DAY 1 Why Lent? Why Ash Wednesday? 2x2

True Story. A man, waiting at a rural bus stop, was sideswiped by a speeding car.   Other people at the bus-stop helped him up and they were concerned about him. They advised him to go to the emergency room. The man dusted himself and said“ I am okay.” When they persisted that he go the ER, he showed them his body – there was not a scratch, bump or bruise on him. Thus he convinced them and repeatedly said “ I am okay.” However, a few hours later he died from internal injuries and bleeding.

Dear brother and sister in Christ: You and I say the same thing coming to our spiritual condition and in our standing before God. We think and proclaim “ I am okay”. But all was not okay, all is not okay and all will not be okay if we delude ourselves stating “I am okay”, “I am fine” or “Nothing is wrong with me” when it comes to our spiritual life.

That is why, Christ came down and taught us that (a)all is not okay with us and (b)we are dying in our sins. He also taught  and showed us that his suffering and death are necessary for the forgiveness of our sins and his resurrection is for our salvation. And all of this is from Christ. That is why we are taught “… by grace you have been saved through faith.” Ephesians 2:8

In order to remember and reflect on our condition and everything that Christ did us, Lent is observed. Now the Bible does not teach us to observe Lent or Ash Wednesday. So why Lent? And why Ash Wednesday? While they are not in the Bible, the ideas are.  In the Bible ashes represent humility, remorse, repentance and fasting. Ashes remind us we are human, and we need to repent and seek God’s grace and forgiveness. Around the 6^th century people would sprinkle ashes on themselves and later they marked a cross on their forehead with ashes to portray their remorse.

But the problem is this has become a ritual – just like our Telugu saying “Thalalu Bodulaina Thalapulu Bodula?” ( the head is shaved but are the lusts shorn?)– so some say Ash Wednesday is not necessary and  lent is not necessary because it is a pagan ritual.

 
With Ash Wednesday we begin the observance of Lent. During the forty days of Lent we are reflective and contemplative of Christ’s work for our forgiveness and our salvation. Why forty days you ask? Before beginning his ministry,Jesus went in to the wilderness to be tempted by the Devil. After 40 days of fasting he was tempted by the devil but overcame the temptation and began his ministry. We also spend the 40 days of Lent reflecting on our temptations and our sinful lives and repent and rely on our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

We learn from both Matthew and Luke that “Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness”. So let’s (a) assess our lives in light of God’s word and (b) pray that God the Holy Spirit would lead us, convict us of our sins, point and gather us around Christ.

Abba, Father! We thank you for your son Jesus Christ our Lord. Help us during this Lent observance to never forget what he did for all of us. We ask this in His name. Amen.

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