Christian Reflection and Prayer

Scared and cold
first night on the streets
Your body hurts
from your head to your feet

You miss school,
not the work---it's the friends
Thinking what you'll say
when they ask
where you've been

Gotta dollar-fifty,
every penny gotta spend
Make a wrong move...Boom-
your life comes to an end.

      Daniel, 16
      a kid on the street

(from Sometimes God has a Kids Face)

Lenten Devotion

"So the Pharisees said to one another, 'You see that you are
gaining nothing. Look, the whole world has gone after Him'"
(John 12:19).

Read John 12:12-19.

The great Festival of Passover is near. Huge crowds make their
way across the countryside toward Jerusalem, and our Lord
Jesus enters Jerusalem in triumph, riding on a donkey.

The Pharisees throw up their hands in fear and frustration. They
say to each other "You see that you are gaining nothing." The
situation is totally out of control. But again they will not stop to
consider Jesus' claims. They only react in frustration and fear
of what Jesus might do with the huge Passover crowds
gathering around Him in Jerusalem.

It is fascinating to compare their reaction to that of the crowds.
The crowds cry out to Jesus, "Hosanna," which means "help"
or "save." And they are right. The Lord Jesus is the mighty
Son of God, who has come to battle Satan, sin, death and hell.
He alone can save us from our bitter enemies.

As we begin this week of Jesus' suffering and death for our sins,
we notice He is completely in control. We will notice He is in
control through this entire week-clear up to and including His
arrest, trials and crucifixion.

That's important to remember when we look at our own lives.
Often we are as fearful and frustrated as the Pharisees,
realizing situations in our lives are totally out of control. We
can throw up our hands like the Pharisees, or call upon Jesus
as the crowds do, remembering that Jesus is still in control,
sitting at the right hand of the Father and guiding all things for
our good.

THE PRAYER:

Lord, please help and save us, especially when circumstances
are at their worst and totally out of our control. Remind us that
they are never beyond Your control. Amen.

Written by Rev. Wayne Palmer

"Anointed for Burial

Lenten Devotion

"Jesus said, 'Leave her alone, so that she may keep it for the
day of My burial. For the poor you always have with you, but
you do not always have Me'" (John 12:7-8).

Read John 12:1-8.

Mary is very grateful to Jesus. She has heard His wonderful
words and received her brother Lazarus back from death. As
her family gathers around the table with Jesus and His
disciples for dinner, she pours an expensive ointment over
Jesus' feet and wipes it with her hair.

Her generosity should be an inspiration for Jesus' disciples.
But it only stirs the darkness in Judas. He complains how the
ointment was worth nearly a year's wages and that the money
should have gone to the poor instead. But Jesus stands up in
her defense. He boldly commands Judas to leave her alone.
She has done this to honor Him, and the scent of that perfume
will linger on His body throughout His trials, crucifixion and
burial in the coming days.

Do we have Mary's tremendous sense of gratitude and love for
our Lord? Do we really appreciate what He has done for us,
what He has given to us, and the promise of a glorious future
because of Him?

How striking to compare Mary's devotion with that of Judas-who
has replaced his devotion to Jesus with a love for money. For,
as John tells us, Judas had no intention of helping the poor with
that money. He only wanted to get his hands on it-as he had
stolen money from the disciples' moneybag many times before.
Sadly, in the next few days he will do far worse for a much
smaller amount of money.

THE PRAYER:

Holy Spirit, stir up in my heart true love, gratitude and
appreciation for all Jesus has done for me. I pray in Jesus'
Name. Amen.