered off. The owner left the 99 with caretakers and went in search of the lost sheep. Jesus shares about the joy and rejoicing that results from finding the lost.
“14 In the same way your Father in heaven is not willing that any of these little ones should perish. (Matthew 18:14)”
Lent is a time when we do not focus on praise and all our blessings, but we focus on our “losses.” A loss might be a relationship we have allowed to go by the wayside that we need to rekindle. A loss might be realizing we have not written a friend we want to encourage, a relative or neighbor we want to visit, or a habit we have let slide. It might be a lost opportunity that comes to mind.
As we seek to recover those things we have allowed to wander and slip away from us, the result is joy. Spending a couple of minutes in prayer before bedtime is relaxing. Singing a song while driving rather than listening to the news all the time is healthy. Hugging someone who is important to us is always rewarding. Smiles given to someone who looks down and a word of affirmation can mean a lot.
Jesus is going to the cross because God cares about his lost sheep. He cares about us enough to search for us and carry us home. He is not willing or wanting for us to wander in the wilderness, vulnerable and scared. God does not want us to perish. The cross is about a God who does not just sit in heaven counting his assets and erasing his losses on April 15. He actively seeks regain his creation. Thank you, Lord.
Jesus came down from the Mount of Transfiguration and set his path to Jerusalem and the cross. Matthew 18 opens with the disciples asking Jesus,
“Who, then, is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” 2 He called a little child to him, and placed the child among them.3 And he said: “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. 4 Therefore, whoever takes the lowly position of this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. 5 And whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me. (Matthew 18:15)”
I have always heard these verses set in a discussion of the characteristics of young children. This weekend my adult son visited for the first time in 6 months to support me and visit my husband in memory care. My husband has dementia so I told him for several days that our son was coming. I prepared my son that his father may not remember him or be affect-neutral. As we walked in the room, my husband spotted our son and as we approached, he almost jumped out of his wheelchair and his face lit up with delight as he threw his arms open to hug our son. “…unless you change and become like little children,” said Jesus.
Is it that as we age, we become more childlike? My husband may or may not understand the events of life around him any more than a young child. He is dependent on aides for personal care, so humbling. He is loosing the ability to even stand up on his own two feet. But he recognizes at some level those who love him and are kind to him. I am learning the gift of presence. He does not spend a lot of time talking with people but we enjoy being together.
I think that Matthew opens this phase of Jesus’ ministry with this story because as Jesus walks to the cross, he becomes more and more a person in the hands of other – not because he cannot, he is God, but because he does not. There is a childlike quality about approaching the cross.
As we approach our devotional time today, we might reflect on our countenance in prayer. Are we like a child having a temper tantrum about our wants or are we more like an elder leaning out and raising our arms for a hug as we learn to trust the care of God? Blessings.
15The Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to till it and keep it. 16And the Lord God commanded the man, “You may freely eat of every tree of the garden; 17but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall die.” 3:1Now the serpent was more crafty than any other wild animal that the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God say, ‘You shall not eat from any tree in the garden’?” 2The woman said to the serpent, “We may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden; 3but God said, ‘You shall not eat of the fruit of the tree that is in the middle of the garden, nor shall you touch it, or you shall die.’ ” 4But the serpent said to the woman, “You will not die; 5for God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” 6So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate; and she also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate. 7Then the eyes of both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made loincloths for themselves.
Psalm: Psalm 32
Mercy embraces those who trust in the Lord. (Ps. 32:10)
1Happy are they whose transgressions are forgiven, and whose sin is put away! 2Happy are they to whom the Lord imputes no guilt, and in whose spirit there is no guile! 3While I held my tongue, my bones withered away, because of my groaning all day long. 4For your hand was heavy upon me day and night; my moisture was dried up as in the heat of summer. 5Then I acknowledged my sin to you, and did not conceal my guilt. I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the Lord.” Then you forgave me the guilt of my sin. 6Therefore all the faithful will make their prayers to you in time of trouble;when the great waters overflow, they shall not reach them. 7You are my hiding-place; you preserve me from trouble; you surround me with shouts of deliverance. 8“I will instruct you and teach you in the way that you should go; I will guide you with my eye. 9Do not be like horse or mule, which have no understanding; who must be fitted with bit and bridle, or else they will not stay near you.” 10Great are the tribulations of the wicked; but mercy embraces those who trust in the Lord. 11Be glad, you righteous, and rejoice in the Lord; shout for joy, all who are true of heart.
Second Reading: Romans 5:12-19
12Just as sin came into the world through one man, and death came through sin, and so death spread to all because all have sinned—13sin was indeed in the world before the law, but sin is not reckoned when there is no law. 14Yet death exercised dominion from Adam to Moses, even over those whose sins were not like the transgression of Adam, who is a type of the one who was to come. 15But the free gift is not like the trespass. For if the many died through the one man’s trespass, much more surely have the grace of God and the free gift in the grace of the one man, Jesus Christ, abounded for the many. 16And the free gift is not like the effect of the one man’s sin. For the judgment following one trespass brought condemnation, but the free gift following many trespasses brings justification. 17If, because of the one man’s trespass, death exercised dominion through that one, much more surely will those who receive the abundance of grace and the free gift of righteousness exercise dominion in life through the one man, Jesus Christ. 18Therefore just as one man’s trespass led to condemnation for all, so one man’s act of righteousness leads to justification and life for all. 19For just as by the one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners, so by the one man’s obedience the many will be made righteous.
Gospel: Matthew 4:1-11
1Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. 2He fasted forty days and forty nights, and afterwards he was famished. 3The tempter came and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread.” 4But he answered, “It is written, ‘One does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’ ” 5Then the devil took him to the holy city and placed him on the pinnacle of the temple, 6saying to him, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down; for it is written, ‘He will command his angels concerning you,’ and ‘On their hands they will bear you up, so that you will not dash your foot against a stone.’ ” 7Jesus said to him, “Again it is written, ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’ ” 8Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor; 9and he said to him, “All these I will give you, if you will fall down and worship me.” 10Jesus said to him, “Away with you, Satan! for it is written, ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve only him.’ ” 11Then the devil left him, and suddenly angels came and waited on him.
Children’s Sermon: Let’s start at the very beginning. Do those words sound familiar. Maria in Sound of Music wants to teach the children music. The “Do, Re, Mi” song opens with:
Let’s start at the very beginning A very good place to start When you read, you begin with A-B-C When you sing, you begin with Do-Re-Mi.
At church we are not tackling reading, A-B-C, or singing Do-Re-Mi, but we are tackling making our invisible God visible to another. Tell your neighbor where you would start to tell another about faith.
Let us pray. Lord may the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart be acceptable in your sight, my Rock and my Redeemer, my Alpha and my Omega.
SERMON
Last Sunday was Transfiguration Sunday when we had a glimpse of the Son of Man as Son of God as he stepped into eternity for a moment. Peter, James and John were told to “listen,” and “get up. Don’t be afraid!” Down the mountain they came and headed to Jerusalem with Jesus. Wednesday we celebrated Ash Wednesday when we were marked with the ashes from the palms of last Palm Sunday. We were reminded that from ashes we came and to ashes we go. Today, the first Sunday of Lent, we “go back to the very beginning” of Jesus’ public ministry, the temptation. Our text tells of a defining moment for Jesus right after his baptism when the voice from heaven spoke and said, “This is my Son.” The temptation encounter gives us the building blocks for understanding the unfolding of events during Lent. So, “let’s start at the very beginning, it’s a very good place to start.”
Two Main Characters
Being educated, or so we think, scientific, materialistic Americans, it is easy to put the scene today into a Disney movie of a hero facing a wicked witch. The temptation is not an encounter between two characters in a novel that help us understand life. This text is about a major encounter between the God of the universe and Satan, the prince of demons, who seeks to rule this world. It is an encounter between the Kingdom of Heaven invading the Kingdom of this World. The first reading tells of creation when the serpent defeated Adam and Eve by planting doubt in Eve’s mind about God’s word, God’s will and God’s way. Did God say? Does God want? You can be like God if you only. And so we are here today and Jesus steps into our wilderness to do battle for us.
Rocks to Bread
We hunger. Every dieter knows this. All we need to do is swear off chocolate for Lent and suddenly it is on every counter in the store and every cupboard in our house. It calls to us!! People in the Syrian earthquake zone really know hunger. The people in Ukraine know hunger. The rains have failed in Kenya and those people know hunger. We are probably more familiar with temptation. Satan approaches Jesus and says, “IF.” “If you are God.” “If you are God, changes the rocks into bread.”
The Kingdom of this World seeks to satisfy our physical hungers. If we only try this or that, go here or there, watch this hit, listen to this podcast we will certainly move towards fulfillment. The bellies of our desires will be satisfied for a better life. But, Houston, we have a problem. Tomorrow we are hungry again. The solutions of this world are temporary. The solutions of this world focus on our personal needs. Some hungers are never satisfied. We need just one more dollar to be happy.
“There are three things that are never satisfied, four that never say, ‘Enough!’: 16 the grave, the barren womb, land, which is never satisfied with water, and fire, which never says, ‘Enough!’”
Proverbs 30:15, 16
Jesus responds, ‘One does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’ ” The Kingdom of Heaven starts with the Word of God, not with human hungers. The Kingdom of Heaven focuses on God and community. The Kingdom of this world focuses on self.
So where do we turn to satisfy our hunger? In Lent we go back to the basics, to A-B-C. We will walk to Calvary because at our core we are selfish. It is a challenge to do it God’s way, to forgive, to follow spiritual disciplines, to share, and to endure hard times focusing on God.
“…throw yourself down…”
We hunger but we also long for security. All we have to do is turn on the commercials and we hear about this or that insurance, this or that security devise for our house, and what our protective social services should have done in this or that circumstance. How quickly we turn from the number killed in the earthquake to questions of whether building codes were followed and the impact on upcoming elections. Satan next approaches Jesus and says, “IF.” “If you are the Son of God.” “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down,” from the pinnacle of the Temple in the Holy City where Satan had taken him. Surely God does not allow his people to get hurt.
You can almost hear Satan sneer; God doesn’t want you to be hurt. Certainly you won’t die. Sounds like the Garden of Eden to me. Sometimes we hear that question in our ear, “Where is your God?” The Kingdom of this World tries to convince us that following worldly wisdom can avoid death and illness. The solutions of this world do not stop the wounds of life but offer bandages for problems and we must still walk through death.
Jesus responds, “Again it is written, ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’ ” The Kingdom of Heaven acknowledges the wisdom, presence and protection of God for all his subjects. God was there with the people in the earthquake. He is with those in Ukraine. And he is with us in our everyday challenges. He is the Creator and we are the creatures. We can trust him and do not need to trust insurance, in case. I am not saying, don’t buy insurance, but that our ultimate trust is in God. His way is best.
So if we are challenged in trusting for our hungers, where are we challenged today in trusting God for our security? I find it interesting that “throw yourself down” can also refer to a posture of prayer as well as a temptation to test God’s love for us. When our security is threatened, that is the time to throw ourselves down in prayer. So perhaps the question is how is Bethany doing in personal and corporate prayer, not only for personal needs but also for a pastor and for our community.
“…worship me…”
We hunger and long for security, and for power. We jokingly talk about our “control issues.” When our checkbook doesn’t balance, we rack our brain for what we forgot to write down. When the red light goes on in the car we worry how much the bill will be. I won’t mention the health and safety of our children, grandchildren, and friends as we hear the news of irrational mass shootings at places we used to consider safe. Oh my. The news now reports on how this is impacting young children going to school and wondering if their parents will return from work. Life is not only insecure but we cannot control our days. We sometimes feel powerless. Satan offers Jesus complete control of this world if Jesus will bow down and worship Satan.
Jesus could have all the kingdoms of the world if only he would allow Satan to be its god. Eve ate the fruit believing she would be like God and she gave the fruit to Adam. The price was huge and has come down through the ages, impacting our lives today. We are not gods no matter how many people praise us. Time marches on and we all die because the burdens of life were never meant for us to carry.
Jesus does not dignify this temptation with a response. He says, “Be gone.” We are to worship God and serve only him. It’s the first commandment. The kingdom of this world tries to convince us we can be a god or goddess of beauty, of wealth, or government, of so many things. But it is a lie. And so we come back to the very beginning. There are two kingdoms, heaven or earth, Jesus or Satan. As we walk through Lent we will see Jesus, “Son of God” and “Son of Man.”
Let’s start at the very beginning.
James says it well in his epistle.
“12 Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him.
13 When tempted, no one should say, “God is tempting me.” For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone;14 but each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed. 15 Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death. (James 1:12-15)”
A: We live in a tension between the Kingdom of Heaven that we are becoming more familiar with through the life of God Incarnate, Jesus, and the Kingdom of this World that Satan would like us to choose.
B: We will be tempted by our hungers, our deep need for security, and our driving desire to be in control. Satan loves to work by raising doubts in our mind about God’s word, God’s will and God’s way.
C: Jesus, when tempted, drew on Scripture. Turn to Scripture when feeling tempted.
As we walk through Lent we will watch as Jesus meets people to give life when they are hungry. Security will be found in relationship to God. And we will not need to worry about being in control because we know God is in control, even when a cross looms before us. A-B-C, Do-Re-Me-, the very beginning is
“36 “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?”
37 Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’[c]38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ 40 All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” (Matthew 22:36-40)”
Wikipedia credits this hymn to Sarah Flower Adams who was inspired by the Biblical story of Jaccob’s dream recorded in Genesis 28:11-12. Jacob was running from his twin brother Esau who wanted to kill him because Jacob had not only “stolen” Esau’s birthright as the eldest son and eldest twin but also deceived their father thus receiving the paternal blessing. Jacob must cross the “wilderness” to his mother’s family. He lays down to sleep and dreams of a staircase going to heaven with angels ascending and descending.
The hymn is well known because it is believed to be the last song play by the band on RMS Titanic played before the ship sank. It is also credited as the song sung by the crew and passengers of the SS Valencia as it sank off the Canadian coast in 1906. Those facts I didn’t know or had forgotten.
I do know that we are entering the 40 days of Lent when we face our mortality and our fallibility. We, like Jacob, are not perfect and we will die. During Lent we look at the darker side of ourselves that we don’t want the world to see and our sins that sent Jesus to the cross. Our prayer through this time is that as we confess and mourn for our world, we will draw nearer to God, to the God who cared enough to come to us!
Washing and drying dishes became a game with my kids. I had five kids and when we sat down for a meal, they would check out what was on the table and then I would hear, “I claim plates,” or “I claim forks.” At the end of drying the dishes, they would wad up their wet dishtowels and we would play basketball trying to hit the sink. Washing dishes was fun. We do the laundry because we like to wear clean clothes. We weed our gardens. We take our cars in when they need servicing. So WHY do we run from confession? Why let our souls be soiled, run down, and full of weeds?
King David was confronted by his prophet Nathan about committing adultery with Bathsheba, the wife of Uriah, the Hitte, one of his loyal soldiers. He wrote Psalm 51 that has become a model for confession. Lent is a time when we clean out the closet and deal with the crud in our souls.
Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love;according to your great compassion, blot out my transgressions.Wash away all my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin.For I know my transgressions, and my sin is always before me…Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me. (Psalm 51: 1-3, 10-12)
Lent is a time when we commit to spending some time in confession. We sit quietly and allow God to show us where we have you fallen, times we have been selfish or when we have turned to the kingdom of this world for security rather than God. We confess that we do not want to be crippled by fear, shame, greed or pride. Let us take time now to allow the Holy Spirit to shine his flash light on us and confess any sin that comes to mind.
The Book of Common Worship has a beautiful prayer that can be a model:
“Gracious God, our sins are too heavy to carry, Too real to hide,And too deep to undo.Forgive what our lips tremble to name, What our hearts can no longer bear,And what has become for us a consuming fire of judgment.Set us free from a past that we cannot change;Open to us a future in which we can be changed;And grant us grace to grow more and more in your likeness and image, Through Jesus Christ, the light of the world. Amen.” (From the PCUSA Book of Common Worship Louisville: Westminster John Knox, 1993; p. 88)
Jesus comes down from the Mt. of Transfiguration with Peter, James and John. A desperate father of a son whom he believes is demon possessed meets them. Jesus heals the boy. But Matthew then tells us that Jesus informed his disciples that he would die.
‘22 When they came together in Galilee, he said to them, “The Son of Man is going to be delivered into the hands of men. 23 They will kill him, and on the third day he will be raised to life.” And the disciples were filled with grief. “ (Matthew 17: 22-23)
Grief is like a deep darkness descending on us. We know our loved one or we will die some day – next year please! Death is never welcomed. Lent, unlike Advent in December when we look forward to the birth Jesus, often feels dark and somber. We don’t like to think about death. Lent is not a time of happy anticipation but a dark season when we are looking forward to death. Loss is a time of darkness.
As we move into Lent, we ponder the areas in our lives and our world that are clouded by darkness, areas that need the light of Jesus. In Matthew 4:16 Isaiah 9:2 is quoted, “the people living in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned.” Matthew compares the arrival of Jesus to light arriving in this world to life in the shadow lands.
Let us spend a few minutes giving those dark areas of guilt, hate, regret and pain to God. We could also spend a few minutes praying for our neighbors caught in war, hunger, drought or disease. If that is too dark or painful, then we could focus our prayers on the gift of forgiveness our faith offers and thank God for sending us light in our darkness. Blessings.
“Repent for the Kingdom of Heaven is near,” (Matthew 4:17).
Many Christians around the world will go to church today to commemorate the beginning of the Lenten season. We will be marked with a cross on our forehead by the pastor. Ashes and a cross are powerful symbols. Ashes remind us of our mortality and the cross reminds us of the God who incarnated and walked through death that we might be with him in eternity. But there’s more to the story.
Ash Wednesday is 40 days before Easter, not counting Sundays. 40 days in the Bible is related to the period of rain for Noah, the days Moses was on Mt. Sinai to receive the Ten Commandments and the 40 days Jesus fasted in the wilderness before the temptation. Most agree that the number 40 is associated with a journey from struggle to redemption. Many will do some sort of spiritual fast during this time or they may add a spiritual discipline. That might mean not doing deserts or it might mean spending 5 minutes in focused meditation each evening before bed. The goal is to focus on our relationship with God.
For Palm Sunday last year many churches opened by having the congregation waves palms in commemoration of the start of Holy Week and the entrance of Jesus into Jerusalem when people waved palms. Those palms are later burnt and used this year to mark the beginning of Lent. During Holy Week people went from greeting Jesus with “Hosanna” to yelling, “Crucify him!” During Lent we grieve how easy it is for us to go from highs to lows in our faith journey also. We face our humanity, our mortality, and our need for a Savior. We lament the ways we have promised to worship and obey God but fallen far short. We contemplate, confess and acknowledge our need to turn from our own sinful ways to Jesus.
Our readings will focus on Chapters 17 to 26 in the Gospel of Matthew as Matthew shares the events of Jesus’ life as he journey from Transfiguration to the cross. Let’stake the next 40 days to reflect on this last year and how our own faith waxes and wanes but God’s love remains constant! May we have the courage to “Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is near,” and turn to the love and grace offered by the cross.
Posted by srwantabee 
On the Way to Wonder 