Lent Devotional Day 36- Tuesday 4/15/14 The desert ... is the chosen land of sacrifice ... Instead of the garden of delights, the steppe; instead of leafy trees, the Cross. Man lost himself in the earthy paradise; he redeems himself in the wilderness. The Cross is the true tree of life. -A Monk -The Desert, An Anthology for Lent, John Moses (Amazon Kindle) A question many people have in relation to sin is, Why didn’t God just forgive everyone and let folks start fresh every day? Why let His Son die if He could just let everything go? Well, the answer is actually simple. If God just forgave sin without fixing sin, then the destruction of Paradise would continue: pain, unfulfilled potential, ruined lives. Essentially the world would run like Mad Max in the Thunderdome because people cannot fix themselves. Jesus’s life, death, and resurrection proved not just that God wanted us back but that He has power over sin and imperfection and that His original design can be renewed, rebuilt, and reconceived. Flesh: Bringing the Incarnation Down to Earth by Hugh Halter Reflection: Some people believe our job as Christians is to recreate the garden here on earth now. To redeem (buy back) our cultures and enact laws that honor God. I certainly dont fault that desire; Im just not sure that thats the top of Gods to do list. Redemption wont be found in the garden, but in the desert. Thats where we live, like it or not; accept it or not. The more we deny the reality of the desert within, the longer it will take us to embrace the tree of life the monk spoke of: the cross. You see, in the garden we have little or no awareness of our need for redemption through the cross. In the desert we cant escape it. As you can see, Im reading another book. Its about God becoming human in Jesus, and why he had to die. Some people fault Christianity because instead of exalting God, our story humiliates and kills him. Why must there be death in order for God to forgive? Hugh Halter tells us that Gods plan isnt about just forgiving sin, but also fixing sin. Im big on fixing things, my family & friends tell me I have a magic touch when it comes to things that dont work. But I cant fix sin. We cant fix ourselves, and we cant fix each other. The death of Jesus on the cross and his resurrection is what it takes to fix us. Lets explore it and embrace it this week. Prayer: Original Gardener, I dont like the desert. Its hot, dry, and lonely. I much prefer the garden with my friends. Yet Im beginning to realize that you made the desert too, and there, you offer yourself to me. Help me find you in MY desert.
Posted on: Tue, 15 Apr 2014 06:50:08 +0000
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