Lenten Reflection – Part 4

by DanWolgemuth on March 22, 2024

Blame. The currency of exchange in political transactions.

Perhaps you’ve noticed.

Vision takes a backseat to blame. Whether it’s political ads, stump speeches, opinion columns… or just the pervasive attitude of the day. But don’t be confused, blame is not an invention of cable news, or social media, or a two-party system.

We can trace the roots of blame to Genesis 3. To the Garden of Eden…

The man said, “The woman whom you gave to be with me, she gave me fruit of the tree, and I ate.” Then the LORD God said to the woman, “What is this that you have done?” The woman said, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate.”

The woman.
The serpent.

Blame.

The shift of responsibility. The delegation of consequence.

A burden too damning to carry, shifted to the shoulders of others.

From the beginning. The problem.

From the beginning. A solution.

And Aaron shall lay both his hands on the head of the live goat, and confess over it all the iniquities of the people of Israel, and all their transgressions, all their sins. And he shall put them on the head of the goat and send it away into the wilderness by the hand of a man who is in readiness. The goat shall bear all their iniquities on itself to a remote area, and he shall let the goat go free in the wilderness. (Leviticus 16:21–22)

The cosmic shift of guilt. Iniquities transferred. A scapegoat.

A precursor to the ultimate solution. A prophetic description by Isaiah.

“All we like sheep have gone astray;
                        we have turned—every one—to his own way;
           and the LORD has laid on him
                         the iniquity of us all.”

The burden. Our sin. His shoulders.

Our guilt. His cross.

Our only “boast”, the cross of Christ. (Galatians 6:14)

Our only hope, His grace.

Sins carried. Justice satisfied. Without a goat.

By Jesus. “The iniquity of us all…”

Confession accomplishes what Aaron practiced. His hands on the head of a goat… our honest admission on the head of our Lord.

Blame shifted. Atonement made. Forgiveness extended.

The Lenten journey continues. Humbling gratitude extended to the God who redeems His creation.

Us.

Me.

Oh, what a Savior.

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Lenten Reflection – Part 3

by DanWolgemuth on March 8, 2024

One of the criminals who were hanged railed at him, saying, “Are you not the Christ? Save yourself and us!” But the other rebuked him, saying, “Do you not fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? …for we are receiving the due reward of our deeds; but this man has done nothing wrong.” And he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” And he said to him, “Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in paradise.” (Luke 23:39–43, ESV)

I’ve often heard people comment on the surprise that the announcement of the resurrection of Jesus was first communicated to women. In a male-dominated and “women-dismissing” culture, God chose women to be the first witnesses to the resurrection of Christ. A mind bender, and an equally enlightening strategy. The protocol of Jesus grates against the norms of power.

But before we arrive at an empty tomb, we have a gruesome cross. And it’s while Jesus is on the cross that we see a declaration of faith that is easy to overlook. The first clear crucifixion-informed declaration.

While a collection of family and close friends were witnessing the injustice of the execution of Christ, “a criminal” made a profession of faith. While the two men were gasping for air, while they were pressing through the final moments of excruciating pain, a nameless criminal confessed that Jesus was King. Without having witnessed three years of miracles, a criminal acknowledged that Jesus was on His way to His kingdom. The Kingdom.

At the moment when the faith of others was crumbling, a criminal verbalized his confidence in the power and position of Jesus. He went first.

“Jesus, remember me…”

What a declaration of faith. Pragmatic, for sure. But rooted in a confidence that the cross wasn’t the end for Jesus. Instead, it was a torturous gateway to paradise. A paradise that the confessing criminal wanted to experience.

“…we are receiving the due reward of our deeds; but this man has done nothing wrong.”

Judgment deserved and acknowledged. A miscarriage of justice, defined.

Faith on the cross. Faith while watching Jesus die. Faith in real time.

While others mocked and taunted, while others recoiled and lamented… a criminal pressed forward in faith. In hope.

“Remember me, when…”

Not if, but when.

A criminal on a cross got it. And yes, his request was granted. Likely the first saint to enter paradise after the death of Jesus. He entered forgiven. He entered as a free man.

This shortens my list of excuses. My reasons for doubt. My fragile faith. “A criminal” shows the way to hope. He moved toward confidence, even while Jesus was on the cross.

Yes, the women as witnesses, and yes, a criminal as a confessor of faith.

The strategy of Jesus presses against every norm of power. Then, and now. The Good News is the best news to those who are outcast. To the brokenhearted. To those on the margins.

Still in the classroom. Still amazed.

Remember me…

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Lenten Reflection – Part 2

March 4, 2024

Pilate addressed them once more, desiring to release Jesus, but they kept shouting, “Crucify, crucify him!” A third time he said to them, “Why? What evil has he done? I have found in him no guilt deserving death. I will therefore punish and release him.” But they were urgent, demanding with loud cries that he […]

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A Lenten Reflection – Part 1

February 23, 2024

Wednesday night I poured over the journal in front of me as I engaged for an hour at the “Biblical Stations of the Cross” at our church. Each Wednesday for four weeks. Fourteen stations. Fourteen reflections and passages of scripture. I’m not sure why this is something new to me. Something unexplored in my evangelical […]

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Grand Baking

February 9, 2024

In the fall of 2020 I took a Zoom bread baking class with my daughter, Alli. Our instructor was Sara Ward, from her austere kitchen at Hen Corner in West London. One class led to two, and then three… and then I was hooked. Now, I would consider bread baking my favorite hobby. I have […]

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In the Middle of the Ashes

February 6, 2024

The call flashed on an iPhone screen. A recognized name, at an unexpected time. A neighbor, and a reliable source. Questions rushed as voices connected. “Your house is on fire, and I’ve called 911.” A house that had been a renovation project for the last three years. An investment of time, money, sweat, and dreams. […]

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Casa Bonita… again!

January 19, 2024

It was March 25, 1974, when Bill Waugh opened the doors to Denver’s Casa Bonita for the first time. Waugh had opened several restaurant locations, but his Lakewood, Colorado location would become legendary. I remember hearing about it for the first time from family members who were in awe of the meal and cliff diving […]

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“And why are you anxious about clothing?”

January 12, 2024

A new year. Fresh starts. And yes, more courageous evaluations of current priorities. In fact, we generally start a new year with what Mary calls, The Purge. This is where we freeze, gift, or discard any remaining food items that no longer fit into our “get thinner, get fit” New Year’s plan. What I’ve discovered […]

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More than a drill…

January 5, 2024

Baby boomers will remember. I certainly do. As I suppose this current generation will as well. Specifically, I’m speaking of the “drills” that took, and take place in school classrooms around the country. Frankly, these drills provide a slit through which I can catch a glimpse into our culture, history and current events. In the […]

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Best Supporting Role – Luke 1 Continued

December 22, 2023

During the month I’ve spent a great deal of time considering the vital role of Zachariah and Mary to the birth narrative of Jesus. Their historic position in the story is a foundational building block to the efficacy of our redemption position.  And now, as we move toward Luke 2, I am focused on omission, […]

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