For every day during Lent, Bishop Edward Malesic writes a scripture reflection for the faithful. Follow the bishop on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
Click HERE for the readings.
In the Book of Deuteronomy, Moses gave the Law to the people and said, “I have set before you life and death, the blessing and the curse. Choose life, then, that you and your descendants may live, by loving the LORD, your God.” Moses makes it clear that life comes when we follow God’s Commandments. He says that death is the result of rejecting God’s guidance and forging our own path, following our own guidance and the commandments we chose to make.
When we follow God’s laws, God’s guidance, God’s plan for us — we are filled with life, including hope, joy, love, etc. When we go our own way, making up our own rules as we go along, we find ourselves lost, depressed, angry, etc. I often think of God as the one who wrote the instruction manual for the human race. It’s best if we use his guidebook. Jesus is the guidebook in the flesh – the Law of God lived out.
Ultimately, Jesus makes it clear that it is when we submit ourselves to God we save our lives. He says it this way:
“If anyone wishes to come after me, he must deny himself
and take up his cross daily and follow me.
For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it,
but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it.
What profit is there for one to gain the whole world
yet lose or forfeit himself?”
To save our lives we must follow the savior, not ourselves or anyone else.