Lent Devotional 2021 - Pittsburg - Flipbook - Page 32
them again to their heritage and to their land, every one of
them. 16 And then, if they will diligently learn the ways of my
people, to swear by my name, “As the LORD lives,” as they
taught my people to swear by Baal, then they shall be built
up in the midst of my people. 17 But if any nation will not
listen, then I will completely uproot it and destroy it, says the
LORD.
TUESDAY, MARCH 30, 2021
DEVOTIONAL
15 Let those of us then who are mature be of the same mind;
and if you think differently about anything, this too God
will reveal to you. 16 Only let us hold fast to what we have
attained. 17 Brothers and sisters, join in imitating me, and
observe those who live according to the example you have in
us. 18 For many live as enemies of the cross of Christ; I have
often told you of them, and now I tell you even with tears.
19 Their end is destruction; their god is the belly; and their
glory is in their shame; their minds are set on earthly things.
20 But our citizenship is in heaven, and it is from there that
we are expecting a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. 21 He will
transform the body of our humiliation so that it may be
conformed to the body of his glory, by the power that also
enables him to make all things subject to himself.
“God, do something!” Many of us have experienced the
frustration of watching the bad guys win or the wicked
thrive. Like Jeremiah we have gone to friends or co-workers
in exasperation and asked, “How can she get away with it?”
When things feel out of control, we call upon God to right
the wrongs we experience in the world. Like Jeremiah we call
upon God saying, “Let me see your retribution upon them!”
During this Holy Week, Jeremiah reminds us that our world
does not always look like a fair place. As The Message puts it
in Jeremiah 12:1ff., bad people have it good and con artists
make it big. Certainly, as the story of Jesus unfolds this week,
it would seem that the worldly and powerful forces against
him will win.
The Rev. Ben Phipps ’15
SCRIPTURE
Philippians 3:15-21
DEVOTIONAL
We don’t know the disciples’ prayers as they watched their
leader be arrested, beaten, and crucified, but I’d imagine
their cries sounded like Jeremiah’s: God, do something! Make
this right! We, too, want to know we have a God we can call
on in our despair, a God to fight the unfairness of a cancer
diagnosis, restore a lost job, overhaul the systems that deny
justice, or miraculously heal a loved one.
We live in a culture in which most of us like to do things
our own way. From ordering at our favorite restaurant to
selecting an outfit for the day, many of us live by the motto
“Have it your way!” We long to be our own person, to be
known as unique, to be a free individual. That yearning to
be unique may make it frustrating to hear what the Apostle
writes to the Christians in Philippi: “join in imitating me.”
Though we may be drenching our pillow with tears, we are
promised joy in the morning. Jeremiah’s message doesn’t end
with despair and defeat but the promise of God’s compassion
and restoration. The events of Holy Week don’t end when
the stone is rolled in front of the tomb—but with the stone’s
being rolled away in the light of a new dawn.
Hold on. Why should we have to do things the way you do,
Paul? Why can’t I do things my own way and live my life the
way I want to live it?
PRAYER
Lord, we come to you remembering that despair and
dysfunction do not have the final word. Give us hearts
to trust that you are working for the reconciliation of the
world even when we cannot see it. May your power and
compassion reign. Amen.
Well perhaps Paul knows a truth about human nature that
our culture seems to have forgotten (or perhaps ignores),
namely, that as human beings we are creatures made from
dust and created in God’s image. Lent is a time of year when
we remember that we are creatures while also seeking to
be more like our Creator. Or to put it another way, Lent is
a time when we seek to imitate Jesus. We participate in his
sufferings so that we may participate in his glory.
So why imitate Paul? Simply because Paul imitates Jesus. We
all need someone to look toward while imitating Jesus. For
the Philippians it was Paul. Who is it for you? Whom are you
imitating? Does your life represent someone who is imitating
Jesus? If not, how can you adjust your life so that you reflect
the glory of Christ?
PRAYER
Lord Jesus, show me the areas in my life where I can better
imitate you. I confess that I too often follow the selfish
32 Lent Devotional 2021