Posted in Lent devotions

Make it go away

Posted on by William Douthwaite

“Scenes from the passion” Lent devotion for Wednesday, March 3, 2021. Photo by nrd on Unsplash.

And they went to a place called Gethsemane. And [Jesus] said to his disciples, “Sit here while I pray.” And he took with him Peter and James and John, and began to be greatly distressed and troubled. And he said to them, “My soul is very sorrowful, even to death. Remain here and watch.” And going a little farther, he fell on the ground and prayed that, if it were possible, the hour might pass from him. And he said, “Abba, Father, all things are possible for you. Remove this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will.” (Mark 14:32-39)

This must have been such a hard moment. Jesus is distressed, troubled and filled with sorrow. He throws himself on the ground in prayer, asking, “Is there some way I can get out of this?” In other words, “I don’t want to do this, Father!”

How do you feel about Jesus’ prayer? Are you surprised that Jesus had second thoughts about his mission? Or can you empathize with him? When’s the last time you just wanted it all to go away?

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Posted in Lent devotions

Sit here while I pray

Posted on by William Douthwaite

“Scenes from the passion” Lent devotion for Tuesday, March 2, 2021. Photo by Andrik Langfield on Unsplash

And they went to a place called Gethsemane. And [Jesus] said to his disciples, “Sit here while I pray.” (Mark 14:32)

Gethsemane is a quiet place among the olive trees on the Mount of Olives. For Jesus, it’s a place of prayer. For the disciples it’s a place to wait.

Have you ever asked someone to sit and wait for you while you prayed? I’ve never done that. Has anyone ever asked you to sit and wait while they prayed? I’ve never had that experience.

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Posted in Lent devotions

You will let me down

Posted on by William Douthwaite

“Scenes from the passion” Lent devotion for Monday, March 1, 2021. Photo by Clay Banks on Unsplash

Peter said to [Jesus], “Even though they all fall away, I will not.” And Jesus said to him, “Truly, I tell you, this very night, before the rooster crows twice, you will deny me three times.” But he said emphatically, “If I must die with you, I will not deny you.” And they all said the same. (Mk 14:29-31) 

Jesus’ words, “You will all fall away” (Mark 14:27) must have touched a nerve in Peter who quickly respond, “Not me. I don’t know about these other guys, but I’m all in. You can count on me. I will not fall away.” Peter is just being Peter. When Jesus spoke of dying in Jerusalem, Peter was the one who rebuked him. Peter thought he could walk on water, too. Peter didn’t want Jesus to wash his feet. Peter is the “hold my beer” disciple who’s got it all figured out.

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Posted in Lent devotions

Scattered

Posted on by William Douthwaite

“Scenes from the passion” Lent devotion for Sunday, February 28, 2021. Photo by Saad Chaudhry on Unsplash.

“And Jesus said to them, ‘You will all fall away, for it is written, “I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered. But after I am raised up, I will go before you to Galilee”‘” ( Mark 14:27-28).

Imagine you are a shepherd, quietly watching your flock grazing on a hillside. It would be so easy to doze off in the warm afternoon sun and gentle breeze. But something catches your eye, the sheep begin to bleat and you rush to intercept a coyote rushing towards a lamb. You jab at him with your staff but feel his teeth sink into your leg. You grab a rock and try to smash his head but he’s decided it’s not worth it and runs off. You’re down, you’re bleeding and bruised, and the sheep have all run down the hillside into the valley. Once you wrap some cloth around that wound, it’s going to take some time to gather them all up again.

Jesus lets his disciples know what is about to happen to them. It’s going to be a rough night. The chief priests and scribes are going to make their move. They have Judas to help them find Jesus. He’ll be taken away while the disciples all escape to safety. These were the words of the prophet Zechariah (Zech. 13:7). Now we know he was talking about Jesus.

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Posted in Lent devotions

The green room?

Posted on by William Douthwaite

“Scenes from the passion” Lent devotion for Saturday, February 27, 2021. Photo by Dawid Matyszczyk on Unsplash.

“And when they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives” (Mark 14:26).

The Mount of Olives is east of Jerusalem, across the Kidron Valley. Jesus often traveled this route, to rest, pray or continue on to Bethany just a couple of miles away. As the name suggests, the hillside was once covered with olive groves. By Jesus’ time you would also find the tombs of kings, prophets and David’s son Absalom. Today, there are over 150,000 graves on that hillside.

Jesus staged his triumphant entry into Jerusalem on the Mount of Olives (Mark 11:1). He also taught about the end times here (Matthew 24:3ff). From this unique vantage point, Jesus wept over the city of Jerusalem (Luke 19:41). It may also have been the site of Jesus’ ascension into heaven (Acts 1:12).

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Singing with Jesus

Posted on by William Douthwaite

“Scenes from the passion” Lent devotion for Friday, February 26, 2021.

“And when they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives” (Mark 14:26).

What hymn do you think Jesus and the disciples sang on their way out of the city? Amazing Grace? Beautiful Savior? Just As I Am? Of course not. Those hymns wouldn’t be written for another few millenia.

It would have been a psalm. Maybe it was one of the Hallel psalms (Psalms 111-118), praising the Lord for his mighty works, his many blessings, and his steadfast love that endures forever. Remember, it’s the Passover, a festive time for remembering God’s powerful deliverance. The songs they sang that night they might have sung many times with their families growing up. They all knew them and loved to sing them.

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Posted in Lent devotions

Something old, something new

Posted on by William Douthwaite

“Scenes from the passion” Lent devotion for Thursday, February 25, 2021. Photo by Serge Esteve on Unsplash

[Jesus said,] “Truly, I say to you, I will not drink again of the fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new in the kingdom of God” (Mark 14:25).

So if you were on death row, what would you request for your last meal? The topic may be morbid, but we like to toss around creative ideas for the last food we’ll ever eat. Fried chicken and ice cream are among the most ordered items by those about to be executed.

Jesus is having his last meal, his “last supper,” with the disciples. He knows it. They don’t. They don’t realize all that will happen in the next twenty-four hours. By this time tomorrow night, Jesus will be dead and his body will be in a tomb. What do you imagine they thought when Jesus spoke those words at the end of their Passover meal together?

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Posted in Lent devotions

It’s about him

Posted on by William Douthwaite

“Scenes from the passion” Lent devotion for Wednesday, February 24, 2021. Artwork by Susan Zendt (c) 2021. Used by permission.

And as they were eating, he took bread, and after blessing it broke it and gave it to them, and said, “Take; this is my body.” And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he gave it to them, and they all drank of it. And he said to them, “This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many. (Mark 14:22-24).

How many times have you heard those words in church? I grew up in the Lutheran church, and have attended worship just about every Sunday for over sixty years. So for me, three thousand times? Give or take a few. I’m used to hearing those words weekly. For the last thirty-five years, I’ve spoken those words weekly at the altar.

What would it be like to hear them for the first time? What would it be like to hear them just hours before Jesus’ arrest in the garden? What would it be like to hear them less than a day before his death and burial?

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Posted in Lent devotions

He knows

Posted on by William Douthwaite

“Scenes from the passion” Lent devotion for Tuesday, February 23, 2021. Photo by Pablo Merchán Montes on Unsplash

And when it was evening, he came with the twelve. And as they were reclining at table and eating, Jesus said, “Truly, I say to you, one of you will betray me, one who is eating with me.” They began to be sorrowful and to say to him one after another, “Is it I?” He said to them, “It is one of the twelve, one who is dipping bread into the dish with me. For the Son of Man goes as it is written of him, but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would have been better for that man if he had not been born.” (Mark 14:17-21)

Jesus certainly knows how to put a damper on the Passover festivities, doesn’t he? One moment they are drinking wine and remembering God’s powerful deliverance from Egypt. The next Jesus is accusing one of them of being a traitor.

The Chinese military general Sun Tzu and Michael Corleone (played by Al Pacino) in “The Godfather” both said, “Keep your friends close and your enemies closer.” Who would have guessed Jesus followed that philosophy? After all, he hand picked the twelve. He knew their strengths and weaknesses. He knew all about their faith and their doubts. He knew who he could trust and who he needed to keep an eye on.

But for the disciples, Jesus’ words cut them to the heart. “One of you will betray me.” They all wondered out loud, “Could it be me?”

Imagine for a moment being in a room with Jesus and several of your closest friends. Imagine what it would feel like for Jesus to say, “I know that one of you is having an affair” “One of you is physically abusing someone in your family.” “One of you will is addicted to prescription medications.” “One of you is going to try and kill yourself.” How would you feel at that moment?

Can you feel the knot in your stomach? Are you wondering if Jesus is talking about you? Do you know that Jesus is talking about you?

Nothing escapes the eyes of our God. He knows when we wake up and when we fall asleep. He knows the number of our days. He knows the petitions of our prayers before we do. He knows our strengths and weaknesses. He knows all about our faith and our doubts. He knows who he can trust. And who he can’t.

I hope you are really uncomfortable right now. I am. My deepest thoughts, fears, doubts, sins and secrets are all known to him. The one whom I invite to my meals with the words, “Come, Lord Jesus…” knows everyone of my secret sins. Every bit of my life is known to the one I praise, thank and witness about. He knows me better than I know myself.

And yet he loves me. He loves the twelve. He loves the one dipping bread into the dish with him. He loves all those who come and confess, “I deserve your temporal and eternal punishment…” He loves those who cautiously kneel at the altar to eat and drink his body and blood, fulling knowing that we are no better than any one of the twelve, not even the one who betrayed the Lord.

One of the blessings of our faith is confession. When we confess our sins, he is faithful and just, and will forgive our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. A burden is lifted from our hearts and minds when we finally say, “I did it. It’s my fault. I was wrong. Please forgive me.” When our secret is no longer a secret we find grace in the one who knows, loves, dies for us.

We find grace in Him.

Heavenly Father, we know that you know. Thank you so much for making, knowing and loving me. Amen.