Holy Week: Tuesday, April 3, 2007

Old Testament Lesson

Jeremiah 15:10-21

We see in this passage the Lord reassure Jeremiah that He will be with him. He does not tell Jeremiah that all will be easy. He does not tell him that the people will listen. In fact, they will be like a wall against him. But, they will not overcome him.

We live in a world where we have a false understanding of success. Success is not fame, fortune, celebrity. Success is being faithful. Success is doing what you are called to; what you were created to do. We can have all the money, all the power, all the fame, but if we are not being who God has called us to be; doing what God has called us to do, then the rest really doesn't matter. Jeremiah would have many headaches on his hand during his time. But, he was a success, for he did what the Lord called him to do.

New Testament Lesson

Philippians 3:15-21

There god is the belly. Boy, Paul goes from preaching to meddling here, doesn't he? I think his great point is that whatever keeps our minds on the things of earth instead of the things of God; that is a bad thing. Be it our belly, our desires, our wallet, our sin, whatever. Whatever keeps us from God keeps us from being alive. The things of earth promise life but give death. Jesus says you must lay down your life to find true life; if we die to ourselves, we will live for Him.

CS Lewis put it this way, "Die before you die. There is no chance after."

Gospel Lesson

John 12:20-26

We see in today's reading that the notion of dieing to ourselves continues. Here is that passage I was thinking about in the New Testament Lesson. Unless we die to ourselves, we will not live. We spend so much time in life chasing things that don't matter. No one on their death bed says that they wish they had spent more time in the office. We all want to spend time with family. We all want to go to church on Sunday. We all want to focus on what really matters. But, we choose not to. We choose the stuff of earth over the stuff of heaven. And in doing that, we can waste this precious gift of life.

Today, seize this day! Make it the day the Lord intends for it to be. Start over. You want to spend time with you family, do it! You want to pray, do it! You want to live a healthily live, physically and spiritually, do it! Today is the day. Do not let it pass by.