Background on Lent
The reason for Lent is to honor and respect the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus. It is not only a time meant to somberly reflect on our repentance, but also hope for the eternal life Jesus offers through his sacrifice on the cross. Lent begins on Ash Wednesday which is 40 days before Easter. It is called Ash Wednesday because people traditionally smudge ash on their foreheads in the shape of a cross. This is symbolizing how we were made from the ashes (Genesis 3:19) and in sin we will return to the ash of the earth. The ashes are traditionally from the burns of the last Palm Sunday. Palm Sunday is when Jesus came into Jerusalem riding on a humble donkey and palm branches were waved in celebration (Matthew 21). The significance of 40 days comes from the number of days that Jesus was fasting in the desert (Matthew 4). It also symbolizes the 40 years that the Isrealites wandered in the desert before entering the Promised Land (Exodus 16).
Traditionally, people honor this time of Lent by fasting or giving up something for those 40 days. Common things people fast from are: sugar, red meat, social media, alcohol, or smoking. Like stated before, Lent is a somber time, a time of remembering Jesus’ sacrifice, and a time for reflection on our repentance. It can also be a celebratory time. We are celebrating the fact that there is life after death when we are children of God. We celebrate Jesus defeating death by His resurrection on the third day after His death. As we reflect on this time before Easter, we are going to focus on a few key Scripture verses that portray the importance of the Passion story.
The story of Jesus’ death and resurrection can be found in each of the Gospels, but the majority of the readings in our Boldly Seeking calendar are taken from Matthew. This is often titled the “Passion Story” because of the sacrifice and unconditional love Jesus showed to the world by dying on the cross. We spend our whole lives as Christians dedicating our words, actions, and thoughts to God, but Lent is a time of the year to really focus on dying to our sin and being raised with Christ. There are three main things that many people do for Lent: Fasting, Prayer, and Almsgiving. Through the rest of this blog, I will break down each one of the three categories.
First: fasting. If you do choose to fast, it should be something that will mean something to you. Fasting from smoking when you aren’t a smoker isn’t a sacrifice for you. Fasting from drinking water is neither realistic nor healthy. When choosing something to fast from, find that in between, something with meaning and something realistic. Second: prayer. Lent is also a time for reverent prayer. Everytime you are thinking about the thing you gave up for Lent, pray instead. Prayer is a communication with God.
Romans 8: 26 “Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words.”
Take these 40 days to create habits that strengthen your prayer life. Try journaling in a prayer log or even a video diary about your prayers. Our first reaction when faced with a struggle should be to look to God in prayer. Too often our first reaction is to try regaining control of the situation ourselves. Our worldly desire is to figure it out ourselves. Tough it out.
Matthew 26:41 “Watch and pray that you may not enter temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.”
God knows what we are going through. Our struggles are not a surprise to him. He wants a relationship with us and prayer is an important part of that foundation. Third: Almsgiving. This word means the practice of giving money or food to people less fortunate than ourselves. This third practice requires action towards other people. The first two practices of Lent– fasting and prayer– are inward actions. Almsgiving is very external. It requires you to maybe get out of your comfort zone and find opportunities to bless another person.
2 Corinthians 9:7 “Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.”
Reminding ourselves of the very reason that Lent exists, we look to Jesus as the greatest example of this. There are so many stories in the Gospels of Jesus helping others, typically healing them or giving words of wisdom. We can follow this example, maybe not by doing miracles, but by doing acts of kindness. These acts of kindness are not for personal gain or for any recognition, but to point to God’s love.
These 40 days before Easter are a time for fasting, prayer, and almsgiving. You don’t have to be the most religious person to participate in Lent. Whether you have practiced Lent every year or this is your first time, welcome! We are excited to be joining you in this historical and holy time as we prepare our hearts for Easter.
Check out the Podcast from last week: HERE
