Lent - Week 2

Study Materials: 

·         A Clearing Season, Reflections for Lent, by Sarah Parsons

·         Wondrous Encounters, Scripture for Lent, by Richard Rohr

·         Give Up Something Bad for Lent, James W. Moore

·         Unpacking Forgiveness, Chris Brauns

·         Joel 2:12-13, Psalms 38:8, 2 Cor. 12:9, 1 Corinthians 13:11-12, Isaiah 58:1-11, Matthew 7:7-11, 1 John 1:9, Ezekiel 18:21, Matthew 18, Matthew 6:14–15, John 13:31-38, John 21:15-19, Luke 15 

 “Yet even now, says the Lord, return to me with all your heart, with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning; rend your hearts, not your clothing. Return to the Lord your God, for he is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love, and he relents from sending calamity.” – Joel 2:12-13

“The first step in rending one’s heart for God is learning to respect and appreciate the hardened heart. … As we begin our Lenten practice this week, we break our hearts by moving aside a few defenses and revealing the vulnerability they mask. … Illusions… provide some of the best defenses. … illusions distort reality.  …  Blocked emotions form another kind of defense. … Not experiencing a feeling does not kill the feeling; it just stuffs the feeling deeper into a person, where it can harden. Our culture values strength, and we define strength in traditional American fashion: the rugged individual steps out into the frontier, battles the elements and animals, and manages to wrest prosperity from a barren land. It is an amazing story, and self-sufficiency truly is an important form of strength. Strength in a Christian context can mean something entirely different; in fact, God's strength as described in Romans turns our culture's notion on its head: paradoxically, divine strength is "made perfect in weakness." (2 Cor. 12:9)” – Sarah Parsons

We often feel like David.

“I am utterly numb and crushed; I wail, because of the groaning of my heart” – Psalms 38:8

Do we give up something meaningless for Lent, with no real cost or sacrifice? Does our lack of effort keep us from growing close to God.

“When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put the ways of childhood behind me. For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.” – 1 Corinthians 13:11-12.

 “Shout it aloud, do not hold back. Raise your voice like a trumpet. Declare to my people their rebellion and to the descendants of Jacob their sins. ² For day after day they seek me out, they seem eager to know my ways, as if they were a nation that does what is right and has not forsaken the commands of its God. They ask me for just decisions and seem eager for God to come near them. ³ ‘Why have we fasted,’ they say, ‘and you have not seen it? Why have we humbled ourselves, and you have not noticed?’ “Yet on the day of your fasting, you do as you please and exploit all your workers. ⁴ Your fasting ends in quarreling and strife, and in striking each other with wicked fists. You cannot fast as you do today and expect your voice to be heard on high. ⁵ Is this the kind of fast I have chosen, only a day for people to humble themselves?
Is it only for bowing one’s head like a reed and for lying in sackcloth and ashes?
Is that what you call a fast, a day acceptable to the Lord? ⁶ “Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen: to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke,
to set the oppressed free and break every yoke? ⁷ Is it not to share your food with the hungry and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter — when you see the naked, to clothe them, and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood? ⁸ Then your light will break forth like the dawn, and your healing will quickly appear; then your righteousness will go before you, and the glory of the Lord will be your rear guard. ⁹ Then you will call, and the Lord will answer; you will cry for help, and he will say: Here am I. “If you do away with the yoke of oppression, with the pointing finger and malicious talk, ¹⁰ and if you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry and satisfy the needs of the oppressed, then your light will rise in the darkness, and your night will become like the noonday. ¹¹ The Lord will guide you always; he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land and will strengthen your frame. You will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail. – Isaiah 58:1-11

Make a meaningful sacrifice for lent. Give us something that is truly keeping you from having a close walk with God. – Examples: bitterness, apathy, discouragement, gossip, harsh condemning judgments, unkindness, unsympathetic feelings, enemies within (stop destructive habits, and replace them with good habits), envy, blame-shifting, self-pity, running away (get on top of your problem – don’t let your problems get on top of you), pettiness, ill will, and an unwillingness to forgive.

“Have you heard about the mother who invited some people to dinner? At the table, she turned to her six-year-old daughter and said, “Would you like to say the blessing?” The little girl replied, “I wouldn’t know what to say.” The mother insisted. “You can do it, honey. Just say what you hear Mommy say.” The little girl bowed her head, closed her eyes, and said, “Lord, what on earth was I thinking when I invited all these people to dinner?”” – James Moore

“It is in this wondrous loop of divine disclosure, our own now safe self-disclosure, and a healing mutual acceptance— that we grow in wisdom, maturity, and grace.” – Richard Rohr

Consider Forgiveness – Let’s make it part of our lives.

Forgiveness Quiz – Taken from  Unpacking Forgiveness by Chris Brauns

1. True or False. Where deep wounds between people are concerned, forgiveness can be unpacked in a moment. (False – We cannot unpack deep wounds until we understand the wounds and the associated Biblical teaching.)

2. True or False. Personal happiness and joy can legitimately motivate people to live out what the Bible teaches about forgiveness.  (True)

3. True or False. Most Christian pastors and counselors agree about what forgiveness is and how it should take place.  (False)

4. True or False. Forgiveness occurs properly only when certain conditions are met. (True - If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. - 1 John 1:9. “If a wicked person turns away from their evil and does what is right and just, they will surely live, they shall not die. None of the crimes they committed will be held against them.” – Ezekiel 18:21)

5. True or False. Jesus said little about how people should resolve interpersonal conflict. (False – See Matthew 18)

6. True or False. A willingness to forgive is a test of whether or not a person will go to heaven when he or she dies. (True - “For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.” - Matthew 6:14–15)

7. True or False. Good people get to the bottom of all their disagreements. (False)

8. True or False. There are times when it is wrong to forgive. (True – God does not forgive the unrepentant.)

Forgiveness brings resurrection!

When he was gone, Jesus said, “Now the Son of Man is glorified and God is glorified in him. If God is glorified in him, God will glorify the Son in himself, and will glorify him at once. “My children, I will be with you only a little longer. You will look for me, and just as I told the Jews, so I tell you now: Where I am going, you cannot come. “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” Simon Peter asked him, “Lord, where are you going?” Jesus replied, “Where I am going, you cannot follow now, but you will follow later.” Peter asked, “Lord, why can’t I follow you now? I will lay down my life for you.” Then Jesus answered, “Will you really lay down your life for me? Very truly I tell you, before the rooster crows, you will disown me three times! – John 13:31-38  

Peter died spiritually, and we die a little inside when we deny Christ. But Christ resurrected Peter, and when we fall, he will resurrect us as well.

“When they had finished eating, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?” “Yes, Lord,” he said, “you know that I love you.” Jesus said, “Feed my lambs.” Again Jesus said, “Simon son of John, do you love me?” He answered, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.” Jesus said, “Take care of my sheep.” The third time he said to him, “Simon son of John, do you love me?” Peter was hurt because Jesus asked him the third time, “Do you love me?” He said, “Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you.” Jesus said, “Feed my sheep. ¹⁸ Very truly I tell you, when you were younger you dressed yourself and went where you wanted; but when you are old you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will dress you and lead you where you do not want to go.” ¹⁹ Jesus said this to indicate the kind of death by which Peter would glorify God. Then he said to him, “Follow me!” – John 21:15-19

The most important of Jesus’ first and last words to Peter – “Follow me.” …and He still beckons us to follow Him.

When we fall, God will welcome us back.

The Parable of the Lost Sheep, Lost Coin, and Lost Son

Now the tax collectors and sinners were all gathering around to hear Jesus. ² But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law muttered, “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.”

³ Then Jesus told them this parable: ⁴ “Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Doesn’t he leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it? ⁵ And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders ⁶ and goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighbors together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.’ ⁷ I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent.
⁸ “Or suppose a woman has ten silver coins^[a] and loses one. Doesn’t she light a lamp, sweep the house and search carefully until she finds it? ⁹ And when she finds it, she calls her friends and neighbors together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost coin.’ ¹⁰ In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”
¹¹ Jesus continued: “There was a man who had two sons. ¹² The younger one said to his father, ‘Father, give me my share of the estate.’ So he divided his property between them.
¹³ “Not long after that, the younger son got together all he had, set off for a distant country and there squandered his wealth in wild living. ¹⁴ After he had spent everything, there was a severe famine in that whole country, and he began to be in need. ¹⁵ So he went and hired himself out to a citizen of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed pigs. ¹⁶ He longed to fill his stomach with the pods that the pigs were eating, but no one gave him anything.
¹⁷ “When he came to his senses, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have food to spare, and here I am starving to death! ¹⁸ I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. ¹⁹ I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired servants.’ ²⁰ So he got up and went to his father.
“But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.
²¹ “The son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’
²² “But the father said to his servants, ‘Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. ²³ Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let’s have a feast and celebrate. ²⁴ For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ So they began to celebrate.
²⁵ “Meanwhile, the older son was in the field. When he came near the house, he heard music and dancing. ²⁶ So he called one of the servants and asked him what was going on. ²⁷ ‘Your brother has come,’ he replied, ‘and your father has killed the fattened calf because he has him back safe and sound.’
²⁸ “The older brother became angry and refused to go in. So his father went out and pleaded with him. ²⁹ But he answered his father, ‘Look! All these years I’ve been slaving for you and never disobeyed your orders. Yet you never gave me even a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends. ³⁰ But when this son of yours who has squandered your property with prostitutes comes home, you kill the fattened calf for him!’
³¹ “‘My son,’ the father said, ‘you are always with me, and everything I have is yours. ³² But we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’”  - Luke 15
Love and forgiveness are the keys to relationships. – Story of the broken daughter.

God is our Father, and He is Good!

“Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.  “Which of you, if your son asks for bread, will give him a stone?  Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake?  If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!” – Matthew 7:7-11

“His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness.  Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature, having escaped the corruption in the world caused by evil desires. For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love.  For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.  But whoever does not have them is nearsighted and blind, forgetting that they have been cleansed from their past sins.  Therefore, my brothers and sisters, make every effort to confirm your calling and election. For if you do these things, you will never stumble, and you will receive a rich welcome into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.” – 2 Peter 1:3-11