Lessons of Lent

From: Lessons of Lent
By: Mark Zimmermann
Perseverance - The Race of Life

"Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us." -Hebrews 12:1

Any long-distance runner will tell you that running a race is no walk in the park. It requires stamina and strategy. A runner needs to be prepared for obstacles along the way, to be ready to get back up after a stumble or fall, to be able to recognize when the body is giving out and then make adjustments.

In our Christian race, we face similar struggles. We must pick ourselves up when we fall into sin, pace ourselves when our bodies begin to tire from the work we are doing for the Lord, keep our eyes focused on the heavenly finish line rather than on the ground in front of us.

In all of this Jesus is our forerunner. He ran his race on this earth with great perseverance. He kept his eyes on "the joy set before him," which is life forever with us. He went through the pain of the cross and made it to the finish line when he rose from the dead on Easter. He won his race with perseverance so that we, in turn, may do the same.

Prayer: May we follow in your footsteps, Lord, and run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Amen.

From: Lessons of Lent
By: Mark Zimmermann
Perseverance - Thursday

"Jesus said to him, 'Away from me, Satan!'" -Matthew 4:10

The devil likes to tempt us when we are at our weakest. He tried to tempt Jesus when he was at his weakest too. But Jesus persevered.

When we are at our weakest physically, mentally, and spiritually, that is the time for us to be at our strongest in our perseverance. We may be physically drained at times, but we can never make a deal with the devil for instant gratification. We may be running into trouble trying to spread the Good News, but we must reject any plan that would use God's power for personal gain or peer approval. We may be having a hard time staying focused in our worship of the Lord, but we cannot let the devil use that opportunity to turn our hearts away from God.

To persevere against the devil's schemes, we must do what Jesus did: consult the Word of God. It is the one sure power source that keeps our perseverance level high.

Prayer: Keep us strong when the devil attacks, O Lord, and keep the messages of courage from your Word close to our hearts. Amen.

The readings for today and the weekend.

Friday
From: Lessons of Lent
By: Mark Zimmermann
Perseverance - The Silent Treatment

"He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth; like a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and like a sheep that before its shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth." -Isaiah 53:7

Sometimes the best response is no response. Jesus taught us the value of this lesson during his trial and conviction. When witnesses gave false testimony against him before the Sanhedrin, Jesus stayed silent. (Mark 14:61) As the soldiers mocked him, put a crown of thorns and a purple robe on him, and spat on him, Jesus said nothing. (Matthew 27:27-30) When King Herod peppered Jesus
with questions, Jesus gave no answer. (Luke 23:9)

It was the silent treatment that helped Jesus to persevere during these trying times. And it can be silence that helps us during trying times, as well. There are, of course, times when we must speak out about the Gospel. But there are also specific instances when silence is the most effective way in which we can persevere. Part of persevering is knowing when to speak out and when to keep our mouths shut. Only Christ can direct us in this endeavor. For it was in his silence and in his speaking that he fulfilled God's plan perfectly.

Prayer: Teach us, O Lord, to be silent when the situation warrants and to speak out when you command. Amen.


Saturday
From: Lessons of Lent
By: Mark Zimmermann
Perseverance - Gaining Strength From Others

"Jesus said to his disciples, 'I have eagerly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer.'" -Luke 22:15

Before he entered into the final painful phase of his ministry here on earth, Jesus got together with friends, seeking out this time for companionship and sharing. Thoughts about what happened in that upper room with his
disciples undoubtedly went through Christ's mind as he suffered on Good Friday. Knowing that he had spent these special moments with his disciples most cerainly helped Jesus through his moments of loneliness on the cross.

Allowing for time to be with friends and family can increase our perseverance potential, too. Being with those who love and care for us can ease the pain when we pass through periods of loneliness. Sharing our concerns with
fellow believers can get us through days of spiritual uncertainty. And learning from the experiences of other people of faith can enable us to journey on with greater bravery.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, may we gather together with brothers and sisters in the faith as often as we can so that our perseverance might be more potent. Amen.


Sunday
From: Lessons of Lent
By: Mark Zimmermann
Sacrifice - The City Of Sacrifice

"Jesus said, 'See, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be handed over to the chief priests and scribes, and they will condemn him to death.'" -Matthew 20:18

Jerusalem was the city of sacrifice. From all over Israel, Jews were gathering to make sacrifices in the Lord's temple for the festival of Passover. On Palm Sunday, however, Jesus knew that he was not entering Jerusalem to sacrifice a beast or a bird. He was coming to sacrifice himself. It would be he who would be handed over to the chief priests who normally performed the sacrificial rituals. It would be his death that the people gathered in this town would clamor for.

Though the chief priests and the people of Jerusalem did not know it at the time, when Jesus was entering into their city on Palm Sunday, he was making himself available to them for sacrifice. He did tihs so that people in all the cities of the world might be saved. He did it because he knew that his death would mean life for us all.

Prayer: We thank you, O Lord Jesus, for coming to Jerusalem so that you might be handed over to death for the salvation of the world. Amen.

From: Lessons of Lent
By: Mark Zimmermann
Sacrifice - The Lamb of God

"The next day [John the Baptist] saw Jesus coming toward him and declared, 'Here is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!'" -John 1:29

The lamb is the animal the Israelites sacrificed on the night of the first Passover. It was the blood of the lamb that was put on the doorposts of their homes so that the angel of death might "pass over" their dwellings. It was the lamb that was slaughtered at each yearly commemoration of this event when God saved his people and rescued them from slavery in Egypt.

For John the Baptist to call Jesus the Lamb of God, therefore, was a clear indication to all present that Jesus would be sacrificed. And just as the blood of the lamb at Passover saved the Israelites from death, so the blood of
the Lamb of God would save all of God's children not only from death, but from sin as well. The sacrifice of the Lamb of God makes it possible for us all to escape the many oppressive forces in this world. And his death makes it certain that we will reside in the Promised Land of heaven, where we will be worshiping the Lamb on his throne forevermore.

Prayer: Lamb of God, you take away the sin of the world. Have mercy on us and grant us peace. Amen.

Tuesday
From: Lessons of Lent
By: Mark Zimmermann
Sacrifice - Our Great High Priest

"[Christ] has appeared once for all at the end of the ages to do away with sin by the sacrifice of himself." -Hebrews 9:26

The Book of Hebrews talks about Jesus being the Great High Priest. It was the high priest's job in Jesus' day to enter into the most Holy Place of the temple sanctuary and offer gifts and sacrifices. The priests were required to go into the Lord's house year after year to make these special offerings again and again for the sins and indiscretions of the people.

After his time on earth, our Great High Priest, Jesus, entered into a Most Holy Place as well, the Most Holy Place of heaven. There he had to give something to our God for all our many sins and indiscretions. There he handed his
perfect life over to his Father. Unlike earthly high priests, Jesus made only one single sacrifice. He did not have to return to offer up his life again the next year. He died once and he died for all. Now, as our Great High
Priest, Christ has the power to invite us all into the Most Holy Place of heaven with him, where we, too, are made holy because of his perfect sacrifice.

Prayer: Thank you, O Great High Priest, for interceding for us with the Father and offering yourself to him on our behalf. Amen.

I am giving the readings for today and tomorrow. There's a chance I won't be able to get on tomorrow because I have a busy day planned so I wanted to be sure you all had the reading for then.

Wednesday
From: Lessons of Lent
By: Mark Zimmermann
Sacrifice - Giving Fully and Freely

"Jesus said, 'They all gave out of their wealth, but she, out of her poverty, put in everything - all she had to live on.'" -Mark 12:44

Jesus taught us a great lesson in sacrifice in that temple that day. He taught us that it is not the amount we give that is all-important. It is the way in which we give that matters most to him. When we give to God of our time, talents and monetary possessions, we should consider how we are giving. Are we giving just as an afterthought? Are we giving only to get some recognition? Are we giving simply out of fear or tradition or convenience? Or, conversely, are we giving of our firstfruits? Are we giving of our most valuable resources? Are we giving of our very selves to God?

Giving to God asll that we are and have, like the poor widow did, can be difficult for us, of course. We are not a people who naturally make such monumental sacrifices. That is why, especially during this Holy Week, we need to be guided by our Savior, who gave all that he had so that we might be rich in forgiveness, love and salvation.

Prayer: O Christ Jesus, guide us to give fully and freely, as you gave so fully and freely of yourself. Amen.


Maundy Thursday
From: Lessons of Lent
By: Mark Zimmermann
Sacrifice - A Sacrament Of Sacrifice

"Jesus took a loaf of bread, and said, 'Take, eat; this is my body.' Then he took the cup, gave thanks and offered it to them, saying, 'Drink from it, all of you. This is my blood.'" -Matthew 26:26-27

Today we remember the sacrament of Holy Communion, which Jesus instituted on this night. In many respects, this sacrament could be called a sacrament of sacrifice. For in the bread and wine of this sacred meal, we receive our
Savior's very body that was broken and his very blood that was shed.

As this bread and wine cross our lips, thoughts of Christ's sacrifice cross our minds, as well. We contemplate that Christ gave of himself on the cross so that we might share in his new life today. We ponder the fact that Christ
gave of his love in this sacrament so long ago so that we might partake of his love even now. And we remind ourselves that the salvation which Christ poured out for all people flows into each one of us who come to his table tonight to take and eat and take and drink.

Prayer: Thank you, O Savior, for givnig us the sacrament of Holy Communion, which allows us to taste and see the extent of your sacrifice for us. Amen.

Good Friday
From: Lessons of Lent
By: Mark Zimmermann
Sacrifice - The End

"When Jesus had received the win, he said, 'It is finished.'
Then he bowed his head and gave up his spirit." -John 19:30

When we read stories to children, we often say "The End"
when we are done. Jesus uttered the equivalent of "The End"
on Good Friday when he said, "It is finished." With these
words, he let the world know that his sacrifice was complete, that he had accomplished what he came here to do. He had taken on human flesh. He had taken on our many sins. And on the cross, he had taken upon himself all of the punishment that we deserved. At the last moments of Christ's extraordinary life ticke by, he mad it clear to everyone that nothing more needed to be done. He had done it all.

Because of what Christ did on this day, we can confidently say "The End" to the power of sin in our lives. We can say "The End" to any hold the devil has had on our lives. And we can say "The End" to anything that may have kept us away from our God. Good Friday marks the end of the forces of evil in the lives of all who believe, and it marks the beginning of a blessed reunion with our God.

Prayer: From the cross, O Christ, you put an end to all that
keeps us from the Father. May the power of your love keep us close to him forever. Amen.