Historically Lent has been seen as a time of penance. Of preparation. Of pressing into the heart of relationship with God and God's work of reconciliation.
Growing up, I attended a parochial school. I was encouraged to look at Lent as a time of giving up something. Like giving up meat on Friday in recognition of the significance of Good Friday (the day that Jesus died on the cross).
Practically speaking that meant having fish sticks in the school cafeteria on Friday, followed by more fish sticks or tuna fish at home for supper. Each Friday for five weeks. (I also gave up candy, including chocolate, which for a young kid, was a significant undertaking.)
It wasn't until I was an altar boy that I finally gave a good look at the 14 Stations of the Cross that ran along the perimeter walls of our church. The stations were artistic depictions of the suffering and death of Jesus. The Stations begin with Jesus being condemned to death, and continue on to Jesus being laid in the tomb.
In between these events, Jesus carries his cross, meets his mom along the way to Calvary, falls three times, gets stripped of his clothes, is nailed to the cross and dies.
It's pretty gruesome.
The Stations of the Cross are focused on the passion and death of Jesus, so they stop short of the Resurrection, ending with Jesus being placed in the tomb.
The stopping short is on purpose.
It's supposed to make a person think about what God's Son suffered for us. The price that was paid for our relationship with God to be reconciled.
It turns out, the price was enormous.
Jesus put it best when He said: "Greater love has no one that this, than to lay down one's life for their friends." (John 15:13).
It would be just like John (the one who laid his head on Jesus' chest during the Last Supper) to point this out.
So during this Lenten season, maybe one take-away can be a deeper appreciation for the kind of love that Jesus showed us. Along with a comprehension of the fact that God's Son did this with no strings attached. That is, God's Son freely gave his life without any reciprocal agreement from us. Paul points out that Jesus died for us while we were still sinners. (Romans 5.8)
This is an extraordinarily proactive, unconditional type of love.
There seems to be a trend nowadays, at least in North America, for Christians to gravitate to seeker-friendly, feel-good churches. Or churches that preach that the Good News is more like an open-ended bank account with God being the Head Teller who offers unlimited withdrawals. With no understanding and little attention paid to the price that God's Son paid for us.
In the short term, this type of Christianity has a tendency to produce very self-centered followers who aren't focused on much else besides their own well being. This is the total opposite of what following God's Son means, if you use the Bible and Jesus' own life, as the standard.
Ironically, this type of Christianity is 180 degrees removed from the example of God's Son who gave us a new commandment, which is simply, "love one another." (John 15.12)
Maybe this Lenten season we can make a commitment to get back to the roots of our faith: The cross, the Resurrection and what power there is to be had on the other side of suffering.
Photo Credit: www.patheos.com
No comments:
Post a Comment