RCL Texts:
Genesis 2:15–17; 3:1–7; Psalm 32; Romans 5:12–19; Matthew 4:1–11
(Narrative Lectionary text and comments follow below)
Theme: From Hiding to Trust
Core Claim
Lent begins with hard truth about sin, but moves quickly to mercy: in Christ, we are called out of hiding and formed into a life of trust.
1) Scripture Summaries
Genesis 2:15–17; 3:1–7
Humanity is placed in the garden with freedom and responsibility, but the serpent reframes God’s command and plants distrust. The man and woman choose autonomy over trust, and their eyes are opened—not to wisdom as promised (or as they perhaps imagined it), but to shame and vulnerability. Sin appears as broken trust, disordered desire, and rupture of innocence.
Psalm 32
A testimony of grace: confessed sin becomes forgiven sin. Silence before God becomes burden; honest confession opens mercy, guidance, and joy. Those who trust the Lord are surrounded by steadfast love.
Romans 5:12–19
Paul contrasts Adam and Christ. Through Adam, sin and death spread; through Christ, grace and life overflow. Christ’s obedience is stronger than Adam’s disobedience. Where sin condemned, Christ justifies and restores.
Matthew 4:1–11
Jesus, led by the Spirit, is tempted by appetite, power, and false security. Each temptation invites self-serving control instead of trustful sonship. Jesus answers with Scripture and remains faithful, revealing true obedience where humanity often falls.
2) Unifying Thread
“From Distrust to Trust: the Lenten journey from hiding to grace.”
• Genesis: the root problem—distrust of God’s goodness.
• Psalm 32: the turning point—stop hiding, confess, receive mercy.
• Romans 5: the gospel claim—Christ’s faithfulness is greater than Adam’s failure.
• Matthew 4: faithfulness embodied—Jesus trusts where we are tempted to seize control.
A Preaching Arc
1. The lie – “God is withholding from you.” (Genesis)
2. The burden – unconfessed sin crushes the soul. (Psalm 32)
3. The gift – grace surpasses sin. (Romans 5)
4. The way – trustful obedience in real temptation. (Matthew 4)
One-Sentence Takeaway
Lent begins by naming our distrust, but does not leave us there: in Christ, we are invited out of hiding, into confession, and into a new life of trust.
3) Homily Outline (7–10 minutes)
“From Hiding to Trust”
1) Opening (1 minute)
• Lent is honesty, not spiritual theater.
• Sin begins in Genesis not with rule-breaking, but distrust.
• Theme: distrust → confession → grace → trustful obedience.
2) Genesis: Anatomy of Temptation (2 minutes)
• “Did God really say…?” begins with suspicion.
• Focus shifts from gift to restriction.
• Result: shame and hiding, not freedom.
• Modern echoes: “I must control this, or I’m not safe.”
• The beginning of sin is trusting the wrong voice.
3) Psalm 32: Grace of Confession (1.5–2 minutes)
• “When I kept silent, my bones wasted away…”
• Confession is not humiliation for its own sake; it is healing.
• God’s response is forgiveness and guidance.
• Pastoral invitation: Where are we exhausted from pretending?
4) Romans 5: Adam and Christ (2 minutes)
• Adam’s distrust spreads sin and death.
• Christ’s obedience brings justification and life.
• Grace is greater than sin’s reach.
• Good news line: Your failure is real—but not final.
5) Matthew 4: Jesus in the Wilderness (2 minutes)
Three temptations, one test: trust vs control.
• Stones to bread: satisfy need without trust.
• Temple leap: demand proof instead of faith.
• Kingdoms by compromise: gain power without the cross.
Jesus answers with words from God and trustful obedience.
6) Application for the Week (1 minute)
1. Name the lie you’re most tempted to believe.
2. Practice specific, daily confession.
3. Choose one act of trustful obedience where you usually choose control.
7) Closing (30–45 seconds)
Lent is not proving ourselves to God; it is being led by Christ from hiding into trust.
Closing line: “From Eden’s hiding place to the wilderness of testing, God is drawing us toward one truth: we are saved not by grasping, but by grace—and grace teaches us to trust.”
An Illustration
A parent in one congregation spoke about a weeknight that felt painfully ordinary.
Nothing dramatic happened—just the accumulated pressure of a long day. Work ran late. Dinner was rushed. Homework wasn’t done. A younger child was melting down. An older child was answering in that teenage tone that instantly raises your blood pressure.
The parent said, “I came into the evening already empty, but I kept telling myself I could power through.” And then one small moment set everything off. A spilled drink, a sarcastic reply, a slammed cabinet door—something tiny.
The parent snapped. Words came out sharper than intended. A child yelled back. Another child went quiet. And within ten minutes, the whole house was in that heavy silence families know too well.
Later that night, the parent stood at the sink and thought, “How did we get here again?”
Not because they didn’t love their family. Not because they were a bad person. But because fear and exhaustion had quietly become the loudest voice in the room.
The next line the parent said really struck home:
“The hardest part wasn’t losing my temper. The hardest part was walking down the hallway and knocking on my child’s door.”
Because confession in family life is vulnerable. It is easier to lecture than to repent. It is easier to defend your tone than to say, “I was wrong.” It is easier to stay silent and hope tomorrow resets things automatically.
But that parent knocked on the door, sat down, and said: “I’m sorry for how I spoke to you. You matter more than my frustration. Will you forgive me?”
And the child—after a pause—said, “I’m sorry too.”
That was not a dramatic miracle. No music. No spotlight. Just two people stepping out of hiding. That is Psalm 32 in a kitchen and hallway.
* “When I kept silent…”—the house got heavier.
* “I acknowledged my sin…”—grace opened the room again.
Lent often looks like this: not grand gestures, but truthful repentance. Not pretending we are fine, but choosing repair. Not winning the argument, but preserving communion.
And that is where trust is rebuilt—one confession, one apology, one act of mercy at a time.
Narrative Lectionary — Lent 1 (Feb 22, 2026)
Text: John 11:1–44
Theme: From Grief to Glory
1) Scripture Summary
Lazarus becomes ill and dies, despite Jesus’ love for him and his family. Jesus’ delay creates anguish for Martha and Mary, who both cry, “Lord, if you had been here….” At Bethany, Jesus enters their sorrow, weeps at the tomb, and then declares, “I am the resurrection and the life.” He calls Lazarus out of death and commands the community to unbind him. The passage reveals both Christ’s compassion in the face of grief and his authority over death.
2) Unifying Thread
“From Tomb to Trust: Jesus meets us in grief and calls life forth.”
• The story begins in honest lament and disrupted expectations.
• Jesus does not stand outside suffering; he shares it. (“Jesus wept.”)
• The center is Christ’s identity: resurrection is not only an event, but a person.
• The raising of Lazarus becomes a pattern of discipleship: called to life, then unbound for freedom.
A Preaching Arc
1. The ache — “Lord, if you had been here…”
2. The claim — “I am the resurrection and the life.”
3. The sign — “Lazarus, come out.”
4. The call — “Unbind him, and let him go.”
One-sentence takeaway
Lent invites us to bring our grief to Jesus, trust him in the delay, and respond to his life-giving voice at the very place we fear is final.
3) Homily Outline (7–10 minutes)
Opening (1 minute)
Name the reality of grief, disappointment, and delayed answers in the spiritual life. Introduce the key lament: “Lord, if you had been here…”
I. The Delay and the Crisis of Trust (2 minutes)
Jesus loves this family, yet Lazarus dies.
Explore the tension: divine love and human pain coexist.
Pastoral line: delay is painful, but it is not the same as abandonment.
II. Jesus at the Tomb (1.5–2 minutes)
“Jesus wept.”
Emphasize Christ’s solidarity with human sorrow.
God is not detached from our grief.
III. The Center Confession (1.5–2 minutes)
“I am the resurrection and the life.”
Resurrection is present in the person of Christ, not only a future hope.
Call hearers to trust Christ himself in present sorrow.
IV. Called Out, Then Unbound (1.5–2 minutes)
“Lazarus, come out.”
“Unbind him, and let him go.”
Christ gives life; the community participates in unbinding.
Application (1 minute)
Name one grief before God each day this week.
Pray honestly in the place of delay.
Take one concrete “unbinding” step (confession, reconciliation, seeking support, surrender).
Closing (30–45 seconds)
Christ meets us at the tomb and speaks life where we expect finality.
End with hope rooted in his voice, not our circumstances.
