Lenten Devotion: Preparing the heart
Topic Preparing the heart Scripture Joel 2:12-13 Theme God begins with honesty Reflection Frank Wrenn We have begun our Lenten journey. Once again, we hear the words of the prophet Joel, calling us to return to our God with fasting and weeping and mourning. But Joel has some special instructions for us before we begin our time of fasting, our time of giving up, or even our time of “adding on.” Joel says “Rend your hearts, and not your garments.” It is not enough to put on a show. It is not enough for everyone to see our piety. For it is not what the world sees of us, but what we hold in our hearts. Jesus also calls us to go deeper. He says “you have heard it said you shall not commit adultery…” but Jesus says we must avoid looking lustfully on anyone or we’ve already committed adultery in our hearts. Jesus says “y ou have heard... 'You shall not murder'...” But Jesus says, “whoever is angry with his brother...shall be in danger of judgment.” It’s not just our ac...