Wooden cross in the Good Shepherd Chapel

Day

13

Broken & Restored

Lent 2018

Moreover, the light of the moon will be as the light of the sun, and the light of the sun will be sevenfold, as the light of seven days, in the day when the Lord binds up the brokenness of his people, and heals the wounds inflicted by his blow.

Isaiah 30:26

Now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. For he himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility by abolishing the law of commandments expressed in ordinances, that he might create in himself one new man in place of the two, so making peace, and might reconcile us both to God in one body through the cross, thereby killing the hostility.

Ephesians 2:13-16


Is there anything in this world that isn't broken? Our cars break. Our appliances break. Our electronic devices break. Our health breaks. The list is endless. However, the brokenness that bores to the core of our soul is our own brokenness, which often results in broken relationships. In fact, just reading this devotion may be like pulling off a bandage, reopening a wound that hasn’t yet healed.

We are broken, yet we often deny it. We tend always to blame another person for our brokenness. Broken people lead to broken relationships. Broken relationships often lead one or both of the parties involved simply to leave the relationship.

Broken relationships often result in bitterness. Is there anything in this world that isn’t broken? Is there anything in my life that isn’t broken? I hate the brokenness!

God hates brokenness even more than you. But he did something about it. Jesus took not only our sin upon himself, but he took your brokenness, my brokenness, the brokenness of the world. On the cross, he bore the brokenness of the world for you, for me.

He didn't see our brokenness and abandon us, leaving us in a broken relationship with him. Rather, the Holy One himself, Jesus, was broken (crucified) and abandoned (forsaken) by his Father, so that we could be healed and wholly restored.

In Christ Jesus on the cross, our broken relationship with God is restored, resulting in our ability to bear all things in love and work on restoring our broken relationships.

“Love bears all things.” This is never more true than on the cross where the Holy One is broken, and we are wholly restored.

Rev. Tim Detviler '92
Orange Lutheran High School

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