Recently one of the youth of the congregation asked me a question, “Do you know what Pope Benedict gave up for Lent?” I must admit that I fell for the joke, “No, I don’t. What did he give up?” The answer of course was “His job.”
Forty days before Easter, the Church celebrates the season of Lent. To the casual observer, Lent is about giving up something. Some hide from sugar or caffeine. Others avoid swear words or checking their Facebook page. At one time, the practice of giving up something was exclusive of the Roman Catholic Church, but now Protestants and even some outside the Christian faith take up Lent through self-denial.
Whether it is brain chemistry or collective cultural memory, human beings have a deep seated longing for something beyond ourselves. Giving up chocolate for forty days might seem a silly way to manifest spiritual desire, but don’t judge so quickly. We don’t want to just stand there. We want to do something.
In Matthew 6, Jesus gives some very practical advice:
“Beware of practicing your piety before others . . . when you give alms, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing. . . . When you are praying, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do . . . And whenever you fast, do not look dismal, like the hypocrites . . . store up for yourselves treasures in heaven . . .”
Our spiritual practices can be selfish. Our longing for the divine can be warped. Even the most “spiritual” part of our lives is subject to sin. We may give alms out of our own pride. We may pray to be heard. We may fast to be seen. We may give up junk food out of self-righteousness.
Ultimately, we should realize that our practices will not get us closer to God. Instead, it is God who moves closer to us. The forty day march of Lent leads right to the cross. Here, God declares the insufficiency of all our efforts. God alone, by the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, reconciles heaven and earth. Our spiritual longings are only satisfied in what Jesus accomplished.
Why should we give to the poor? Why should we pray? Why should we fast? Instead of giving up something for Lent, this year let’s make room. Make room for Jesus. Make room for God to work his reconciliation in your life. Examine yourselves. Each of us knows things in our lives that prevent us from living a life renewed by Jesus Christ. If it is a grudge that I have held for many years, make room for Jesus. If it is the fact that I don’t take time to read the Scriptures, make room for Jesus. If it is cigarettes, make room for Jesus.
When we fast or pray or give, we free ourselves to be the person that God wants us to be. If I am not stuffing my own mouth, I am free to share with others in need. If I am praying for my enemies, I am free from hate. If I am giving to others, I am free from the idolatry of my possessions. For that matter, making room for Jesus is not about forty days. Making room for Jesus is about a new life lived in faithfulness. As we prepare for Easter, let’s not give into self-righteous denial, but instead make room for the risen Savior.
Grace and Peace,
James Hodsden
Pastor 139 