Daily Readings for Lent
Thursday April 3, 2025
Confession:
Psalm 38:21–22
Do not forsake me, O Yahweh.
O my God, do not be far from me.
Hurry to help me,
O Lord, my salvation.
Reading:
Mark 12:28–37
And one of the scribes came up and heard them debating. When he saw that he answered them well, he asked him, “Which commandment is the most important of all?” Jesus answered, “The most important is, ‘Listen, Israel! The Lord our God, the Lord is one. And you shall love the Lord your God from your whole heart and from your whole soul and from your whole mind and from your whole strength.’ The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.” And the scribe said to him, “That is true, Teacher. You have said correctly that he is one and there is no other except him. And to love him from your whole heart and from your whole understanding and from your whole strength, and to love your neighbor as yourself, is much more than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices.” And Jesus, when he saw that he had answered thoughtfully, said to him, “You are not far from the kingdom of God.” And no one dared to put a question to him any longer.
And continuing, Jesus said while teaching in the temple courts, “How can the scribes say that the Christ is David’s son? David himself said by the Holy Spirit,
‘The Lord said to my Lord,
“Sit at my right hand,
until I put your enemies
under your feet.” ’
David himself calls him ‘Lord,’ and how is he his son?” And the large crowd was listening to him gladly.
Reflection
Love for God is the first and greatest commandment and the next is love towards our neighbor. The Lord taught that the entire law and the prophets hang upon these two commandments. He did not Himself bring down [from heaven] any other commandment greater than this one, but renewed this very same one to His disciples when He enjoined them to love God with all their heart and others as themselves.
Paul, in like manner, declares that “love is the fulfilling of the law.” (Rom 13:10 nrsv) And [he declares] that when all other things have been destroyed, “faith, hope, and love abide, these three; and the greatest of these is love” (1 Cor 13:13 nrsv). Apart from the love of God, knowledge avails nothing—nor the understanding of mysteries, nor faith, nor prophecy.… For we do never cease from loving God; but in proportion as we continue to contemplate Him, so much the more do we love Him.”
—Irenaeus of Lyons
Response
In Mark 12:28–37, Jesus references two commandments given to the Israelites immediately following the Ten Commandments of Deuteronomy 5. How does the commandment to love the Lord your God with all your heart sum up the other Ten Commandments? Does your life demonstrate this love?
Wednesday April 2, 2025
Confession: Psalm 38:16–20
For I said, “Help, lest they rejoice over me,
lest they boast against me when my foot slips.”
For I am ready to stumble,
and my pain is before me continually.
For my iniquity I confess;
I am anxious because of my sin.
And my enemies without cause are numerous,
and those who hate me wrongfully are many.
And those who repay evil in return for good
accuse me in return for my pursuing good.
Reading: Mark 12:18–27
And Sadducees—who say there is no resurrection—came up to him and began to ask him, saying, “Teacher, Moses wrote for us that if someone’s brother dies and he leaves behind a wife and does not leave a child, that his brother should take the wife and father descendants for his brother. There were seven brothers, and the first took a wife. And when he died, he did not leave descendants. And the second took her, and he died without leaving descendants. And the third likewise. And the seven did not leave descendants. Last of all the woman also died. In the resurrection, when they rise, whose wife will she be? For the seven had her as wife.” Jesus said to them, “Are you not deceived because of this, because you do not know the scriptures or the power of God? For when they rise from the dead, they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels in heaven. Now concerning the dead, that they are raised, have you not read in the book of Moses in the passage about the bush how God spoke to him, saying, ‘I am the God of Abraham and the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob’? He is not God of the dead, but of the living. You are very much mistaken!”
Reflection
“Christ’s loved ones are despised and hated, “of whom the world was not worthy, wandering about on deserts and mountains, and in caves and holes in the ground” (Heb 11:38). They have to put up with all kinds of contempt; that’s what Christ’s people have to endure here. And we’ll have to bless God for it all. It keeps us from linking ourselves with this world, from settling all our hopes and desires upon it.
If we are to serve Christ and to reach heaven, we must sail right against the world and its way. It’s an old saying that a dead fish always swims with the current, and we can always tell the living fish when we see it swimming against the current. In like manner, if you are dead, you will very likely be sailing smoothly enough with this world and very well satisfied with yourself. If you are alive in Jesus Christ, you will be struggling against the world, its sins, and its temptations. And you will be seeking to win souls for Christ, regardless of the world’s scoffs, sneers, and frowns.”
—DWIGHT L. MOODY
Response
It is tempting and often convenient to create a framework within the gospel that is not supported by Scripture, as the Sadduccees did in Mark 12:18–27. Have you taken the focus off what is truly important in any areas of doctrine? How can you center your focus back on Christ?
Tuesday April 1, 2025
Confession: Psalm 38:10–15
My heart throbs violently, my strength leaves me;
and the light of my eyes, that also is not with me.
My friends and companions stand aloof from my affliction,
and my relatives stand afar off.
Those who seek my life lay snares as well,
and those intent on my harm speak threats.
They also plot deceit all day.
But as for me, like the deaf I cannot hear,
and I am like the mute who cannot open his mouth.
And so I am like a man who hears not,
and in whose mouth there are no retorts.
Rather for you I wait, O Yahweh.
You will answer, O Lord my God.
Reading: Mark 12:13–17
And they sent some of the Pharisees and the Herodians to him so that they could catch him unawares in a statement. And when they came, they said to him, “Teacher, we know that you are truthful and you do not care what anyone thinks, because you do not regard the opinion of people but teach the way of God in truth. Is it permitted to pay taxes to Caesar or not? Should we pay or should we not pay?” But because he knew their hypocrisy, he said to them, “Why are you testing me? Bring me a denarius so that I can look at it!” So they brought one. And he said to them, “Whose image and inscription is this?” And they said to him, “Caesar’s.” And Jesus said to them, “Give to Caesar the things of Caesar, and to God the things of God!” And they were utterly amazed at him.
Reflection
See their craftiness. They do not say, “Tell us what is good, what is expedient, what is lawful?” but, “What do you think?” They looked to this one object: to betray Him and to set Him at enmity with the rulers. And Mark declaring this—and more plainly discovering their self-will and their murderous disposition—affirms them to have said, “Should we pay [Caesar], or should we not?” (Mark 12:15 NRSV) They were breathing anger and travailing with a plot against Him, yet they feigned respect.
What did He say? “Why are you putting me to the test?” (Matt 22:18 NRSV). He talks with them with more than usual severity. Because their wickedness was now complete and manifest, He cuts deeper. He confounds and silences them by publishing their secret thoughts and making their intent clear to all.
He did these things to repulse their wickedness so that they might not suffer hurt in attempting the same things again. And yet their words were full of respect, for they both called Him Master, and bore witness to His truth and said He was no respecter of persons. Jesus, being God, was not deceived by these things. They also ought to have realized that the rebuke was not the result of conjecture, but a sign of His knowing their secret thoughts.
—JOHN CHRYSOSTOM
Response
God knows all of your secret thoughts. What areas of your life do you need to give over to Him? How can you turn your worship back to Him in these areas?
Monday March 31, 2025
Confession:
Psalm 90:1–8
O Lord, you have been our help in all generations.
Before the mountains were born
and you brought forth the earth and the world,
even from everlasting to everlasting, you are God.
You return man to the dust,
saying, “Return, O sons of man.”
For a thousand years in your eyes
are like yesterday when it passes,
or like a watch in the night.
You sweep them away like a flood.
They fall asleep.
In the morning they are like grass that sprouts anew.
In the morning it blossoms and sprouts anew;
by evening it withers and dries up.
For we are brought to an end by your anger,
and we hasten off by your wrath.
You have put our iniquities before you,
our hidden sins into the light of your countenance.
Reading:
Mark 13:9–13
“But you, watch out for yourselves! They will hand you over to councils and you will be beaten in the synagogues and will have to stand before governors and kings because of me, for a witness to them. And the gospel must first be proclaimed to all the nations. And when they arrest you and hand you over, do not be anxious beforehand what you should say, but whatever is given to you at that hour, say this. For you are not the ones who are speaking, but the Holy Spirit. And brother will hand over brother to death, and a father his child, and children will rise up against parents and have them put to death. And you will be hated by all because of my name. But the one who endures to the end—this one will be saved.”
Reflection
“Learn the lessons of the evangelic conversation—of mastery over the body, a meek spirit, purity of mind, and destruction of pride. Pressed into the service, add to your gifts for the Lord’s sake; robbed, never go to law; hated, love; persecuted, endure; slandered, entreat. Be dead to sin; be crucified to God. Cast all your care upon the Lord, that you may be found where are tens of thousands of angels, assemblies of the firstborn, the thrones of prophets, sceptres of patriarchs, crowns of martyrs, and praises of righteous men. Earnestly desire to be numbered with those righteous men in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
—Basil of Caesarea
Response
How are you being an effective witness of Jesus? On what occasions have you felt the Holy Spirit guiding your speech? Write down your prayer for the Spirit’s guidance as you tell others about Christ’s work in your life.