some thoughts on Lent by Lucinda Secrest McDowell
Lent
is a time of preparation for Easter.
It begins on Ash Wednesday, and continues
for 40 days until Easter Sunday. During these 40 days,
Christians are encouraged to intentionally focus on how our
own lives are lived in light of the sacrificial death of Jesus Christ.
For many, this means cutting out some normal activities so
that there is more time for God during this Holy Season.
During
my own time of prayer and meditation,
I often refer back to a biblical account of our Lord's last night
on earth that I always find to be a challenge and a warning.
It takes place just after His Last Supper with His disciples.
Remember when they go to the Garden of Gethsemene?
Well, even though Jesus had tried to tell them He was to be
betrayed and delivered over to death, they still didn't get it!
The
mixture of human and divine is so evident in
this account of Christ's praying to His heavenly Father
while at the same time desiring the support of his earthly brothers:
Then
Jesus went with them to a garden called Gethsemane
and told His disciples, "Stay here while I go over there and pray."
Taking along Peter, James and John, He plunged into an agonizing sorrow.
Then He said, "This sorrow is crushing my life out. Stay here and
keep vigil with me." Going a little ahead, He fell on hHs face praying,
"My Father, if there is any way, get me out of this.
But please, not what I want. You, what do YOU want?"
When
He came back to His disciples He found them sound asleep.
He said to Peter, "Can't you stick it out with me a single hour?
Stay alert; be in prayer so you don't wander into temptation without even
knowing you're in danger. There is a part of you that is eager,
ready for anything in God. But there's another part
that's as lazy as an old dog sleeping by the fire."
from Matthew 26 The Message
Sometimes
I'm sure my Lord finds me to be an eager
servant, ready to help touch a hurting world in His Name. But....
too often I fear He discovers me prefering sleep to watchfulness,
far more ready to satisfy my own nature, than sacrifice for others.
We know how Jesus leaves the Garden of Gethsemene that night
as Judas appears, betrays him with a kiss, then Jesus is taken away by
soldiers. The Message version of Matthew 26 describes it this way ~
"then all the disciples cut and ran."
During Lent why not take time to reflect on the biblical passages of
the life, death and resurrection of Christ and ask yourself not only
"What would I have done THEN?" but also "What shall I do NOW?"
copyright
2004 Lucinda Secrest McDowell
To Read My
Easter Message
