First Lent

Luke 4: 1 – 2

Now Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, left the Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the wild. For forty wilderness days and nights he was tested by the Devil. He ate nothing during those days, and when the time was up he was hungry.

No more bargains. I’m giving up bargaining for Lent. Not the shopping-discounts or market-bazaar kind of bargaining – I’m not good at that anyway. Show me an overpriced item, and I guarantee it’s already in my shopping cart or on my shelf at home.

No, I’m talking about the kind of creator-creature bargaining that’s second nature to most of us. It comes in a wide array of styles: There’s the: “Please, Lord, help me out of this dire strait, and I promise to be more dutiful, loving, and kind.” Or the: “Lord, I was dutiful, loving, and kind; now it’s your job to me to get me out of this dire strait.” Then there’s the: “Lord, please give me a sign so I know what to do.” Followed by the: “If this is your idea of a sign, forget it. I don’t want to do what you’re asking. Please give me another sign more to my liking.”

The list goes on. And every item on it comes down to the same false premise that God is in the business of bargaining. God doesn’t bargain. God loves unconditionally. That’s what I’m trying to have sink into my head this Lent. No matter in what difficult situation we find ourselves, God loves us. No matter whether we’re sinful or holy, God loves us. No matter if we’re successes or failures, God loves us.

So let’s quit bargaining. There’s no better deal to be had. This is as good as it gets, and it is more than enough. In fact, it’s perfect.