(The following article, originally drafted four years ago, was as an op-ed piece [opinion editorial for those of you unfamiliar with the abbreviation] that I submitted to a major newspaper. The submission was not used, but rather than delete the article, I decided to keep it for a rainy day. Well, this year, I have seen quite a few discussions regarding Lent on social media, so I figured now was a good time to open those umbrellas 😊)…
To Lent or Not to Lent… That is the question… Recently, someone asked me what I was giving up for Lent and I replied, “Nothing.” Then I asked them why they were giving up something for Lent and they couldn’t give me a solid answer. Whether or not you “deny yourself some worldly pleasure for 40 days” is your business, and believe it or not, if you are, I’d love to hear why you are doing it; but in the meantime, here’s why I don’t practice…
First of all, let’s get something straight… Jesus didn’t give up “some worldly pleasure” for 40 days. The Bible says in the gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke that the “Spirit of God drove him into the wilderness.” In other words, if someone is being “driven,” then they either asked for a ride or are being pushed somewhere they did not ask to go. When an army drives another army out of a location, they do it with force. The Bible never said Jesus “voluntarily” went into the wilderness. Now, what is not made certain in the scriptures is why, but I think most agree that it was to be tested. If you read the first chapter of the gospel of Mark, beginning at the 9th verse and moving through the 12th, you’ll understand that his being driven into the wilderness came immediately after he was baptized by John. But why? Many Bible scholars may argue this one, but I believe it had two purposes, the first of which, I believe was a recycling of “the trial of Job.” (Read Job 1:6-12). Remember, the devil directly challenged God regarding Job, right on the heels of God calling his servant Job “perfect” and “upright.” The devil’s challenge, “Job is only perfect and upright because you gave him the hookup! Make Job suffer then see how quickly he disappoints you.” Well, fast forward to Jesus being driven into the wilderness. In Mark 1:11 it is written, “You are my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” Immediately after in verse 12 it says that same Spirit drove him into the wilderness. Was this a Job moment again? I think it was. Again, Jesus didn’t decide to go there and give up his “favorite thing.” He was denied the basic necessities of life (food, water and shelter). Also, the Bible says that he was tempted at the end of the 40 days. Now, here comes the second part of the dual purpose for which I believe he was “tested.” Not only was Christ (God’s Spirit made Flesh) proven worthy by overcoming the temptation. The 40 days in the wilderness strengthened and conditioned his mind and spirit for the task that lay before Him (which, I would reckon, was a task not suited for the faint of heart). Now, on the other hand, perhaps at the end of 40 days, His flesh was at it’s breaking point, making it “ready” for the test/temptation that the devil threw at Him. Perhaps, the devil thought, “I got Him now… he’s broken down… there’s no way that this ‘flesh’ that God sent here can withstand my temptation… I’ll now make a mockery out of the Most High… tell Him to take his prototype back and start over. Hehehehe…”
Well, we all know how that story ended, but let’s get back to the point. Not only was God’s “flesh” proven perfect, the mind/spirit part of it was now ready to endure what was to come. But before I move on, let’s also consider that the devil knew the purpose for which The Christ was sent, which was why since his birth, the forces of evil were trying to kill Him (Herod ordering the slaughter of all Hebrew first born). The sacrifice of Christ, as a pure lamb, would serve to strike an unrecoverable blow to his (the devil’s) power, so he had to try one last time to knock Him off his mission by using with the temptation at the end of the 40 days in the wilderness (failed). Some would say that Christ could have given up during the persecution and “used his power to come down from the cross,” but why would he do that? That was the part of the game where He was “up two scores, in possession of the ball, with less than a minute to play, and his opponent having no time outs.” Why come down from the cross when going through with the persecution/crucifixion was essentially, “taking a knee at the end of the football game?”
So, now that we understand that Christ suffering in the wilderness for 40 days was not something he waltzed into, but that He was driven there to begin the purpose for which he was brought to this world (to be a sin sacrifice for us), with that purpose being fulfilled thousands of years ago, why should I engage in a practice that is not for the same purpose? Why commemorate Christ’s suffering in the wilderness for 40 days? Do we honor Him with that practice? I can’t say for certain, but I’ll say this… Some seven years ago, during the course of wrestling a rare form of the C word out of my body, I ultimately lost over 50 lbs, and could barely stand the sight of myself in the mirror, or in pictures. If my wife, family or friends dropped enough weight to look near-anorexic for four months, once a year, to “show me their love and support,” I would not honor that; I’d be offended!
If we want to commemorate Christ’s suffering in the wilderness (an act that was a key function of his doing something for the good of mankind, because the Father loved us), why not remember the end result achieved (a win for mankind) and, for 40 days, practice showing unconditional love? Some of us practice Lent and give up one thing or another, but still act like the one whose temptation Christ overcame at the end of that 40 days. Do you think God gives a [eh-hem] about what we give up if we (notwithstanding our “self-denial”) are not showing love? Keep drinking your favorite drink. Keep watching your favorite show. Keep eating your favorite meal. God wants us to show love. He didn’t command us to give up anything for 40 days (heck, He didn’t even command Jesus to), but He did command us to “love our neighbor as ourselves.” If ever they change the “rules of Lent” to “40 Days of Random Acts of Kindness,” I’m all in! God Bless!
–Matt
