Reason For Lent

Hebrews 6: 7-9

For ground that drinks the rain which often falls on it and brings forth vegetation useful to those for whose sake it is also tilled, receives a blessing from God; but if it yields thorns and thistles, it is worthless and close to being cursed, and it ends up being burned. But, beloved, we are convinced of better things concerning you, and things that accompany salvation, though we are speaking in this way.

Another season of Lent has begun. Traditionally, people and churches observe Lent by fasting, preparing themselves to remember the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ during the forty days. Over centuries, new traditions have been added and some old ones have been forgotten. Whatever the case may be, Lent is supposed to be a season of a spiritual cleansing and renewal. Remembering the sacrifice of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ on the cross for our redemption and reconciliation to our Heavenly Father, should be on the top of the things we must consider while observing Lent.

Over the years, people have instead swerved to the physical aspect of Lent. By giving up a physical desire like giving up sugar, coffee, meat or something else, or placing an old habit on hold for those forty days is not what the writer of Hebrews is writing about. If we claim ourselves to be believers of Jesus Christ, then we must move away from physical aspects of Lent and move towards the spiritual aspects. By giving up certain foods or pausing on old habits is only taking care of the flesh/physical aspects of ourselves. What is giving up sugar or meat do to our souls? Yes, it may improve our health but not have an impact on the heart.

Why do we then invest in this physical body which is going to perish anyway? Why not we invest in the spiritual body which is going to last forever? The author of Hebrews reiterates that we, who are the true children of God should be like rain- soaked soil which brings forth vegetation: a vegetation that will be useful for others. A soil that is tilled for the benefit of others, yielding much fruit and being a blessing to others. That is being a blessed person. Do our souls long for being useful instruments in God’s hands?

What then should we do to accomplish that blessedness? Giving up physical desires may be of little or no help but our focus should be more on how our hearts’ conditions are. Do we desire what God desires? Are we seeing where God is working and following in His footsteps? Are we maturing in our walk with God? Or are we still going back to the old habits after the forty days are over? What earthly desire did we give up to gain a spiritual desire? What godly characteristic did we develop after forty days of fasting and praying? Did we revert back to our old self and succumb to the old fleshly desires because the season of Lent is finished?

By returning to our old self, our lives are analogous to a soil which brings forth thorns and thistles. Useless and void of anything good. As soon as the Lent season ends, if there is no spiritual maturity, if we give up on fasting and praying, or if we give up a spiritual habit we picked up during Lent, then there was no reason to observe Lent in the first place. We are worthless and end up being burned. We are not useful to God and His Kingdom. We are not blessed but accursed.

Hebrews 6: 11-12

And we desire that each one of you show the same diligence so as to realize the full assurance of hope until the end, so that you will not be sluggish, but imitators of those who through faith and patience inherit the promises.

Therefore, we must take that step towards spiritual maturity with every season of Lent that passes by. Being diligent means we are working towards that spiritual maturity like an athlete training to improve his performance. If we are sluggish, then there is no progress. We will be at the same place where we were before we started off. With each passing Lent season, we will never progress towards that maturity, thereby, missing out on the promises which God promised to those who through faith and patience persevered.

Hebrews 6: 1-3

Therefore leaving the elementary teaching about the Christ, let us press on to maturity, not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God, of instruction about washings and laying on of hands, and the resurrection of the dead and eternal judgement. And this we will do, if God permits.

Beloved, now that our foundation is secure, let us move away from the rudimentary teachings to mature aspects of faith. Let us move from milk to solid food. Time is short. Christ’s return is imminent. What then should our focus be? Who then should our focus be? With each passing Lent season, we should be climbing up onto the next rung in the spiritual ladder. Let us take a step forward instead of two steps backward. Let us focus not on the physical but spiritual, because only spirit endures. Our physical bodies are temporary but our souls are eternal.

As Paul declared in 2 Timothy 4: 7, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith… , will we also declare with such confidence at the end of our lives? Let us be the rain-soaked soil bringing forth good fruit and in abundance. Let us be diligent in pursuing God. Let us be hungry for God’s truth. Let us always be progressing in faith and not regressing. May this Lent season be a time to take those first steps of progression in faith. With each passing Lent season, may we find ourselves spiritually mature and slowly showing the likeness of Christ. May God be with you as you progress!