Quinquagesima – Faith Alone Yes, that’s a real word. In Latin it means “50 days,” referring to the countdown until Easter, and it is the last week in the lesser-known season of “Pre-Lent.” The first week of Pre-Lent, SEPTUAGESIMA, taught us of God’s grace and the unearned, undeserved, gift of salvation in Christ Jesus. The second week, SEXAGESIMA, showed us that God’s grace is passively received through His Word as the transformative agent in our lives. The Gospel lesson for Quinquagesima comes from Luke 18:31-43, where Jesus foretells His death to the disciples. They, however, do not understand, they are spiritually blind, while the second half of the Gospel lesson shows us a blind man who rightly sees that Jesus is the Christ, the “Son of David.” Jesus healed the man who then “followed Him, glorifying God” (Luke 18:43). The two accounts are placed next to each other as a way to inform the reader of the incongruity of expectations. You would expect the disciples to see and not the blind man. God’s grace is not easily understood by fallen men. It defies our expectations and must be received on faith alone. But having our eyes opened to the mercies of God in Christ Jesus, we too follow our Savior through the season of Lent that is this life in a fallen world, all the while looking ahead to the Resurrection. Use these weeks leading up to Easter for increased devotion. I will be providing resources next week to do so but take the time to read the Scriptures and to pray. Only see to it that you do not grow weary in prayer, for God does not grow weary of giving. Martin Luther, Homily for Quinquagesima, House Postils I:310..