The season of forty days before Easter is Lent. We are challenged to prepare during those forty days with both renunciation of some habit or pleasure or earthy good as well as “take up” some new practice or at least renew an old discipline e.g. specific daily prayers.

It’s an agreement we tend to make between ourselves and God. It’s a “mini-covenant” so to speak. It reminds us of the ongoing experience of covenant making with God. From Abraham we see the offer from God of a covenant to bless Abraham and Sarah and countless generations afterwards. Jews and also Gentiles inevitably fail on their end of this agreement!

Jesus brings a New Covenant and, just like Abraham, faith is the requirement. And once again, even when we fail God does not fail us! Peter in Mark 8 is the perfect example of all of us asserting our resistance to God’s way and thus “acting like the Devil” to go in the way WE think! It’s the old old story which hearkens back to that Serpent in the Garden, the same Tempter in the wilderness of Jesus, and the same Adversary in the End in Revelation.

The same voice of Peter as Satan that comes at us during our Lenten commitment: “Hey, you don’t need to keep your discipline” and again as the Accuser, “Hey, you failed didn’t you!” The answer is always, “Get behind me Satan!” Or even better, sing the words Keep Your Eyes Upon Jesus! Ultimately, it really is the work of God in Christ….in you….through the power of the Holy Spirit! God, who began a good work in you, will see that it gets finished!

Have faith~~†

Blessings in Lent!

Pastor Barry