Rethinking Lent: Broken-hearted
Today's discussion is a tender one.
Because it's about broken hearts.
And maybe that's you right now. With a busted up heart that is grieving. Or is waiting in a desolate place. Or is angry or overwhelmed or anxiety-ridden about what's next. Or is in a new season that feels lonely or hard or unknown. Or a heart that is searching for significance, for joy, for purpose.
Somewhere we are broken in our hearts.
And the good news is that the One who is coming in this passage has been sent for the specific purpose of binding up our broken hearts. He's the Binder of the Broken.
He is sent for healing. He is sent to bring us out of our prisons that we may or may not have created for ourselves. He is sent for comfort. He sent to make us whole-hearted.
“The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me,
because the Lord has anointed me
to bring good news to the poor;
he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,
to proclaim liberty to the captives,
and the opening of the prison to those who are bound;
to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor,
and the day of vengeance of our God;
to comfort all who mourn;
to grant to those who mourn in Zion —
to give them a beautiful headdress instead of ashes,
the oil of gladness instead of mourning,
the garment of praise instead of a faint spirit;
that they may be called oaks of righteousness,
the planting of the Lord, that he may be glorified.”
This is a passage spoken about a Coming One. And as we will see next week, Jesus makes sure that we know this is Him. He's the One.
And we can take our brokenness and we can come to him in our car, in the bathroom, in the dead of night, in the morning, at the sink, in a quiet place, in a bustling space. We can say to Jesus: Please bind up this brokenness. Please forgive me. Please bring me out of this prison. Please give me gladness instead of mourning. Please free me from this frustration and anger. Please speak to me about this brokenness.
And He will be with you in it. He will forgive you. He will provide for you.
Dear Jesus, Thank you for coming and telling us how much you want to speak into our daily grind, our broken hearts, and our dark world. Thank you for coming with healing and with crowns of beauty and with joy. Help us lay down our control, our tears, our anxiety at your feet and help us to invite you in as the Binder of all broken things. Bind up our needs of security, significance and self-love. You love broken things and your love repairing and rebuilding. Amen.