a rigorous self-assessment‏

Mark 10:5 “It was because your hearts were hard that Moses wrote you this law,” Jesus replied.

Read Mark 10:

As you read Mark 10 you realize that Jesus holds his followers to a higher standard than the rule of the teachers of the law. The pharisees allowed for divorce. Jesus pointed out that it was because of the hardness of their hearts that Moses permitted what was contrary to God's intention in the beginning: "That the two shall become one flesh."

Jesus invites us to look into our attitudes, our motivations, our emotions and the character of our actions. This is the purpose of the season of Lent: to make a rigorous self-assesssment of our hearts. As David cried to the Lord, "Wash me and I will be whiter than snow!" We must look into the heart and bring out the dirt.

Jesus told the rich young man he had to give up his wealth because it was strangling his spiritual life. He told his followers they would have to leave things behind so that he could bless them a hundred times now and give them eternal life in the kingdom to come. This was when they turned to take the road to Jerusalem. From here the the end is the cross. It is the end of one life and the beginning of a new life. As we see how blind and selfish we have been we give up our old self to Jesus to be mortified on the cross. Then the promise is regeneration, renewal and life.

The road ahead through the season of Lent is an uphill journey. We spend sweat and tears to give up our secret thoughts and intentions. Then at the end of our Lenten journey we cry aloud, "We are free at last" as we celebrate the Easter victory of Christ over all our foes.

One obstacle we need to overcome is our blindness to spiritual things. Jesus asked Bartimaeus,"What do you want me to do for you?" The blind man replied, "Rabboni, that I may receive my sight." We pray that we may have sight to see the things in our hearts and minds that he may touch us and make us whole. 

Amen.