Thursday: Day 8

Then Jesus asked, “Were not ten made clean? But the other nine, where are they?  Was no one found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?”  Luke 17:17-18

            The Jewish people didn’t like Samaritans.  John, the Gospel writer, said that “Jews do not share things in common with Samaritans.”  (John 4:9)  In another place, the disciples ask Jesus for permission to call down lightning bolts to “consume them.”  (John 9:54).  Samaritans were the “dirty people.”  They were foreigners to the people of God.

            Besides that, these were lepers that came to Jesus, crying out for healing.  Jesus asked them to show themselves to the priests, and in the act of going, they were made clean.  But the one leper, the Samaritan, the foreigner, was different.  He realizes that he has been blessed, and that the blessing he receives requires a response.  He sees, he returns, he gives thanks, and he praises.  He was not one of the Chosen People, but he retraces his steps so he can find Jesus.

            And in one of the few places in the Gospel where Jesus asks a trilogy of questions, we begin to see that Jesus wants from us something more than mere obedience.  He wants us to bathe our hearts in gratitude.  Thankfulness is not an automatic attitude of the heart.  Not being thankful is a form of ignorance for all that God has done for us.

            Why was Jesus asking this trilogy of questions?  Because in asking the question he is showing us that innate within us is a powerful need to express gratitude.  And in giving thanks and praise we make ourselves more complete as human beings.  C.S. Lewis writes, “I think we delight to praise what we enjoy because the praise not only expresses but completes the enjoyment; it is its appointed consummation.”

            And then Jesus said to the Samaritan foreigner, “Get up and go on your way; your faith has made you well.”  The one who returned in gratitude was the only one made well.  Through his gratitude he was made whole. 

            A key learning in this transformative journey is that a thankful heart always leads to even more abundant blessings.  Jesus said, “For to all those who have, more will be given, and they will have an abundance; but from those who have nothing, even what they have will be taken away.”  (Matthew 25:29)

            The Samaritan leper rose and began a new way of life.  His life was now a thankful life.  It was humbling, but at the same time it was liberating.  Remember that those who humble themselves will be exalted.

            Are you living a life of gratitude?  Do you give thanks every day for even the smallest of blessings?  Today is a good day to begin keeping track of your daily blessings in your journal.  Let it become your Gratitude Journal.  Like the Samaritan leper, you can begin a new way of life. Through your gratitude you will be made whole.

Questions to Ponder

•  Do you believe that innate within us is a powerful need to express gratitude?  Why or why not?
• Think of someone you know who lives every day with an attitude of gratitude.  How would you describe their outlook on life?
• What are five things for which you can be thankful  today?

Prayer for Today:  Gracious and Giving God, in my busy life I sometimes forget to stop and thank you for all that is good in my life.  Today, in the silence of my heart, I give you thanks for these things……And I thank you above all for your unconditional and eternal love.  Amen.

What follows is not a song, but an amazing video about the importance of gratitude through the beauty of photography. Sit back and enjoy.  Thanks June O! 

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Wednesday: Day 7

A windstorm swept down on the lake, and the boat was filling with water, and they were in danger. ²⁴They went to him and woke him up, shouting, “Master, Master, we are perishing!” And he woke up and rebuked the wind and the raging waves; they ceased, and there was a calm. ²⁵He said to them, “Where is your faith?”  Luke 8:23b-25a

            A friend of mine took a series of classes to learn how to drive race cars.  Fast race cars.  And the teacher told him, “The most important thing for you to remember is how to come out of a skid when you’re driving 150 miles an hour.  What most people do when they start to skid is to focus on what they fear most—crashing into the wall.  Instead, you must focus on the path where you want to go.”

            In a sense, the teacher was saying that when you’re in a crisis, like a race car skid, it’s most important to focus on the solution, rather than on the problem.  Focusing on the solution of the path where you want to go will help guide you through a skid because what you focus on is often where you’ll end up.

            The disciples were in a boat, traveling across the lake, when a huge storm arose with thunder and lightning and wind and waves.  They were in a “boat skid.”  They were terrified and were in danger of sinking.  And what did they focus on?  The wind and the waves.  They woke up Jesus and said to him, “Master, Master, we are perishing!”  Jesus awoke, rebuked the wind and the raging waves, and asked them, “Where is your faith?”

             Many of us travel on our journey through life at 150 miles an hour, or at least sometimes it feels like that.  And when we do, it’s inevitable that we’re going to skid.  It will be a “life skid”; much like a race car skid or a boat skid.  And sometimes we ask ourselves, “Why is this happening to me?  Why can’t I get my life together?  Why do I have good intentions that never seem to bring me what I’d like?”

Remember: what we focus on is often where we’ll end up.  The disciples forgot to focus on Jesus, even though he was right there with him.  And we sometimes forget to focus on Jesus when challenges come our way.  But if you focus on Jesus, keep your eyes on him, and look to him always, then when Jesus says to you, “Where is your faith?”, you’ll know that your faith is in him. 

Jesus still calms the storms in our lives.  Keep your eyes on him.  Put your faith in him.  It makes all the difference in the world.

Questions to Ponder

•  Do you agree that what we focus on is often where we’ll end up?  Why or why not?
• Do you have short term goals?  What about long term goals?  Think of three of each.
• Do you have a goal of drawing closer to Jesus?  If so, what is helping you toward making that goal a reality?

Prayer for Today: God of power, calm my storms, calm my mind, and calm my spirit.  Let me find rest in you.  Ease my anxiety, and let me simply “be”.  Let me rest peacefully in your arms.  In Christ’s name I pray.  Amen.

Listen to this awesome song....Living he loved me....dying he saved....

Keep your eyes on Jesus.  Keep your eyes on the cross.

Tuesday: Day 6

Now Judas, who betrayed him, also knew the place, because Jesus often met there with his disciples. ³So Judas brought a detachment of soldiers together with police from the chief priests and the Pharisees, and they came there with lanterns and torches and weapons. ⁴Then Jesus, knowing all that was to happen to him, came forward and asked them, “Whom are you looking for?” John 18:2-4

            We began last Wednesday with the first words that Jesus speaks in John’s Gospel, “What are you looking for?”  We end our first week with the last sentences Jesus speaks before his betrayal and arrest. 

            What are you looking for?  Whom are you looking for?  Between those two questions lie Jesus’ entire public ministry in the Gospel of John.  Those two questions are the book ends of his ministry in John’s Gospel, and they are the book ends of our first week.

            Jesus asks this question not once, but twice in John 18.  He was in the Garden of Gethsemane, and Judas brought a detachment of soldiers and police from the chief priests and the Pharisees.  They had lanterns and torches and weapons.  Jesus asked them “Whom are you looking for?”  After they stepped back and fell to the ground, he again asked them, “Whom are you looking for?”  They arrested him, bound him, and brought him to trial.

            The question brought him death.

            Just a few days later, after Jesus’ death and entombment, Mary went to Jesus’ tomb.  She was devastated by what had happened.  Her tears were streaming down her face, and because of her weeping she wasn’t able to see Jesus, now resurrected from the dead.  She had no idea that the One who was standing right in front of her is exactly the One she was looking for.

            Jesus, now eternally alive, said to her, “Woman, why are you crying?  Whom are you looking for?”  (John 20:15)  Then Jesus spoke her name, she recognized him, and her tears of sorrow turned into tears of joy.

            The question brought her life.

            Whom are you looking for on your journey through Lent?  Maybe you know the betrayal that Jesus experienced when he asked this question of the soldiers.  Maybe you know Mary’s feeling when life seems to be spinning out of control and you don’t know where to turn.

            Lent this year is a time to pause and turn and face Jesus, who wants to speak your name.  He died on the cross with your name on his lips.  He wants to speak your name and to invite you into a relationship with Him. 

            Whom are you looking for?  Jesus.  Pure and simply, Jesus.

Questions to ponder:

• As we end this first week of devotions, think of the questions you asked yourself last Wednesday.  What are you looking for in this journey through Lent?
• Mary had the most amazing “aha!” moment in her life when Jesus spoke her name.  What has been your best “aha!” moment when you were filled with joy or excitement?

Prayer for Today:  Open our eyes Lord, we want to see Jesus, to reach out and touch Him and say that we love Him.  Open our ears Lord, and help us to listen.  Open our eyes Lord, we want to see Jesus.

Monday: Day 5

One man was there who had been ill for thirty-eight years. ⁶When Jesus saw him lying there and knew that he had been there a long time, he said to him, “Do you want to be made well?”  John 5:5-6

            Susan had hit bottom.

            Her life was a mess.  She just couldn’t give up drinking.  She craved it from the moment she woke up until she passed out at night. 

            Day after day the cycle continued.  Week by week things got worse.  She started hiding a bottle under the front seat of her car, and would lie about how much she drank.  She started missing work because she was too hung over to show up.  As time went on she lost her job, which caused her to want to drink more.  Her husband, sick and tired of her drinking and her inability to quit, left her.  Susan drove home after a party one evening and was arrested for driving under the influence.  She lost custody of her children.  With no income, she started forging checks to support her drinking addiction.  When Susan was arrested for check fraud she realized that she had hit bottom, but was still digging.

            In her growing despair she often asked herself, “Why can’t I quit drinking? Why is this happening to me?  Why don’t people just leave me alone?”  And she realized that those dead ended questions weren’t getting her anywhere.  Why couldn’t she keep from drinking?  Because she is an alcoholic.  But knowing the answer to that question didn’t provide her with a solution.

            So she started asking herself, “What can I do to avoid drinking this morning?  This afternoon?  This evening?  How can I keep sober, just one day at a time.”  After several failed attempts, she managed one day of recovery.  Then two.  Then a week.  She went to 90 A.A. meetings in 90 days.  She got a sponsor.  Finally, she was able to turn her will and her life over to the care of God.  With God’s help, she was able to reverse the downward spiral of her life.  Susan’s entire life was starting to change for the better.

            Susan changed her questions.  By changing her question she changed her life.  One day at a time.

            Do you want to be made well?  That’s what Jesus asked the man who had been ill for a long time, in fact, very ill for 38 years.  Jesus could have healed him just by speaking a word.  Rather than doing that, Jesus asked, “Do you want to be made well?”  Instead of giving the man simple healing, the man received wholeness and restoration.

            If the truth were to be told, we’re all wounded in some way.  We all have hurts or challenges or secrets for which we need healing.  But do you want to be made well?  If you do, and if you begin to change the questions you ask yourself every day, you can be made well.  Jesus gave the man a solution to his sickness.  Susan was given a solution to her alcoholism.  And Jesus can give your strength to overcome your wounds.

            Do you want to be made well?

Questions to Ponder

•  The man in our Scripture had been ill for a very long time.  Why do you think Jesus asked him, “Do you want to be made well?”
• In our devotion, Susan changed her questions, and by doing so she changed her life.  What kind of questions do you ask yourself that immobilize you or that don’t lead you anywhere?
• What kind of questions can you start to ask yourself that will bring about positive change in your life?  Do you think those questions can make a difference?  Why or why not?

Prayer for Today:  God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change; courage to change the things I can; and wisdom to know the difference.  Amen.

Sunday, February 26

Sundays are not a part of the 40 Day Journey as they are celebrations of the Resurrection.  However, I will post the Sunday sermons during Lent, just to you see what we do at Zion Lutheran.

Have you ever wondered what temptation, desire, Lent, lust, Jesus, and a 2012 Dodge Challenger jet black 470 HP hemi have in common? Actually a lot.

Listen in:

Day 4: Saturday

            Jesus asked the twelve, "Do you also wish to go away?"  John 6:67

           One day, when Alice was walking along, she came to a fork in the road.  While she was pondering where to go, she saw the Cheshire Cat in a tree.  Alice said, “Which path should I take?”  The Cheshire Cat said, “That depends on where you want to go.”  Alice said, “I don’t quite know where I want to go.”  The Cheshire Cat said, “Then it doesn’t matter which path you take.”

            If you don’t know where you’re going, any path will get you there.  But if you do know where you’re going, then the path you take becomes very important.  Not all paths lead to the same destination.  But if you know your destination, then the path becomes very important.

            By the 6^th chapter of John, opposition to Jesus had begun to escalate.  Instead of just being a nice miracle worker and healer, Jesus started to talk about sacrifice.  He began to talk about “the hour” of his death.  And then he said, “Those who eat my flesh and drink my blood abide in me, and I in them.”  (John 6:56)

            That was a challenge to the disciples.  They were at a turning point; a fork in the road.  Many of the disciples didn’t know if they wanted to go where Jesus was leading.  And so they said, “This teaching is difficult; who can accept it?”  (John 6:60).  Their temptation was to go away and become discipleship dropouts.  Something was starting to happen that they didn’t like.  Jesus was starting down a path that they were pretty sure they didn’t want to go down.

            Have you ever felt like you are totally committed to following Jesus?  Or totally committed to 82 percent?  Or committed at least up to a certain point?  Have you experienced discipleship dropout or burnout in following Jesus?  And if you have, are you still away?  Have you found anything more fulfilling?  Or are you on a long-term break from faith, from church, or from following Jesus because it’s gotten too difficult or is too unfulfilling?

            Do you wish to go away?  That’s what Jesus asked the twelve.  And Peter replied, “Lord, to whom can we go?  You have the words of eternal life.  We have come to believe and know that you are the Holy One of God.”  (John 6:68-69)

            It matters a great deal which path you take.  Today Jesus invites you to take his path, and not go away. 

Questions to Ponder

•  Have you ever been lost?  Really lost?  How did that feel?  What were the circumstances?
• Assuming you finally found your way, how did that feel?  What did you learn from that experience of taking the wrong path?
• Do you feel that your walk with Jesus is going well?  Why or why not?

Prayer for Today:  Holy God, our strength and our redeemer, by your Spirit hold us forever, that through your grace we may worship you and faithfully serve you, follow you and joyfully find you, through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord.  Amen.

Day 3: Friday

          

            Jesus asked, "For what will it profit them to gain the whole world and forfeit their life?  Indeed, what can they give in return for their life?  (Mark 8:36)

             Do you ever wonder about the deeper purpose or meaning of your life? 

            Every once in a while, it’s important to consider what God might want to do in you and through you.  Wouldn’t it be tragic to climb the ladder of success, only to realize when you reached the top rung of that ladder that it was leaned up against the wrong wall?
           
             On Ash Wednesday we considered the question, “What are you looking for?”  As a pastor, I’ve found that many people are looking for stability, success, relationships, health, and many other things that are common to so many of us.  But I’ve also found that down deep, people are looking for a sense of meaning and purpose in their lives.

            Most people live their lives on one of three levels.  The first level might be called Survival.  In the survival mode you go to work, punch the clock, put in your time, and live for the weekend.  People survive on this level, and they wake up in the morning and instead of saying, “Good morning, Lord”, they say, “Good Lord, it’s morning.”

            A second level people live on is the level of Success.  They work hard at succeeding at work, at home, or at school, but also live with the constant fear of failure, and with the nagging fear that no amount of success will ever be enough to be deeply satisfying. 

            But a third level that some people live on is the level of Significance.  Living with significance is knowing that you’re doing exactly what God put on this earth to do, and that you’re making a significant contribution with your life in the lives of those around you.  The level of significance means that you’re comfortable with who you are and what you were put on this earth to do.
           
          Remember this:  You are not the result of a random genetic mutation that eventually evolved over time.  You are a child of the Most High God, who knit you together in your mother’s womb.  You are a child of God who belongs to God and who was put on this earth for a life of significance.

            Jesus said to his disciples, “For what will it profit them to gain the whole world and forfeit their life?  Indeed, what can they give in return for their life?”

            Success is great.  But success can also be fleeting if you begin to forfeit your life in the pursuit of success.  True significance comes from giving all that you are and all that you have to the care of Jesus, who loves you and wants you to grow into knowing Him more and more, day after day.

Questions to Ponder

•  Which “level” of life do you find yourself most frequently; the level of survival, success, or significance? 
• Are you satisfied with that level?  What is holding you back from “moving” toward a more satisfactory and significant life and faith?  What would it take to get you there?

Prayer for Today:  Gracious God, I know that you created me and all that exists, and that you have given me all things that are necessary for life.  Help me to be thankful.  Help me to use my gifts in service toward others.  Help me want to know you more and more, day after day.  This I ask in Jesus’ name.  Amen.

It's amazing how Great God is.  And what's so great is that God cares so much about us.  What could be greater than knowing God more during this transformative personal journey?

Day 2: Thursday

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            She came up behind him and touched the fringe of his clothes, and immediately her hemorrhage stopped. Then Jesus asked, "Who touched me?" Luke 8:44-45

           Can you imagine her frustration?  She had a flow of blood for 12 years.  She had spent every last penny on doctors to heal her, but to no avail and with no solution.  Her condition just continued day after day, and year after year.

            Besides her medical condition, her anemia, and her lack of energy, she was ritually unclean.  Anyone or anything she touched would become unclean.  It was her religious duty not to touch anyone or anything, as it would become immediately contaminated.  She was socialized by her world to think of herself as dirty, as soiled, as filthy, and untouchable.

            What gave her the courage to think that her life could possibly be different?  Why didn’t she just accept the place in life that she had been given?  Just who does this unclean, unworthy woman think she is?

            What gave her the courage to do what she did?  It was her total confidence in the ability of Jesus to change her life.  She knew beyond a shadow of doubt that if she touched him, she would be made well.

           She strained through the crowds, this unworthy, dirty, untouchable woman, pressing on with her conviction that Jesus could bring her wholeness.  She came to Jesus with the expectation that Jesus was the answer to the question that she had been asking.

            As she got near, she reached through the crowd and touched, just barely touched, the fringe of Jesus’ clothes.  Immediately she was healed!  Her flow of blood ceased and she knew that her life was being transformed before her eyes.

           “Who touched me?”  Jesus must have known, but he still asked.  And when she came, trembling and falling down before him, she declared before everyone there that she had touched him and that she was immediately healed.  And Jesus blessed her, and told her that her faith in him had made her well.

           Who does this unclean, unworthy woman think she is?  She is a child of God with utter confidence in the ability of Jesus to heal, to restore, to forgive, and to give new life even when it seems impossible.

           Who is this unclean, unworthy woman?  Perhaps she is us; each of us who begin this journey through Lent, seeking to come close and touch Jesus and receive the amazing healing that only He can give.

Questions to Ponder

• Have you ever experienced emotional or spiritual healing?  What was it like?  What were you like, what happened, and is it like now?
• In Jesus’ time some people were called “unworthy” or “unclean.”  Today some people still feel that same way, though they’re not often called those names.  What might you do to help someone feel “worthy” of the healing touch of Jesus?

Prayer for Today:  Almighty and Merciful God, reach into the depths of my heart and find where I feel unworthy.  Touch me with a word of grace and healing.  Bring me closer to your heart, and touch me with your love.  In Jesus’ name.  Amen.

Here's a wonderful song:  That's What Faith Can Do by Kutless.

Day 1: Ash Wednesday

     

           The next day John again was standing with two of his disciples, and as he watched Jesus walk by, he exclaimed, "Look, here is the Lamb of God!"  The two disciples heard him say this, and they followed Jesus.  When Jesus turned and saw them following, he said to them, "What are you looking for?"   John 1:35-38a

           Lent is a time of spiritual introspection.  It’s a time to pause in the midst of a very busy life, a challenging world, and a searching faith.  Lent is a time just to pause and take some time to think and reflect on Jesus, his journey to the cross, his death and resurrection, and all that it means for our lives of faith.

            Ash Wednesday is a time to pause; not to look forward to Easter and all the things that lie ahead, but to take things a bit more slowly and reflect on ourselves, our lives of faith, and the decisions we’ve made.  Ash Wednesday is a day of repentance, and turning from where we’re going and turning toward God.  It’s been said that death is a way of telling us to slow down.  For Christians, Lent is the church’s way of telling us to slow down, to look at ourselves, and to reflect on the meaning of our lives and our faith.

            We begin this transformative personal journey through Lent with the first words that Jesus speaks in the Gospel of John.  Interestingly, Jesus’ first words are not “Follow me.”  Nor are they, “I am the Bread of Life.”  Jesus’ first words in the Gospel of John come in the form of a question:  “What are you looking for?”

            It’s a deep, searching question.  What are you looking for as you begin this journey through Lent?  How would you like this Lent to be different or even more meaningful from previous Lents?  What are you looking for?  It’s the same kind of searching question as the first question God asks in Genesis 3.  God knew they were hiding, and still God asked, “Where are you?”  (Genesis 3:9).

            If you receive the Imposition of Ashes this day and are reminded that you are dust, and to dust you shall return, be reminded on your own frailty and your utter dependence on God for life.  Consider the cleansing and renewal that you need in areas of your life.  And as the sign of the cross is made on your forehead, remind yourself what you are truly looking for; a deeper relationship with a living and loving God who, through Jesus, is looking for you.

Questions to Ponder

•  What is it that you are looking for as you begin this journey through Lent?  What do you want this year that’s different from previous years?
• Did you, or will you receive the Imposition of Ashes this Ash Wednesday?  What kind of experience was that?  How long did you leave the ashes on your forehead?
• If you were to describe what repentance means to an unbelieving friend, how would you describe it?

Prayer for Today:  Almighty and ever-living God, you hate nothing you have made, and you forgive the sins of all who are penitent.  Create in us new and honest hearts, so that, truly repenting of our sins, we may receive from you, the God of all mercy, full pardon and forgives through your Son, Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.  Amen.

Listen to the questions in this song that connects Christmas to Lent. 

And to the answer.

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