Lent: Tuesday, February 27, 2007

Old Testament Lesson

Deuteronomy 9:4-12

One thing we see over and over again as the people come forth to take the land is that the Lord keeps reminding them, it is not because of your righteousness that you are getting the land. It is because of the sin of those in the land, it is because of the Lord's faithfulness to His Word, it is because He is true to His promises and covenant. It is not because of their righteousness.

Those of us that are faithful sometimes can fall into the trap of thinking that we are better than we really are. Especially when we look around and see such in the world. But, it is that point that we should feel most sorrowful for our sin, for we know better. And yet, we keeping sinning. We must remember that just as it was for the Israelites so is it for us. We are not here based off our own righteousness, we are here based off the mercy and grace of our Lord.

New Testament Lesson

Hebrews 3:1-11

And, just like the Israelites, God is calling to us today. That is what Hebrews tells us this morning. Just as in old times, the Lord called out to the Israelites, so today does He call out to us. And, just like them, we must make a choice. Will we follow, will we respond? Or will we harden our hearts? Will choice our way and our over His? Or will we do what He wants.

They choice their way, and they wandered for 40 years. What will we choose today?

Gospel Lesson

John 2:13-22

One of the concepts we have forgotten is that of righteous anger. Sin should make us angry. Things that are not right should make us angry. We should not be pleased with the way that things are now, and we should have a righteous anger about it. If we can see sin our lives, or sin in the world, and feel nothing, that is not good. We must not, we cannot be apathetic about sin. It must bother us. It must be like that splinter in our finger that irritates us. It must something that we cannot abide with. It must be something that we must feel the need to do something about.

If sin does not bother us, that is not good. What Jesus saw in the Temple drove Him to action. Does the sin that you see cause you to do the same?