As we enter into the season of
Lent, we are reminded of Jesus’ 40 days in the desert: 40 days of
self-emptying, 40 days of self-examination, 40 days of reflection - on not only
of our past life, but of our life to come.
In our frailty, our human-ness – we
all fall down. We all sin in “what we have done and what we have failed to
do.” But in our faith, - in our
trust in the power and mercy of God – we return to the Lord and seek
reconciliation with Him and with all our brothers and sisters. For we believe in the Lord. We trust in Jesus. We seek salvation in God’s love through his
Son, Jesus Christ, to whom he gave all power and honor and glory.
Jesus is our Lord, our Good
Shepherd who “leads us into green
pastures” and “beside still waters.” It is through
Him that we find salvation. It is in Him that we see the perfection of
God’s love. It is with Him that we journey into the Kingdom of God and Life Eternal. He is our Alpha and our Omega, our beginning
and our end. And it is in this that we
declare that Jesus Christ is Lord!
We remember that at the Jordan, God
spoke, saying, “This is my Son in whom I
am well pleased.” God’s claim of
Jesus as His Son was a challenge to the spirits of evil. Satan needed to tear down this Divine Declaration;
to take away the credibility of Jesus and thereby show the fallibility of God: To
prove that Jesus was powerless, dis-honorable and disgraced – un-worthy of the
title, Son of God.
As we see in Luke’s Gospel, Jesus
met each of these challenges and overcame the temptations of the devil. He proved the he was the Power, the Honor and
the Glory of God – worthy Son of the Father.
God’s promise to us of Life Eternal
in His heavenly Kingdom is not without pain or suffering as we see in Jesus’
suffering. As we each declare that Jesus
is Our Lord and Savior, we also challenge the spirits of evil.
Satan tests each of us - for the
strength of our conviction - as believers in Jesus Christ. It is only through the Love of God and our Trust
in Jesus - that we meet these challenges – these temptations – that seek to turn
us away from God’s ever present Love and Mercy.
·
When we meet hardship, pain and suffering in
this life – do we seek to offer our suffering up to God: to find comfort in His
Love? Or do we turn our back on God;
accusing Him of failing us, doubting His Love for us by allowing us to suffer
and feel pain?
·
Are we tempted by the fleeting things of this
world that seek to possess us and make us slaves or do we cast aside the
distractions of this world to seek Peace in the Kingdom of Everlasting Life?
·
Are we impatient for our reward by seeking power
and glory in this world? Or is God’s
grace sufficient for us? Is it His love
we seek - to sustain us as we await the heavenly Kingdom or is it power and
glory in this world that fills our desires?
·
Do we yearn to “Lord it over others” or do we love others with the same love of God,
- as we are loved; seeking to lift one another up as His precious children?
·
Is it God’s love that fills us and satisfies all
our needs or is it the need for immediate gratification that brings us true
happiness?
Unlike Jesus, who was given all
honor, power and glory, – we are flawed and fragile beings - needing the Love
of God to lift us up and hold us in His embrace:
·
In the Father’s Love - we find Forgiveness and
Mercy for our failings and sins
·
In His Son, Jesus, - we seek strength and
courage to resist temptations
·
In His Spirit, - we are filled and sustained by
His grace
So we might be saved: to Live with
Him in Peace for ever and ever. ~ Amen
Peace,
Deacon Don Ron
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