Strive to be more intentional, as Jesus was

Jesus turned His face to Jerusalem.  This turning is both a literary technique used in each gospel to show a shift in Jesus’ intention and purpose, and a specific action that indicated a willingness to go to the cross.  He moves from gathering a crowd with healings, casting out demons, and popular teachings to challenging the authority of the Pharisees and Sadducees, delivering challenging teachings that called for transformation, and upsetting the social norms of the community.

In Matthew 16:21, 

From that time on Jesus began to explain to his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things at the hands of the elders, chief priests and teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life.

In Mark 10:32-34, 

32 They were on their way up to Jerusalem, with Jesus leading the way, and the disciples were astonished, while those who followed were afraid. Again he took the Twelve aside and told them what was going to happen to him.33 "We are going up to Jerusalem," he said, "and the Son of Man will be betrayed to the chief priests and teachers of the law. They will condemn him to death and will hand him over to the Gentiles, 34 who will mock him and spit on him, flog him and kill him. Three days later he will rise."

In Luke 9:51, “51 As the time approached for him to be taken up to heaven, Jesus resolutely set out for Jerusalem.”

In John 11:54-55, 

“54 Therefore Jesus no longer moved about publicly among the Jews. Instead he withdrew to a region near the desert, to a village called Ephraim, where he stayed with his disciples.55 When it was almost time for the Jewish Passover, many went up from the country to Jerusalem for their ceremonial cleansing before the Passover.”

During Lent we turn our face from the mundane things of life and strive to be more intentional like Jesus.  Jesus turned His face to Jerusalem so that He would go and offer His life as a sacrifice for the forgiveness of sins of all those who would believe.  Jesus intentionally walked towards the cross, it was not happenstance or chance, but a plan that was calculated.

I have struggled to identify how I will be more like Jesus in my preparation to celebrate His death, burial, and resurrection.  Perhaps it is time to renew our intention and purpose to the foundational actions of our faith.  To renew our commitment to follow Jesus in all areas of our lives.  I would challenge you to return to those aspects of faith that may have become lax over the past year.

Take time each day to pray for your family, friends, and self that each may draw closer to Jesus.  Read your bible with the intention of allowing God to speak to you, and then share what you have read with others.  Call up a friend to engage in fellowship, offering to take their concerns to God in prayer.  Turn on music or take actions that draws your heart to worshipping God for all He has done.  Finally pause several times during the day, either in fasting or rest to contemplate what God has done for you.

In these activities may we all turn our faces to God and draw nearer to Him, just as Jesus turned His face to Jerusalem and ultimately the cross.