Wednesday, March 5, 2014
Ash Wednesday
Psalm 51:3 For I know my transgressions, and my sin is always before me.
IT'S MY FAULT
"It's my fault." Those are hard words to say. They are even harder words to say and really mean them. When Adam and Eve first disobeyed God in the Garden of Eden, they could not bear even to think that they were responsible. Adam tried to blame his wife for leading him into sin. Eve tried to blame the serpent for deceiving her. Neither of them were willing to admit that they were the ones ultimately responsible for acting contrary to God's will.
We can understand Adam and Eve's reaction because ours so often mirrors it. When we have done wrong, how often don't we find ourselves blaming someone else (even if only in our minds)! God's word, however, makes us see that our sin is our fault. When confronted by that word, even the great King David admitted his faults saying, "I know my transgressions, and my sin is always before me."
We become especially mindful of our guilt as we see the Lord steadily approach His cross of agony. He is going there to suffer because this is finally where our transgressions lead. They lead to death -- to His death -- for now He will be called upon to pay the price for what we have done.
For every terrible thing that happens to Jesus in the course of His passion, we would do well to admit, "It's my fault." We would also do well to say, "Thank you, Jesus, for enduring such bitter agony in my place."
Yet, O Lord, not thus alone
Make me see Thy Passion,
But its cause to me make known
And its termination.
Ah! I also and my sin
Wrought Thy deep affliction;
This indeed the cause hath been
Of Thy crucifixion.
(The Lutheran Hymnal, 140:3)
