“He set his face to go to Jerusalem”       Luke 9:51

I think this is what the season of Lent is all about.  Turn your focus and “set your face to go” toward the work that God has designed for you.  For Jesus that work could only be completed by heading for Jerusalem.  There He would be arrested, suffer, and die to complete the sacrificial and Holy work of forgiveness and giving us the opportunity for new life.

When Jesus did this, He received a lot of opposition.  Some followers left him, and some towns would not receive him.  He was headed toward a conflict with the Roman government, and nobody wanted to be part of that battle.  This is the point when following Jesus starts to become dangerous.  When it starts to get hard some people want no part of it.  Who likes hard?

Now that we are more than halfway through Lent, has your spiritual journey become more difficult?  Maybe it should as we deepen our relationship with our savior through the practice of spiritual disciplines.  The journey of Lent can strengthen our faith as our character becomes more determined, as we “set our face” to follow where Jesus goes.

I pray that your character and Spirit is growing during this season.  I pray your faith deepens and your response to God’s grace becomes bolder.  There is a richness to following Jesus into the turmoil of our lives.  I hope you feel the power of Jesus going with you into your Jerusalem experience.

Peace,

Pastor Rafe