Scars of Love

Look at my hands and my feet. (Luke 24:39)

As the funeral service ends, a young man and his girlfriend walk out of the church. Unexpectedly, he turns to her, gets down on one knee, and asks her to marry him. While it may seem like an unusual setting for a proposal, the man was actually being strategic. “I will love you and care for you for the rest of your life,” he tells her. “I want to be with you until the day of my funeral.”

Is it any less strange—or strategic—that the greatest demonstration of God’s love was the death of his Son? Or think about the way Jesus proved his resurrection to his disciples: by showing them his still-wounded hands and feet and side. Up until that point, the disciples thought they were seeing a ghost. But now came the “big reveal,” the moment when they discovered that by dying he had overcome death. All at once, their sorrow was turned into amazement and joy.

Jesus’ victory looked so different from what the disciples had expected. Instead of arriving with a king’s crown or a huge army, he returned bearing the wounds of a brutal death. Even though he is now risen in glory, his body remains marred. He isn’t just restored to his former state—he is transformed in a way that reflects the price he paid for our salvation. God didn’t just press a reset button. He took Jesus through death into a new and eternal life.

Jesus’ scars are the marks of his love for us—a love unto death. Every day, he invites us to gaze at these wounds and to see in them the proof of his victory. What’s more, he wants to convince us that he can turn our own wounds into marks of triumph. There is no situation too desperate for him to overcome.

Jesus, the scarred and wounded Messiah, has already “proposed” to you. He is already living out his vows to love you and honor you and be true to you all the days of your life. If you ever find yourself doubting, just look at his hands and feet.

from wau.org

minutes of stillness

In your house I shall celebrate the Passover. (Matthew 26:18)

Many people refer to today as Spy Wednesday, an allusion to the day of Judas’ betrayal. But did you know that it’s also called Silent Wednesday? 

This name comes from the fact that the Gospels don’t tell us what Jesus was doing on Wednesday of Holy Week. He was “silent” on that day. Some speculate that after journeying to Jerusalem and spending two exhausting days in disputes with the authorities, Jesus rested on Wednesday with his close friends in Bethany.

If you want to observe this special day, imagine that Jesus is inviting himself over to rest in your house for a bit. Imagine him inviting you to join him in a day of quiet reflection and respite.

It can be so easy for our minds to become overbusied, our bodies overworked, and our calendars overscheduled. But rest is essential because it’s restorative. Rest is also holy because it creates an opening for us to welcome Jesus into our hearts. Imagine yourself sitting with him at your kitchen table, catching up as you would with a friend. Or picture yourself coming home from a busy workday to find him waiting at your front door, eager for you to invite him in for dinner. Even if it means just slipping away for a few minutes of stillness with him, make the most of the opportunity; nothing is as refreshing as spending quiet time with the Lord!

Throughout this season of Lent, you have been journeying with Jesus as he walks toward Calvary. You’re almost there! Tomorrow evening, you will watch as he is arrested and beaten. On Friday, you’ll witness his crucifixion. And on Sunday, you’ll see him gloriously resurrected. But today, Silent Wednesday, is the calm before the storm.

As you read the Gospel for today, listen to Jesus’ voice echoing through the centuries, telling you, “In your house I shall celebrate the Passover” (Matthew 26:18). Jesus has chosen to spend today with you. Your schedule may not be silent today, but you can still find a special way to rest with him and prepare yourself—body, soul, and spirit—for the great celebrations that will start tomorrow evening.

“Jesus, help me to find some quiet time today. Come, Lord, and prepare me for what you have in store this week.”

from wau.org

A new outlook

Abraham your father rejoiced to see my day. (John 8:56)

There is a scene in The Wizard of Oz where Dorothy’s dog, Toto, pulls back a curtain to show that the terrifying wizard really is a pleasant, rosy-cheeked old man. Mounting tension goes away after his identity—and his goodness—is revealed.

In today’s Gospel, Jesus tells the Jews gathered in the Temple that their forefather Abraham had a special gift for seeing “beyond the curtain.” Where everyone else thought God was punishing and fearsome, Abraham discovered how loving and trustworthy he was. 

This close relationship between God and Abraham came about as God revealed himself to him and walked with him on the journey to the Promised Land. He blessed Abraham with a long-desired child, and he made a covenant, promising Abraham many descendants. And so, Jesus says, Abraham rejoiced, literally, he “exulted with joy,” that he might see the day of the Lord. 

Because of all the other promises God had fulfilled, Abraham expected to see God’s promise of salvation come about. As Jesus describes it, Abraham’s faith was equivalent to sight: “Abraham your father rejoiced to see my day” (John 8:56). In other words, he experienced the joy of Jesus’ coming before it took place in time. 

You might think it was easy for Abraham to have faith because he had experienced prosperity on earth. But remember that his wife, Sarah, was infertile for many decades before they had a child. And although Abraham was promised many descendants, he didn’t live to meet most of them. He could have despaired, but his faith changed his outlook.

Not all of your prayers have been answered yet either. But God’s salvation has come to you through Jesus. You can live with an outlook of faith just like Abraham, knowing that God will be victorious. This is not a happy delusion or a coping mechanism. It is meant to be the foundation for your whole life. Today, think about specific ways that God has loved you. Let this awareness enkindle a greater desire in you to see God’s kingdom come. Your expectant faith will help you see beyond even the most difficult challenges, just as it helped Abraham.

“Lord, give me eyes to see your glory breaking through.”

from wau.org

The air of freedom

The truth will set you free. (John 8:32)

Victor Hugo’s novel Les Miserables presents us with two very different characters, Jean Valjean and Inspector Javert. Valjean, who has spent nineteen years in prison for stealing a loaf of bread, is hunted throughout the story by Javert, who is committed to following “the letter of the law.” But when Javert is captured by revolutionaries who tell Valjean to kill him, Valjean frees him instead. Javert’s world is turned upside down by the thought that a criminal like Valjean could act with such mercy. It is so upsetting to the inspector that he ends up killing himself. Clearly, Valjean experienced the greater amount of freedom, even though he lived constantly on the run. 

We might think of the Pharisees in today’s Gospel as somewhat like Inspector Javert. They are focusing only on following the Law of Moses, and that narrow focus has bound them up. They are missing the Holy Spirit’s voice and presence, which are at the heart of the Law. But Jesus wants them to know the freedom that comes from following him—the freedom that comes from being in a relationship with him.

We might think that we are not like these Pharisees at all. We know and love Jesus, after all. Still, we can point to areas in our lives where we could be freer, whether it is a long-standing pattern of sin or hurtful memories that keep us bound in fear or resentment. 

Let this Lent be a time of freedom! Take your sins to Confession, and ask the Lord to loosen their hold over you.

 

from wau.org

Jesus, our daily impact

If you do not believe that I am, you will die in your sins. (John 8:24)

“You can’t handle the truth!” That’s what Colonel Jessup tells a young lawyer during a tense moment in the movie A Few Good Men.

In today’s Gospel reading, Jesus tells some of his enemies the truth, and they can’t handle it: “If you do not believe that I am, you will die in your sins” (John 8:24). His opponents have been testing him, calculating how they can best catch him off guard, but Jesus doesn’t react in kind. Rather, he tells them plainly that they need him because he is the Messiah. Such a radical claim might have been too much to swallow, but that didn’t stop Jesus. They had to know the truth, even if it filled them with rage. 

Thank God this doesn’t have to be our response! Rather, Jesus’ words, even his uncomfortable ones, can fill our hearts with hope. Why the different response? Faith. It is the gift of faith that makes Jesus’ words a blessing for us. Believing that he is “I am,” the Savior and Redeemer, puts us on a new path. It changes the way we look at everything—our loved ones, our enemies, our challenges, ourselves—everything. 

Jesus died and rose again to give us eternal life. This is the central truth of our faith. And this truth, unlike other facts like 2+2=4, isn’t static. Like the current of a river, this truth runs swift and sure into the ocean of God’s love. When we let ourselves get caught up in it, places in our lives where we once may have been discouraged or fearful are washed away. We sense God’s presence. We know he has a plan for our lives, and we trust him more and more.

The truth that Jesus is your Savior can impact you every day. It can help you turn to him for help in all kinds of challenges. It can move you to seek his guidance and wisdom. And it can spur you on to share the great good news with everyone you know. May the truth of Jesus become the one truth that everyone can handle!

from wau.org

Available grace

The Lord is close to the brokenhearted. (Psalm 34:19)

Some of the most popular songs have been songs about heartbreak and loss. “How Can You Mend a Broken Heart?” and “Heartbreak Hotel” and “Can’t Live Without You”—they all tell the story of someone who has been deeply disappointed by a trusted friend or lover. Clearly, many people can relate to these feelings, or the songs wouldn’t have been so popular. It seems that heartbreak is a universal experience.

How good to know, then, that there is a remedy for the lovelorn—and for all the other disappointments we face! It’s not a pill or a magic potion. It’s not a “something” at all, but a “someone.” As the psalmist says, “The Lord is close to the brokenhearted; and those who are crushed in spirit he saves” (Psalm 34:19).

If you have been let down by someone—or just by life in general—you can turn to him. Don’t worry that he’ll ignore you or won’t help you. On the contrary, God is always on the lookout for broken hearts to mend!

This truth is more than just a platitude or a line in a song. God is able to mend our hearts because he knows our hearts. Remember that in Christ he took on our humanity—all of it except for sin. He knows what sorrow, suffering, and pain feel like (Hebrews 4:15). He felt all the hurt we feel, and more. And embracing it instead of running from it, he took it with him to the cross and healed it. The grace he won for us there—the grace of the resurrection—is now available to all of us.

So whenever you feel that your heart is breaking, tell yourself, “Jesus is with me right now.” When it feels like your pain will never go away, tell yourself, “I believe in Christ, and I know he is healing me.” And when you find yourself worrying about the future, join the psalmist in proclaiming, “Many are the troubles of the just man, but out of them all the Lord delivers him” (Psalm 34:20). Stay close to the Lord, and know that he will be victorious in the end—and you will be too!

from wau.org

He is all around us

I see how stiff-necked this people is. (Exodus 32:9)

Have you ever had a stiff neck? Not just an achy shoulder, but a neck so tight that you can’t move your head without pain. It can get so bad that you end up in bed staring at a wall with a warm compress on your shoulder. Work, friends, and daily life get pushed out of focus while you wait for it to heal. Well, at least it can be healed! With the right combination of care and exercise, your neck loosens up and regains its full range of motion.

In today’s first reading, God complains about his “stiff-necked” people (Exodus 32:9). He is upset that some of them don’t look back and remember all that he has done for them. They also fail to look around and notice that God is still working miracles for them. Instead, they look only at the challenges standing right in front of them.

There may be times in life when we feel a little spiritually stiff-necked as well. Not looking back on the ways God has worked in our lives in the past, and not looking around at all the ways he is present to us right now, our necks stiffen and our vision narrows. We end up staring at the same blank wall every day, maybe even grumbling at our current situation. Why isn’t God on our side any more? 

How do you heal a stiff neck? By stretching it out. By looking around you. Take time to read the Scriptures and reflect on God’s mighty deeds in the past. Review your own life and see where he has helped you. But also try to look around and see what he is doing for you right now.

This kind of spiritual therapy works just like any physical therapy: the more you do the exercises, the easier they get. Before long, you will be able to have a panoramic picture of God’s faithfulness and love!

Where are you looking today? Are you focused only on what’s right in front of your nose? Or are you looking around and seeing the Lord? Stretch, read, reflect, and rejoice! God is all around you.

from wau.org

Signs of grace

This was the second sign Jesus did. (John 4:54)

Can you picture a two-stranded braid? If so, you can imagine the two words sign and believe being intertwined in today’s Gospel. Sign appears twice, and believe, three times—no coincidence, since they form a common thread running through John’s Gospel. If we recognize the signs, John tells us, our belief in Jesus will grow. Jesus himself linked the two, saying, “Unless you people see signs . . . you will not believe” (John 4:48). 

So how do we know a sign when we see one—and are they all miraculous? Not necessarily. You can find at least three of them in today’s Gospel. The first appeared in the testimonies of the townspeople. When the official heard that Jesus was a miracle-worker, he believed.

Then, when the official asked Jesus to come heal his son, Jesus told him to go home, that the boy would live. These words of Jesus’ were the second sign. When the official heard them, his belief grew. Jesus didn’t need to be present to heal! His word alone could do it.

After the official returned home, he found his son recovering—the final sign. And his belief grew even more, along with that of his household.

Did you notice that some of these signs were less obviously supernatural than others? It’s the same for our lives too. How often have you felt that God was speaking to you through your spouse or through a Sunday homily? Maybe you’ve opened the Bible to a random page, only to read exactly what you need to hear. Or maybe you’ve narrowly escaped what should have been certain calamity. These moments are signs too—ways that God is weaving grace into your day-to-day life. They strengthen our belief that Jesus is real, that he loves us, and that he is with us.

Did you also notice that two out of three signs came after the official began seeking Jesus? It’s amazing how many you can find in the middle of your search for him! So what signs of God’s presence are awaiting your discovery this Lent? They could be anywhere, so keep on the lookout. And let them move you into deeper and fuller belief in Jesus.

“Lord Jesus, open my eyes to see a sign of grace today.”

from wau.org

The Spirit, our help

Hear the statutes and decrees . . . that you may live. (Deuteronomy 4:1)

In ancient times, God’s Law set the Israelites apart. In his graciousness, he had given his chosen people a glimpse into his mind and heart. He showed them how to live together in the harmony and justice that reflected his glory. The Law made them unique among the ancient peoples—their God was so close that he shared his very thoughts and desires with them!

Today, as we consider God’s Law, we can see what a gift it is. Not only does God tell us to love him and love our neighbor, but he also tells us how to do it. What’s more, he gave us Jesus, who came to fulfill the Law! Jesus showed that it really is possible to live a life pleasing to God, a life that combines faithfulness to the commandments with a radical openness to the Holy Spirit.

Thank God for the Spirit—and for his gifts of grace and mercy! Without these, we would never be able to live the way God asks us to. And while we’re at it, let’s thank God for Jesus, who shows us that fulfilling the Law is not just a matter of keeping the rules. It’s also about learning how to open ourselves to the Spirit so that we can grow closer to the Lord and receive his grace. It’s giving the Spirit a chance to change our hearts and minds, even as we try to change our actions. 

At its best, fulfilling the Law is all about being changed on the inside. We look to the Spirit to help us put off our own preferences and tendencies in order to begin to think and love as God does. What a relief to know that when we feel weak and unable to obey, the Holy Spirit is with us to help us! And what a relief to know that when we fall, our Father is right there to pick us up and help us start afresh!

So don’t let the thought of fulfilling God’s laws overwhelm you. Just take it one step at a time. And make sure that you are taking each step with the Holy Spirit!

from wau.org