Isaiah 58:5-7
"You humble yourselves by going through the motions of penance, bowing your heads like reeds bending in the wind. You dress in burlap and cover yourselves with ashes. Is this what you call fasting? Do you really think this will please the LORD? “No, this is the kind of fasting I want: Free those who are wrongly imprisoned; lighten the burden of those who work for you. Let the oppressed go free, and remove the chains that bind people. Share your food with the hungry, and give shelter to the homeless. Give clothes to those who need them, and do not hide from relatives who need your help."
So this is the meaning of fasting and therefore the meaning of Lent, to lead others to Jesus, to show Christ in our everyday life by sacrificing something in our lives, like Christ sacrificed His life for us.
The funny thing, is that after 20 years of observing Lent, I have never come to that conclusion. Growing up Catholic, Lent was a time to stop eating candy or pop and if you were a really good Catholic, you gave up both. You can't forget about refraining from eating meat every Friday, which meant mom made tuna salad, my favorite. That was Lent. Nothing more, nothing less. It was more of a routine than an observance, I had no idea why we didn't eat meat or why candy was a bad thing for 40 days. I just did as I was told and counted down the days until Easter.
After accepting Christ in college and understanding the sacrifice Christ made on the cross, Lent was still a moot point for me. I wasn't really practicing Catholicism anymore, but I thought I should observe Lent to please my mom, I still didn't understand it. Then last night in bible study, we read that verse. Lent is a time to sacrifice the luxuries in life, the things we cling to that put God second in our life instead of first. This is done, 1. to honor God and focus on him, 2. to show others Christ, and 3. to remember the sacrifice Christ made on the cross and sacrifice something for him. Let's explore this.
This is my favorite explanation:
"Christ died on the cross for me, He sacrificed His life because I didn't obey Him, because I was dead in His eyes... I do not deserve anything I have been given and therefore I should rejoice in sacrificing anything for Him."
It's true. This is a time for Christians to focus on Jesus by sacrificing an idol in our lives for Him. It is a time to live as a living sacrifice for Him, living in constant sacrifice for Christ. In this sacrifice, we show people Christ, we bring people closer to God through our actions.
So that is why we celebrate Lent. Cool.
Expanding on this thought, we talked about Ash Wednesday. A day where Catholics walk around with ashes on their foreheads. Why? To remember the condition we were in before Christ, to remember our sin and disobedience. This is a biblical practice. In the Old Testament, the Jewish people used to where sack cloth and ashes on their heads as a way to prepare for something, show remorse for sin and reverence for God. These principals stand today, this is why we celebrate Ash Wednesday. It is a day to prepare for the Lenten season, Easter. It is a way to show remorse for sin and to show reverence for what God has done and what He is about do to with Jesus on the cross, the celebration of Easter.
This is the state we were in, this is what we are remembering as we wear ashes on our heads:
Ephesians 2:1-3
"Once you were dead because of your disobedience and your many sins. You used to live in sin, just like the rest of the world, obeying the devil—the commander of the powers in the unseen world. He is the spirit at work in the hearts of those who refuse to obey God. All of us used to live that way, following the passionate desires and inclinations of our sinful nature. By our very nature we were subject to God’s anger, just like everyone else."
But, God didn't stop there. We are also celebrating and showing reverence for what God has done through His son, Jesus:
Ephesians 2:4-10
"But God is so rich in mercy, and he loved us so much, that even though we were dead because of our sins, he gave us life when he raised Christ from the dead. (It is only by God’s grace that you have been saved!) For he raised us from the dead along with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ Jesus. So God can point to us in all future ages as examples of the incredible wealth of his grace and kindness toward us, as shown in all he has done for us who are united with Christ Jesus. God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it. For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago."
So, this is the coolest part. In celebrating Ash Wednesday, Lent and eventually Easter, we are celebrating who we were before Christ, what Christ sis for us and who we are after Christ. We are actively celebrating the Gospel! I have never thought about it that way! That is so cool! In sacrificing something for Lent, something that replaces God in my life, I am celebrating Christ's sacrifice for me. I am celebrating Him! Awesome!
So, again I say, if Christ sacrificed His life for me, I can sacrifice Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest (Yes, Pinterest) for Him. And in doing that, I can celebrate His sacrifice and experience it in a whole new way. I also get to explain to people why I am sacrificing these things, in order to grow closer to God and in sharing that, I can show people Christ and help bring them closer to Him.
I couldn't be more excited for this Lenten season! Praise God!
