The Lent Journey Begins

 Ash Wednesday

Psalm 51             Leviticus 7-8       Acts 25-26

Beginning today with Psalm 51 as David responds to his confrontation with Nathan over his sin with Bathsheba and the attempted covering of that sin. At this point David realizes that while he thought he had hidden his actions and taken care of the problem in fact God was very aware of his sin. We need to remember that David was a chosen leader by God, described by God as a man after God’s own heart, and yet he still fell to temptation.

David cries out to God to be gracious to him according to the lovingkindness of God. Too often we cry out to God but want the lovingkindness of people. Today is Ash Wednesday, the first day of Lent. Lent is a period of reflection where I always challenge each of us to compare ourselves with Jesus over the next 7 weeks. We like to compare ourselves to other people because we can then feel good about who we are. Each of us when we compare ourselves to Jesus find that we come up short as David finds himself before writing this song. His cry is that his sin will be blotted out by God but don’t miss that he also cries out for his iniquity or sin to be washed away and not longer a part of his life.

David confesses he knows where he has sinned, and that sin will be forever before him. He knows that forgiveness doesn’t remove the human result of the sin but allows for no longer fearing God’s punishment. When God washes away our sin he no longer sees it. Our desire, like David, should be that our hearts are made clean when we confess our sin and that the Holy Spirit will renew a right heart within us.

 In Leviticus 7 and 8 Moses completes the instructions on offerings to the Lord and prepares the people for the journey toward the promised land. He then does the same thing with Aaron and his sons to prepare them to lead the people in worship as they journey toward the promised land where they will be able to claim their promise. Aaron and his sons do what is commanded them as well. All are prepared to start the journey.

Reading Acts 25 and 26 today I noticed that there is a continuing attempt to pass off responsibility for the demands to execute Paul. There is an effort by both the Jews and the Romans to get the other to take on the responsibility for an action that both know shouldn’t occur. There is also the mutual need to keep the other happy because their power in many ways is intertwined with each other.

It is important to see the Paul tell them if he has done anything worthy of death, he is willing to die. Seeing through their attempts to manipulate those in charge he uses his legal right to appeal to Caesar. This also sets him up to follow God’s command to go to Rome and be his voice there. In the end the political leaders know they have to send him but will look poorly since they can send no credible charge with him. This leaves them in a questionable position in the eyes of Rome. For me, the message is that using deception and lies to get something end up putting you in a no-win situation.

As we begin the journey through Lent each of us should be reflecting on where we fail to follow God’s commands and reflect Jesus, and therefor God, to the world. The beginning of salvation, purification, is confessing our sin and receiving the forgiveness of God that allows us to go forward an better reflection of Him.