Religiously?

by Marvin Bublitz

A few years ago, I went in for my semi-annual dentist appointment. As the dentist prepared to start he asked me, “Do you floss?”

“Yes,” I said, “religiously.” 

He smiled approvingly. Then he bent over to start the cleaning. He glanced at my teeth and stood up and said, “You floss religiously?” 

“Yes,” I said, “religiously—twice a year before I come to see you.” 

He tipped his head and looked at me. “Religiously? Twice a year?” 

Then I asked, “Well, how often do you go to church?” 

Different people have different ideas as to what constitutes religiously. We are coming into the Lent and Easter seasons, and no doubt some will make their semi-annual trek to the House of the Lord. 

Yes, people have different ideas as to what religiously is. People also have different ideas as to what is good. Maybe they are more interested in good enough. As long as my religiousness and goodness are better than yours, I’m all right. As long as my righteousness is better than most, I’m okay.

But what is important is not how your goodness compares to others. Instead, ask yourself how it compares to the Lord’s requirement.

But what is important is not how your goodness compares to others. Instead, ask yourself how it compares to the Lord’s requirement.

Jesus said: “Therefore whoever relaxes one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 5:19-20).

Lent gives us the opportunity to remember how far we fall short of the Lord’s commandments. As we peer into His commandments, we see ourselves for what we really are. We are far from perfect. We are not even close. Oh, we might be better than some, but that means nothing when God demands perfection. As Jesus said, “You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect” (Matthew 5:48).

There is no such thing as close enough. There is no such thing as good enough. There is no such thing as “at least I am better than you.” The hymn does not go: “Chief of sinners though I be, at least I’m not as bad as thee.”

In Lent we are reminded of what we really are: poor miserable sinners falling far short of our Father’s holiness. As Holy Scripture reminds us, “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23), and “surely there is not a righteous man on earth who does good and never sins” (Ecclesiastes 7:20).

So then, as we enter another Lenten Season, we humbly kneel before the cross and confess our sins. We come to Him who alone can heal, restore, forgive, and save. And it is His good pleasure to grant us such blessings. For this He was born. For this He went to the cross.

So then, as we enter another Lenten Season, we humbly kneel before the cross and confess our sins.

Indeed, “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by His grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus” (Romans 3:23-24).

The Son looks at us and declares that we are not clean. We have failed. No matter how we claim to be religious or righteous, He knows the truth.

But in the same breath He declares to the repentant that we are forgiven in Him. He takes our sin and we in return are clothed with His righteousness. We rise from the foot of the cross renewed in the Son. He takes us through the death and grave of our sin to the glorious resurrection of His forgiveness and peace. Dressed in His holiness we are clothed for the wedding feast of the Lamb in His kingdom.

That’s mercy worth attending church regularly to receive—even attending religiously! God calls us in love to come to Him, and we, in joy, do come, trusting in the forgiveness He gives us freely in the blessing of Word and Sacraments.

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Rev. Marvin Bublitz is Lutheran Church–Canada (LCC)’s East Regional Pastor.

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