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On this Sunday in Lent, reflect on this Lenten Hymn with me.

In the Cross of Christ I glory, Tow’ring o’er the wrecks of time.
All the light of sacred story Gathers round its head sublime.

When the woes of life o’er take me, Hopes deceive, and fears annoy,
Never shall the Cross forsake me; Lo, it glows with peace and joy.

When the sun of bliss is beaming Light and love upon my way,
From the Cross the radiance streaming Adds more luster to the day.

Bane and blessing, pain and pleasure, By the Cross are sanctified;
Peace is there that knows no measure, Joys that thro’ all time abide.

(Lutheran Service Book #427 In The Cross of Christ I Glory)

John 6:60-69 On hearing it, many of his disciples said, “This is a hard teaching. Who can accept it?” Aware that his disciples were grumbling about this, Jesus said to them, “Does this offend you? What if you see the Son of Man ascend to where he was before! The Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing. The words I have spoken to you are spirit and they are life. Yet there are some of you who do not believe.” For Jesus had known from the beginning which of them did not believe and who would betray him. He went on to say, “This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless the Father has enabled him.” From this time many of his disciples turned back and no longer followed him. “You do not want to leave too, do you?” Jesus asked the Twelve. Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. We believe and know that you are the Holy One of God.”

When I was attending Seminary in St. Louis, my wife got a job teaching on the Illinois side of the river. We moved over to the little town of Worden – less than 900 people – which is about 45 miles from the seminary. I made the commute to class three or four days a week, depending on my schedule that term. For the most part, the drive wasn’t too bad, except when you came to the bottleneck at the Mississippi River bridge. In order to keep the number of days I had to drive into class to a minimum, I took one or two night classes each term, since those classes only met once a week. During the winter term, Mondays were tough. I had classes at 7:30, 8:30, 12:30, 1:30, then a class from 3-6 and another from 6-9. Those were long days. On one of those Mondays, I looked out the classroom window around 5:00 p.m. and noticed that it was starting to snow – big, fat, wet flakes. During my 6-9 class, it was really coming down. By the time class was over that night, there was over two inches on the ground and it was still coming down. I was not looking forward to that drive home.

Going through St. Louis wasn’t too bad, even going across the river. It was slow going, but there had been enough traffic to keep the lanes clear. However, once I crossed the river, the roads were pretty bad, and the snow was really coming down. I was driving a little Dodge Colt, which made a Volkswagen look big. Determined to make it home, I slid in behind a semi and stayed in his tracks. This was working well. We were moving slow, visibility was low, so I just kept my eyes on his taillights and made my way up Interstate 55. Everything was fine until I glanced off to the right and saw that I was about to pass my exit! I bounced across the snow mound and made it off the Interstate. It took me 20 minutes to go the last four miles. Those roads had no tracks on them at all. I’m not really sure how much of the time I was on the road and how much I was driving in the ditch or through a corn field, but with God’s help, I made it home.

You have to be careful who you follow. I was doing fine following that truck, until I realized he was leading me to someplace I didn’t want to go. If you follow the wrong person, you will not end up in the right place. That should be obvious. And if that is true in earthly matters, it is even more critical in the Spiritual realm. There are a lot of false prophets out there that have people following them to a dead end. There is only one Savior you can follow who will lead you to forgiveness and hope and life and salvation.

In John 6, the people are asked to consider who they followed. Jesus has said some things that were hard to understand. He spoke about eating His flesh and drinking His blood. He called Himself the living Bread that came down from heaven. The people listening to Him were shocked and confused by His words. As this chapter began, Jesus fed more than 5000 excited followers. At the end of the chapter, He is down to 12 confused disciples.

Most of the crowd were really fans, not followers. They left when His words became too hard to understand, accept and believe. As long as He was feeding them and doing miracles, they were curious. But when Jesus started talking about His intentions, and the responsibility that went with being part of His kingdom, they began to drift away and lose interest. Jesus was not what they were expecting. They were hoping for someone to liberate them from the Romans, a breath of fresh air that would make everyone feel good, someone who would free them from hunger and work, and that wasn’t Jesus. He didn’t give them what they wanted. So they complained, “This is a hard teaching. Who can accept it?” And slowly but surely they started leaving. As the last of the fair-weather-followers were leaving, Jesus asked a question. He was looking for followers, not fans. He wanted disciples, not spectators. So our Lord turned to the 12 and asked, “What about you? Are you going to leave, too?” Peter’s response might sound familiar: “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life!”

Good answer! Keep following Jesus.

After many failures, the Wright brothers were finally successful in getting their flying machine off the ground. In December of 1903, they telegraphed the good news to their sister Katherine: “We have actually flown 120 feet. Will be home for Christmas.”

Katherine hurried to the editor of the local newspaper, showing him the message she had received. He quickly glanced at it and said, “How nice. The boys will be home for Christmas.” He totally missed the big news–a human being had taken flight!

It is all too easy for us to “miss the point” of things. I think that happens to a lot of folks as far as Lent is concerned. The season of Lent is designed to help us remember that Jesus died. Not only that, but that He died because of what we have done. His very real death was to pay the very real penalty our sins deserve. That is why He chose to die in our place.

Celebrating Easter without remembering that Jesus died and why He died is missing the point. There would have been no Resurrection if there had been no crucifixion. Remembering the death of Jesus enables us to celebrate His victory over death in the proper context.

His death was our death for sin. He then gives us His resurrection as our victory over death. Faith grabs hold of what He did for you. Baptism is an extra added assurance that we have been joined to what Jesus did.

Romans 6:3–5 Or don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life. If we have been united with him like this in his death, we will certainly also be united with him in his resurrection.

Remember and reflect on the life and death of Jesus during this season of Lent.

I really like my pastor. I think he is doing a great job. And he likes to joke around as part of his normal conversation with people. Recently he has taken to calling me “Pastor Emeritus” in Bible Class. “Emeritus” is an honorary title given to someone who has retired from a position but is allowed to keep using the previous title, such as “Pastor Emeritus.” He was doing it in a good-natured way and I appreciated it, but I quickly quipped back that I would be more correct to call me Pastor A-meritus.

He smiled, because he knows that in Greek (and sometimes in English) the prefix “a-“ negates the meaning of the word. For example, a theist is someone who believes in God. An atheist believes there is no God. So when I said I should be called “A-meritus” I was saying I had no merit in myself. I was making reference to Luther’s explanation to the First Article of the Apostle’s Creed.

I believe in God, the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth.

 What does this mean?

I believe that God has made me and all creatures; that He has given me my body and soul, eyes, ears, and all my members, my reason and all my senses, and still takes care of them. He also gives me clothing and shoes, food and drink, house and home, wife and children, land, animals, and all I have. He richly and daily provides me with all that I need to support this body and life. He defends me against all danger and guards and protects me from all evil. All this He does only out of fatherly, divine goodness and mercy, without any merit or worthiness in me. For all this it is my duty to thank and praise, serve and obey Him.

This is most certainly true.

 God is a loving Father who pours out His blessings on “A-meritus” people like me. He gives me more than I need to support my life here on earth. And He has given me the greatest blessing of all in the gift of Himself as my Savior. God’s love led Him to offer Himself in payment for the sins of the world so that we could be reconciled with Him, be forgiven, and have eternal life. Jesus went through unimaginable agony in the process of paying for sin, but did so willingly to spare us that torment and restore us to the position we now enjoy as God’s dearly loved and ransomed children. His merit did this, not ours. Without any merit or worthiness in me.

I agree wholeheartedly with Luther: For all this it is my duty to thank and praise, serve and obey Him.  This is most certainly true.

P.S.  Be sure to pray for your pastor and his family, especially during this busy season of Lent. It is a difficult job that places heavy demands on him and his family. Ask God to guide and bless him as he points us to the cross and the empty tomb.

My last devotion was about God’s provision for the widow of Zarephath during a drought as she provided for Elijah, the prophet of the Lord. The story continues…

1 Kings 17:17–24 Some time later the son of the woman who owned the house became ill. He grew worse and worse, and finally stopped breathing. She said to Elijah, “What do you have against me, man of God? Did you come to remind me of my sin and kill my son?” “Give me your son,” Elijah replied. He took him from her arms, carried him to the upper room where he was staying, and laid him on his bed. Then he cried out to the Lord, “O Lord my God, have you brought tragedy also upon this widow I am staying with, by causing her son to die?” Then he stretched himself out on the boy three times and cried to the Lord, “O Lord my God, let this boy’s life return to him!” The Lord heard Elijah’s cry, and the boy’s life returned to him, and he lived. Elijah picked up the child and carried him down from the room into the house. He gave him to his mother and said, “Look, your son is alive!” Then the woman said to Elijah, “Now I know that you are a man of God and that the word of the Lord from your mouth is the truth.”

In Bible Class, we were asked to share thoughts about how we have heard people respond to having troubles piled up on them. This woman lost her husband, was raising a child alone, had no income, endured and drought and was about to run out of food. She was not part of God’s Chosen people, but this man who served the God of Israel came and brought her some relief from the shortage of food. However, now her son was dead. Did you note her reaction? She blamed Elijah, and by extension, his God.

A lady at our table shared this thought: Why do we always blame God? Why do we ask, “How could God do this to me” instead of asking “Why did Satan do this to me?” Good point. We know that Satan is still operating in this fallen world. We also know that Jesus conquered Him with His perfect life, His crucifixion, and His resurrection from death.

Elijah took the situation of the widow’s dead son to the Lord. He didn’t understand why this had happened, but He pleaded with the Lord to spare the widow this loss and raise her son from death. And the Lord did just that. God used this situation to show His glory, His power, His strength, His control.

Once again the woman recognized the blessing she received and responded with gratitude. She acknowledged that the word of the Lord from his mouth was the truth.

We are quick to blame God for our problems. A friend in that same Bible Class shared that he had a stroke while touring with his motorcycle group earlier in the month. He and his wife were riding their three-wheeled cycle. He didn’t realize he had a stroke, and continued on the trip of over one thousand miles, returning home safely. He then said, tongue in cheek, “I have no one to blame for that but God.”  He recognized the blessing he had received as was grateful.

We need to acknowledge the one who is “the Way, the Truth and the Lfe” in our lives. He has blessed us beyond anything we could have imagined, giving us life instead of death, raising us from spiritual death to new life, giving us the certainty of life forever with Him because He took our punishment. Instead of trying to blame Him for our problems, let’s “blame” God for all the blessings He has given us, especially the gift of Himself as our Savior.

1 Kings 17:8–16 Then the word of the LORD came to him: “Go at once to Zarephath of Sidon and stay there. I have commanded a widow in that place to supply you with food.” So he went to Zarephath. When he came to the town gate, a widow was there gathering sticks. He called to her and asked, “Would you bring me a little water in a jar so I may have a drink?” As she was going to get it, he called, “And bring me, please, a piece of bread.” “As surely as the LORD your God lives,” she replied, “I don’t have any bread—only a handful of flour in a jar and a little oil in a jug. I am gathering a few sticks to take home and make a meal for myself and my son, that we may eat it—and die.” Elijah said to her, “Don’t be afraid. Go home and do as you have said. But first make a small cake of bread for me from what you have and bring it to me, and then make something for yourself and your son. For this is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: ‘The jar of flour will not be used up and the jug of oil will not run dry until the day the LORD gives rain on the land.’ ” She went away and did as Elijah had told her. So there was food every day for Elijah and for the woman and her family. For the jar of flour was not used up and the jug of oil did not run dry, in keeping with the word of the LORD spoken by Elijah.

Our Pastor’s Bible Class yesterday had us consider this account of the Widow of Zarephath. Elijah made it very clear that God would provide for her and her son if she would provide for him, and that is what happened. As the discussion progressed, I wondered how she reacted that first day when she realized the flour and oil were not consumed. I would imagine she was overjoyed, ecstatic and grateful. The next day, she likely had similar feelings about the blessing she received. However, as time passed, I would guess the newness wore off and she came to expect that the flour and oil would never run dry. She took it for granted. In fact, I am sure she would have been upset if she went to the jars and found them empty!

I think we all get that way about the blessings we receive from God, don’t we? The children of Israel were grateful for the manna they received from God in the wilderness, at least at first. But then they started grumbling that they were tired of God’s gracious provision and wanted a variety in their menu.

Imagine I had someone who graciously decided to give me $1000 a week. I didn’t ask for it or do anything to deserve it. It was simply a gift. Week after week it was given to me. I was extremely grateful for it at first. But after a while, I planned on it being there and expected it to show up at the beginning of every week. Then all at once it stopped. I would grumble and complain about not getting something I never worked for, that had been a blessing, but I came to think I deserved it. I took it for granted, thinking it would always be available.

I fear we are in danger of being too complacent with the greatest blessing God has given to us, the forgiveness of our sins for Jesus’ sake. He earned it, not us. He gives it freely, we do nothing to merit it. We need to see it as the precious and tremendous blessing that it is. God will not take it away, because He has promised it to all who put their trust and faith and confidence in Jesus as Savior. I’m just giving you a reminder to see it for the undeserved blessing that it is. Offer a prayer of thanks today for the God’s gracious provision in your life.

1 Corinthians 1:18-24 For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. For it is written: “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise; the intelligence of the intelligent I will frustrate.” Where is the wise man? Where is the scholar? Where is the philosopher of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not know him, God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save those who believe. Jews demand miraculous signs and Greeks look for wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, but to those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.

While taking a prisoner from a correctional facility to be arraigned on robbery charges, the constable noticed a cross around the neck of the prisoner. Knowing the man was not religious, he took a closer look. The prisoner attempted to conceal something protruding from the top of the cross. When questioned, he said it was a good luck charm designed to look like a spoon for sniffing cocaine. But the constable was sure it looked like a handcuff key. By experimentation, he found that the protuberance would indeed open most handcuffs. His discovery led to the exposure of an attempt by prisoners in that correctional facility to make a number of these “cross keys.”

There is a cross that truly sets men free: free from the fear of death, free from guilt for past sin, free from the power of the devil. That cross is the cross of Calvary. Unfortunately, many are more concerned with freedom now for their body than they are about eternal freedom for both body and soul. All people need the cross of Christ, because it alone sets us free.

In the early days of the automobile a man’s Model T Ford stalled in the middle of the road. He couldn’t get it started no matter how hard he cranked or how much he advanced the spark or how much he adjusted things under the hood. It wouldn’t start. A chauffeured limousine pulled up behind the stalled car and a wiry, energetic man stepped out of the back seat and offered his assistance. After tinkering for a few minutes, the stranger said, “Now try it.” Immediately the engine jumped to life. The well-dressed individual then identified himself as Henry Ford. “I designed and built these cars,” he said, “so I know what to do when something goes wrong.”

The one who designed and built you knows what to do for you. He knew exactly what was needed to take care of sin, no matter how simple or foolish it may appear to us. It took the cross. And it was there that God fixed things. Jesus took care of sin once and for all. His sinless life was offered there as your payment for sin, the only payment that would be sufficient to satisfy God’s justice and righteous demands. He has bridged the gap of separation that your sins caused between you and God. The cross is your constant reminder that God now sees you as forgiven, redeemed and restored because of your faith in Christ Jesus.

We all have the tendency to be hyper critical of those who sin differently than we do. We can quickly point out what other people are doing wrong while ignoring our own faults. It has been this way since the Fall. Jesus spoke of it this way.

Matthew 7:3–5 “Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.”

Even when our sin is much greater and more visible than our neighbor’s, we still focus on theirs. I recognize this tendency in my own life. I think we become comfortable in our own sins and dismiss them as no big deal, which allows us to justify our critique of others.

The truth we know from God’s Word is that we all have plenty of sin in our lives.

Romans 3:23 “…for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God”

We need to be careful to not just think of other people when we read those words. I need to understand those words hit me hard. Like a slap in the face hard. They are calling me to pay attention, wake up and REPENT.

When we repent, we take the plank our of our own eye, trust in Jesus and are assured of forgiveness. Listen to a little more of the context of Romans 3.

Romans 3:23–24 “…for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.”

That is Good News for everyday.

James 4:13–17 Now listen, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.” Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. Instead, you ought to say, “If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that.” ¹⁶ it is, you boast and brag. All such boasting is evil. Anyone, then, who knows the good he ought to do and doesn’t do it, sins.

Those are some hard words to hear and take to heart. Not only do they remind you that you won’t be here forever, but they confront you with the reality that you spend a lot of time and effort doing things that are not God’s Will for your life. And they even tell you that you sin by NOT doing things.  Anyone, then, who knows the good he ought to do and doesn’t do it, sins.

Are you convinced of the truth of those words? You should be. You all have things you know you should do. You should spend more time with your spouse and family. You should help your widowed neighbor with things he or she has trouble doing on their own. You should befriend those less fortunate with the wealth God has entrusted to your care. You should be a better steward of everything God has given to you. We all fall short in so many ways.

If these words make you feel uneasy, then the Law has done its work. The purpose of the Law is to show us our sin and our need for a Savior. And God has just what you need. The Gospel message is that He has provided the Savior you need in sending Jesus to be one of us, take our sin on Himself, and rescue us from what our sins deserve. Read these comforting words from St. Paul.

Romans 8:35–39 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? As it is written: “For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.” No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

We have the victory over sin, including the sin of not doing the good things we know we should do, because of what Jesus did for us. That certainty gives me the motivation to try to do the good God wants me to do.