Posted in Devotions, Lent

2020 Lent devotion #31 – “I am innocent of this man’s blood”

Posted on by William Douthwaite
Photo by Nathan Dumlao on Unsplash

So when Pilate saw that he was gaining nothing, but rather that a riot was beginning, he took water and washed his hands before the crowd, saying, “I am innocent of this man’s blood; see to it yourselves.” (Matthew 27:24)

It’s a mob scene. The governor, Pilate, has given the crowd a choice of two prisoners to release. He would either set Barabbas or Jesus free that day. The crowd, prompted by the chief priests and elders, ask for Barabbas to be freed. Pilate then asks, “And what should I do with Jesus?” The crowds demands that he be crucified. When Pilate asks, “Why?” the crowd is even more stirred up, demanding his crucifixion. 

All the ingredients for a riot are in place. But Pilate is not about to take the blame for executing someone he knows doesn’t deserve it. In front of them all, he literally and symbolically washes his hands of the whole affair. He declares himself off the hook for Jesus’ death. “I am innocent of this man’s blood.”

You and I have been there. We’ve thrown up our hands and declared, “I had nothing to do with that.” We weren’t there. We had no knowledge of what was going on. We are off the hook. 

When it comes to Jesus, though, it’s not that simple. Since he died in our place for our sins, we are not innocent. We are the reason he came, suffered, died and was buried. We have everything to do with his death! 

It’s humbling, but it’s also reassuring. Jesus doesn’t wash his hands and renounce us. We don’t wash our hands and renounce him. Instead, in the waters of baptism, we are joined with both his death and resurrection. By grace, we are a part of all that happened to him, and he is a part of everything that happens to us. 

Thank you, Lord, for being a part of my life yesterday, today, and forever. Amen. 

Posted in Devotions, Lent

2020 Lent devotion #30 – Blood money

Posted on by William Douthwaite

Then when Judas, his betrayer, saw that Jesus was condemned, he changed his mind and brought back the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and the elders, saying, “I have sinned by betraying innocent blood.” They said, “What is that to us? See to it yourself.” And throwing down the pieces of silver into the temple, he departed, and he went and hanged himself. But the chief priests, taking the pieces of silver, said, “It is not lawful to put them into the treasury, since it is blood money.” (Matthew 27:3-6)

Judas agreed to betray Jesus, to take a mob to where Jesus was, in exchange for thirty pieces of silver. In today’s money, about $600. After Jesus is arrested in the Garden of Gethsemane, Judas realizes he’s made a big mistake. His change of mind, though, is too late. The chief priests and elders are quick to point out, “No refunds or exchanges.” 

Judas throws the money into the temple and leaves to go hang himself. What are they going to do with that money? All of a sudden the chief priests get all ethical and don’t want the money back since it is “blood money.” In other words, it’s payment for Jesus’ death. To them, it was worth every penny anyway. In less than twenty-four hours, their “Jesus problem” would be resolved. He would be gone. 

You and I pay to make problems go away all the time. We pay the lawn guy to take care of the weeds, the dry cleaner to get the wrinkles out of a suit, the exterminator to rid the house of bugs and a hair stylist to cover up the gray hair. 

But there’s no one to pay to over up our sins, failures, shame and guilt. We try, though. We’ll buy a nice gift, flowers or a fruit basket to make amends with someone we’ve wronged. Sounds kind of shallow when you think of it that way. And it is. 

Only Christ can fully pay for or atone for our sins. Yes, it costs him his life. His blood. That’s the real “blood money.” 

Thank you, Jesus, for the blood money that makes my sin problem go away. Amen. 

Posted in Devotions, Lent

2020 Lent devotion #29 – The bleeding stopped

Posted on by William Douthwaite

And behold, a woman who had suffered from a discharge of blood for twelve years came up behind Jesus and touched the fringe of his garment, for she said to herself, “If I only touch his garment, I will be made well.” Jesus turned, and seeing her he said, “Take heart, daughter; your faith has made you well.” And instantly the woman was made well. (Matthew 9:20-22)

Twelve years of abnormal bleeding is a long, long time. Do you ever get used to it? I suppose. After a while, it’s just a part of who you are. You do what you have to do to get through the day. You adapt. 

But then Jesus comes along. Word is spreading throughout Galilee that he can heal lepers, paralytics and the possessed. “If I can just get close to him. I’m not going to beg. I just need to touch his clothes. If I can just do that, I know I’ll be made well.” Just a thread. Just a few threads at the edge of Jesus’ robe. That’s all it will take. Do you hear the faith in her words?

I wonder if she felt anything. Was there some kind of sensation when she touched his clothes? Did she feel something inside as the bleeding stopped? Or in that moment did she notice that she no longer felt the blood flowing? 

In any case, I’m sure she never forgot that moment when the bleeding stopped. And she never forgot Jesus’ words of assurance, “Take heart, daughter; your faith has made you well.” 

Of course, we know it was Jesus who made her well. He stopped the bleeding. But she was right. Her confidence – her faith – led her to the only one who could make her well.

Jesus’ own bleeding wouldn’t begin for another few years. When the soldiers flogged him, put the crown of thorns on his head, and drove the nails into his hands and feet, blood would flow. Jesus would not stop that bleeding. Instead he would willingly give up his life. And he would powerfully take it up again on the third day. Yes, we too can be confident that he is the one who can make us well and give us eternal life!

Thank you, Lord, for life today and life that lasts forever. Amen. 

Posted in Devotions, Lent

2020 Lent devotion #28 – A blood moon

Posted on by William Douthwaite
Photo by Stephan H. on Unsplash

And I will show wonders in the heavens and on the earth, blood and fire and columns of smoke. The sun shall be turned to darkness, and the moon to blood, before the great and awesome day of the Lord comes. And it shall come to pass that everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved. (Joel 2:30-32)

Sounds ominous, doesn’t it? Looks even more ominous. Eclipses are events that we all throng to see. When we happen to be in the path of a total solar eclipse, everyone goes outside with their special glasses to watch. We’ll stay up late to see the blood-red lunar eclipse, too. We may understand these occurrences better than ancient civilizations, but they are no less amazing to observe. 

But what does a blood-red moon have to do with the great and awesome day of the Lord? Which eclipse will precede the day of his coming and the final judgment? Many have tried to predict, and of course they have failed. No one knows except God when Christ’s return will be. 

Yet God has set these portents in the sky, along with others (like earthquakes and volcanic eruptions), as reminders that this world as we know it will one day come to an end. When the ground shakes, when lava flows, when day is strangely darkened and the moon is turned to blood, we are to remember the one who made them. And we are to remember his promise that everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved. 

Paul reminded the Christians in Rome that you can learn a lot about God from creation. He’s put it right there in front of you so that you’ll not only know he exists but seek to know more about him. 

Thank you, Lord, for a little blood on the moon once in a while to draw attention to you. Amen. 

Posted in Devotions, Lent

2020 Lent devotion #27 – Garments rolled in blood

Posted on by William Douthwaite
Photo by Waltersparr on Pixbay

The people who walked in darkness
have seen a great light;
those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness,
on them has light shone.
You have multiplied the nation;
you have increased its joy;
they rejoice before you
as with joy at the harvest,
as they are glad when they divide the spoil.
For the yoke of his burden,
and the staff for his shoulder,
the rod of his oppressor,
you have broken as on the day of Midian.
For every boot of the tramping warrior in battle tumult
and every garment rolled in blood
will be burned as fuel for the fire. (Isaiah 9:2-5)

What a day that’s going to be! The yoke, staff and rod of oppression will be broken and no longer a threat. The boots and bloody uniforms of soldiers will be thrown on the fire to provide warmth and light. The conflict will be over, a new day dawns, and a new king will reign – forever. 

Wars and rumors of wars fill our news feeds. When will we no longer need uniforms for soldiers? When will we be able to lay all of our weapons aside? When will we feel joy, real joy? Joy like the harvest, joy like a payday? It seems like nothing more than a dream. It’s a utopia we don’t really think will happen in our lifetime. Or any lifetime. 

We read these words and go out and arm ourselves. We look forward to that day, but buy extra ammo, just in case. After all, we need to defend ourselves in our homes, right? We do not trust our neighbors, our local leaders, our government, or those from other nations. We prepare ourselves to live in dark times. 

What if we looked towards the light? What if we focused on the one who not only brings peace to our world, but reigns forever? What if we fixed our eyes on the increase of his government, which will have no end. What if our focus was on the light — Jesus?

Oh, and how about this: maybe they never found Jesus’ burial linens because someone took them and used them for fuel for a fire. After the resurrection and defeating death, he didn’t need that garment rolled in blood anymore… Just thinkin’.

Thank you, Lord, for always knowing how to bring light to the darkness. Amen. 

Posted in Devotions, Lent

2020 Lent devotion #26 – Justice instead of blood

Posted on by William Douthwaite
Photo by Delphine Ducaruge on Unsplash


What to me is the multitude of your sacrifices? says the Lord; I have had enough of burnt offerings of rams and the fat of well-fed beasts;I do not delight in the blood of bulls, or of lambs, or of goats. (Isaiah 1:11)

Wash yourselves; make yourselves clean; remove the evil of your deeds from before my eyes; cease to do evil, learn to do good; seek justice, correct oppression; bring justice to the fatherless, plead the widow’s cause. (Isaiah 1:16-17)

Does it surprise you to hear God say, in effect, “I’ve had enough of your empty worship and meaningless sacrifices?” I’m sure it caught Isaiah’s audience off guard. They thought that they were on the right track. They thought they were doing all the right things, following the laws for making God-pleasing sacrifices of bulls, lambs and goats.

God’s not happy. If the sacrifices are nothing more than ritual and you worship is simply going through the motions, you’ve missed the whole point. If He is indeed your God and you really are his people, that reality will show up in every area of your life. You’ll seek God’s forgiveness, follow his paths of righteousness, and help the people around you, especially those who struggled to care for themselves, the orphans and widows. 

These continue to be convicting words for today’s Christian worshipers, including you and I. Do our Sunday morning gatherings around Word and Sacrament overflow into the rest of our week, relationships, work and family life? Does the blood of the sacrifice, the crucifixion of Jesus, really mean anything to you? The answer to the question should be obvious to any observer. 

The church season of Lent is always a good time to reevaluate, and see how we have let our faith deteriorate into empty ritual. To catch ourselves just going through the motions. Our Lenten disciplines include spending more time each week in scripture, prayer and worship. We seek God’s forgiveness for the sake of Christ, we learn what our Lord wants us to do, and we focus our energy on bringing His mercy and hope to the lives of those around us. 

God doesn’t need anything from us. But I’ll bet you know someone who does. Let’s make our worship mean something. 

Thank you, Lord, for filing my worship with your grace and leading me to love my neighbor as myself. Amen. 

Posted in Devotions, Lent

2020 Lent devotion #25 – Hands that shed innocent blood

Posted on by William Douthwaite
by Brook Anderson on Unsplash

There are six things that the Lord hates,
    seven that are an abomination to him: haughty eyes, a lying tongue,     and hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked plans,     feet that make haste to run to evil, a false witness who breathes out lies,     and one who sows discord among brothers. (Proverbs 6:16-19)

Want to get on God’s bad side? Be arrogant. Dishonest. Stir up trouble. Make wicked plans. Or, take the lives of innocent people. “Shed innocent blood.”

Nothing on this list is surprising. Most people would agree that a person shouldn’t live like that. Whether someone is a person of faith or not, they advocate honesty, getting along with each other, trying to make a positive difference and helping out your neighbor. Those who shed innocent blood ought to be locked up for life, or even executed.

Jesus was innocent. The Holy one of God, the righteous one, was like us in every way, yet without sin. They killed him. The Jewish crowds called for his execution. The Roman soldiers whipped him and hammered the nails into his hands and feet. Innocent blood was shed at Calvary. 

So God hates all those people? Nope. “God so loved the world…” God loves those who put his own son to death. 

Since it was my sin that brought Jesus here to this earth to suffer and die, I guess I would have to admit that I’m the reason for his death. And so are you. We are the reason he died. Our hands were complicit in his innocent death. We had a “hand” in his death.

Does God hate me? He should. But he doesn’t. God so loved me and you that he gave his one and only son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have everlasting life. Jesus’ innocent suffering and death turn God’s hate into love. 

Maybe he can turn my hate into love, too. 

Thank you, Lord, for your amazing love for me. Amen. 

Posted in Devotions, Lent, Ministry

2020 Lent Devotion #24 – Drink offerings of blood

Posted on by William Douthwaite
Photo by Sam Moqadam on Unsplash

As for the saints in the land,
they are the excellent ones,
in whom is all my delight.
The sorrows of those who run
after another god shall multiply;
their drink offerings of blood I will not pour out
or take their names on my lips. (Psalm 16:3-4)

“Drink offerings of blood” smack of pagan practices that were common in biblical times, but were absolutely excluded from Hebrew worship. Whether animal or human blood was involved, there is no way that David, the author of this poem, would even talk about this practice, much less engage in it. 

On the other hand he was a big fan of the “saints in the land,” those who trusted and followed the commands and promises of God. They were the ones who not only provided a good example, but encouraged David along “the path of life” (Psalm 16:11). 

How often does our attention wander to less than wholesome habits and pastimes in our culture? Much more often than we’d like to confess. Surrounded by those who run after the gods of success, power and possessions, we find ourselves jumping into the race. Those folks always look happier, like they are having more fun and lead more exciting lives than we do. At least they look like that on the outside. Or that’s what they put out on social media for everyone to see. 

Are there others in whom we should delight? Who are the saints in our land, the excellent ones surrounding us? They quietly and faithfully love the Lord with their worship and prayers. They just as quietly and faithful love their neighbors with friendship and mercy. Not very exciting. But they are essential in the fabric of our lives. 

Lives that bestow all honor and glory and blessing to the Lord will never be flashy, popular or even noticed. But those lives will draw us into the worship of myriads and thousands of thousands who know and worship the one on the throne. (Revelation 5:11-12). 

Thank you for the excellent saints who remind me of your power and presence, Lord. Amen. 

Posted in Devotions, Lent

2020 Lent devotion #23 – Too much blood

Posted on by William Douthwaite

 [David said,] “But this word of the Lord came to me: ‘You have shed much blood and have fought many wars. You are not to build a house for my Name, because you have shed much blood on the earth in my sight.’” (1 Chronicles 22:8)

I wonder how David felt as he spoke these words to his son, Solomon? He had worked so hard to unify the kingdom of Israel, defeat their enemies and be a man after God’s own heart. His psalms still inspire our hymns and praise songs to this day. Yet, he never worshiped in a temple. He never even got to see the temple. And God wouldn’t let him build the temple. Too much blood. He was a shepherd, a warrior and a king. But he would not be a builder. At least not the builder of God’s temple. 

Before he was king, throngs of people would sing, ““Saul has struck down his thousands, and David his ten thousands.” That’s what David was known for. He was a hero. But that is a lot of blood. Tens of thousands of enemies killed. And that was before he ascended to the throne. For better or worse, that is his legacy. 

It’s not like David had a choice. There were many battles he had to fight. Victories and defeats. It was a violent, bloody period of history. The enemy was ruthless. You either kill them or they kill you. Peaceful moments were few and far between. 

A thousand years later, the son of David, Jesus, would be hailed as king. He would not take a single life. In fact, he would heal and restore many lives. The only blood shed would be his own, on the cross. And he would build a temple. The temple he would build would be made of believers, built on the foundation of the prophets and apostles, and he would be the cornerstone. 

Building projects often involve blood. I should know. Most of my projects mean cuts and blisters on my hands. Nothing as bloody as the wounds in Jesus’ hands and feet, though. Because he bled and died for me, I’ve been bought with a price and I not only belong to him, but my body is a temple of the Holy Spirit. God dwells in me and in his people, the church!

Thank you, Lord, for coming to dwell in me and my brothers and sisters in Christ. Amen.