“Ash Wednesday”

What a difference a week makes.

If you read my last post, it was about taking time to enjoy and celebrate the people around you. It was titled “Celebration”, focusing on our celebration of my wife’s birthday. Today’s takes a much different slant.

Today is Ash Wednesday, the beginning of the period of time known as “Lent”. It is a time where celebration and throwing parties is not the focus.

If you are unfamiliar with this season of Lent, it is the 40 days prior to Good Friday and Easter weekend. This time frame is used to help fix our attention on what Jesus did for us. It is a time set aside for reflection, prayer, fasting, and penance. Each of these actions are a means to help us humble ourselves, draw closer to God, and help us think about and realize what Jesus did for us.

The interesting part is that Lent is preceded and concludes with celebration.

Historically, when the season of Lent began, people’s diets changed. Part of their spiritual discipline included restrictions on certain foods. Some were individual restrictions, my choice, others were encouraged, set by others. However, because of these restrictions, any food that would not be consumed during these next 40 days would go bad.

This meant that prior to Ash Wednesday, when Lent began, you attempted to ensure the food that could not keep, was consumed. This meant a celebration, a feast, a party, a reason to invite people to get together to consume everything you could not keep as you prepare for a season of going without.

Once the 40 days concluded, another celebration took place.

This one came with the arrival of Easter Weekend. The time of fasting, going without, is over, and a time of celebration for new life occurs.

Between these two there is little focus on celebration. Instead the focus is on reflection, penitence or sorrowful humility to realize the impact of our actions and the response by God to them.

Over time, some of these historical traditions lessen. We can put food in a freezer and so “fasting” for days to come did not mean what we had before. Consuming everything that would go bad before Ash Wednesday is not as critical. But the concept remains the same.

Giving up certain things for Lent still occurs as a spiritual discipline during these 40 days. So too is the pattern of what happens when I know that starting today I am going to “fast” from something.

Not being able to do something for a while creates a common reaction. It is like this. If I know that I will not be able to enjoy something for weeks to come – starting tomorrow – I will indulge – as much as possible today. I will binge today so I do not feel as deprive tomorrow. It is what we do.

Except….

Jesus had a different perspective.

In His day it was not Ash Wednesday. It obviously had not occurred yet. There were, however, a number of other occasions to “fast” and demonstrate piety and devotion. There were times where practices were used to show commitment and demonstrate their spiritual devotion.

In a lengthy address, to a crowd of people who came to hear Jesus, He said this to them about fasting…

16 “And when you fast, don’t make it obvious, as the hypocrites do, for they try to look miserable and disheveled so people will admire them for their fasting. I tell you the truth, that is the only reward they will ever get. 17 But when you fast, comb your hair and wash your face. 18 Then no one will notice that you are fasting, except your Father, who knows what you do in private. And your Father, who sees everything, will reward you.

Jesus saw how going without, depriving oneself for a period of time, was often done to reveal just how spiritual someone was. It had more to do with demonstrating piety than actual piety or heart devotion. He saw the practice more often than not as hypocrisy. People tried and be something they were not and wanted everyone else to believe it.

To be clear, Jesus did not speak against the practice of fasting. But, He encouraged His followers, that if they practiced it, it do so as an action between them and God.

Jesus looked for authentic people. People who were themselves, who did not pretend to be someone they were not. Looking spiritual during Lent and living differently during the rest of the year has little value.

In this same message, Jesus went on to say this…

25 “That is why I tell you not to worry about everyday life—whether you have enough food and drink, or enough clothes to wear. Isn’t life more than food, and your body more than clothing?

Jesus pointed out what really matters. We get so caught up with stuff that matters so little and ignore what matters most.

He went on to say…

31 “So don’t worry about these things, saying, ‘What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?’ 32 These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs. 33 Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need. 34 “So don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today’s trouble is enough for today.

It is a perspective of life we should heed as we enter into a season of reflection.

Whether you use this time to “fast” or not is not the point. What is the point is that your and my life is real and authentic. Pretending to be something we are not is never what God is looking for.