Sin doesn’t pay.

Day #30 – Exodus 1-4, Psalm 7.

Psalm 7:15 – “Whoever digs a hole and scoops it out falls into the pit they have made.”

You can make a lot of money – a lot of money – really quickly if you don’t do it legally or if you do it dishonestly.  The prostitute can bring in big bucks for a few hours of work.  The drug dealer or the drug lord can make lots of money really fast.  The executive can take home a bunch of money if he/she just skims a little money off the top.  There are a lot of ways to make some money, really fast.

At first, sin seems to make sense.  We can even make an argument for it.  “I have a right to be angry and bitter at them because …” “I have a right to this money because … ““I have a right to tell this lie because otherwise I won’t get what’s coming to me…” “I can do this because they did that.”  We are really good at rationalizing our own sin.  We blame it on someone else.  We blame it on something else.  We are really good minimalizing what we do.  After all, it’s not that big a deal.  Sometimes we’ll blame someone else for it.  “I wouldn’t have done this if they hadn’t don’t that.  It’s their fault.” There are a lot of different ways that we justify our sins, that we try to make them seem right and okay.  There are a lot of ways that we convince ourselves that it’s okay to sin, as if it were a quick way to get rich.

At first, sin seems to make sense.  At first, sin even seems to be fun.  But in the end, it doesn’t pay.  The drug dealer is constantly on the watch and on the run from the authorities.  The prostitute is constantly worried about being abused, getting some sort of disease, and even getting caught by the police.  In the end, living in sin (whatever the sin is), will catch up with us.  In the end, the Authority (I mean – GOD!) will catch up with us and then we’ll fall into the pit we have made. And with God there is no rationalizing, minimizing, or blaming.  There are not excuses.  None.

There is only justification.  No, I’m not saying that we’ll be able to justify our selves (make ourselves seem right) before God.  There are no excuses.  But there is justification (“not guilty” verdict) from God.  The only escape we have from the justice of God is the justification from God.  The only hope we have is an Advocate (his name is Jesus!) who speaks to the Father in our defense.  The only hope we have is Jesus who is the atoning sacrifice for our sins and not only for our sins, but also for the sins of the whole world.

So, stop making excuses.  Sin doesn’t pay.  Living a life in sin and a life of sin only ends in condemnation.  Instead, run in sorrow to Jesus, who will defend you before the Father’s throne.

PRAYER

Lord Jesus, I am so good at making my sin look like the right thing to do.  Sometimes I can dance around my sin like it isn’t that big a deal.  But it is!  It will catch me eventually!  When I get caught in my sin and the foolishness of it, help me to quietly and quickly run to you in sorrow and for forgiveness.  Help me to quietly and quickly fall on my knees before you; confident of your grace and mercy.  With you there is forgiveness!  Help me run to you for forgiveness.  Amen.

Let renewal start with me.

Readings for July 21, 2015: Hosea 1-4, Song of Solomon 6.

When change needs to happen because we’ve wandered away from the truth where does it need to start?  When change must happen because we’ve wandered away from God, with whom does it begin?

The book of Hosea is largely a prophecy of rebuke against the people of Israel because they had wandered away from God.  From it’s opening chapter to it’s close God speaks about the nation as an adulterous wife who has left the husband of her youth.  She has cheated on her God.  Don’t miss the notes of grace throughout as Hosea redeems his adulterous wife and takes her back, even though she cheated on him.  God wants to show his people his mercy and grace to her despite her adulteries.

So, where does change start when change must happen for the sake of the truth, for the sake of seeking God?  God helps us see the cause of the trouble.  “My people are destroyed from lack of knowledge.  Because you have rejected knowledge, I will also reject you as my priests; because you have ignored the law of your God, I will also ignore your children” (Hosea 4:6).  God blames the priests, the spiritual leaders of the people.  They had led the people toward false gods, toward idols that could not save.  They had led them away from the truth and toward a lie.

But the people were not without blame.  They had followed the lie.  They had followed and worshipped the idols.  They had worshipped false gods with eyes wide open.  It was their fault too.

So, where does renewal start?  When change must happen where does it start?  It must start with me, in my heart.  It must start with you, in your heart.  It starts with repentance, not a repentance that is like the morning mist, but a sincere repentance and sorrow for sin.  It starts with seeking God in his Word, learning knowledge and the truth that comes form him alone and not from any other source.  It starts with each person turning toward God and then turning their neighbor toward God.

May God help each one of us return to the Lord our God in repentance and faith.  Let us seek him with our whole heart, with our mind, with all our strength.  For he is our Savior, our God, our Husband, the one who has redeem us, the adulterous wife.  Let us return to his Word.  Let us return to his House.  And let us follow him.

Lord God, these are difficult days for your people and for your church.  So many are turning away from you.  So many are falling from you.  Even I am tempted to wander away even though I hate that path.  Lord, keep us steadfast in your Word, curb those who by deceit or sword would seek to overthrow your Son and want to destroy what he has done.  Lord Jesus Christ, make your power known, for you are Lord of lords alone; keep your church that we we may sing your praise eternally.  Lord Jesus, if we are to be saved, if we are to return to you, our only Husband, then you must turn us, each one of us, one at a time.  Start with me today.

Independence.

Readings for July 15, 2015: 1 Chronicles 18-20, Song of Solomon 2.

As Americans and especially as Americans who are Christians we love our independence.  We love our freedom from the control of outside countries.  We love our independence from the threat of tyranny.  We are thankful for our independence to go out and live our lives without being afraid of what might happen to us (as long as we obey the laws of the land).  We love our independence to worship freely and to teach God’s Word without being afraid of what might happen to us because of what we believe or teach.

As Christians we have an even greater freedom than our country provides.  We’re free from sin, from judgment, from condemnation.  Luther explains this last freedom like this: The Christians is a perfectly free lord, subject to no one.

But we’re not truly free in every sense of the word. We’re not free to do whatever we jolly well choose.  We’re servants of the Lord, our God, so we get to, want to, and so try to keep his Word down to the smallest letter and stroke of the pen.  We’re servants to the people around us.  We don’t live on an island by ourselves so our every decision and every action affects other people.  Jesus teaches us that every action is to be done in love not for ourselves, but in love for our God and for our neighbor.  That makes us God’s slave and their slave.  Luther explains it like this: The Christian is a perfectly dutiful slave, subject to everyone.

We’re not totally free.  But God is totally free.  He is absolutely independent of anyone and everyone.  And that’s an amazing truth.  We see it in the readings for today.  Joab and Abishai were getting ready for a battle; they were about to fight a battle that they might just lose.  So, Joab encouraged Abishai to stand firm and stand strong: “Be strong, and let us fight bravely for our people and the cities of our God.  The LORD will do what is good in his sight” (1 Chronicles 19:13).  Joab put two truths side by side.  1) We have a job to do.  Our job is to lead the armies of God’s people and to fight with all our might.  We are their servants.  We are their leaders.  We are warriors.  Let’s go do it with all the might God provides.  2) God will do his job.  And he will do what is good.  He might give us the victory (which he did end up doing). He might let us lose.  But God’s actions are independent of ours.  He is absolutely independent, absolutely free.  And he always and only does good.

There is so much grace in this.  Consider this… consider who we are.  By nature we are worthless, despised, worthy of wrath, beggars before God.  But God loves us because of who he is and not because of who we are.  That’s so different from the way we love other people.  We love our spouses more or less depending on their actions and attitude toward us.  We love our kids more or less depending on their actions and attitude toward us.  But God shows his love for us in this, while we were still sinners he sent his Son for us (Romans 5:8).  Amazing.  Consider what God does.  His actions toward us are always good, always saving, always preserving, always with an eternal destination in mind.  And he does what he does completely independent of us and what we do.  He does what he does even when we do bad.  He does what he does even to and for those who hate him. That’s the way God works in this world.

Step back and ponder the independent love and actions of our God in heaven.  He is absolutely free in all that he wills and all that he does.  And he chooses to love us, chose to save us, and continues to choose to work all things out for our good.  It doesn’t depend on you.  It depends on him!  Thank God.

Jesus is Enough

Readings for January 3, 2015: Colossians 1-4, Psalm 77.

There seem to be two main things that stress people out and wear them down in this life.  This may be over-simplifying things, but I believe it’s true for almost everybody.  We are stressed out and weighed down by our sin and guilt.  And rightly so.  We have a tremendous debt owed to God because of our sin.  And that’s a heavy burden.

Jesus carried it ALL for us.  He is the total and complete sacrifice for all our sin.  There is nothing that is missing.

The other thing that weighs us down in this life is that we’re missing something from the salvation equation.  This is the one that Paul is addressing head on in the book of Colossians.  Some people in Colossi were saying, “We need a deeper, more spiritual knowledge.”  Some people in Colossi were saying, “We need a deeper, more spiritual worship.”  Just Jesus isn’t enough.  Sound familiar?

And then we drag that same thinking into our daily lives.  “I didn’t work hard enough or longer enough today.” So we end up stressed out by workaholism. “I didn’t do the right thing today.”  “I didn’t do that right.” And so we end up stressed out by perfectionism.  “Not everyone is happy; I need to make them happy.”  And so we end up with a people pleasing ism…  What we’re saying when we think, talk, or act like this is this: “Jesus isn’t enough.  I have to make up for what he is lacking.”  Just Jesus isn’t enough.

Lies.  It’s all lies!  Jesus is more than enough. “For in Christ all the fulness of the deity dwells in bodily form; and in Christ you have been brought to fulness” (Colossians 2:9-10).  “Our sufficiency comes from Christ” (2 Corinthians 3:5).  Let those truths sink in today as you go about your day.  Work hard, all in.  “Whatever you do work at it with all your might” (Colossians 3:23).  But at the end of the day, know this: You are sufficient and measure up not because you got it all done or did it all right (as if any of that were possible).  You are sufficient and measure up because Christ was fully sufficient for you.

Lord God, I stress myself out worrying about what people think of me, wondering if I’m doing the right thing, upset if it didn’t turn out the way I thought it should or would. That’s a self-centered and arrogant way of thinking. Today, turn my thoughts heavenward where my life is hidden with Christ in God.  Turn my thoughts heavenward where my sufficiency alone is found.  Turn my thoughts to Jesus who makes me fully perfect, fully saved, fully righteous.  Then, spur me on to work all out and all in.  Amen.

Mercy!

Readings for June 1, 2015: 2 Samuel 18-20, Psalm 75.

I can’t believe David showed some much mercy.  Repeatedly as we walk through these chapters David isn’t in it to get even, but wants to and even does show great mercy.  For instance, Shimei had cursed David when he had run out of Jerusalem.  But now when David comes back home he begs for mercy and forgiveness; he confesses his sin.  David had every right to get even and to give justice.  But he didn’t.  ‘You shall not die.’ And the king promised him on oath (2 Samuel 19:23).

What changed? What changed in this man who once was ready of fly off the handle and get even with Nabal?  What changed in this man who once was so in control of his kingdom that he didn’t feel like he need to go out to battle with his troops?  What changed? David knew God’s mercy.  David had deserved God’s anger and death at God’s hand.  David deserved to die because of his sin with Bathsheba and in the murder of Uriah.  But God showed mercy.  He didn’t give David what he deserved.  Nathan, God’s prophet, told him, “You’re not going to die.”  God’s mercy changed David.  And David didn’t forget this for the rest of his life. God kept constant reminders of his mercy in front of David at all times.

Ponder for a moment this morning God’s mercy to you.  How has he been patient and forgiving to you when you haven’t followed him like you should have?  Be specific.  Confess those sins that are heavy on your heart.  Confess your impatience.  Confess your anger.  Confess your lack of compassion and mercy. Confess the so-called “bigger” sins.  And know this… God has forgiven them all.  Not one remains.  “You are not going to die.”

And so, “be merciful, just as your Father in heaven is merciful” (Luke 6:36).  Show to the people who sin against you the same grace and mercy that God has shown to you.  Show them great patience.  Show them great forgiveness.  Show them amazing patience and compassion.  Be like your Father.

Lord God, help me see and call to mind your great mercy to me.  I am far worse and a far greater sinner than I even want to imagine.  Yet, you have been more merciful to me than I can know.  Help me call to mind your mercy.  You have been so patient with me.  And then, by your mercy make me like you.  Make me merciful like you.  Make me gracious like you.  Make me compassionate like you.  Make me like you so that in every situation I exude your grace and mercy to the people I meet.  Amen.

Restoration.

Readings for May 30, 2015: 2 Samuel 14-17; Psalm 74.

In the course of our lives we’ve all experienced broken relationships. Broken relationships between parent/child, husband/wife, brother/sister, boyfriend/girlfriend, etc.  We’ve all suffered the pain of a bruised, bent, even broken relationships.

David suffered a ton of it in his own family, especially with his children.  At this time in David’s rule Absalom stood unofficially banished from the king because he had murdered Amnon.  David longed for Absalom to come home, but did nothing to bring him home.  It took the wise intervention of his commander in chief to bring his son home.  A wise woman told him: “But this is not what God desires; rather, he devises ways so that a banished person does not remain banished from him.”  What she was telling David is this: If God doesn’t want the banished to stay banished, why would we let the banished stay banished?  Why wouldn’t we want to do whatever it took to bring the exile home?

Good question.  We were banished from God’s face, exiled from eternity, and doomed to eternal death.  But God devised a way, his own arm worked salvation for him, to bring the exile home, to restore the banished, and rescue those (us) doomed to death.  He reconciled us to himself by the death of his Son Jesus.  He restored us back to the standing of sons and daughters of God.

If this is what God has done, why would we not desire the same?

Take a moment and look the broken relationships in your life.  Is it your marriage? Your siblings? Your children? Your parents? Your friends? Your boyfriend/girlfriend?

What plan can you lovingly devise to restore the relationship with them? This is what God has done for you.  He devised a plan to restore you and to bring the banished home.  Let’s do the same in all our other relationships.  As much as it depends on you, do whatever it takes to bring the exile home and bring the banished back.

Lord God, you desires broken and bent relationships healed.  You did this between you and me when you sent your Son, Jesus, to reconcile me with you.  You truly restored me with yourself.  You truly brought me back at great cost to yourself.  And so I get to come into your presence.  You desire the same reconciliation in all my other relationships.  Make me just like you in these relationships.  Make me just as zealous and eager to restore those relationships in my life no matter what the cost to me.  Amen.

Exposed.

Spiritual Resilience: I am not easily damaged when hit, stretched, or squeezed.  I will bounce back to my God-designed shape.

• REST in Jesus and his care (Matthew 11:28).
• EXPOSE your hurts, habits, hang-ups to God; he will meet your need and save (Philippians 4:19).
• S
• I
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• T

Have you ever had that dream where you showed up in a room full of people without any clothes on, totally exposed, totally unprepared, embarrassed to be there.  I haven’t had that dream, but I have had that dream where I woke up for church late, couldn’t find my dress clothes, was running half an hour late to church and…

People who try to interpret dreams say a bunch of different things about this kind of dream.  They say it could be that you have a fear of being exposed, found out.  They say that as you stand there exposed and vulnerable, this brings on fears of rejection and disapproval.  Maybe you’re afraid of being laughed at and mocked.  Or maybe you’re just not feeling ready for whatever is you’re about to face.  Dreams are a mystery so I won’t chase this rabbit any more.

But it does take us down the path toward being resilient in life, being resilient, being the kind of people who when we are hit, stretched or squeezed by life will bounce back to our God-designed shape.  Last time we mentioned that the first step toward resilience is to rest in Jesus and his care.  The second step is being and getting real with God and with other people, exposing our hearts, exposing our weaknesses, exposing ourselves to God’s Word, being naked before God, being broken before God.

Resilience begins with a reality check.  What is really going on in my heart and in my life.  We live in a culture where weakness is a negative thing, where it something we want to hide and cover up, where it something we’re ashamed.  Asking for help is viewed by us as a negative thing.  Admitting that our marriage isn’t going that well, confessing that we struggle with this or that sin, coming clean about a sin isn’t something we’re used to doing.  How often are you honest with people closest to you when they ask, “How are you doing?”  How often are you really honest with them?  How often are you really honest with God as you come before him in prayer?

We can learn something about weakness and being real and transparent before God from the centurion.  He was a man highly respected with men under him who had to follow his orders.  He was supposed to have his life together.  He was supposed to keep his army unit together. Go read the story about the centurion and Jesus in Matthew 8:5-13.  He didn’t pretend he had it all together.  No, he came before Jesus.  Matthew tells us he came to Jesus “asking for help” (Matthew 8:5).

What is it in your life where you need the greatest help?  Be real and transparent with God.  Be real and transparent with someone closest to you.  Are you struggling with a sin, maybe even an addiction?  Be real about it before God and a fellow believer.  Are you struggling with issues in your life, relationship issues, personal issues, job issues, family issues, esteem issues, depression issues?  Be real and transparent before God.  Be real and transparent with someone closest to you, a fellow Christian who can walk with you through it.  See, here’s the thing.  Jesus isn’t out to get us.  Jesus came to help us and save us.  Your fellow believers aren’t out to get you.  Your fellow believers seek to follow the example of Christ.  They are here to help you, to point you to Christ.

The reality is this.  Jesus is strong, but we are weak.  Paul had to learn that.  Look what he says in 2 Corinthians 12:9-10. 9 But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. 10 That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong. 2 Corinthians 12:9-10.  And later on he confessed to the Philippians (4:19); And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus.

Paul knew what the centurion knew.  That we are weak, but Jesus is strong.  Our hurts, our habits, our hang-ups – our weaknesses and struggles – expose us for who we are.  Sinners who daily struggle with sin in our hearts, sin in our lives, and sin from the lives of other people and sin in this world.  We’re absolutely exposed before God, unprepared to meet him.  But Jesus is strong to save.  He is strong to cover our sin with his righteousness.  He is strong to wash away our sin with his blood.  He is strong to prepare us to meet Jesus.  He is our strength and our song; he has become our salvation (cf. Isaiah 12:2).

So, we get real before God, exposing your need. Then God exposes his Son and the strength that is his, the strength that is his to save.

The repentance cycle.

Readings for April 7, 2015: Joshua 7-9, Psalm 54.

There is a cycle in my heart and in my life that repeats itself every year, every month, every week, every day and really, far more often that.  I’m not talking about the cycle of eat, sleep, work, play, repeat. I’m talking about the cycle of my relationship with God.  I’m talking about the cycle in my walk with him.  Sometimes it changes on a dime.

As I grow I see this more and more clearly not only on the pages of Scripture, but also in the chronicles of my own life.  It’s right there in Joshua 7-9.  Israel had just won a great victory over their enemies.  They had devoted themselves to following and obeying God; and by his power and grace God knocked those walls down.  He had one demand.  Destroy the city.  Everything in it is devoted to me.  Just one man among the millions of Israel disobeyed.  Aachan coveted some of the finery of Egypt.  God called the nation on it.  The nation repented of it and Aachan was stoned. God restored Israel and gave them victory over Israel.  And then, then, Israel got lax again.  They didn’t seek the Lord in regard to the Gibeonites.  Here we go again!

Follow and seek God. Follow and seek self.  Called out by God.  Confess sin.  Restored by God.  Blessed by God.  Follow and seek God… and here we go again! Day by day.  Hour by hour.  That’s the cycle in the history of Israel.  That’s the cycle in the history of my life and of yours too.  We are all cut from the same cloth of Adam and Eve’s sin.

I’ll admit.  It’s a painful process. Really I hate it.  I hate to come face to face with my sin.  I hate to look inside and let God’s Word cut me to joint and marrow, dividing and discerning the thoughts and attitudes of my heart.  It shows me what is of self and what is of God.  It shows me things that I’d rather not see.  It’s painful.  But is a happy process, a process blessed by God.  It’s how God draws me close to himself and away from my self.  It’s the way that God conforms me to his image and recreates me daily to walk before him as his child.  It’s the way that God assures me that I am his, that I am loved.

That’s the joy of Psalm 130.  Take a look and mediate on these verses, verse by verse, as the psalmist walks us through the repentance cycle and leads us to draw near to God.  He identifies sin in himself as we do in ourselves.  He shows us how deplorable and damnable our sin is before God. But then, then, in an instant that condemnation is gone in forgiveness and grace.  Then, we wait on God, wait on God for his mercy like watchmen waiting for the sun to peak over the horizon.  And here’s the thing – we know that the sun is going to peak it’s head over the horizon – just like we know that God is going to show us mercy.  Every day. Every moment.  His mercies ARE new every morning.  Great is his faithfulness.

Let this psalm be the prayer for today:

Psalm 130: Out of the depths I cry to you, Lord; Lord, hear my voice. Let your ears be attentive to my cry for mercy. If you, Lord, kept a record of sins, Lord, who could stand? But with you there is forgiveness, so that we can, with reverence, serve you. I wait for the Lord, my whole being waits, and in his word I put my hope. I wait for the Lord more than watchmen wait for the morning, more than watchmen wait for the morning. Israel (PEOPLE OF GOD!) , put your hope in the Lord, for with the Lord is unfailing love and with him is full redemption. He himself will redeem Israel (YOU) from all their sins.

God’s big surprise.

Readings for April 1, 2015: Deuteronomy 31-34, Psalm 49.

As we live and walk through life there are some things that shock us.  Things happen that utterly surprise us and catch us by surprise.  For instance, we don’t expect Christians to be hateful and hurtful.  We don’t expect those who go by the name “Christian” to do things that are contrary to God’s will.  We expect that God’s people will be like their God.  And it surprises us and even shocks us when they aren’t.  But it happens all the time!

This section of Scripture begs me to ask: “Well, what did you expect?  What did you expect of this son of Adam or daughter of Eve?  What did you expect of them?”

As Moses wraps up his life and his time as leader of Israel God makes it very clear – even painfully clear, what he KNOWS will happen.  He doesn’t just expect it or suspect it.  He KNOWS what will happen because he knows what the people are like.  He knows that they will turn away from him. He knows that they will seek after other gods.  He knows that they will become faithless.  He knows what they’ll do but he doesn’t like it; he doesn’t approve of it.  Yet, he knows what they’re like and so he warns them ahead of time as a sort of pre-emptive teaching moment.

As you read this section ask yourself: Is this in me?  Do I see this same tendency and inclination in me – to turn away, to fall away, to be selfish, to be self-centered, to seek after secret or open idols? By the way, God tells us we all do!  Go back and read Genesis 8:21.  We all have the same inclination.  It’s true of you and of me whether we see it or not.  That’s why God has to tell us!  So we can see how warped and wicked we really are.

But against this backdrop of our warped inclination toward evil and falling away is another surprise, another something that we’d never know unless God revealed it to us.  His grace.  His mercy.  His power.  His might.  His love.  Logically, we would never expect goodness for the evil we do.  We would never expect kindness for those who are selfish.  We would never expect intervention for those who hate God.  But that is precisely what God did for his people and precisely what God does for us.

He is better to us than we deserve.  We deserve nothing but God gives us everything.  And that is perhaps the most surprising thing about this section and about all of God’s interactions with us.  God’s people then, God’s people today, and even those who are not God’s people, deserve nothing but wrath.  God intervened and gave his only Son, Jesus for the sin of the world.  God intervened and punished Jesus for me, for you, for all.  God intervened and reconciled us to himself through Jesus.  God intervened and replaced our sin with the righteousness of Jesus.  God intervened and gave us grace in place of grace already given.  God intervened and gave us heaven!  It’s not just amazing grace, it’s surprising.  We should never have it, but God gives it to us simply because he loves us.

Lord God, today you show more once again how wicked, evil and corrupt I am.  I am worse, more wicked, more corrupt, more warped than I want to think or imagine.  I want to think that I’m not all that bad.  But you’re right.  I am!  Yet, against the backdrop of all my wickedness your grace shines brightly.  Jesus, you give me what I don’t deserve and take what isn’t yours.  You give me your righteousness and take my sin.  You are my righteousness and I am your sin. You became what you were not to make me what I was not.  For all this, help me to thank and praise, serve and obey you.  Amen.

What a mess!

Readings for March 14, 2015: Numbers 28-30, Psalm 36.

It sure must have been a messy affair whenever you walked into the courtyard for the tabernacle.  Blood everywhere.  Smoke rising from the altar.  The stench of burning animal flesh filling the air.  The uniform of the high priest must have been a bloody mess.  He was busy sacrificing from morning til night. There were the morning and afternoon sacrifices.  There were the scheduled sacrifices.  And then there were the other offerings and sacrifices that the people were to bring as well both for thanksgiving and for sin.  It must have been a bit of organized chaos and a bloody mess in that courtyard.

Why?  What was God showing his people?  That they were a sinful mess.  That the only way to escape their sinful mess was the bloody mess.  That the one, true, final and ultimate sacrifice was still coming.

Tomorrow we’ll walk into our churches (at least I hope you will), and it won’t be that messy – at least comparatively. The church will be clean and it will have a pleasing aroma to you.  The pastor will be clean shaven.  People will be dressed in nice clothes.  We’ll sit down, stand up, sing, listen, and pray. All in an orderly way.  Very little will happen in worship that is unscheduled and unplanned.  Our churches won’t be that messy.

But the people in the churches will still be messy.  That means me.  That means you.  Oh, we pretend many times that we’re not the mess that we are.  We put on nice clothes.  We put a smile on our face and pretend everything is okay.  We put our arm around our spouse to show the world that our marriage is doing well, when it may not be that great.  We get involved in the work of the church when we really don’t want to be there.  We shake hands with people we might have a grudge against and pretend we don’t have that grudge.  We come to worship – we stand up, we sit down, we sing, we pray – our bodies are involved but our minds and hearts are miles away.  We’re a mess and sometimes we totally miss the mess or pretend the mess doesn’t exist.  David identifies this mess in the psalm: “In their own eyes they flatter themselves too much to detect or hate their own sin” (Psalm 36:2).  We’re a mess. Our hearts are a mess, far more a mess of sin and guilt than we even can see or even want to admit.

But our God is a God who cleans up messes.  That’s the other extreme David shows us in the psalm.  He shows us the godlessness of the wicked (like us).  He shows us the goodness of our God.  “Your love, LORD, reaches to the heavens, your faithfulness to the skies. Your righteousness is like the highest mountains, your justice like the greatest deep” (Psalm 36:5-6).

So, come to church tomorrow, mess that you are, and God will clean you with his Word, with his forgiveness, with his grace.  That’s what the mess in the courtyard of the temple was all about – cleaning people with blood. That’s what the mess on the cross was all about – cleansing for all people of all time by the death of Jesus.  Come to church, mess that you, and God will clean you up.

Lord God, I am a mess and sometimes, yes, many times I’m too proud to see it. I flatter myself and think myself better than I really am.  I look at the evil in others and fail to see the darkness of my own sinful heart.  I fool myself into thinking my motives are clean, when in truth they aren’t that pure at all.  Your love, faithfulness, grace and mercy is bigger than my sin and evil.  It reaches to the sky.  It is higher than the highest mountains.  Cleanse me I pray and clean my heart.  Wash me and I will be whiter than snow.  Clean me by your blood and change me by your Word.  Amen.