This Lent we follow Jesus as he faces evil in the hours before his death. What is evil? Who is doing evil against Jesus during Passion Week? What are ways in which we are complicit in evil? Do we take evil seriously? As we experience evil in our own lives, discover how Jesus stands in the face of evil.
Invocation
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, who delivers us from all evil.
Invitation Prayer
Lord Jesus, you suffered evil at the hands of the religious establishment. Priests accused you of blasphemy. In their trial Lord, you know the power of the evil foe. You endured his temptation in the wilderness for 40 days. Answer our prayer to “lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.” Keep us from the devil and his schemes. Guard us from the fiery arrows of satan. Grant us life by the power of our victorious King, Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.
Word
Luke 22:1-2
“Now the Feast of Unleavened Bread drew near, which is called the Passover. And the chief priests and scribes were seeking how to put [Jesus] to death … ”
Meditation: Evil in Disguise by Jo Saleska Lange
I can’t help but notice the irony in these first two sentences of Luke 22. Amid one of the most sacred celebrations of the Jewish religion, a celebration which commemorates God’s faithfulness, a group devout Jewish leaders are plotting to murder an innocent man. The chief priests and scribes who were behind Jesus’s execution had devoted their entire lives to studying holy scripture; they knew, revered, and loved the God of the Old Testament. How, then, could they celebrate Passover and simultaneously justify murder? And how could they be so blind to Christ?
As modern readers reflecting on a moment in history, it’s easy to see that Satan used the Jewish leaders’ pride and selfish desires to lead them astray. But, I doubt these leaders even considered the possibility that they were committing evil. On the contrary, I think they probably viewed Jesus’ execution as a righteous and Godly act. As Paul writes in 2 Corinthians 11:14, “Satan masquerades himself as an angel of light,” and the Jewish leaders saw Jesus as a blasphemer, a threat to their religious traditions, and a friend to sinners. A man like that couldn’t be the messiah.
In this season of Lent, the opening verses of Luke 22 have moved me to consider questions that maybe you’ll consider, too: When have I been like the chief priests and scribes? That is, when have I been so devoted to religious piety or tradition that I’ve failed to experience Christ and the power of the Gospel? More generally, when have I been blind to my sin because Satan has told me that my actions are good and righteous?
Wrestling with these questions has been uncomfortable because they’ve forced me to acknowledge the extreme depth of my sin: that I commit evil even when I believe my actions are in-step with God.
Yet thanks to Jesus, even sins disguised as righteousness are not unforgivable. As we grieve through Lent, we also look forward to Easter with the knowledge that Christ has already died and risen again—that through him, our long records of sin have been wiped clean.
Dear God, during this season of Lent, reveal to us those sins which we’ve justified in your holy name, and help us to repent of them. Remind us also of your boundless mercy and unending grace as we look forward to Easter. Amen.
Sending
In the face of evil, may the God of all hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. Amen.