Lent: Friday, March 10, 2006

Happy Anniversary to my wonderful and beautiful wife. I definitely married above myself.

Old Testament Lesson

Genesis 40:1-23

There's an old saying, "no good deed goes unpunished." While Joseph is not being punished in this text, it seems as though in his life when things just look like they are going to really start being good, something happens. His brothers throw him in a well and sale him, Potiphar's wife lies about him. He interprets these dreams, and they forget. But, he never gives up hope. He knows that he is being faithful and in the end it will work out. The Word is full of encouragements not to give us. To the one that overcomes is a constant refrain in the book of Revelation.

Will we preserver today? Will we do good even when there is no reason? Will we pray even when we don't feel like? Will we forgive? Will we ask forgiveness. I've noticed that it seems to be much harder to ask forgiveness sometimes than it is to forgive. Will you preserver today in your work? In your family? In your school? In you spirit? We cannot give up when things don't go the way we'd like at first. We must keep going. Joesph did, and God had a plan for him. He does for us as well.

New Testament Lesson

1 Corinthians 3:16-23

We must learn to view things through God's eyes. We must seek His wisdom, not the wisdom of the world. We must come to view our bodies as the temple of the Holy Spirit, not something created just for our pleasure. When we see things in the proper perspective, it changes the way that we live and act. If my body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, then yours is as well. That should affect the way I treat you, and treat everyone. For God so loved the world that He gave His only son. That means everyone. That means that we are called to love everyone, serve everyone, be a light to everyone, show God's love to everyone, even those we might not like. If my body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, so is yours. That means that God loves you and I am called to love you. That is the way that God's wisdom calls us to live.

Gospel Lesson

Mark 2:13-22

I don't like going to the doctor. Most of us do not. But, when we're really sick, we'll go whether we want to or not, for we come to realize that we need the help that they can give. Today, Jesus said he did not come to save the righteous, but the sick. Now, that is kind of an odd statement, for the bible says that we are all sick, we are all sinners. There is none righteous, no not one. So, what is Jesus talking about? Sometimes we think that we are not sick, when we really are. We think, oh, I'm not a sinner. I go to church, I serve on committees, I haven't broken any laws, so I'm doing OK. When in truth none of us all. We are all sick. We are all in need. We are all in need of the healing that Jesus provides us. We cannot live without Him or the grace that He gives.

But, we have to realize that. Do you today think that you are strong enough to live without Jesus? He came to heal the sick. Do you realize your great need for him? Or are you content to pretend like you don't need Him, and stay in your sickness. The sick can be healed, if they will let the doctor take their sickness. Will you choose sin today? Or will you choose to be healed by Jesus?