Isaiah 61: 1--2
The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me., because the Lord has anointed
me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the
brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from
darkness for the prisoners, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor and
the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn.
--NIV
Dear brothers and sisters in our suffering Savior:
Yesterday it was mentioned that our Savior's words of pleading, "Judge me
O God: and plead my cause against an ungodly nation," become our words
by faith in Christ. By faith we want to be judged by God. We want to be
judged by Him because we have the righteousness of Christ. By that
righteousness we are guiltless before God.
Yet, we live in a world of darkness. The darkness is all around us.
Often we are guilty of inviting that darkness into our own homes. One
can hardly turn on the TV without being confronted by perversion, and we
find ourselves laughing at evil. It seems so friendly, so "cool." It
gets all the attention. It has the friends. If we are too old to be
taken in by what is cool, then it is perhaps the wisdom of the New Age
Sage, or the talk show that sympathizes with those who choose the
"Alternate Lifestyle." Maybe it is the Joke that crosses our lips, the
joke that doesn't quite promote purity of the marriage bed. Be careful!
As Alexander Pope said, "Vice is a monster of so frightful mien, As to be
hated, needs but to be seen; Yet seen too oft, familiar with her face, We
first endure, then pity, then embrace." Examine yourself. You claim to
be a Christian, are you still living as a child of darkness? Is the
darkness in you as well as around you? Have you been seduced by it? Has
the curiosity for the perverse lead you to embrace the very perversion
that seemed so repulsive? Or has it become so familiar, that it is no
longer even perverse, but commonplace?
If so, then let yourself be broken hearted and poor in spirit. Put off
the pride that would keep yourself from repentance. Christ our Savior
has been anointed to preach good news to you, to bind up your wounds, to
proclaim freedom for you, and release from the darkness. This Good News
is the Gospel. This Good News comes with the Holy Spirit who is able to
shine the light of faith in your heart, set you free from the bondage of
guilt, to dress your wounds of sin, and to make you rich in the heavenly
treasures.
During this somber time of Lent, as we journey closer and closer to the
high celebration of our Savior's great sacrifice, don't miss the central
message. All that He did, He did for you. In the power of forgiveness,
may you walk in the Light. You are no longer a child of darkness, may
the Lord make you a great light in this dark world so that many are
brought to faith, or strengthened in faith through you. Amen