February 28, 2026

Today's Reading: Introit for Lent 2 - Psalm 25:1-2a, 7-8, 11; antiphon: Psalm 25:6, 2b, 22

Daily Lectionary: Genesis 15:1-21; Mark 5:21-43

“Remember not the sins of my youth or my transgressions; according to your steadfast love remember me, for the sake of your goodness, O Lord!” (Psalm 25:7)

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

Did you know that a person’s brain doesn’t fully develop until about the age of twenty-five? David must have known this as well, and that’s why he asks God not to remember the sins of his youth. People often hold the opinion that youth should not dwell on their failures but instead view their mistakes as opportunities to learn, adapt, and improve.

While there may be some element of truth to that idea, some people are willing to excuse and overlook foolish and sinful behavior under the pretense of youthful ignorance. Does that mean God is willing to do the same? After all, God can’t expect us to make good decisions all of the time, especially while we are young and still learning to navigate through life.

If all of this is true, at what point can a person expect to outgrow this phase of life and begin taking responsibility for oneself? In actuality, the problem was never so simple. It’s not a rite of passage that we’ll simply outgrow. Our Lutheran Confessions state “that since the fall of Adam, all who are naturally born are born with sin, that is, without the fear of God, without trust in God, and with the inclination to sin . . .”

And that never changes! The Old Adam, our old self or that old man in us, will never change. It will never get any better. It will never produce works that are pleasing to our Creator and Almighty God. And it will never be inclined to do good!

We shouldn’t think of the Christian life as a process of chipping away at the Old Adam until finally, someday, we’ll be completely free from its evil influence. The sinful nature needs to be dealt with much more forcefully than that. It needs to be put to death, it needs to be drowned in the waters of Holy Baptism, and a New Man in Christ needs to be given life!

This is what the loving and merciful God has done for you. He has come to you in Baptism and united you with His Son, the Savior. And because of this, God no longer sees your sin; it was crucified and buried with Christ. Now your sins (all of them, not just the ones of your youth) are forgiven. You are washed clean in the blood of Christ. You are a New Man in Christ.

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

Jesus, refuge of the weary, Blest Redeemer, whom we love, Fountain in life’s desert dreary, Savior from the world above: Often have Your eyes, offended, Gazed upon the sinner’s fall; Yet upon the cross extended, You have borne the pain of all. (LSB 423:1)

Rev. Chad Hoover serves as Campus Pastor and theology teacher at Concordia Lutheran High School in Fort Wayne, IN and pastoral assistant at Emanuel Lutheran Church in New Haven, IN.

Audio Reflections Speaker: Rev. Richard Heinz, pastor at Trinity Lutheran Church in Lowell, IN.

Better understand difficult and overlooked Old Testament passages in this new book by Authors R. Reed Lessing and Andrew E. Steinmann. Their conversational yet academic writing style makes learning about the Old Testament accessible to those at all points in their Bible reading journey. Discussion questions at the end of each chapter invite you to think more in-depth about what you just read and record your answers. To stretch your understanding, a list of resources for further reading is also included at the back of the book.