As I reflect on the anguish and agony of last 24 hours of Jesus life, I can’t help but think about his birth, and that first Christmas when he was so adorned. Remember when the angels sang, the shepherds prayed, and the wise men honored him? Where are they now as he is led to trial?
While I believe it is true that Jesus died "for "our sins, I also believe is true that Jesus died "because" of the sins of those who surrounded him. Jesus died because those who followed him at one time didn’t have the faith, the strength, or the courage to stand up for what and who they believed in. It seems they had become lukewarm or indifferent, or like the Sanhedrin, the pious religious leaders, didn’t recognize him and turned against him. How am I or how are we like "those people?"
I wonder if the story would have been different, if those who worshipped him, those whom he had healed, those who he loved, and those who believed in him, had come forward and stood up for him in his time of trial.
If you are reading this, you’ve probably had moments when you have felt deeply moved by the presence of God in Christ. You and I profess to be Christian, followers and believers in Christ. But do we love him with the energy and faith we once had? Have we lost our passion, become lazy, or too busy? Have we taken on the ways of the world, do we justify our fears and our sin, and thereby betray Christ? During Lent, I hope we all make time to reflect and pray, so that the goodness and the glory of Christ and the power of God might reignite our love, burn in our hearts, so that we can be light for the world.
Lord, help me never to use my faith as a cover for sin. Forgive me for the times when I have, in the name of my faith, acted in ways that betrayed you. Amen.
