Thursday, March 10, 2011

Lent

Yesterday began the season of Lent, the spiritual countdown to Easter Sunday.  What's it about?  Here, rather than giving an encyclopedic answer, I'd like to offer a few of my own thoughts.

In one of the most commonly repeated prayers of Paul, his prayer for the Ephesian Christian in Ephesians 1:15-23, he connects all his requests (wisdom, revelation, knowing the hope to which they've been called, knowing the reality of their spiritual inheritance, and knowing God's power available specifically for believers) to a very unique sort of power: the power of resurrection.  That is the climax of the prayer: that they may know the power of the resurrection.

Paul tells us more about this power: "God put this power to work in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this page but also in the age to come. And he has put all things under his feet and made him the head over all things for the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all."  (Eph 1:20-23).  It's amazing language, and quite a description of the current status of Jesus, the Anointed One.  BUT, the main purpose of this description of Jesus is to tell the Ephesians (and you and me) about this crazy sort of power available to believers.  The power of resurrection.

But knowing that power is, in the ebb and flow of normal life, difficult (to put it mildly).  It's no wonder Paul is praying this rather than just telling the Ephesians about it.  The build up in the prayer describes the heart of the Lent season:

1. Recognize God as the Father of glory
2. Receive from him a spirit of wisdom and revelation which happens as we come to know him
3. After, or as a result of receiving the spirit of wisdom and revelation, knowledge of hope, inheritance, and the available power is the fruit.

So, what is Lent about?  It is about receiving a spirit of wisdom and revelation.  That is why people traditionally choose something to abstain from during this season - don't just choose something to choose it, or because it's fattening, or because it's expensive, or because that's what you've always fasted for Lent.  Honestly evaluate your life and ask: what is impeding wisdom and revelation from taking root in my life?  What am I holding onto or doing that is (or might be) keeping the spirit of wisdom and revelation at arm's length?

Easter at its best is a recognition of the "immeasurable greatness of his power for us who believe," because Easter is when we remind ourselves overtly: Jesus really died on a Roman cross, and his body really got placed in a tomb, and he really walked out of it on the third day.  And that is really supposed to completely alter the way we live, speak, love, pray, and hope.  Otherwise, there is no Christian hope, there are no "riches of his glorious inheritance," and there is no power.

To put all this in different words: Lent is not about giving something up and griping about how much it stinks; Lent is about opening your eyes and seeing what you have (or could have): immeasurable greatness of his power for us who believe.  

1 comment:

  1. Powerful post, Mike. I'm not sure I've ever heard Lent described this way. It feels spot on. Thanks for sharing.

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