Evangelical Lutheran Diocese of North America

Monday after Laetare Sunday

Posted on March 28, 2022 by Pastor Dulas under Devotions
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Scripture: St. John 11:45-57 (NKJV)
 
11:45 Then many of the Jews who had come to Mary, and had seen the things Jesus did, believed in Him. 46 But some of them went away to the Pharisees and told them the things Jesus did. 47 Then the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered a council and said, “What shall we do? For this Man works many signs. 48 If we let Him alone like this, everyone will believe in Him, and the Romans will come and take away both our place and nation.”
 
49 And one of them, Caiaphas, being high priest that year, said to them, “You know nothing at all, 50 nor do you consider that it is expedient for us that one man should die for the people, and not that the whole nation should perish.” 51 Now this he did not say on his own authority; but being high priest that year he prophesied that Jesus would die for the nation, 52 and not for that nation only, but also that He would gather together in one the children of God who were scattered abroad.
 
53 Then, from that day on, they plotted to put Him to death. 54 Therefore Jesus no longer walked openly among the Jews, but went from there into the country near the wilderness, to a city called Ephraim, and there remained with His disciples.
 
55 And the Passover of the Jews was near, and many went from the country up to Jerusalem before the Passover, to purify themselves. 56 Then they sought Jesus, and spoke among themselves as they stood in the temple, “What do you think—that He will not come to the feast?” 57 Now both the chief priests and the Pharisees had given a command, that if anyone knew where He was, he should report it, that they might seize Him.
 
Devotion
 
“If we let Him alone like this, everyone will believe in Him, and the Romans will come and take away both our place and nation.”
 
Believing in Jesus can be inconvenient. In Jesus’ day, many in Israel not only could not bear the changes that would be required in their lives were they to follow Jesus. They trembled at the thought of how their lives would change if other people believed in Him too. We may well see parallels in our “culture wars” today.
 
The real issue for such people is that they feared, loved, and trusted in something else more than God. Their “nation,” and particularly their place in the social order, mattered more to them than the Messiah for which they had supposedly been waiting for centuries.
 
What is it in your life that you are tempted to fear, love, and/or trust more than God? We must thus ever examine ourselves, as these allurements continually sneak into the lives of us all. God grant us grace and courage to be honest with ourselves, and to repent of our many sins. And God grant us faith to trust in the forgiveness that our Lord suffered and died to give us.
 
Prayer: Grant, we beseech Thee, Almighty God, that we, who for our evil deeds do worthily deserve to be punished, by the comfort of Thy grace may mercifully be relieved; through Jesus Christ, Thy Son, our Lord, Who liveth and reigneth with Thee and the Holy Ghost, ever One God, world without end. Amen.
 
Collect for the Season of Lent
Almighty and Everlasting God, Who hatest nothing that Thou hast made, and dost forgive the sins of all those who are penitent: Create and make in us new and contrite hearts, that we, worthily lamenting our sins, and acknowledging our wretchedness, may obtain of Thee, the God of all mercy, perfect remission and forgiveness; through Jesus Christ, Thy Son, our Lord, Who liveth and reigneth with the Thee and the Holy Ghost, ever One God, world without end. Amen.
 
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

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