To Lent Or Not To Lent?
That is the question.
Why do some Christians observe Lent, while other
Bible-believing Christians don’t? What’s
the deal? Is it unbiblical? Is it sinful?
Is it simply a matter of taste?
WHAT IS LENT?
What is Lent anyway?
Lent is the 40-day period of time between Ash Wednesday and Easter that
many liturgical Christian churches observe.
Ash Wednesday is when ashes are placed on one’s forehead in the shape of
a cross (usually ashes from the palm branches of the previous year’s Palm Sunday). The idea comes from Jesus Himself; after He
was baptized, Jesus spent 40 days fasting in the desert before starting His
ministry.
“The traditional purpose of Lent is the preparation of the believer
through prayer, penance, repentance of sins, almsgiving, atonement and
self-denial.” –Wikipedia
Lent is a time in which Christians heighten their
sensitivity to what Jesus did on the cross.
In preparation for Easter (the day we celebrate Jesus’ resurrection from
the dead), the Christian takes seriously the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross,
and the weight of what He did for them.
WHY DO ONLY SOME
CHRISTIANS OBSERVE LENT?
Christian denominations that observe Lent include:
Anglicans, Reformed, Lutherans, Methodist, Presbyterians and Roman
Catholics. Some evangelical churches do
as well, but most do not. Evangelicals, and Pentecostals in particular, do not observe
Lent because of the careless attitude they believe it can condone.
The Fight Between Carnival and Lent (1559)
by Pieter Bruegel
by Pieter Bruegel
Early Pentecostals believed that observing Lent had become
meaningless. This painting by Pieter
Bruegel illustrates what some Christians felt at this time. People would “party it up” right before Lent,
give something up for the 40 days, and instantly indulge in it when the time
was up. They felt that Lent had become a
way of simply “going through the motions,” and that participating in Lent no
longer meant anything special.
For this reason, Pentecostals and Evangelicals in general
chose not to observe Lent. They instead
advocated for an entire lifestyle of
holiness (separation from sin and
devotion to God). Rather than giving
something up out of obligation for 40 days, the Christian should already be
living a life of holiness and devotion to the Lord, regardless of the Lenten
holiday.
WHAT DOES THE BIBLE
SAY?
Don’t we all read the same Bible? How can there be two different views of this?
The custom of Lent does not appear anywhere in the Bible,
however the idea of repentance and mourning with ashes is found throughout the
Bible (2 Samuel 13:19; Esther 4:1; Job 2:8; Daniel 9:3; Matthew 11:21).
This doesn’t mean that Lent (or a lack of participating in
it) is sinful in any way. However, if
someone were doing it out of obligation, they could perhaps be better off not
participating in it. God doesn’t like
lip service, but instead wants our hearts to grow closer to Him.
“These people honor me with their lips, but
their hearts are far from me.”
–Jesus (Matthew 15:8, quoting Isaiah 29:13)
MY THOUGHTS
I understand both sides of this, and feel that there is
credence to both. If one is observing
Lent from the heart, and is taking this time to truly focus on Jesus, that’s great!
How could that be a bad thing?
Sometimes Pentecostals (and Evangelicals in general) rip on liturgical
traditions without thinking about why they are in place.
On the other hand, I also agree that if Lent is being
observed out of mere obligation or
tradition, then it is ultimately meaningless. The Christian is called to live a lifestyle of holiness, and should not be
limited to the Lenten holiday.
As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when
you lived in ignorance. But just as he
who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: “Be holy,
because I am holy.” (1 Peter 1:14-16)
TO LENT OR NOT TO
LENT?
We’ve seen the purpose of Lent is to focus on Jesus Christ
and His sacrifice on the cross, and ultimately His resurrection from the
dead. While the Lenten holiday is not
found in the Bible, the concept of holiness is
found throughout Scripture.
If Lent is something you’ve never
participated in and you judge others who do, take some time to rethink your
position. There is no reason to be angry
with those who observe this holiday.
Instead, focus on how you can take more seriously the sacrifice of Jesus
on the cross and continue to live a lifestyle
of holiness.
Regardless of whether you choose to participate in Lent,
there is nothing wrong (and in fact everything right) with taking time to tune your heart to Jesus. I was recently pondering about
how Jesus didn’t want to die on the cross, but still prayed, “yet not my will,
but yours be done,” (Luke 22:42). That’s
amazing. What if Jesus didn’t pray
that? That’s something that I can thank
Jesus for, that He prayed God’s will!
Even though He didn’t feel like it, He still chose to die on the cross
for me. Whether it’s reflecting on this
verse, observing Lent, or something else, take some time to tune your heart to Jesus.
What can wash away my sin?
Nothing but the blood of Jesus
What can make me whole again?
Nothing but the blood of Jesus
Oh, precious is the flow,
That makes me white as snow!
No other fount I know!
Nothing but the blood of Jesus
*Much of this came from listening to Dr. Brubaker’s
presentation, “To Lent Or Not To Lent” at Valley Forge Christian College on
March 17, 2014.
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