Daily Devotional

Have you ever wondered how many kind acts are done without anyone knowing? On any given Sunday at St. Luke’s, we hear so many stories of folks in our family of faith who do random acts of kindness and care for others without receiving any credit. That, of course, is the model Jesus calls us to in Matthew 6 in this very loose translation. Be especially careful when you are trying to be good so that you don’t make a performance out of it. It might be good theater, but the God who made you won’t be applauding. When you do something for someone else, don’t call attention to yourself.

During Lent in 2023, I was in my third trimester of pregnancy with our daughter, Corrie. As a way to both center myself mentally and ensure that I was taking care of myself and my baby physically, I went for many walks in our neighborhood throughout this season.

It’s been two and a half years since my dad passed away. It’s difficult to put into words what you feel when you lose a parent. I felt grief, of course. But also, there is this feeling that everything is less sure and less secure than it used to be. For me, my dad was a constant in my life, steadfast and even-tempered. He was the most kind and patient person I’ve ever known.

And the soldiers led him away inside the palace (that is, the praetorium); and they called together the whole battalion. And they clothed him in a purple cloak, and plaiting a crown of thorns they put it on him. And they began to salute him, “Hail, King of the Jews!” And they struck his head with a reed, and spat upon him, and they knelt down in homage to him. And when they had mocked him, they stripped him of the purple cloak, and put his own clothes on him. And they led him out to crucify him. And they compelled a passer-by, Simon of Cyrene, who was coming in from the country, the father of Alexander and Rufus, to carry his cross. And they brought him to the place called Golgotha (which means the place of a skull).

And they came to Jericho; and as he was leaving Jericho with his disciples and a great multitude, Bartimaeus, a blind beggar, the son of Timaeus, was sitting by the roadside.

As we walk through Lent, our focus is drawn to the cross, one of the defining moments of our faith, the turning point of all history. But what is the most important thing about the cross? At its heart, the cross is a picture of God’s love and grace, a love so deep and a grace so extravagant that it is almost beyond comprehension.

I think I have discovered a new love language! Though I’m sure that it might fall into acts of service, there is nothing quite like the thought, effort, and time that it takes to plan, prepare, and execute a well-balanced meal that serves your family. And then to do it again every single day for the rest of your life.

In Luke’s gospel, you can basically separate the gospel into two sections, with this verse being the dividing line. Everything before this is about Jesus establishing His ministry in Galilee. Right before this verse is the story of Jesus being with his disciples in Caesarea, where He asks them, “Who do you say that I am?” and Peter answers, “You are the Messiah of God.” Then Jesus takes a few of his inner circle up on a mountain where they experience the transfiguration and see Jesus in all His glory. From there, we read several other short stories before Jesus resolutely sets out for Jerusalem.

What does this scripture mean? Did this man make a mocking claim to follow Jesus but then slip away in the crowd? Just before this scripture, Christ left a town that would not receive Him and His followers. Jesus and the disciples continued on to Jerusalem, and on the road, they ran into some men. I have always imagined this as a busy road (since it leads to Jerusalem) and that the people knew who Jesus was already. I feel like Jesus’ responses to the men here may seem cold, and that could be because He was refused a place to “lay His head” in the town they just left, and along the road, the passersby continued to mock and disrespect Him.

The cross is an important symbol for Christians. It’s often one of the main focal points in a church worship space and might be one of the most treasured personal items for a family or individual. You can find crosses on all kinds of décor, jewelry, clothing, and more. I don’t think the early followers of Jesus would disagree on the importance of the cross, but they might find it odd that this instrument used for crucifixion is displayed on t-shirts, journals, and on the walls and bookcases in many homes today.