Deuteronomy 26:1-11 (NLT)

² put some of the first produce from each crop you harvest into a basket and bring it to the designated place of worship—the place the Lord your God chooses for his name to be honored. ³ Go to the priest in charge at that time and say to him, ‘With this gift I acknowledge to the Lord your God that I have entered the land he swore to our ancestors he would give us.’ ⁴ The priest will then take the basket from your hand and set it before the altar of the Lord your God.

The journey through the Lenten season first takes us to the wandering of Jesus through the wilderness as he is tempted (Luke 4). Jesus’ wilderness temptations are reminiscent of the wandering of the children of Israel after the Exodus from Egypt. I like the Old Testament reading for today from Deuteronomy particularly verse 5. Here the formula is given for the proper way to bring the sacrifice of firstfruits. The land was God’s gift to the people, a possession for them to claim just as they were Yahweh’s possession to claim and rescue. The formula begins with the reminder ‘My ancestor Jacob was a wandering Aramean who went to live as a foreigner in Egypt.’ The reminder goes to highlight Yahweh’s dual gift of rescue from Egypt and relocation to ‘this land flowing with milk and honey?’

The history of Israel was one of wandering both geographically and at times spiritually. Each time they wandered, God would gently lead them home. The reminder ends with what is meant to be the natural expression of worship to the God who leads us home. “And now, O Lord, I have brought you the first portion of the harvest you have given me from the ground.” The relinquishment of my possession to God, giving back to the one who met me in my wandering and led me to the place of flourishing. Lent reminds us that we are prone to wander in our hearts, not necessarily to full waywardness from God (what we might call backsliding) but chasing things that provide empty promises of easy comfort. Jesus’ wandering in the wilderness was met with temptation and the necessity to resist empty promises of comfort. His wilderness wandering ended and he walked out of this place of solitude back home to Galilee, filled with the Spirit but not with comfort.

At the beginning of this Lenten wandering, what empty promises of easy comfort have you believed and need to give up to follow Jesus more closely? What offering do you need to make of yourself in gratitude for God’s gift of grace? The offering of first fruits was intended to help Israel keep God first by being reminded who it was that provided for their flourishing. Our gratitude increases when we take our eyes off what we think brings comfort and place them firmly on God our source for peace.

Author: John Prichard

Other Lenten readings for today:

• Romans 10:8b-13
• Luke 4:1-13