Home > Reading > NALC Lenten Devotion – April 11, 2017

Tuesday of Holy Week

Today’s readings: Jeremiah 15:10-21; Philippians 3:15-21; John 12:20-26

“For many…live as enemies of the cross of Christ. Their end is destruction, their god is the belly, and they glory in their shame, with minds set on earthly things. But our commonwealth is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will change our lowly body to be like His glorious body, by the power which enables Him even to subject all thing to Himself” (Phil 3:15-21).

We grieve for those who live as enemies of the cross of Christ—focused completely on this world and the things of this world. What an empty existence that must be—full of earthly pursuits, possessions and preoccupations, yet always aware of the gnawing emptiness that is life without Jesus Christ.

I read recently of an 88-year-old woman who had no faith, waking every morning, saying, “Shoot! I didn’t die during the night.” We are waiting joyfully, knowing our commonwealth—our shared treasure and riches are in heaven, thanks to Jesus Christ, our Savior. We have no desire to rush life along or to hurry on to death. We wake every morning with “Thanks be to God!”

And yet, we have no fear of death, either. When that time comes, the Lord Jesus will change our lowly, mortal bodies to be like His glorious body, by the power by which He is able to subject all things to Himself. While we can hardly imagine what that might be like, we trust God and His Word and as we are in the midst of Holy Week, our minds reach to eternal things.

As we ponder our Lord’s death and resurrection, let us remember and pray for those who may be “enemies of the cross of Christ, with minds set on earthly things.” Let us not rest till we have done all we can to invite all of those into a relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ!

Reading: Almighty God, we pray for those who are even now, enemies of the cross of Christ. Bring them to the sure and certain knowledge that their commonwealth is in heaven, not on earth. Amen.

Today’s devotion was written by the Rev. Dr. David M. Wendel, Assistant to the Bishop for Ministry and Ecumenism.

Original image

One Comment, RSS