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Open the Eyes of my Heart, Lord

“Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.’ Then the righteous will answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’ “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not clothe me, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.’ Then they also will answer, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to you?’ Then he will answer them, saying, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.’ And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.’” Matt 25:34-46 (ESV)

Open the Eyes of my Heart Lord is the title of Lenten sermon series and comes from the song written by Paul Baloche. Our Lenten focus is on this particular line in the song “to see you high and lifted up, shining in the light of your glory.”
How do we understand that phrase as Lutheran Christians? Martin Luther was careful to distinguish between a theology of glory and a theology of the cross. When we think about Jesus being “high and lifted up,” we as Lutherans think of Jesus on the cross.

Luther taught that we receive our most complete understanding of who God is by looking at Jesus on the cross: One who has been ridiculed, beaten, abandoned and then murdered. Jesus has been through the entirety of the human experience and understands completely all aspects of human life. The cross of Christ is where we see the Word made flesh.

In this Lent season we recall the totality of Jesus’ humanity as well as his divinity, remembering that his death destroyed the power of the grave for all time when God resurrected him from the dead.

Peter, James and John saw Jesus “high and lifted up, shining in the light of (His) glory” on the mountain of transfiguration, which we recall the Sunday before Lent begins. They had the joy of witnessing Jesus’ face shining like the sun, yet moments later they had to descend from the mountaintop and return to normal, everyday life.

So where, then, do we see Jesus? This series is meant to help you discover those places where you see him most clearly: in the hungry, the poor, the widow, the outcast, the orphan and so forth. It is in the most unexpected places and people that we meet Jesus, that he encounters us in all of his fullness.

—Written by David Brobstom, Amy Little, and Kathleen Suggitt

news & events

March 1Spirituali-Tea

Saturday, March 1 from 2 - 4 p.m. is our Spirituali-Tea. The theme is: Women of God: Growing in Grace. We begin with tea at 2 pm followed by a short Bible Study. There is no cost and all women are invited! Call Brenda Dunn [704-876-4028] to register by February 24. Bring a family member, friend, or co-worker and share with your sisters in Christ as we prepare for Lent.

March 6Men’s Night Out

Men’s Night Out will be at IHOP in Statesville on Thursday, March 6 at 6:30 pm. We are alternating Tuesday/Thursday evenings to allow more opportunities for men to attend. We also will be meeting at different restaurants each month. See you there!

March 8Men’s Community Breakfast

Saturday 8:00 AM — 10 AM at St. John's.
Come & bring your neighbor—Donations accepted to benefit Iredell Christian & 5th Street Ministries

March 10Bloodmobile

On Monday, March 10, the Bloodmobile will be at St. John’s from 2:30 - 6:30 p,m. Our goal is 20 pints—mark your calendars and spread the word to your friends and family. Give the gift of life!

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