The Season of Lent
Last Wednesday, February 14, was notable for various reasons. It was “Valentine’s Day." Restaurants love Valentine’s Day; it is the second busiest dining day of the year (ranking behind Mother’s Day). This year, February 14 was “Ash Wednesday" and also the beginning of the season of Lent. For many folks, these terms are foreign and archaic. Let’s take a few moments and investigate the meaning behind “Lent” and “Ash Wednesday."
Lent is a period of 40 days leading up to Easter. During the Lent season, Christians remember the events leading up to Jesus’ crucifixion. Lent comes from an old English word meaning “lengthen." The word anticipates the time of the year when days grow longer (as summer approaches). If you wonder why lent is 40 days in length, you must understand that 40 is significant in Biblical numerology. You might remember when God sent the flood (Genesis 7) that He sent torrential rain for 40 days and nights. When Moses went on the mountain of God to receive the tablets of stone, it was a 40-day period of time. Jesus was tempted and tested in the wilderness for 40 days. All in all, the number 40 appears 159 times in the Bible. During the 40 days of Lent, the tradition has arisen that followers of Jesus abstain or give up something that is important to them. The purpose of this abstaining or fasting is to test one’s self-discipline as well as to serve as an offering of worship to God.
Ash Wednesday is the start of the Lent season, and many churches hold services where worshippers are marked with ash on their forehead. The ash is smeared on the forehead in the shape of a cross. The ash comes from burning special crosses made from palm wood. These crosses were most likely used in the previous Palm Sunday service.
Our modern culture is often puzzled and confused when activities such as Lent and Ash Wednesday take place. In a world that praises self-indulgence, self-sacrifice seems contradictory. In a society that endeavors to ignore God, such spiritual devotion is ridiculed. Yet, the practice of Lent has its roots in ritual and symbolism. People find purpose, meaning and strength when they pause from their hectic busyness and remember timeless truths. It should be no surprise that God commands us to take time to think and meditate. God, who created the human heart, knows we need time to recharge and reinvigorate. We live in a world that is at war regarding truth and values. At the heart of today’s craziness and folly are the lies of Satan. Satan, the adversary and accuser of all mankind, weaves a deadly web of deception. His plan is to entrap men and women in his “godless” propaganda.
During the season of Lent, we are reminded that Jesus, our great Savior, came and rescued lost, helpless mankind. This is good news for all of us. Despite our best efforts and grand schemes, we cannot get out of the mess in which we find ourselves. When we disregard God and live life our own way (following Satan’s lies), we become law breakers. The penalty for breaking God’s law, for disobeying God’s righteous commands, is death. As we look forward to and remember the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus, we remember that God is the lover of our souls. Again, that should not surprise us as we are His creation. We are dear and precious in God’s sight.
The season of Lent reminds us of two great truths. The first truth is that we are in more trouble than we dared imagine. Disregarding the Maker and Creator of the universe puts us in a horrific situation. We might hide from earthly authorities, but we cannot hide from God. The second truth is that we are more loved than we dared hope. Christianity is the only faith that dares to declare that God has taken our punishment. All other religions attempt to tell us that we can save ourselves; this notion is a lie and is straight from Satan’s book of deceits. So, during this Lent season, take a moment and remember God’s good news. We have been redeemed by the amazing sacrifice of Jesus. As Jesus was raised from the dead, we also have the promise of resurrection, of eternal life. Keep looking up!