[Let us fix] our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
– Hebrews 12:2 NASB
What draws your attention these days? On what kinds of things do your eyes focus? In a given day, we probably think about hundreds of different matters – people in our lives, things we have to do, things we desire to get, etc. In our daily callings, we necessarily focus on all sorts of good and important matters. But when it comes to what really matters, when it comes to what gives your life security, meaning, and hope, where do you look?
The season of Lent has come once again, and with it, an opportunity to refocus. Have I been looking to myself, eyes turned inward, to find meaning and purpose? Have I been seeking to find security by grabbing control of circumstances or trying to control other people? Have I been “looking for love in all the wrong places”? If so, it’s time to allow the Holy Spirit to turn my gaze in the proper, life-giving direction: toward Jesus.
Over the next several weeks, our worship services on Sundays and Wednesdays will help us do just that. Our Wednesday series for Lent is called “Eyes on Jesus,” and we will have the opportunity to explore St. Mark’s account of Jesus’ passion from the perspective of several different individuals. And on Sundays, our Gospel readings will find Jesus engaged in several intimate interactions with different individuals. In each reading, the Scriptures will invite us to pay attention to Jesus: what He saying, what He is doing, how He is leading people from various social strata and walks of life to find their life and hope in Him. And as we see Jesus through their eyes, I pray that the Spirit will work to draw us to Jesus, too.
God bless you this month! Namely, may He bless you with the grace to fix your eyes upon our Savior and King.