Daily Devotion for Lent 2020 - First Sunday in Lent

Scripture Reading: Acts 3:1-26 (NRSV)

Today's reading continues with the theme that the Jewish faith as seen through Jesus will be a light unto all the nations.  We have the healing of the man who is lame.  It occurs at the gate of the temple in Jerusalem.  We see here that the power of God seems to transfer from those in charge of temple worship to these fishermen who follow a new way.

Luke mentions that it is three o'clock in the afternoon.  This is the time associated with the death of Jesus.  Luke's gospel mentions the crucifixion being between noon and three, and Mark (on which Luke bases his gospel) does relate this detail more specifically.  While this could be coincidental, we'll see a later vision in Acts occur at this same time.  I think Luke is reminding us that when Jesus died, the world changed.

After the healing, Peter begins to preach.  We assume his audience would be more receptive to his message after this display of power.  He tells of how Jesus was rejected out of their ignorance but that they now have another chance to turn and follow this new way.

Peter reminds them of their heritage and how through this heritage which now extends through Jesus, "all the families of the earth shall be blessed."

This story would remind the Jewish audience of Micah 4:6-7 which reads:

In that day, says the Lord,
    I will assemble the lame
and gather those who have been driven away,
    and those whom I have afflicted.
The lame I will make the remnant,
    and those who were cast off, a strong nation;
and the Lord will reign over them in Mount Zion
    now and forevermore.     (NRSV)

The rejection of the seemingly religious and the moving forward with the outcast is found in the parable of the great banquet in Luke 14:15-24:

One of the dinner guests, on hearing this, said to him, “Blessed is anyone who will eat bread in the kingdom of God!” Then Jesus said to him, “Someone gave a great dinner and invited many. At the time for the dinner he sent his slave to say to those who had been invited, ‘Come; for everything is ready now.’ But they all alike began to make excuses. The first said to him, ‘I have bought a piece of land, and I must go out and see it; please accept my regrets.’ Another said, ‘I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I am going to try them out; please accept my regrets.’ Another said, ‘I have just been married, and therefore I cannot come.’ So the slave returned and reported this to his master. Then the owner of the house became angry and said to his slave, ‘Go out at once into the streets and lanes of the town and bring in the poor, the crippled, the blind, and the lame.’ And the slave said, ‘Sir, what you ordered has been done, and there is still room.’ Then the master said to the slave, ‘Go out into the roads and lanes, and compel people to come in, so that my house may be filled. For I tell you, none of those who were invited will taste my dinner.’”     (NRSV)

We see this parable lived out in today's scripture reading from Acts.  The good news is available to all but not all are willing to hear it.  So it continues today.  How many times do we ignore the teachings of mercy and forgiveness that Jesus lays out clearly before us?  I would like to partake of this banquet.  I would like to rise up and leap for joy, praising God.  What stops me?

Prayer for the day:

God, we understand in theory that we are called to bless all the families of the earth.
Sometimes we tarry because we want to make sure we bless those at home first.
But we also realize that there is something separating us from them.
It may be our assumptions.
Move us to see as you see.  Lift us up to walk with you.
Remind us that three o'clock has come and the world has changed.
Amen.


Photo by Gabriela Pinto via Fickr.com.  Used under the Creative Commons license.