Ocean of Grace (3): FRIDAY – Rouse Yourself To This End (p17ff)

Lent book: https://www.thegoodbook.co.uk/an-ocean-of-grace

(Comments welcome) 

My jottings: 

 

Ocean of Grace (3): FRIDAY – Rouse Yourself To This End (p17ff)

 

Christian meditation is a prayerful reflection on the Scriptures. It differs from some forms of Eastern Meditation in that it is not an attempt to empty the mind but to fill it with something good. To meditate is to chew over the truth of God’s word, to ruminate on it, to inwardly digest it that it might go down into us and become part of us and do us good. We might, as it were, preach to ourselves, exhort our own souls, as the Psalmist sometimes does. We reason with ourselves. We might look out for something in our readings today which we can murmur to ourselves later in the day. It might help us to mark or highlight something we want to hang on to or to jot something down. We might try to phrase something memorably and stick it to the fridge!

 

In what ways does Luther suggest we meditate on the suffering of Christ?

Take some time to do so.

You might want to read a relevant Bible passage slowly (such as Psalm 22 or Isaiah 53 or one of the gospel accounts of the crucifixion).

 

What does the cross tell us about our sin?

If the cross was strictly necessary, as presumably it was…

 

Think of the cross as the infinite penalty your sins deserve.

 

What might your attitude have been to Jesus if you had met him in his earthly ministry?

(Think even of the actions of Jesus’ disciples when he was arrested)

Think of sin as a kind of regicide or deicide. We want to kill God our king so that we can run our lives our way for ourselves. When God shows up, human beings kill him. (Acts 2:22-24; 10:39-43)

 

What does the cross tell us about the love of God?

God gave his only begotten infinitely precious son for sinners like me and you.

 

Do you agree that “we are more sinful than we like to think and more loved than we dare to dream”?

If this is so, what difference might it make to us?

 

Do you think it’s right to fear the holy judgement of God? Indeed, in Luther’s phrase to be “terror-stricken”?

(Would it be right to fear e.g., a burning building?)

 

Do you really believe that left to yourself you deserve the judgement of God?

 

What would a right and wrong despair be for a Christian?

Why must we despair of ourselves?

Ironically, perhaps, it is this despair of saving ourselves which will lead us to hope in Christ and doing so we can be confident of God’s omnipotent love and of our salvation.

 

Of course, simply terror and despair would be a disastrous and insufficient response to the cross. How and why can we move beyond them? To what?

 

Is there anything distasteful to you which you have to do today which could prompt you to remember the infinitely greater suffering of Christ?

 

For another powerful meditation on the death of Christ from Luther see: https://www.reformation21.org/mos/1517/luther-on-christs-substitutionary-atonement

Jesus took our place on the cross and bore our sin. It is as if he became us and paid our penalty.

 

Prayer:

 

Father God, I turn from all my sin which took Christ to the cross.

Cause me to see afresh the horror of all wrong-doing and to flee from it to the arms of Jesus.

Thank you for your infinite and unmerited love for me which triumphs over judgement.

May it drive out all my fears except for holy reverence for you.  

Help me today to go Christ’s way of love and self-sacrificial service.

For his name’s sake. Amen.

 

Suggested hymn: How Deep The Father’s Love For Us https://www.stuarttownend.co.uk/song/how-deep-the-fathers-love-for-us/