Lent 1
Devotional
Streams of Living Water
Lectionary Devotional for Cycle B
Object:
Genesis 9:8-17
This is the sign of the covenant that I make between me and you and every living creature that is with you, for all generations.
-- Genesis 9:12
It is a rainbow coalition that we experience on earth. There is no race or individual that does not belong to God's covenant. This is not a color-blind society, but a society that is rich in its diversity and together creates the beauty that reminds us of God's love for us. It is a peculiar thing about rainbows. They are created by the combination of the sunlight shining through the prism of a raindrop that releases an array of colors. Too much sunlight and we die. Too much water and we die. Life is only possible through a combination, either part of which by itself means our death, but together not only allows life but also releases the full, diverse beauty of life. God makes a promise to preserve that balance. The covenant is not a dependent promise. Even though God makes demands upon humans to make life sacred, God's keeping of the covenant to prevent the destruction of the world is not dependent on human obedience.
Despite our continual rebellion, the hand of God has held us back and provided us the opportunity to discover the fullness of life. As was established in the story of Adam and Eve and is so in this story of second birth, we are reminded that we are all of one stock and equally covenanted with God. Also, we are reminded that God's love extends to the creatures of the earth that God also preserves. If we disdain a creature or a human, we disdain God who is bound to us all.
Psalm 25:1-10
Do not remember the sins of my youth or my transgressions; according to your steadfast love remember me, for your goodness' sake, O Lord!
-- Psalm 25:7
While arrogance and pride are certainly a destructive feature of humanity, guilt is an equally paralyzing characteristic for many humans. While we can casually say that we are saved by grace and not by works, we still have a hard time understanding why God would want to forgive us. Many people, while theoretically believing in the forgiveness of God, harbor the dark conviction that their sins are too great to have been forgiven. The sad part of such a conclusion is that it is a judgment on the limitations of God rather than the depth of human sin.
In Psalm 25, the psalmist prays to overcome such limitations. "O my God, in you I trust; do not let me be put to shame" (v. 2). His dependence is on God, not on his own goodness. He pleads with God to "Lead me in your truth, and teach me, for you are the God of my salvation; for you I wait all day long" (v. 5). Then the psalmist makes an astounding case for God's forgiveness. It is not based on the sinner's efforts nor is it based on some offsetting series of good qualities. Rather, he calls on God to remember who God is. "Be mindful of your mercy, O Lord, and of your steadfast love ..." (v. 6). He then urges God to shift focus from the transgressions of his psalmist to the steadfast love.
The reason that God forgives us is not because of our efforts or any mitigating circumstances that explain our errors. The reason that God is urged to forgive us is because it is consistent with his goodness. In redeeming the sinner, it is God, not the sinner, who is honored. As we enter the season of Lent, it is important to remember the character of the church. When Peter is named the rock upon which the church is built, the foundation is not Peter's goodness but his trust that it is in the goodness of the Lord that he has found the source of God's redemption.
1 Peter 3:18-22
For Christ also suffered for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, in order to bring you to God.
-- 1 Peter 3:18a
Historically, Lent has been a season of reflecting on the suffering of Christ, which was entered into symbolically through one's own season of sacrifice. This passage from 1 Peter makes the helpful reminder that the value of the sacrifice was that it was the sacrifice for the sake of others. This is not an invitation to suffering for suffering's sake. The value of Christ's sacrifice was that it was for the sake of others. Therefore, our imitation of Christ would be better represented in Lent through making a significant sacrifice for the betterment of someone else.
It is also important to note that in Christ's sacrifice, it was "the righteous for the unrighteous." Too often people are only willing to make an effort on behalf of the needy that are deserving. Yet Christ's example is precisely being willing to suffer for the undeserving. If you sacrifice for someone who has demonstrated by his or her efforts that they deserve a helping hand, then the message is that they have earned what you offer. If you offer help to someone who has not demonstrated worthiness, then you have demonstrated God's love. Jesus did this in order to put the focus on God rather than either the giver or the one who receives. How might you reach out to someone and demonstrate the love of God during this Lenten season?
Mark 1:9-15
And the Spirit immediately drove him out into the wilderness. He was in the wilderness forty days, tempted by Satan.
-- Mark 1:12-13a
This is the moment of divine affirmation. Jesus is baptized by John in the Jordan, and in that moment God pronounces his affirmation. Mark is spare in telling the story of the gospel. We have none of the birth stories or early childhood events. There is an urgency to Mark's narrative that the gospel must be proclaimed. From Mark's story, we know nothing about where Jesus came from or even who he was. The only thing that is important is that God had prepared the way through John, and now God confirms that this is indeed his beloved Son.
Having received that affirmation, Jesus must begin his ministry immediately -- well, not quite immediately. Notice that this temptation in the wilderness is not a delay in the ministry but an integral part of Jesus' preparation for ministry. It is the Spirit, not the devil, which drives Jesus into the wilderness to be tempted. To receive God's call to ministry is critical to our life's journey. The danger of such a call is that we assume that what we do in response to the call is godly work. History is replete with examples of people who have used their call to ministry in destructive manners.
To experience God calling you is a heady experience that can easily lead to arrogance. While Mark does not describe the specific temptations, as Matthew and Luke do, he makes clear that responding to God's call in your life begins a struggle "with the wild beasts" and requires us to seek the counsel of "the angels" (v. 13). Lent is a good time to reflect on our vocation or calling by God and to wrestle with where we have allowed our own ego to distort our response.
This is the sign of the covenant that I make between me and you and every living creature that is with you, for all generations.
-- Genesis 9:12
It is a rainbow coalition that we experience on earth. There is no race or individual that does not belong to God's covenant. This is not a color-blind society, but a society that is rich in its diversity and together creates the beauty that reminds us of God's love for us. It is a peculiar thing about rainbows. They are created by the combination of the sunlight shining through the prism of a raindrop that releases an array of colors. Too much sunlight and we die. Too much water and we die. Life is only possible through a combination, either part of which by itself means our death, but together not only allows life but also releases the full, diverse beauty of life. God makes a promise to preserve that balance. The covenant is not a dependent promise. Even though God makes demands upon humans to make life sacred, God's keeping of the covenant to prevent the destruction of the world is not dependent on human obedience.
Despite our continual rebellion, the hand of God has held us back and provided us the opportunity to discover the fullness of life. As was established in the story of Adam and Eve and is so in this story of second birth, we are reminded that we are all of one stock and equally covenanted with God. Also, we are reminded that God's love extends to the creatures of the earth that God also preserves. If we disdain a creature or a human, we disdain God who is bound to us all.
Psalm 25:1-10
Do not remember the sins of my youth or my transgressions; according to your steadfast love remember me, for your goodness' sake, O Lord!
-- Psalm 25:7
While arrogance and pride are certainly a destructive feature of humanity, guilt is an equally paralyzing characteristic for many humans. While we can casually say that we are saved by grace and not by works, we still have a hard time understanding why God would want to forgive us. Many people, while theoretically believing in the forgiveness of God, harbor the dark conviction that their sins are too great to have been forgiven. The sad part of such a conclusion is that it is a judgment on the limitations of God rather than the depth of human sin.
In Psalm 25, the psalmist prays to overcome such limitations. "O my God, in you I trust; do not let me be put to shame" (v. 2). His dependence is on God, not on his own goodness. He pleads with God to "Lead me in your truth, and teach me, for you are the God of my salvation; for you I wait all day long" (v. 5). Then the psalmist makes an astounding case for God's forgiveness. It is not based on the sinner's efforts nor is it based on some offsetting series of good qualities. Rather, he calls on God to remember who God is. "Be mindful of your mercy, O Lord, and of your steadfast love ..." (v. 6). He then urges God to shift focus from the transgressions of his psalmist to the steadfast love.
The reason that God forgives us is not because of our efforts or any mitigating circumstances that explain our errors. The reason that God is urged to forgive us is because it is consistent with his goodness. In redeeming the sinner, it is God, not the sinner, who is honored. As we enter the season of Lent, it is important to remember the character of the church. When Peter is named the rock upon which the church is built, the foundation is not Peter's goodness but his trust that it is in the goodness of the Lord that he has found the source of God's redemption.
1 Peter 3:18-22
For Christ also suffered for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, in order to bring you to God.
-- 1 Peter 3:18a
Historically, Lent has been a season of reflecting on the suffering of Christ, which was entered into symbolically through one's own season of sacrifice. This passage from 1 Peter makes the helpful reminder that the value of the sacrifice was that it was the sacrifice for the sake of others. This is not an invitation to suffering for suffering's sake. The value of Christ's sacrifice was that it was for the sake of others. Therefore, our imitation of Christ would be better represented in Lent through making a significant sacrifice for the betterment of someone else.
It is also important to note that in Christ's sacrifice, it was "the righteous for the unrighteous." Too often people are only willing to make an effort on behalf of the needy that are deserving. Yet Christ's example is precisely being willing to suffer for the undeserving. If you sacrifice for someone who has demonstrated by his or her efforts that they deserve a helping hand, then the message is that they have earned what you offer. If you offer help to someone who has not demonstrated worthiness, then you have demonstrated God's love. Jesus did this in order to put the focus on God rather than either the giver or the one who receives. How might you reach out to someone and demonstrate the love of God during this Lenten season?
Mark 1:9-15
And the Spirit immediately drove him out into the wilderness. He was in the wilderness forty days, tempted by Satan.
-- Mark 1:12-13a
This is the moment of divine affirmation. Jesus is baptized by John in the Jordan, and in that moment God pronounces his affirmation. Mark is spare in telling the story of the gospel. We have none of the birth stories or early childhood events. There is an urgency to Mark's narrative that the gospel must be proclaimed. From Mark's story, we know nothing about where Jesus came from or even who he was. The only thing that is important is that God had prepared the way through John, and now God confirms that this is indeed his beloved Son.
Having received that affirmation, Jesus must begin his ministry immediately -- well, not quite immediately. Notice that this temptation in the wilderness is not a delay in the ministry but an integral part of Jesus' preparation for ministry. It is the Spirit, not the devil, which drives Jesus into the wilderness to be tempted. To receive God's call to ministry is critical to our life's journey. The danger of such a call is that we assume that what we do in response to the call is godly work. History is replete with examples of people who have used their call to ministry in destructive manners.
To experience God calling you is a heady experience that can easily lead to arrogance. While Mark does not describe the specific temptations, as Matthew and Luke do, he makes clear that responding to God's call in your life begins a struggle "with the wild beasts" and requires us to seek the counsel of "the angels" (v. 13). Lent is a good time to reflect on our vocation or calling by God and to wrestle with where we have allowed our own ego to distort our response.
