Filling Ourselves for Lent
Matthew 4:1-11 says:
Then the Spirit led Jesus up into the wilderness so that the devil might tempt him. After Jesus had fasted for forty days and forty nights, he was starving. The tempter came to him and said, “Since you are God’s Son, command these stones to become bread.” Jesus replied, “It’s written, People won’t live only by bread, but by every word spoken by God.” After that the devil brought him into the holy city and stood him at the highest point of the temple. He said to him, “Since you are God’s Son, throw yourself down; for it is written, I will command my angels concerning you, and they will take you up in their hands so that you won’t hit your foot on a stone.” Jesus replied, “Again it’s written, Don’t test the Lord your God. Then the devil brought him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. He said, “I’ll give you all these if you bow down and worship me.” Jesus responded, “Go away, Satan, because it’s written,You will worship the Lord your God and serve only him.” The devil left him, and angels came and took care of him.
I won’t be fasting from anything for Lent this year.
Blasphemous? Hear me out.
Last year we were still near the beginning of the season of Lent when things shut down. I remember in March serving communion at a Tuesday night worship service with the ETSU Wesley Foundation community and then that Sunday morning sitting on the couch at home with my family attending church through this thing called “zoom.” Things changed quickly that week. Suddenly the whole world was fasting from all kinds of things, fasting from so many in person activities. It was near the end of Lent that I saw this hilarious meme on social media:
“This is the lentiest Lent I have ever lented.”
Boy, was it! And if you had told me then that we would be approaching Lent 2021 still in the midst of the pandemic it would have been a lot to digest. Fasting from something is a central theme to the Lenten season, but haven’t we given up enough right now? And it begs the question, why do we fast from something during Lent anyway?
The season of Lent begins on Ash Wednesday (February 17th this year) and ends on Easter Sunday (April 4th this year). Lent is a 40 day period (Sundays are excluded) that represent Jesus’s 40 day fast in the wilderness as he prepared for his ministry. Lent is a time for reflection and self-examination. During this season, Christians are encouraged to fast from something or add something new to life as a way to draw closer to God. We fast to remind ourselves that we don’t rely on the things of the world, but rather on God. It’s a way to focus ourselves on God and not on things that can take away so much of our time and attention. Many people will give up social media, chocolate, or soda, etc. Similarly we may choose to add something during this season, such as a new daily devotional time or a new way of serving in our community. Others may focus on being more intentional about putting aside time for rest and self care.
The point is Lent is an opportunity to draw closer to God in communion with millions of people all over the world who are doing the same. It’s a remarkable thing really. During this time when we lack so much togetherness, we can still share in this season together. We can together meet Christ in an intentional 40 day preparation for Easter. We can together prepare our hearts for new life and resurrection.
So this year I’m leaning more into adding something new than taking something away. Fasting is certainly important, but in a year when we have given up so much perhaps this is the Lent to fill ourselves up. Will you join me in adding something to your routine this Lent in hopes of transforming our hearts to become more like our Creator, Sustainer, and Redeemer? Here are some suggestions of things you could add to your Lenten journey this year:
Intentionally go out of your way to do something nice for someone
Journal
Read one chapter from the New Testament
Reach out to people with cards, emails, etc.
Do something creative
Take a prayer walk weekly or daily around your neighborhood
Set aside time to pray
In the verses that follow Matthew’s account of Jesus’s 40 days in the wilderness, Jesus calls his first disciples. He added something new to life and it was transformative. I invite you to add something new this year beginning February 17th, Ash Wednesday.