by Karen Hansen He was despised and rejected by mankind, a man of suffering, and familiar with pain. Like one from whom people hide their faces he was despised, and we held him in low esteem. -Isaiah 53:3 (NIV) “Vinegar Boy,” by Alberta Hawse is a book that I like to read to my students during the
lenten season. It is about an orphan boy who had a birthmark that covered half of his face that was abandoned in the mountains by his parents, and taken in by the commissary steward. He wouldn’t let the steward adopt him until his birthmark was gone. Vinegar boy was on a mission to find Jesus to heal his face before Jesus’ resurrection, but he also had another mission as well. He was to deliver the vinegar wine to Golgotha. The book takes you through the events that lead up to the crucifixion, the crucifixion, the resurrection, and post - resurrection. The boy learns many valuable lessons and has many disappointments along the way thinking that “today” was supposed to be “his day.” Jeremiah 29:11 often pops into my mind as I read this book because he had many plans to find Jesus and ask him to heal him, but there was always something that got in the way of his plans and that led to disappointment for him. In the end, he realizes that the commissary steward loves him for who he is and is proud to adopt him and call him his son. We all have scars, burdens, wounds, and may feel rejected by friends or loved ones, at times. We may try to find ways to get rid of those burdens on our own, but we cannot. Jesus suffered, was ridiculed, mocked, and despised all for us and by his wounds we are healed just as the vinegar boy found healing and realized that he was loved and cared for even with his birthmark. Jesus loves and cares for all of us, no matter how dirty our past is; just like Nicolas loved and cared for Vinegar boy, despite the ugly birthmark on his face. Thank God for His love and care for all of us. Prayer: Dear Lord God Heavenly Father, We thank and praise you for Your divine goodness and mercy in our lives. Please forgive us for the times where we try to take matters into our own hands. Help us to turn to You and seek You with all of our heart, all of our soul, and all of our mind. Amen
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
About the AuthorsThe authors of this Lenten devotional are all staff members of Zion Lutheran Church & School of Wayside. They have answered the call to preach and teach the good news of salvation to both the young and the old of the school and congregation. This group of believers have a strong faith rooted in the Word. They are all members of the church professing the Christian faith and are excited to share their love of Jesus with you during this season. Archives
January 2025
Categories |