Bloghardt's Reflector

“If now I seek the forgiveness of sins, I do not run to the cross, for I will not find it given there… But I will find in the sacrament or Gospel the word which distributes, presents, offers, and gives to me that forgiveness which was won on the Cross.” (AE 40, 214)

Joel 2:12-19 – Ash Wednesday 2008

So, there is no room for stealing and not returning. There is no room for repenting of some, but not all your sins. You don't get to choose what you listen to and what you don't.

There is either complete repentance or not repentance at all. No sin left out there not confessed.

True repentance. Real repentance – fasting, weeping, and mourning. Be saddened by your sins. Mourn them. No pointing to yourself and how sorry you are. Genuine repentance.

This is not an act. Not a game. Don't play sorry. Rend your heart. Tear it out as if you need a new one. 'Cause you do.

Your heart leads you astray. Your feelings are twisted by your sins. Your conscience is off kilter – excusing and justifying the things you do before God.

Evil. We think that we are basically good and other people are the problem. No, we are evil. We use God's grace as license to sin – as permission. We sin, to get forgiveness later. It's easier to get forgiveness than permission. Evidently, we are banking on God is going to work in us to repentance afterwards. Do you really think He's going to? Really.

Disgusting. We are the ones that do the things that scare us, that we look at ourselves afterwards stunned that we actually did that sin.

As St. Paul says, “The good we want to do we don't do. The things that we hate, we do.”

Repent. Turn. Don't wait. Do it now. Return to the Jesus today. Fix your eyes on Him. Now. Turn from your sins.

And lest you think this is all about you – here's the bomb: Turn to the Lord because He has turn to you first.

That's the marvelous Gospel of the Prophet Joel. Joel calls us to repentance not for fear of hell, but because the Lord has turned toward us!

Return to the Lord – He's gracious. He's merciful. He's slow to anger. He repents of doing harm to us.

Ash Wednesday repentance begins and ends with God the Father sending His Son. It begins with God not destroying us, not punishing us, not treating us as our sins deserve.

The Lord repents. It's inconceivable. We don't normally think of God turning or repenting. But, Joel says He does. The old English of the King James gets it right, “God returns and repents” from doing us harm.

We deserve harm and punishment. We deserve hell. But He doesn't do us harm. God who cannot change, turns a different direction.

And His justice? The wages of your sins, the death you deserve, is paid for by His Son – the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.

Seized as a thief. Treated like a criminal. Mocked. Stricken. Smitten. Afflicted. Bruised. Beaten. Punished. Stripped. Abandoned by God. Thirsty and then dead.

Jesus for you. Jesus for me. Jesus in your place. So that you wouldn't be treated as a criminal by God. God would never mocked us or make fun of us.

Stricken. Smitten. Afflicted. Jesus instead in you. So God wouldn't bruise you. Beat you. Punish you and take everything from you – even your clothes.

You will never thirst for God's mercy and grace. And in Christ, so that you would never be abandoned and you will never die.

Dear Saints of God, what God demands of you on Ash Wednesday, He first does. He turns. He repents of doing you harm. He launches all His wrath not at you, but at His Son. And in doing so, saves you and me from our sins.

And if you want to go about life on your own without Him, then go ahead and do so. Step aside from your Baptism, step aside from His Word, run from the Sacrament of the Altar. Deny His turning to save you. He doesn't force anyone to repent.

But, on your own, away from the shelter of the Son of God, there is only death – for dust you are and dust you shall return.

But, God because of His mercy and loving kindness, return to the Lord. Turn to Him. “Who knows,” says Joel, “Maybe He will turn and repent, And leave a blessing behind Him -- A grain offering and a drink offering For the LORD your God?”

We know! We have seen. We have tasted His salvation. He blesses. Then the LORD will be zealous for His land, And pity His people.

Lent has come. The Fast has begun. Set aside your Alleluias. Put on your sack cloth. Repent. Turn to the Lord.

God turns and repents of doing you harm. Instead, He does harm to His Son. And so watch the Lord winning salvation for you – Jesus is going to Jerusalem, then the Cross - For you. For me.

“So rend your heart, and not your garments; Return to the LORD your God, For He is gracious and merciful, Slow to anger, and of great kindness; And He repents from doing harm.” In the Name of Jesus. Amen.