March 15—third Sunday in Lent
“Claim the Cross: Freedom”
“May I never boast in anything except the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by which the world is crucified to me, and I to the world.” Galatians 6:14
Prayer:
Lord Jesus, I believe you died to set me free, not only in the future, but here and now. And Lord, I am going to trust you to keep me from falling into the snares or yielding to sin. I turn this poor, weak, foolish heart over to you and I believe you accept that which I present. I trust you utterly, I am yours. Amen.
Scripture readings:
Sunday: Galatians 6:14-16
Monday: Isaiah 52:13-53:12
Tuesday: Psalm 102:18-22
Wednesday: Luke 4:16-21
Thursday: Isaiah 58:6-14
Friday: 1 Corinthians 1:18-25
Saturday: Philippians 3:18-20
Hear my prayer, O Lord, those I offer for myself and for others.
_________________________, __________________________, _________________________, __________________________, _________________________, __________________________,
Lord of all, may we honor you by remembering the great deeds of compassion through which you have released us from the weight of our sin and strengthened us to bless you with our whole being. Amen.
Reflection:
Jesus taught, “whoever does not take up the cross and follow me is not worthy of me. Those who find their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake will find it.” (Mt 10: 37-38). Jesus is using the cross that is an instrument of death as a symbol of total commitment to him. Jesus’ death on a cross then becomes a symbol of God’s love and commitment to us.
In his letter to the Galatians, Paul had written, “I have been crucified with, and it is no longer I who live, but it is Christ who lives in me.” (Gal 2:19b-20). The Apostle Paul said that he will boast in the cross of Jesus by which the world has been crucified to him and he to the world. Paul claims that this leads to a new creation. In Second Corinthians, Paul wrote, “So if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation: everything old has passed away; see, everything has become new!’ (2 Co 5:17). Through faith in Jesus Christ a person undergoes a transformation that results in a new being, a follower of Jesus Christ, Son of God.
So, what does a life that has been crucified to the world look like? Paul is very clear in this letter that those who belong to Christ are led by the Spirit. To live by the Spirit is to no longer seek to satisfy one’s selfish desires. Paul provides a list of self-seeking desires that will separate us from God and from our fellow Christians. (Gal 5”19-21). It is impossible for anyone to read this list and not say, “Ouch, I have done that.”
“By contrast, the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.” (Gal 5:22-23). These are the marks of the new creation in Christ. Let us also boast in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ. Let us proclaim that we are part of God’s new creation in Jesus Christ.
- Jim Veach