This has the readings for Today through next Monday, as I will be away from my really great T3 connection at work as I go on vacation.
Tuesday, March 12th
From: Lessons of Lent
By: Mark Zimmermann
Obedience - A Reversal Of Consequences
"For 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." -Romans 5:19
Adam ate the fruit from The Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. This was the only tree that God told Adam not to eat from, and Adam ate from it. He disobeyed. and all of his descendants (that includes us) have been disobeying God ever since. We have partaken of so many "forbidden fruits" and have failed to consider the consequences of our disobedience.
But God did consider the consequences. He knew the consequence for our disobedience would be death. So he decided to do something about it. He decided to send his Son, Jesus. This one man's total and complete obedience would cover over all the disobedience against God that had
taken place since the day Adam ate that fruit. Jesus suffered the consequences that we should have suffered. He suffered death, so that we might have life.
Prayer: Lord Jesus, we thank and praise you for sparing us from God's wrath and making us righteous through your amazing obedience. Amen.
Wednesday, March 13th
From: Lessons of Lent
By: Mark Zimmermann
Obedience - A Test Of Wills
"And going a little farther, he threw himself on the ground and prayed, 'My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from me; yet not what I want but what you want.'"
-Matthew 26:39
In the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus found himself in the midst of a monumental test of wills. His own will wanted the cup of suffering to be taken from him. But God's will wanted Jesus to drink from this cup, no matter how bitter it might be. It was Christ's obedience to God that ultimately proved more powerful than his own personal will. Jesus drank the cup of suffering that God had asked him to drink, going all the way to the cross and the grave so that we might be freed from sin.
Like Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane, we face a test of wills, as well, nearly every day of our lives. Our own personal wills often want to go directly against what God's will wants us to do. In the end, though, we must come to terms with the fact that God knows what is best for us. Our
obedience to his will is a necessary part of being a child of God, and it will surely be eternally beneficial for us.
Prayer: May your will be done in our lives, O God, just as it was done by your Son in his life and death. Amen.
Thursday, March 14th
From: Lessons of Lent
By: Mark Zimmermann
Obedience - Hear And Obey
"He said, 'Blessed are those who hear the word of God and obey it!'"
-Luke 11:28
Jesus seems to know us pretty well in this verse. He doesn't just say, "Blessed are those who hear the word of God." That would be easy enough for us. We can hear the word of God at church or at the dinner table. We can even hear it on tape or on TV, on the radio or over the phone. It doesn't take much for us to hear the word of God these days.
But obeying it is another matter. Jesus said, "Blessed are those who hear the word of God and obey it." There is where it gets tough. Obeying the word of God means that we have to go out and talk to people about Jesus and his salvation. Obeying the word of God means that we have to
treat one another in the same manner in which we treat ourselves. Obeying the word of God means that we must strive to live according to the Ten Commandments. And obeying the word of God means that we must ask for forgiveness when we fail to follow God's demands. Jesus never said it would be easy to obey the word of God, but he did promise blessing to all those who do.
Prayer: O Jesus, our Savior, give us the strength and courage to not only listen to, but obey the word of God, so that your saving deeds may be known to all. Amen.
Friday, March 15th
From: Lessons of Lent
By: Mark Zimmermann
Obedience - Staying Connected
"If you obey my commands, you will remain in my live, just as I have obeyed my Father's commands and remain in his love." -John 15:10
Obedience keeps us connected to Christ and shows how much we love him. Christ shows us how much he loves us by giving us new commands to follow. In the upper room on Maundy Thursday, Jesus declared, "A new commandment I give to you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another." (John 13:34) And later Jesus would tell Peter, "Feed my sheep," a command that would inspire Peter to become a bold witness for Christ. (John 21:17) Unlike many other types of commands, these new commands of Christ are not given to punish us or make us feel inadequate. They are given to keep the connection strong between us and one another and between us and God. Christ has put great confidence in us by sharing these commands with us. It is our privilege to obey them.
Prayer: Out of great love for you, O Lord, may we boldly and joyfully carry out your commands to love and be witnesses to one another. Amen.
Saturday, March 16th
From: Lessons of Lent
By: Mark Zimmermann
Obedience - Do What You Say
"Jesus said, 'There was a man who had two sons. He went to the first and said, "Son, go and work today in the vineyard." "I will not," he answered, but later he changed his mind and went. Then the father went to the other son and said the same thing. He answered, "I will, sir," but he did not go. Which of the two did what his father wanted?' 'The first,' they answered." -Matthew 21:28-31
It is one thing to say you will do something, but another to actually do it. That seems to be the gist of what Jesus is saying in this parable about the two sons. It is a lesson we need to learn, because what we say and what we do are so often dissimilar. We are masters at putting up a
good front for our Father, then doing the exact opposite or nothing at all.
We need to put a stop to this pattern in our lives, and start a new pattern of obedience. This new pattern of obedience should involve following through on the promises we have made to God. And it should involve making honesty and integrity our primary priorities.
Prayer: Forgive us, O God, for not always doing what we say we will do. Guide us as we strive to obey you both in speech and in action. Amen.
Sunday, March 17th
From: Lessons of Lent
By: Mark Zimmermann
Perseverance - Staying Awake
"Then he came to the disciples and found them sleeping; and he said to Peter, 'So, could you not stay awake with me one hour?'" -Matthew 26:40
Jesus reprimands his disciples for not staying awake with him for a single hour. In that moment in the Garden of Gethsemane, we can sense Christ's disappointment in his disciples. And we wonder what it was that his disciples were lacking in this situation. In a word, they were
lacking perseverance. They were lacking the wherewithal to continue on, even though it had been a long day. They were lacking the presence of mind to support and comfort a Friend in need, even though they were struggling themselves. They were lacking the wisdom to pray to God in
the midst of this difficult time.
We can learn a lot about perseverance from what happened in that garden. We learn that Christ desires that we continue on, no matter how long and hard the journey. We learn that we should not let personal circumstances prevent us from being there for a friend. And we learn that we should
never forget to pray when the problems of our lives are bearing down on us.
Prayer: Help us, O Christ, to persevere through tough times by staying alert to your presence with us and wtachin gout for one another. Amen.
Monday, March 18th
From: Lessons of Lent
By: Mark Zimmermann
Perseverance - Fighting Through The Anguish
"In his anguish he prayed more earnestly, and his sweat became like great drops of blood falling down on the ground." -Luke 22:44
What has led you to be in anguish lately? Physical ailments, financial struggles, and problems at home or on the job are only some of the circumstances that may be causing you anguish right now. As we agonize over the difficulties in our lives, it is good for us to envision this scene in the Garden of Gethsemane. We need to remember that Jesus persevered in his anguish - an anguish that must have been extraordinarily more painful than any anguish we might experience. For the sins of all people were upon him.
It was with all this pain stirring within him that Jesus persevered. He got up from this agony in the garden to face the mob that was coming to arrest him. From there, he went on to be tried, convicted and killed for our redemption. Envisioning what Christ went through helps us to persevere through our anguishes and come out on the other side of the pain ready to praise our God.
Prayer: Strengthen us, O Lord, so that we might be able to fight through the anguishes in our lives and carry out your plans on earth and in heaven. Amen.