Lent 3 + Midweek (Examination)
Deuteronomy 5:1-21
Do you know yourself?
Do you think you know yourself?
These are two different questions if you think about it.
The reality is that you probably believe or think you know yourself, but honestly, the picture you create in your mind is distorted. It’s a self-made image, formed through a filter of perspective, similar to the filters that enhance the photos shared on Instagram or Snapchat.
But to truly know yourself, that’s scary.
Tonight, our Lenten journey through Confession and Absolution leads us to self-examination, to learning who we are.
The idea of knowing oneself is not new; the Philosopher Aristotle wrote, “Knowing yourself is the beginning of all wisdom.”
Socrates said, “The unexamined life is not worth living.”
These philosophers believed that one could only truly know oneself through quiet contemplation of life. This means the person must be willing to set aside time to dwell in silent contemplation, examine their lives, the bad habits they have formed, the temptations leading to sin, and the specific ways they are harming their neighbor, whether actively or passively.
But you don’t enjoy silence; your lives have been conditioned to the opposite, to be constantly engaged from the moment you wake up in the morning and reach for your phone on the nightstand, until the moment you go to sleep and place the phone on the charging stand or fall asleep with it in your hands as a kind of mistress.
It’s scary, really, but these technologies within your hands know you better than you know yourself.
The Apostle Paul wrote to the Corinthians,
Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Or do you not realize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you fail to meet the test! I hope you will find out that we have not failed the test. (2 Corinthians 13:5-6)
The purpose of examination here is to discover the true nature of your character—who you are. But also, will examining your heart reveal Jesus Christ in you and guide you through this life, as St. Paul says?
And this is where the reading from Deuteronomy comes into focus: have you kept the Law of God as you ought? Have you loved the Lord your God with all your heart? What about His name? Do you set aside time each day for quiet contemplation of God’s Word and prayer? What about your parents? Do you honor them? Do you love your neighbors as yourself? Have you cheated on your spouse in thought, word, or deed? Stolen time and money from your employer? Did you permit your lips to cause division among brothers and sisters, or did you sinfully desire what has not been given to you?
The Ten Commandments serve as a mirror to your heart, reflecting and revealing who you truly are in this life.
And when you examine your heart in this way, do you see Jesus living within you?
Probably not, but this is why Jesus came, to die on the cross of Calvary for the sins that dwell within you, corrupt your life, and lead you away from Him.
Look at the cross and see what your sins have brought about.
But Jesus died for you because He loves you and wants to forgive you. However, to receive Jesus’ forgiveness, you must first examine your life and confess the darkness within.
To do this, you need to become comfortable with silence and set aside life’s distractions. Sit alone with God’s Word, walk through the Ten Commandments, and ask yourself, “Have I kept this Word of God as I should?”
Then be honest in what is revealed to you through the mirror of God’s Law and give an answer to God. No filters, no self-justifying, just confession.
Because “The unexamined and unrepentant cannot receive the life of Jesus Christ.”
As this Lenten season continues, a wonderful prayer for your use in the endeavor of knowing the corrupted nature of yourself comes from Psalm 139,
Search me, O God, and know my heart!
Try me and know my thoughts!
And see if there be any grievous way in me,
and lead me in the way everlasting! (Psalm 139:23-24)
Another suggestion is to use this evening hymn, “O Dearest Jesus, What Law Hast Thou Broken,” inspired by the meditations of the Church Fathers and intended as a meditation on the Passion of your Savior, which grants you true life.
The time has arrived for you to learn and understand who you are, because only then can you grow in the heavenly wisdom of confession and absolution.
But more, the forgiveness of Jesus makes this life worthy of receiving eternal life.
In these last weeks of Lent, it’s time to get reoriented with yourself. Set aside time to meditate and pray. Put away the distractions of life and embrace the solitude. Because in the silence of the world around you, you will hear with your ears the most wonderful news from your Savior, “I forgive you.” +INJ+
Rev. Noah J. Rogness
Pastor, Good Shepherd Lutheran Church
Tomah, WI
Good Shepherd Lutheran Church Website: www.goodsheptomah.org
The Shepherd’s Voice Podcast: https://goodsheptomah.podbean.com/
