In the days of his flesh, Jesus offered up prayers and supplications, with loud cries and tears, to the one who was able to save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverent submission. Although he was a Son, he learned obedience through what he suffered; and having been made perfect he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him…
Hebrews 5:7-9
At Lent we will now spend 40 days dwelling on the days that Jesus spent in the wilderness, alone and vulnerable. The wilderness was a metaphor of both his life battling sin and death and our own lives of resisting the attractions of temptation and sin. It’s good to engage in this reflection because of the way in which it focuses our attention.
February 14 begins Lent – Ash Wednesday. Forty days to think about discipleship and commitment. Lent is used in a wide variety of ways, by Jesus’ followers. Some to learn the lesson of self-denial as Jesus did in his wilderness fast. Others to think about the things in life that need to be purged or increased. Lent tightly focuses our minds and our hearts.
This year’s Lenten meditations will take their inspiration from Jesus’ teachings in Luke. It seems appropriate because of the way that Jesus lived a life of commitment and discipline – the spirit of Lent.
These daily meditations will appear every weekday (Monday through Saturday), and will skip the seven Sundays of Lent. The meditations will post, daily, at 6:00 AM, Pacific Standard Time on the LifeSpring website, beginning February 14. I hope you will join us on this 40-day journey.
Prayer: O Jesus of the Wilderness. As we begin the observance of Lent, we pray that you will journey with us. Give us strength, resolve, and insight. May we, like you, say “get behind me Satan” when we are presented with things that distract us from you. Help us to learn the meaning of following you. In Jesus’ name we pray this. Amen.