A Lenten Devotion for Saturday, March 29
- ontrakk
- Mar 29, 2025
- 1 min read
Mark 15:32
“Let this Messiah, this king of Israel, come down now from the cross, that we may see and believe.” Those crucified with him also heaped insults on him.
It is hard to know how to learn more from this foul behavior. I was blessed as a child to have friends, and was not bullied or picked on to any degree that I even remember. But I was never right in the middle of the popular action, either. There were things from which I was excluded. I remember how much it hurt to be left out. And this is the mildest form of insult! Look at what Jesus endured! Being ignored or left out would have been a huge improvement. Jesus models the most unbelievable grace and forgiveness we will ever see. And he does it while suffering extreme physical pain. So much love.
Holy Lord, show me what I can learn from this awful behavior and all of this pain. I will start with forgiving whenever I can. Mold my heart to be more like Jesus, I ask in His name. Amen
Becky, transforming
Pic by Anthony
Mark 15:32
My guess is that if Jesus had done what they wanted, they still would not have believed. They were a mob out of control. They just kept finding more and more ways to abuse him both mentally and physically. The lesson of Forgiveness here is so hard to imagine. Hard, but something we should always strive for.
Prayer: Gracious God, help me believe I can forgive and forget as you want me to. AMEN
Mark 15:32
The mocking of our Savior was ceaseless, yet He forgave. I was walking from one class to another in college - this is 48 years ago - and I can still hear the condescending voice, dripping with contempt, coming from a window of one of the residence halls calling me “a faggot.” This forever unknown person (both him to me and me to him) found that my being the drum major of the marching band defined me as a certain kind of person. I did not reply, but I also did not think to myself, “Forgive him, Father.” Yet in circumstances incalculably worse, Jesus did just that. There is likely a lesson for me in that. Perhaps genuine…
Saturday, March 29th, 2025 ( 22nd day of lent)
Mark 15:32
Let the Christ, the King of Israel, come down now from the cross that we may see and believe.” Those who were crucified with him also reviled him.
Jesus was completely capable of saving himself – but then he couldn’t have saved us. So he willingly chose to endure the mocking shame and humiliation.. He had submitted Himself to the will of the Father and to the work of the cross, so he never responded ,and because He did, we can be sure that we can be forgiven and set free from sin. He willingly chose to suffer and die so that we could be saved. Jesus didn’t just…