God is more concerned with the trajectory of our hearts than with the ledger of our sins and good deeds
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,
Here are three ways to think about Lent.
First, when we receive a guest into our home, we prepare some room — reserving some time, space and energy to receive them.
Well, Jesus says to us: “Whoever loves me will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our dwelling with him” (John 14:23).
That’s one way to think of Lent. God — Father, Son and Holy Spirit — wants to come into our home. What time, space and energy needs to be tidied up in preparation to receive this guest?
Second, the Bible calls David “a man after the Lord’s own heart” (1 Samuel 13:14; Acts 13:22).
Of course, we know it was not always so — after all, he committed adultery and murder! But the trajectory of David’s heart was from sin to repentance.
Solomon, on the other hand, started off spectacularly — asking for wisdom when he could have asked for anything (1 Kings 3). But then, later in life, Solomon was building temples for foreign gods. The trajectory of his heart was from wisdom to folly.
The prophet Ezekiel brings this lesson to a fine point for ancient Israel: If the wicked turn and repent, none of their sins will be remembered against them; and if the righteous turn to sin, none of their good deeds will be remembered. (See Ezekiel 18: 21-24.) This raised howls of protest in ancient Israel, as it does today: “That’s not fair!”
But the point is this: The Lord is more interested in the trajectory of our heart than in our moral ledger of credits and debits. There can be no coasting for the good; there need be no despair for the sinner.
As if to drive this point home, we hear the story of the calling of Levi (Matthew) this week. Here was a tax collector — that’s just about as bad as it gets. But Jesus called him and offered him a chance to change the trajectory of his life.
So, trajectory becomes the key question for us during Lent. Not: What did I accomplish yesterday? Rather: What is the Lord asking of me today?
Third, the Lord takes us seriously — our choices, our intentions and our attitudes.
Deuteronomy 30, Psalm 1 and Isaiah 58 all tell us that the Lord sets a choice before us. If we choose to serve the Lord, then we will live in the light; if we choose to reject the Lord, then we will live in the darkness. God’s judgment ratifies our choice: He will make our external reality match our internal reality.
Matthew 6 tells us that the Lord sees the intentions of the heart. If we pray, fast and give alms in order to be seen by people, then being seen by people will be the sum total of our reward. If, however, we pray, fast and give alms solely in order to please God, then pleasing God will be our reward. God honors our intentions: As we intend, so He will give.
Joel 6 and James 1 tell us that the Lord will take our attitude seriously. If we are steady or flighty, if we are repentant or hardened, He will measure the same measure back to us.
Wouldn’t it be nice to have 40 days to prepare the trajectory of our hearts and to prepare our choices, intentions and attitudes to receive so great a guest at Easter?
Welcome to Lent!
