Title Exodus 4:24-26
Today is the first Sunday of Lent, which started last Wednesday. Originally, Lent was the period the church took as the final stage of preparing those for baptism. In the ancient church, where Easter was considered the most appropriate and meaningful to be baptized, baptismal applicants would be baptized on Easter Sunday after forty days of fasting and other arduous preparations. Then, Lent became a season in which not only those who were to be baptized but also all members of the church participated, and at the same time, its character changed from being a period of preparation for baptism to a period of meditating on the crucifixion of Jesus Christ and repenting.
The period of Lent was initially inconsistent, but since the 4th century it has been standardized into six weeks in various places. However, he did not include Sundays among the 40 days that the word “Lent” meant. So, 6 weeks excluding Sundays are 36 days, so from the Wednesday before the first week, 4 days are added to make 40 days of Lent. So, the season of Lent actually starts on the Wednesday 46 days before Easter Sunday, which is a total of six Sundays, and that Wednesday is called Ash Wednesday. One week from the last Sunday to Saturday is called Holy Week, and the Friday that Jesus died on the cross is called Good Friday.
However, it could be said that preparing for baptism or meditating on the crucifixion of Jesus Christ and repenting are all affirming one's identity as a Christian. Therefore, Lent can be seen as a period when the church community and each Christian can confirm their identity, in other words, the mark of God's people.
Nevertheless, there are some facts that are undeniably clear to us. The first is the fact that God was angry with Moses, the second is that Moses had not circumcised his son Gershom, and the third was that when Zipporah circumcised his son Gershom, the wrath of God was alleviated. If we reduce the content of today's text to one word, we can say that it is God's wrath related to circumcision.
In connection with the content of verses 21-23 preceding the text foretelling the punishment that Egypt will receive when they disobey God’s will, the text warns of the woes that will occur when God’s people Israel do not keep God’s covenant commands. that can be seen as In other words, it is an event that shows that no matter how much Israel is, they cannot become God's people and enjoy the blessings of the covenant that God gives them unless they perform the circumcision that God has commanded as a sign.
Now, what is really important is not the act of circumcision performed on the body and the traces itself, but to know what God requires of his people through the sign of circumcision. This is because the outward ritual of circumcision does not automatically make us the people of God. It means that the results of circumcision left in the body are never the mark of God's people. This understanding of circumcision is already shown in the Old Testament Law and Prophets, which speak of "circumcision of the heart." What, then, is the mark of God's people by "circumcision of the heart"? Here, we should look at what God commanded together when he commanded circumcision.
To summarize again the words given through the Apostle Paul, to be created again, to no longer trust in the flesh, but to make our pride in Christ Jesus alone, to give up everything for Christ's sake and to be in Christ, to be with Christ To die and be raised up together in him, to keep the word of God, to have faith that works through love, and to serve with the Holy Spirit. These are the true circumcision of the heart and the mark of the true people of God.
We are now in the season of Lent as we prepare for Easter. The resurrection of Jesus Christ signifies the good will of God for us and the fulfillment of that promise through Jesus Christ. God is asking us through the incident in today's text, if it is God's people who enjoy that grace, shouldn't the mark be clear to us? Only with the mark of this people of God can we appear as a light to the world. In Christ, our old self must die and we must be reborn as a new person. We must always abide in Jesus Christ, and that is our pride. We must not only know his words, but live by keeping them. You must have faith with love. We must live a life of service according to the guidance of the Holy Spirit. The desire and effort to reclaim and establish these things among us is what we are called upon in this Lent as we prepare for Easter. May we all be able to spend this Lent properly and meaningfully.