Day 13: Dirty Feet, Dirty Body

3rd Wednesday in Lent

Scripture: John 13:6-9

^{NRS 6} He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, "Lord, are you going to wash my feet?" ⁷ Jesus answered, "You do not know now what I am doing, but later you will understand." ⁸ Peter said to him, "You will never wash my feet." Jesus answered, "Unless I wash you, you have no share with me." ⁹ Simon Peter said to him, "Lord, not my feet only but also my hands and my head!"

         

Devotional: Have you ever met a person who is trying so hard to be humble they come across as arrogant? I think Peter must have seemed like that at times and today’s account is a perfect example. Jesus kneeled before Peter, girded like a servant, prepared to wash his feet. John’s writing hints that this was not the first set of feet before which Jesus had knelt. At a minimum, Peter was the second set of feet which makes his question a little strange, “Are you going to wash my feet?” I picture Jesus with a sarcastic grin saying, “No Peter, I’ve been cleaning the floor and I need you to pick up your feet!” Rather than sarcasm, John records the gentleness and patience of Jesus towards the one who would become The Rock. “Right now you don’t understand, but later you will.” Unlike the owner of the first pair of feet, Peter refused to let Jesus serve him like the lowest of slaves. Was he serious or was he just putting on the appearance of piety? Was his follow-up request to wash all of him true humility or an even greater effort to appear humble? We will never know the answer to those questions, but what if we were in that same moment? Would we want Jesus washing our feet? We get uncomfortable at the idea of a congregation member washing our feet. Would we really let the Savior of the World? Peter was impetuous, brash and attention seeking, but he responded like most of us would. Realizing that, we must wonder, “Who didn’t refuse?” The only answer that fits is Judas, His betrayer. His was the only personality among the twelve that we can imagine not objecting to Jesus washing his feet. What a powerful image of the forgiveness of Christ! Peter highlights our behavior, but reveals the true depth of Jesus’ forgiveness. The one who was about to betray Him, was the one He likely served first. All of us have dirty feet and dirty bodies. All of us need to be washed clean by the blood of Christ. No matter how dirty we think we are, we should find hope in Judas’ clean feet. They make clear that there is neither dirt nor grime, stain nor sin, that Jesus will not approach with His apron, towel and bowl. Will we set aside our pride and let Him wash us?

Prayer: Lord, today our prayer is one of thanksgiving. We stand before You as unclean sinners, stained and dirty from life who have humbly received Your gentle, cleansing touch. We give You thanks and praise for this mighty act of mercy and grace that overwhelms us with Your love! In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit we pray, Amen.

Song of praise:    Nothing but the Blood of Jesus performed by Andy Cherry

                                                

Spiritual discipline challenge: Today we focus our challenge on the discipline of guidance. Seeking guidance is not discerning between a good choice and a bad choice. Guidance is about deciding between two good choices. Jesus has called us to be servants to all we encounter, but we will be faced with times when we have to choose who we can serve at that moment. This is where we need guidance from the Lord. As we are making life decisions today, let us seek the guidance of the Holy Spirit in discerning God’s choice between two good options.

Day 12: Fatherly Rebuke

2nd Tuesday in Lent

Scripture: Mark 9:5-7

^{NRS 5} Then Peter said to Jesus, "Rabbi, it is good for us to be here; let us make three dwellings, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah." ⁶ He did not know what to say, for they were terrified. ⁷ Then a cloud overshadowed them, and from the cloud there came a voice, "This is my Son, the Beloved; listen to him!"

Devotional: In an effort to help Peter, James and John better understand, Jesus lead them up a high mountain. He was going to meet with God, but the three who followed behind did not know what to expect. Luke captures the tense surprise as the weary disciples witness their Master having a conversation with Moses and Elijah. He didn’t explain how they knew it was the deliverer and the prophet, just the fact that they did. When he saw them, Peter once again demonstrated his lack of understanding as he proposed to build equal memorials to each of the three in commemoration of the conversation. Matthew described a cloud overshadowing the vociferous Peter and a voice that interrupted him. It was a voice just like the one present at Jesus’ baptism, but this was the first time the three heard it, “This is my Son, the beloved; listen to Him!” The fisherman’s bold and impulsive behavior inspired rebuke by first Son and then Father. Even God the Father was exasperated by the disciple’s failure to understand what Jesus was teaching them. His rebuke, “Listen! Pay Attention! Make Sure You Understand, because YOU are the ones Jesus is going to leave in charge!” It is impossible to overemphasize the importance of ministry leaders having a right understanding of the things of God. They are called to use His great power to heal and save. Unfortunately, if they do not understand, they can cause great hurt and harm. Too many times the Church has cast out, alienated, and put down the very people Christ has called us to help because of a wrong understanding. The rock upon which the Church would be built needed to pay attention and we need to do the same today. God the Father’s rebuke to Peter is a rebuke to all of us, “Make sure you are listening. Pay attention, so you get it right!” Before John Wesley instructed his Methodists to “Do all the good they could,” he provided his first general rule: “Do no harm.” This rule acknowledges the spirit of the Father’s rebuke, by ensuring that we are aware of potential damage we can cause before we set about doing the good to which God has called us.

Prayer: God the Father. Loving Rebuker. You have entrusted us to bring Your Good News to a hurting world through Your Church. Lord we pray today, asking You to help us listen and learn rightly, so we may first do no harm and then do all the good we can, Amen.

Song of praise:            Transfiguration performed by Hillsong

                                                

Spiritual discipline challenge: We have been on this devotional journey for twelve days now, let us return to the discipline of fasting in an effort to keep this discipline fresh in our hearts. Today fast from breakfast and lunch.

Day 11: Rebuked by Jesus

Second Monday in Lent

Scripture: Mark 8:31-33

^{NRS 31} Then he began to teach them that the Son of Man must undergo great suffering, and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again. ³² He said all this quite openly. And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. ³³ But turning and looking at his disciples, he rebuked Peter and said, "Get behind me, Satan! For you are setting your mind not on divine things but on human things."

Devotional: Any hope that Peter was getting it was dashed on the rocks as Jesus calls him Satan.  How can this be the guy upon which Jesus will build His church? How can the fellow Jesus calls Satan have the keys to the Kingdom of Heaven? How can someone have the Kingdom of God explained to them by Messiah himself still not get it? How can we not get it even though we have the story of God from front to back in the Bible along with the indwelling of the Holy Spirit to help us understand? The simplest understanding is that these are the deep things of God and sometimes they are hard to get! Bold, impetuous, well-meaning Peter thought he got it as he pulled Jesus aside to rebuke Him, but Jesus rebukes him with strong and stern words, “Get behind me Satan!” His words were directed at Peter, but His eyes were upon His disciples. While Peter was the only one dumb enough to say the words out loud, the disciples were thinking the same thing, so really the rebuke was for all of them. Sometimes a strong rebuke from the mouth of our Savior is just what the doctor orders. His rebuke to Peter and the disciples was setting a boundary between the things of God and the things of man? Will the followers of Christ submit to His will and keep their minds on the things of God? Peter in his boldness needed that reminder; the disciples in their meekness needed that reminder; and we in our daily walks with Christ need that reminder. Every person who chooses to follow Jesus will, at some point, need that rebuke, sometimes firm, sometimes gentle, always to remind us to keep our minds on the things of God.

Prayer: God, You are our protective Father who sets safe boundaries for each of us to live within. We ask You to keep our hearts and minds on Your things instead of ours; to keep us focused on Your will for our lives rather than our will; and to keep our eyes upon You, that while we may stumble, we do not stray from the path of Your will. In Jesus name we pray, Amen.

Song of praise:         You Are My King performed by Newsboys

                                                

Spiritual discipline challenge: Today’s challenge goes back to submission, because that is what Jesus’ rebuke is all about. He needed Peter to submit to God’s understanding of what it means to be Messiah. Today let us meditate on a doctrine that we struggle with in an effort to submit to God’s understanding rather than our own.

Day 10: Blurting

2nd Saturday in Lent

Scripture: Mark 8:27-30

^{NRS 27} Jesus went on with his disciples to the villages of Caesarea Philippi; and on the way he asked his disciples, "Who do people say that I am?" ²⁸ And they answered him, "John the Baptist; and others, Elijah; and still others, one of the prophets." ²⁹ He asked them, "But who do you say that I am?" Peter answered him, "You are the Messiah." ³⁰ And he sternly ordered them not to tell anyone about him.

Devotional: For eight chapters in the Saint Mark’s Gospel people have been asking, “Who is this Jesus?” The disciples were asking themselves the same question. Mark has described them as bumbling, goofy and a bit confused at times, but we have continued to hold out hope that they actually might get it. In moments of exasperation and frustration, Jesus had even wondered if they could get it, but they were His chosen twelve and He continued in His confidence that they were up to the task. It was on the way to Caesarea Philippi, the great sea port of Herod, when He decided to test them, “Who do people say that I am?” After they report what they have heard, He asks them, “Who do you say that I am?” Peter, in his teacher’s pet fashion, quickly blurts out, “You are the Christ!” Our hearts leap as we think, “Yes, they are getting it!” But disappointment lurks just a few verses away. Peter thought he “got it,” but receiving the title of Satan made clear that he did not. When he blurted out the answer, he had rightly identified Jesus as the Messiah, but he didn’t realize that his understanding was incomplete. He still held the idea of a warrior Messiah who would use power, influence and conquest to bring peace. He couldn’t imagine a suffering servant who would die to save the world. Jesus rebuked him so that one day he would get it. Do we ever find ourselves in the same place? Do we get bogged down by incomplete understandings of God’s will for our lives? Do we get excited about being blessed and fail to grasp that God expects us to pass the blessing on to others? Are we quick to accept leadership at church while forgetting that leading in church means being a servant to everyone? Do we, like Peter, just not “get it?” If that is us, then Peter brings good news. Even though he didn’t get it, Jesus used him for ministry. He ministered in obedience until he got it, then, because he got it, he ministered out of gratitude. The same is true for us. As long as we are on this life journey with Christ, He will use us for ministry and world transformation so we can get it. When we do, we will be so excited that we can’t help but minister to a broken and hurting world.

Prayer: Lord, help us today to fully “get it!” Help us to come to a complete understanding of You and Your Kingdom that we might serve the world in ministry out of that understanding, Amen.

Song of praise:               Jesus Messiah by Chris Tomlin

Spiritual discipline challenge: Sometimes “getting it” means “getting away from it all.” Our challenge today involves solitude, during lunch take some time to sit quietly with God and listen for His still small voice. It may be in the gentle breeze, the call of the bird, or the beauty of an approaching storm. In our solitude we will discover that we are never alone.

Day 9: Church Building

2nd Friday in Lent

Scripture: Matthew 16:17-19

^{NRS 16} And Jesus answered him, "Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father in heaven. ¹⁸ And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not prevail against it. ¹⁹ I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven."

Devotional: One of the beautiful things about the different Gospel accounts is the diversity they bring to the story. In John, we get Simon’s name change at his calling, but Matthew places it with his messianic confessions and adds not only why Jesus was changing Simon’s name but also His bestowal to Peter of the authority of the kingdom of heaven. Regardless of which Gospel account we read, it is difficult to believe that Peter has what it takes to build the Church. He can’t even catch a night’s worth of fish; how is he going to catch a church full of people? The first fifteen chapters of the Gospel of Matthew have given us some conflicting pictures of Peter. He has been bold, but he has continued to demonstrate a failure to understand. His faith has failed him, and in just a little while He is going to deny Jesus, not once, but three times. When we get to this moment in chapter sixteen we are not inspired with Peter’s ability to lead. We cannot help but be a bit shocked when Jesus announces that Peter is the man upon whom Jesus is going to build His church. Had Jesus asked our opinion, almost certainly the answer would have been a resounding, “NO!” Fortunately, we are not Jesus. Where we see an obnoxious, loud-mouthed fisherman, Jesus sees so much more. He sees the Pentecost Preacher, the temple gate healer, a prison escaper, and a leader who sees thousands added daily to the Church. Where all we see is a shepherd boy, God sees a king. Do we look in the mirror with the same eyes with which we looked at Peter? Do we wonder why God would care about someone like us? God has good news for each of us. He sees someone in our mirror totally different than who we see. He sees the lives we are going to change, the hope we are going to bring, and the joy we are going to spread. He sees someone of worth, value and importance that He can use to change the world. In Peter, Jesus saw a church builder. What does He see in us?

Prayer: God of originals and God of reflections. God who transforms things right before our very eyes. We come to You today to ask for Your eyes as we look in the mirror. We ask you to open our eyes to be able to see in the mirror what You see in us. Give us a glimpse of why we are important to You and how we can change this world, Amen.

Song of praise:            Remind Me Who I Am by Jason Gray

                                                

Spiritual discipline challenge: Sometimes the best place to see what God sees in us is through the eyes of someone we are serving. Our challenge today involves the discipline of service. Find a way to serve someone today that is out of our ordinary routine. Pay for the person behind us in line, go to a soup kitchen to serve, or visit a nursing home. Bring unexpected joy through the love of Christ to someone today so we can see God’s love for us in their eyes.

Day 8: How Often?

2nd Thursday in Lent

Scripture: Matthew 18:21=22

^{NRS 21} Then Peter came and said to him, "Lord, if another member of the church sins against me, how often should I forgive? As many as seven times?" ²² Jesus said to him, "Not seven times, but, I tell you, seventy-seven times.

Devotional: While it is ever clear that Peter would never fully “get it” until he encountered the resurrected Christ, we have to give him credit for continually seeking to understand. Jesus had been turning traditional teaching on forgiveness upside down, so Peter sought clarification to help him better understand, “Lord, how often should I forgive? Is seven times enough?” Christ answers his question with a simple, “No,” but then offers an alternate number, seventy-seven. Peter’s question was about the mechanics of forgiving others. How to do it? How often? How many times? But Jesus wanted Peter to go deeper. He knew the day was coming when Peter was going to have to receive forgiveness. He wanted Peter to understand that before we “do” forgiving, we “are” forgiven. Forgiveness is foundational to our walk with Christ. Because we receive forgiveness from Him, we are free to forgive others. We can never fully do that until we receive God’s forgiveness. To become the rock upon which Jesus built His church, Peter had to understand forgiveness. With His alternate number Jesus was teaching that there isn’t a number, there is only forgiveness. You either do or you don’t; to have to forgive an offense a second time means you never forgave in the first place. The other person may never choose to receive our forgiveness, but we must forgive completely. It starts with receiving God’s forgiveness, then forgiving ourselves and finally forgiving others. Peter was being taught something that prepared him for his rooster inspired feeling of failure. Understanding that forgiveness comes from God and is absolute, allowed Peter to receive forgiveness from Christ on the beach. Peter was the rock which the church was built upon. Peter was forgiven. The rock the church was built upon was forgiveness. Who do we need to forgive in our lives today? What is stopping us? Have we fully accepted the forgiveness of Jesus Christ?

Prayer: Father God, today we seek understanding and forgiveness. We pray that You would open our eyes to areas in our lives where we need to forgive and that You would help us fully receive Your forgiveness. In the freedom of Your forgiveness, help us to fully forgive others. In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.

Song of praise:         O Come to the Altar by Elevation Worship

                                               

Spiritual discipline challenge: Today we return to the spiritual discipline of confession. Our challenge today is to connect with someone we fully trust to keep confidences and to not be judgmental. Someone who is fully capable of offering God’s grace through a declaration of His forgiveness, “You are a child of God, in the name of Jesus Christ you are forgiven.” When we have found that person our challenge is to confess to that person a sin that we have never told anyone and that we have perhaps felt was unforgivable. Having so confessed we are then to listen to the words of grace and receive the fullness of God’s forgiveness as it overwhelms us.

Day 7: Two Responses

2nd Wednesday in Lent

Scripture: Luke 8:45, Mark 5:31

^NRS Luke 8:45 Then Jesus asked, "Who touched me?" When all denied it, Peter said, "Master, the crowds surround you and press in on you."

^NRS Mark 5:31 And his disciples said to him, "You see the crowd pressing in on you; how can you say, 'Who touched me?'"

Devotional: Today we consider the same story from two different Gospels. Together they give us a more complete picture. Jairus had come to the shore and begged Jesus to heal his daughter. Immediately He said, “Yes,” but on the way to the synagogue ruler’s home He stopped in the middle of the crowd that was pressing in on him. No one knew why until He asked, “Who touched me?” When no one answered, Peter spoke up.  Luke records the softer response, “Master, the crowds surround you.” Mark completes the picture with Peter’s boldness, “How can you say, ‘Who touched me?’” I have often paraphrased his response, “Jesus, have you lost your mind, hundreds of people are touching you and yet you ask which one?” It was a bold and brashly worded response, typical of Peter. Are we shocked at the manner in which Peter talks to Jesus? Have no fear, Jesus and God the Father will both rebuke him all too soon, but in the meantime, we need to understand Peter’s motivation behind his response. He was present when Jairus came with his request. We don’t know if Peter had children, but we do know he was married. He would understand the fear of losing a loved one and the urgency of getting Jesus to them. For Peter, healing was still about physical relief. He had yet to understand Jesus’ desire to fully heal a person: physically, socially, mentally and spiritually. Jesus stopped when power left His body and healed the woman with the issue of blood because He wanted to heal her entirely. Peter only saw a delay. His response is perhaps best understood as, “Why are You stopping?” Jesus ignored him and waited for the woman to respond. Humbly she came forward and He restored her social standing and self-esteem while affirming her faith. He then moved on to Jairus’ house and healed his daughter, completely. Peter’s lack of understanding drove his bold response and it was ignored. The humble response of the nameless woman led to her complete healing and restoration. We need to be bold enough to speak, but we also must have the humility to be open to the reality that the Triune God sees a much bigger picture than we will ever see. The more we witness God’s reality the more we will be transformed into humbly bold people. That is the kind of people God needs to change the world.

Prayer: Lord, today we pray for complete healing and restoration in You. Where we are isolated, bring us connection. Where we are hurting, bring healing. Help us to see with Your eyes and understand Your bigger picture, so we may be part of Your absolute healing, Amen.

Song of praise:      All My Hope by Crowder featuring Tauren Wells

                                               

Spiritual discipline challenge: Today let us find someone with whom we can share a moment of celebration about what we have seen God do.

Day 6: Ever Confused

First Tuesday in Lent

Scripture: Matthew 15:10-16

^{NRS 10} Then he called the crowd to him and said to them, "Listen and understand: ¹¹ it is not what goes into the mouth that defiles a person, but it is what comes out of the mouth that defiles." ¹² Then the disciples approached and said to him, "Do you know that the Pharisees took offense when they heard what you said?" ¹³ He answered, "Every plant that my heavenly Father has not planted will be uprooted. ¹⁴ Let them alone; they are blind guides of the blind. And if one blind person guides another, both will fall into a pit." ¹⁵ But Peter said to him, "Explain this parable to us." ¹⁶ Then he said, "Are you also still without understanding?

Devotional: The Gospel accounts are full of people asking questions. The rich young man asked, “What else must I do to inherit eternal life?” The Canaanite woman asked Jesus to heal her daughter. Nicodemus asked how a person could be born again. The questions are endless. Sometimes they are about personal knowledge and gain: “Will You teach me Lord? Will You heal me Lord? Can we come with You Lord?” Other times they are just plain “dumb.” These are the ones Peter never failed to ask and the Gospel writers were always content to record.  “Dumb questions” were the ones Jesus responded to with, “Are you still without understanding?” In today’s scripture passage, they have been with Jesus for fifteen chapters. One would think they had at least some understanding, but apparently Peter was still in the dark. Luke generally had him speak up on behalf of the disciples, so they probably didn’t understand either.  How often are we in the exact same boat as Peter? Despite the length of time we have been a disciple, we still encounter things that we just don’t understand. We should be able to “get it,” in the same way the disciples should have gotten it, but for whatever reasons we don’t. This is a moment of choice. Are we willing to reveal that we don’t understand? Peter was and that is why I prefer to describe his questions as honest ones. He was never afraid to reveal his lack of understanding and that should be good news for us. Peter asked the question and Jesus, despite being exasperated, still explains. It is okay if we don’t understand, but it is not okay to remain in that state. God wants us to understand and that means we must be bold like Peter and ask questions. Questions of each other, “Will you help me understand what this means?” Questions of God, “Will You open the eyes of my heart to this scripture, this truth, this doctrine?” When we come to Jesus we are entering a world of deep things and there are going to be times that we just don’t understand. It is okay; some things like Holy Communion or Baptism are things that we will never fully understand. While we may feel “ever confused,” we must admit our confusion by following Peter’s example of asking questions so we can understand.

Prayer: Lord when we struggle to understand, help us be humble, yet bold enough to ask questions. In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.

Song of praise: Open the Eyes of My Heart performed by Michael W. Smith

                                              

Spiritual discipline challenge: Our challenge today involves prayer. At its simplest, prayer is talking and listening to God. Today spend time asking God to enlighten us about something we don’t yet understand and then quietly listen.

Day 5: Faithfully Scared

First Monday in Lent

Scripture: Matthew 14:28-31

^NRS Matthew 14:28 Peter answered him, "Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water." ²⁹ He said, "Come." So Peter got out of the boat, started walking on the water, and came toward Jesus. ³⁰ But when he noticed the strong wind, he became frightened, and beginning to sink, he cried out, "Lord, save me!" ³¹ Jesus immediately reached out his hand and caught him, saying to him, "You of little faith, why did you doubt?"

Devotional: Jesus sent the disciples across the lake in a boat. The storms raged and their progress slowed. At three o-clock in the morning, afloat on the dwelling place of demonic spirits and ghosts, the wet, wind-beaten, and cold disciples saw a figure defying the laws of nature walking towards them on top of the water. Convinced they were seeing a ghost, they were terrified. Hearing their cry, Jesus once again tried to alieve their fear by identifying Himself. Peter, not completely sure it was their Master, used his characteristic brashness to test the figure, “Lord if it is you, command me to come to you.” Jesus called him, “Come.” Peter recognized the voice and decided to step out of the boat. He was stepping out to do something that he knew was impossible, but he was a disciple of the one standing on the waves. It was any rabbi’s hope that their disciples could become just like them. If Jesus could do it, then surely his disciple could do it as well. So in faith, he stepped out of the boat onto the realm of ghosts and demons. Faith in his Master. Faith that the disciple can do what the Master does. Faith in his status as disciple. He stepped on the water in the same way faith enables us to step into areas of hopeless darkness. The world shouts that people cannot walk on water and that there is no hope for the hopeless, but faith begs to differ. He stepped and for a moment he did what Jesus was doing. His feet stood on solid water. Faith makes the impossible possible, but the things of this world are the enemies of faith. When Peter saw the wind and waves, fear made him doubt that the disciple could follow the Master. He began to sink. Notice, he didn’t immediately plunge beneath the waves. He sunk slowly enough for Jesus to take his hand and catch him. Acting in faith means we will, at times, find ourselves scared and sinking; in fact, if we aren’t occasionally scared, we aren’t stretching the limits of our faith. Peter’s faith was stretched beyond his limits and Jesus caught him. When we respond to Jesus’ call and stretch the limits of our faith, He will catch us as well. We may sink a little, but He will never let us drown! Peter teaches us that while having faith may still lead to fear, it should always give us the boldness to step out of the boat.

Prayer: God of wind, waves and water. God who calls us to step out of the comfort of what we know and into Your future for our lives. We ask You to strengthen our faith in a way that enables us to step out on the water into Your unknown. Please remove our fear of failure and replace it with a confidence in Your mighty hand that can raise us out of the overwhelming waves. In the name of the Father, of the Son and of the Holy Spirit we pray, Amen.

Song of praise:            Oceans by Hillsong United

                                             

Spiritual discipline challenge: Submission means overcoming fear to respond to a call of God. Today step in faith towards something to which God has called you.

Day 4: Leaving Everything

First Saturday in Lent

Scripture: Mark 10:28-31

^NRS Mark 10:28 Peter began to say to him, "Look, we have left everything and followed you." ²⁹ Jesus said, "Truly I tell you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields, for my sake and for the sake of the good news, ³⁰ who will not receive a hundredfold now in this age-- houses, brothers and sisters, mothers and children, and fields with persecutions-- and in the age to come eternal life. ³¹ But many who are first will be last, and the last will be first."

Devotional: When Peter made the simple choice to follow Jesus, only God expected this fisherman to do great things once he was made new. Today we are confronted with the question of, “Why did Peter make the choice?” His exchange with the Rabbi reveals a hint as to his motivation. Jesus called the disciples to follow Him and fish for people. It was not an overt call to salvation, so when Jesus started teaching about eternal life and salvation, the disciples got distressed. Bold and blunt Peter protested, “Lord, we have left everything to follow You.” Jesus calls us to leave our path for His, to be set apart, transformed, and made new, but all of that comes with the cost. Peter understood that cost as leaving everything and was willing to pay the price in anticipation of a worldly reward. Peter’s real question to Jesus was, “What’s in it for us? Did we misunderstand? Is suffering all we get in this life?” Jesus doesn’t take offense. He knows that we are motivated by reward. He just wants us to understand that there are greater rewards than mere worldly ones. He teaches that following Him will lead to hundredfold rewards that accompany suffering and persecution, but more importantly there will also be eternal life. He concludes His teaching with the unsettling statement that, “Many who are first will be last, and the last will be first.” He wanted the disciples and all of us to understand that following Him will have different rewards and outcomes from anything we could ever expect. We cannot measure discipleship by the means of the world like wealth, power, or position. It is a balance of blessing and cost, but the One who is aware of all our sacrifices can be trusted to always stand on our behalf. When we choose to follow, we will experience hundredfold increases that we cannot imagine. We will experience persecution, but we will never endure it alone. We are guaranteed eternal life. Christ is with us. He has gone before us. He prepares a way for us into eternity. We will experience persecution and unimaginable reward, but the assurance of eternal salvation is our first and greatest reward.

Prayer: Lord, fill our hearts today with assurance that we are Your children who have the promised inheritance of eternal life. Strengthen us with this truth so that we might endure the journey in ways that always reveal Your grace and unconditional love, Amen.

Song of praise:      Great is Thy Faithfulness performed by Chris Rice

                                                

Spiritual discipline challenge: Today we focus on the spiritual discipline of simplicity. In following Christ we make a decision to turn from our old ways to something new, let us find something today that we can give up to simplify our lives knowing that God is faithful to meet all our needs.

Day 3: Another Perspective

First Friday in Lent

Scripture: John 1:40-42

^{NRS 40} One of the two who heard John speak and followed him was Andrew, Simon Peter's brother. ⁴¹ He first found his brother Simon and said to him, "We have found the Messiah" (which is translated Anointed). ⁴² He brought Simon to Jesus, who looked at him and said, "You are Simon son of John. You are to be called Cephas" (which is translated Peter).

Devotional: Matthew and Mark provide accounts that are short and sweet, fisherman called to fish for people. Luke reveals a sinner called to serve in God’s Holy Kingdom. John paints a slightly different picture. Simon Peter’s brother, Andrew, was a disciple of John the Baptizer who was present at the baptism of Jesus. Afterwards he followed Him and realized that Jesus was the Messiah, so Andrew found his brother and brought him to meet the Christ. Rather than calling Simon to fish for men, Jesus renamed him Cephas. Skeptics argue that these different accounts discredit the Bible as a reliable source of information about God. They offer that conflicting accounts are evidence of falsification, failing to understand a difference between ancient and modern writers. Today, writers record details with a certain detachment to simply report the facts. First century writers sought to communicate a larger message and details were presented in a manner to support that message. Luke’s account communicates the truth that God calls the unlikely and his details support that message. John is highlighting the transformation that happens when we encounter Jesus. His account of Peter’s calling records the detail of Simon being renamed Cephas. In ancient culture, one’s name defined ones identity, thus a new name meant being made new. John goes on to record Jesus’ first miracle of transforming water into wine. Something old is made new. The details establish Jesus’ ministry as one of transformation. All who encounter Jesus will be made new. We won’t understand Simon’s new name until Jesus declares Peter as the rock upon which He will build His church, but we don’t have too. John records his account in a way that his readers will understand that encountering Christ transforms us into something new. Matthew and Mark help us see the simplicity of deciding to follow Christ; Luke reminds us that we don’t have to be qualified to be called and John shows us that in Christ we are made brand new.

Prayer: Father, today we hunger to be made new. We long to recognize Your transformation in our own lives. Whether we have been following You all of our lives, or we have recently come into relationship with You, we know that Lent is a season of preparing our hearts to be made new. As we prepare to receive You, the Risen Lord, we ask You to transform our lives into Your new creation. Redeem, restore, and refresh our hearts to free us for ministry in Your Precious Son’s Name, Amen.

Song of praise:                 All Things New by Steven Curtis Chapman

                                                

                        

Spiritual discipline challenge: Today, following the idea of making all things new, we focus on the spiritual discipline of confession. Today we are being challenged to develop a Christian relationship within which we can feel comfortable revealing our sins and receiving words of forgiveness thus freeing us to be made new.

Day 2: A Fuller Account

First Thursday in Lent

Scripture: Luke 5:8-11

^{NRS 8} But when Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus' knees, saying, "Go away from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man!" ⁹ For he and all who were with him were amazed at the catch of fish that they had taken; ¹⁰ and so also were James and John, sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon. Then Jesus said to Simon, "Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching people." ¹¹ When they had brought their boats to shore, they left everything and followed him.

Devotional: Where Mark and Matthew present a very concise account of the call of Peter, the detail prone physician provides a much fuller story. Luke informs us that Jesus had already been in Simon Peter’s home and healed his mother-in-law. He was not some stranger who stepped into Peter’s boat. He was a man, perhaps a friend, but Peter would never have dreamed He was the Son of the Living God. He began to teach from the boat and Peter didn’t object. He instructed them to let their nets down and they reluctantly obeyed. Their imagination didn’t have room for a boat sinking kind of catch. The others called for help, but Peter suddenly recognized that Jesus was so much more than he at first thought. He didn’t understand that Jesus was the Messiah, but he decided to address him as Lord as he labeled himself a sinner unworthy of Jesus’ presence. Responding to a call begins with knowing who is calling but it continues with recognizing who we are and accepting that we are the very type of people that God would use to accomplish His will. Peter, like Isaiah, recognized how unclean he was when confronted with the holiness of Jesus; but Jesus, like the seraphim, removed that fear and called a simple fisherman to serve the Kingdom and change the world. What we must recognize in Luke’s account is the kind of people that Jesus calls into ministry. Rather than calling the well trained and educated with the appropriate pedigree, He did the unexpected and called the ones whose success was totally dependent upon God. Through his dependence upon God the Holy Spirit, Peter built the church and revealed God at work in his life and the world. We are here today because a fisherman surrendered to the call. The physician’s gospel teaches us that even if we think we have nothing to offer in service to the Kingdom, we are exactly the kind of people that Christ calls to transform the world.

Prayer: Lord, help each of us today see in the mirror what You see in each of us; so we may go forward into ministry with an identity as Your called children. Help us stand confidently in Your view of us embraced by Your grace that removes all fear as we prepare ourselves to minister to the world in Your name and through Your love.

Song of praise:            Greater by Mercy Me

                                                

Spiritual discipline challenge: Today our challenge involves the inward discipline of study. Read the full passage of this story, Luke 5:1-11, then review the notes in your study Bible or commentaries on the Internet. Seek to discover why Luke tells this story so differently from Mark or Matthew’s versions and why this matters to us today. 

Day 1: The Call of Peter

Ash Wednesday

Scripture: Matthew 4:18-20 (Mark 1:16-18)

^{NRS 18}As he walked by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea-- for they were fishermen. ¹⁹ And he said to them, "Follow me, and I will make you fish for people." ²⁰ Immediately they left their nets and followed him.

Devotional: Have you ever wondered which gospel came first? The answers are varied, but the one with the greatest historical consensus is the Gospel of Mark. One reason it is believed to be primary is because it is found almost word for word in the independent gospels of Matthew and Luke. They each seem to add to what Mark has already recorded. Our passage today is an excellent example. Matthew’s version of the call of Peter is almost identical to the same verses in Mark, with just a few additions. Luke gives an even fuller account. It is understandable that someone preparing a written account of a life and ministry would add to the sources that have come before. Further contributing to the belief that Mark was written first is the tradition that John Mark was recording Simon Peter’s account of his time with Jesus. Shouldn’t the testimony of the one upon whom Christ was going to build His church come before all others? That would be a natural foundation upon which others could build their gospels, adding biographical and historical details that provide further insights into the Son of the Living God. John Mark writes with simple and concise language to communicate foundational truths. His account of Peter’s calling is no different. He wants his readers to understand that responding to the call of Christ is simply choosing to get off our path and follow His. Peter was on a path pursuing fish. The Son of the Living God called him to fish for people. He immediately chooses to abandon his path. He drops his nets and follows Christ. It is a bold beginning for Peter and it can be just as bold for each of us. He doesn’t yet know it, but his choice will lead to the cross; first for Jesus and then for Peter himself. Ours is no different. Following Jesus leads to the cross, but that journey is one of amazing transformation. Through this devotional journey, we will get to witness Peter’s transformation from bold impulsivity into a humble boldness. It was a transformation of heart that can be duplicated in our own when we respond with equal boldness to Jesus’ call.

Prayer: Creator of the universe who chose to walk in the garden in the cool of the evening with those You created. We stand amazed that You continue to choose to walk with us today. Lord help us hear Your call. Empower us to surrender to that call in a way that transforms our hearts. Through Your grace, may we become humbly bold Christians who share your transforming love with the world, Amen.

Song of praise:         I Will Follow by Chris Tomlin

                                        

Spiritual discipline challenge: Because we have committed to make Ash Wednesday a strict fast day our spiritual discipline today is fasting. We are challenged to fast from all food through service tonight after which we are invited to break our fast by sharing fruit dishes with someone else on this journey.