Lenten Devotional (24) & Ecclesial Conservatism
We journey with his gifts and wisdom and the favor of our Father in heaven.
Throughout the ministry of Jesus, the Bible vividly portrays our Lord’s commitment to complete his earthly journey. Luke’s Gospel states that Jesus grew in wisdom, stature, and in the favor of God and man (Lk. 2:52). These descriptors were preparation for the itinerary Jesus would have: he would need wisdom to defend the kingdom against false teachers, stature to stand tall against false accusations, and favor before man to go from city to city without being killed and the favor of God to endure the cross. No matter the adversary or temptations, the same journey that began in our Lord’s earliest days will carry itself to completion on Golgotha’s cross.
Because He endured and completed His work, we are also called to complete our work by His strength. He who began a good work in us will complete it (Phil. 1:6), just as He finished it.
Since this is the case, God has given us the means to strengthen our journey in this world. He gives us his gifts of grace in Word, sacraments, community, prayer, and many others. We do not journey with only the clothes on our backs. Lent teaches us that in Christ, all things are given for us. We journey with his gifts and wisdom and the favor of our Father in heaven.
Prayer: O merciful Jesus, your faithfulness to the end alleviated us from carrying so great a burden in our earthly journey. Instead of misery, we live in abundant joy. Indeed, there is no greater joy than knowing you, who ministered, suffered, and died for our sakes, amen.
Hymn of the Day: My Song Is Love Unknown
Notations
It’s been a year since my interview with the American Moment. So much has changed since this interview. Little did I know how many doors were opened after my time in D.C. in 2023. The conversation with Nick Solheim focused on the role of the Church in politics and a heavy dose of Kuyperian theology. Make sure you share this episode on your favorite platform:
I argue that there is a distinction between what the Church taught dogmatically and what the Church did practically. The Church spoke clearly on matters of dogma, but the Church has not spoken definitively on matters of practice. In other words, her praxeology may differ externally, but her doctrine is always clear internally.
Sermon Shorts:
Blessed Lent,
Uriesou Brito