Lent: March 16, 2006

Old Testament Lesson

Genesis 42:29-38

When Cain murdered Able, Cain famously responded to God, "Am I my brother's keeper?" That is a phrase that has lingered through in our language. Are we our brother's keeper? On one hand, no. We cannot control the actions of another. The only person in life we have any control over is ourselves. Are we living as we should? Are we faithful? Do we pray? We cannot make decisions for others, and often they will make bad decisions.

But, we see in Reuben in this text someone that is their brother's keeper. He promises his father that he will look out for Benjamen. While we cannot control others, we can look out for them. We can have their best interested in mind. We can pray for them. We can encourage them. We can be a friend. We cannot and should not seek to control others, We can, though, be a means by which God shows His grace to other's. Reuben placed other's interests above his own in this text today. Are we willing to place other's interests above our own?

Paul puts it this way in Philippians 2: 1-4

If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose. Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.

As Christians, that is what it means to be our brother's keeper.

New Testament Lesson

1 Corinthians 6:12-30

Verse 18 says that we should flee from immorality. We should not go looking for sin. Temptation will find us. The devil is lurking, seeking whom he may devour (1 Peter 5:8). As a Christian, you should not be placing yourself in places where you will be more likely to give into temptations. We should literally flee from it.

The sin it talks about here is sexual sin. We live in a sexual perverse time, but the world has always been sexual perverse. This is not the first age with adultery, homosexuality, or other sexual sins. But, what is different in this age is that the social norms have changes and things that were unthinkable 50 years ago are now accepted. In times past their may have been social pressure to refrain from sinful acts, now there is social pressure to engage in sinful acts. This means that the Christian today must have discipline within themselves (and by God's grace) to refrain. We must flee from sin. We must not go looking for it. Temptation will find us. Let us not seek it out. Paul will talk later in Corinthians though, that when we are tempted, God will provide a way out.

Gospel Lesson

Mark 4:21-34

In the parable of the mustard seed, we see that a little faith can do great things. None of us are yet what we should be. But, if we can just start with a little faith, God will grow it. If we start trusting in God, we will see it grow. We are not yet what we should be, but praise God we are more than we used to be. With a little faith, and God's grace, we can do great things. Do you place your faith in Him today? With just a little, He can change the world.