March 17: Self-denial on Behalf of Others
♫ Music:
Day 32 - Saturday, March 17
Title: Self-denial on Behalf of Others
Scripture: Romans 15:1-7
Now we who are strong ought to bear the weaknesses of those without strength and not just please ourselves. Each of us is to please his neighbor for his good, to his edification. For even Christ did not please Himself; but as it is written, “The reproaches of those who reproached You fell on Me.” For whatever was written in earlier times was written for our instruction, so that through perseverance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope. Now may the God who gives perseverance and encouragement grant you to be of the same mind with one another according to Christ Jesus, so that with one accord you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, accept one another, just as Christ also accepted us to the glory of God.
Poetry: Skid Row
By Madeline DeFrees
Out of the depths have I cried, O Lord,
Where the lean heart preys on the hardened crust,
Where short wicks falter on candle-hopes
And winter whips at a patchwork trust.
From darkened doorways no welcome shines,
No promise waits up the broken stair,
And the coin that summons the night with wine
Buys a morning of sick despair.
Out of the depths have I cried in vain
And the still streets echo my lonely calls;
All the long night in the moaning wind
The bruised reed breaks and the sparrow falls.
SELF-DENIAL ON BEHALF OF OTHERS
During Lent, many of us choose to intentionally give up something in order to focus our minds and hearts toward God. Sometimes, however, it can be hard to remember that Lent is not only about refraining or denying ourselves, but it is also about pursuing. That is what is so powerful about Romans 15:1-7. Paul reminds us, as Christ-followers, that we are called to a life of self-denial in order to bring hope to those around us and glory to God.
The self-denial that Paul speaks of, and which Jesus modeled, is not simply a series of actions or tasks that are external. Rather, it is an internal commitment and belief system that naturally produces behaviors of service and sacrifice.
In other words, self-denial is an internal conviction that produces external results.
In Richard Norris Brooke’s piece A Pastoral Visit, we see an elderly pastor visiting some members of his congregation. We catch a glimpse into a very busy home – with children playing and a meal being prepared. It is a picture of sharing life, enjoying meals, and intentionally serving others. It is also a reminder of the role that not only religious leaders play, but one that all members of the church can fill as part of community life.
A particularly interesting component of this painting is that Brooke set out to portray not only the realities and struggles of daily life, but also the inherent dignity of each person within this setting, something other artists of his time had not focused on. It proclaims a much deeper message – an authentic community and service that is intrinsically bound in the belief of human dignity and worth.
Humans bear the image of God. We are incredibly precious in His sight. Scripture is riddled with the remarkable and mysterious truth that God deeply cares about each of us.
He has a plan for our lives.
He loves us.
And He relentlessly pursues us.
As His ambassadors on this earth, that is a model for us to follow. Interwoven with Paul’s instructions to bear with weaknesses and to accept one another, is the reminder that through Christ’s sacrifice on our behalf, we have been reconciled with God. And despite the brokenness we find in ourselves and in the hurting world around us, we are still being sanctified. We have hope in Christ Jesus.
This is the heartbeat of self-sacrifice.
As you listen to Brittany Haas’ song “Dry and Dusty,” consider the dual pillars found in biblical self-sacrifice for others: a love for people, recognizing they bear the image of God, and a hope grounded in the redemptive love and sacrifice of Christ, which makes our own reconciliation to God possible.
External expressions of denying ourselves for others starts not with action, but with conviction. Let us always remember why self-denial is central to our faith before we move into what we should do to best serve.
Prayer:
Dear Jesus – Thank you for being the perfect model for us to follow. Your life and sacrifice show us what it means to truly deny ourselves. Please help us always remember not only that we are called to self-denial for others, but also that this self-denial is so deeply grounded in your love for mankind, and your plan for our redemption.
Amen
Carolyn Kim, PhD, APR
Associate Professor
Department of Media, Journalism & PR
Biola University
About the Artwork:
A Pastoral Visit
Richard Norris Brooke
1881
Oil on canvas
119.38 × 167.64 cm
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
A Pastoral Visit is the most well-known of artist Richard Norris Brooke’s genre scenes. It depicts a family welcoming their elderly pastor to Sunday dinner, which was common in both African-American and white rural parishes. According to tradition, the pastor was served first, and following the meal; he would be presented with both a cigar box containing the congregation’s weekly contribution, as well as some cloth-wrapped fruit. The banjo, prominently placed at the center of the composition may indicate an after-dinner musical interlude. Brooke was known for his depiction of African-Americans subjects with sensitivity and dignity.
About the Artist:
Richard Norris Brooke (1847–1920) was one of many artists to depict African-American life in the 1870s and 1880s, inspired by the dramatic social change during Reconstruction Period, when African-Americans were granted citizenship, voting rights, and protection under the Constitution. When commenting on his work, he referenced his French academic training, stating that he wished to elevate his rural subject “to that plane of sober and truthful treatment which…has dignified the Peasant subjects of [his French contemporary] Jules Breton, and should characterize every work of art.” He was active in almost every local arts organization of the day, and served as vice principal at the Corcoran School of Art from 1902 to 1918 where he exhibited extensively.
About the Music:
“Dry and Dusty” from the album Brittany Haas
About the Composer/Performer:
Brittany Haas is an American fiddle player, who also sometimes sings and plays the banjo. She is best-known as a member of the Boston-based alternative bluegrass band, Crooked Still, which is currently on hiatus. Haas is also a regular performer on A Prairie Home Companion. She tours with the Haas Marshall Walsh and Haas Kowert Tice trios, and participates in many international fiddle camps. At the age of eight, her violin teacher gave her some bluegrass sheet music to practice sight-reading. For the next five years she took both classical violin and bluegrass fiddle lessons but when she heard famed fiddle player Bruce Molsky she recalls, “I was like, that’s what I want to do.”
About the Poet:
Madeline DeFrees (1919–2015) was an American poet. She joined the Sisters of the Holy Names of Jesus and Mary in 1936, and was then known as Sister Mary Gilbert until she was dispensed of her religious vows in 1973. She received her BA in English from Marylhurst College and her MA in Journalism from the University of Oregon. She taught at the Holy Names College, the University of Montana, and the University of Massachusetts Amherst. After her retirement in 1985, DeFrees held residencies at Bucknell University, Eastern Washington University, and Wichita State University. DeFrees was the author of two chapbooks, two nonfiction books, and eight poetry collections, including Blue Dusk which won both the 2002 Lenore Marshall Poetry Prize and a Washington Book Award. She received a Guggenheim Fellowship in Poetry and a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts. Her final collection of poetry was Spectral Waves, which won the 2007 Washington State Book Award for Poetry.
About the Devotional Writer:
Carolyn Mae Kim, Ph.D., APR, is an award-winning scholar, educator and public relations (PR) professional. She currently serves as an assistant professor at Biola University and is the Chief Editor of the Digital Media Research Center for the Institute for Public Relations. Kim has a background working with global charities and national nonprofits, as well as developing creative PR and marketing campaigns. She regularly addresses audiences on the topics of social media, credibility, and digital communication.