Lent
Anger – March 9
Like all emotions, anger by itself is not wrong. In fact, we would be deficit as people of God if we never experienced anger over injustice when it rears its head. Where we err is in feeding that anger, adding fuel to that small emotional flame until it rages like a fire that cannot be contained, especially when we feed it for selfish reasons. We can also err by allowing our anger to dictate our response. “Don’t sin by letting anger control you” (Psalm 4:4).
Continue ReadingBe Perfect – March 8
One of the ongoing themes within the Sermon on the Mount is the contrast between the law and the heart, what is put into practice for all to see and what is actually going on in the deepest parts of our souls. Jesus repeatedly emphasizes it is the latter that is important. The law was only ever intended to be the starting place; it was never designed as the end goal.
Continue ReadingSabbath – March 7
For this Sabbath day of rest, rather than dig into more Scripture, allow the Holy Spirit to remind you of what God spoke into your soul this past week. Reread the passages for this week and allow the words to penetrate into the deepest parts of you.
Continue ReadingForgiveness – March 6
This is among Jesus’s hardest teachings. We are so prone to thinking of God as the epitome of love and forgiveness that we often forget being God means he is also the perfect example of judgement, justice, and holiness. In fact, his holiness is so important to our understanding of who God is that when Isaiah saw a vision of God on his throne in the Temple, two seraphim were also present and “they were calling out to each other, ‘Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of Heaven’s Armies! The whole earth is filled with his glory!’” (Isaiah 6:3).
Continue ReadingA Better Righteousness – March 5
Jesus seems to be of two different minds in this passage. First he states that even the least of the laws of Moses must be followed in order to be considered great in the Kingdom of Heaven, yet he goes on to say that the teachers of the law and Pharisees – who were renowned for following the letter of the law as strictly as possible – will not be part of the Kingdom of Heaven. It seems a contradiction, but it is not.
Continue ReadingSalt and Light – March 4
In 1930, when Mohandas Gandhi and other national leaders were considering what their first act of civil disobedience would be to protest on behalf of India’s independence, Gandhi pushed for the Salt Tax Act as the focus of their efforts. This tax made it illegal for Indians to collect or sell salt, giving the British rulers a monopoly on this dietary staple.
Continue ReadingThose Who Are Mocked – March 3
Visit the locker room before any team sporting event, and you’re likely to hear the coach give some sort of speech intending to encourage the players, even rile them up so they are suitably psyched to face the opposing team on the field of play. The coach has trained them for this moment, but now the training is set aside. Now, the coach can only help dispel any doubts they hold in their minds, remind them of their training, and push them toward excellence.
Continue ReadingThose Who Are Persecuted – March 2
Jesus never tells us that if we follow God with all that we are that we will be blessed in this life and never suffer illness, poverty, persecution, loneliness, or other symptoms of the brokenness of our world. In fact, Paul tells Timothy that, “Everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution” (2 Timothy 3:12).
Continue Reading