Reflections on God's Gift of Law--Lent Day 8 (Week 2)

Lent Day 8: Thursday February 25

Theme for the Week: God’s Gift of the Ten Commandments

Passage for the Day:

Romans 3:19-20

¹⁹ Now we know that whatever the law says, it speaks to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be silenced, and the whole world may be held accountable to God. ²⁰ For “no human being will be justified in his sight” by deeds prescribed by the law, for through the law comes the knowledge of sin.

Reflection:

In this passage we hear of what Martin Luther would later refer to as the second use of the Law. As Saint Paul writes, “through the Law comes the knowledge of sin.” What this means is that God’s Law helps us to see and understand the ways in which we have abused our relationship with God, the ways in which we have hurt ourselves or others, and the ways in which we have failed to help other people. God’s Law is a such gift to us because is shows us the ways in which we have missed the mark. The Law helps us to recognize that we are sinners and that by ourselves we are unable to stop sinning. This recognition of our sinfulness is what drives us to need and want the Gospel--the Good News that Jesus died for us. Before we can really appreciate this Good News, we need the Law to hold a mirror to our faces and show us how we have done things we should not have done and failed to do things that we should have.

Prayer Themes: Pray that God would help me to realize that, on my own, I will never be able to be the person God wants me to be. Thank God for the gift of Jesus, who willing died to save me from my own failings. Thank God that Jesus died so that I can be reconciled to God in spite of all of the things that I have done wrong.