Be Reconciled

Be Reconciled

Friday of the First Week of Lent

Do I indeed derive any pleasure from the death of the wicked? says the Lord GOD. Do I not rather rejoice when he turns from his evil way that he may live? Ezekiel 18:23

Therefore, if you bring your gift to the altar, and there recall that your brother has anything against you, leave your gift there at the altar, go first and be reconciled with your brother, and then come and offer your gift. Matthew 5:23-24

Piety

Father, give us a new heart and a new spirit this Lenten season so that we might return to you with clear eyes and with joyful love in our hearts.

Study

Let us return to return.  Recall those words from Ash Wednesday as the horizontal and vertical limbs of the cross marked your forehead. "Remember that you are dust, and to dust, you shall return."

Lent is about returning and today we get another reminder about just that.  Jesus does not reject the gift brought to the altar. However, he does put some conditions on it like being in a right relationship with our neighbor. Once we patch up any flaws in our relationships, Jesus welcomes us to return to the altar and make that gift with a clear heart and a clear mind and a clear conscience.

As Coach would say, “Clear eyes!  Strong Heart!  Can’t lose!”  In the movie version of Friday Night Lights, the original team coach, Coach Gaines, delivers the following speech:

"Being perfect is not about that scoreboard out there, it's not about winning.  It's about you, and your relationship to your family, yourself, and your friends.  Being perfect is about being able to look your friends in the eye, and know that you didn't let them down because you told them the truth.  And that truth is that you did everything you could - there wasn't one more thing you could have done.  Can you live in that moment?  As best you can, with clear eyes, and love in your heart.  With joy in your heart.  If you can do that, then you're perfect."

The prophet Ezekiel had another way to refer to such conditions:  We will be judged according to our own behavior – with a new heart and a new spirit.

Therefore, I will judge you, house of Israel, all of you according to your ways—oracle of the Lord GOD. Turn, turn back from all your crimes, that they may not be a cause of sin for you ever again. Cast away from you all the crimes you have committed, and make for yourselves a new heart and a new spirit. Why should you die, house of Israel? For I find no pleasure in the death of anyone who dies—oracle of the Lord GOD. Turn back and live!  EZ 18:30-32

Action

How can you use the weeks of Lent to focus on you and repairing any breaches in your relationships with your family, your friends, and your God? “Can you live for that moment?  Can you live in that moment?”