Lent is the Christian season of preparation prior to Easter. Excluding Sundays, it lasts for 40 days. The season lasts for forty days for a reason – the number forty is sacred in the Bible. It rained for 40 days and nights in Noah’s story. The Hebrews wandered for 40 years before entering the Promised Land. Jesus fasted 40 days before being tempted by Satan in the wilderness. The resurrected Jesus walked the face of this world for 40 days before ascending into heaven. This year Easter is March 31 so Ash Wednesday, the beginning of Lent, was February 14.
One of the traditional readings during Lent is Matthew 16:21-28. Do you remember the story? Jesus had become a celebrity. Everyone was talking about him. Everyone wanted something from him. Everyone was guessing about his identity. However, Jesus was not interested in what the masses thought about him. Jesus wanted to know what the disciples thought about him. So, he asked them the question that changed everything, who do you say I am? The normally chatty disciples grew strangely silent. It is not that they don’t have an opinion. It was they don’t want to be wrong. It is Peter who answered first and correctly: Jesus is God’s Messiah, the son of the living God. Instead of Jesus renting a billboard to announce his identity, Jesus asks the disciples not to tell anyone.
His messiahship was to be kept a secret. We call it the “Messianic Secret.” The reason Jesus wanted to keep his identity secret is simple. That generation misunderstood the word, Messiah. They longed for a military Messiah to liberate them from foreign rule. They had grown tired of the Romans. Instead, Jesus was a spiritual Messiah who came to liberate them from sin, itself. Jesus says it clearly, but the disciples don’t listen. As the spiritual Messiah, Jesus would suffer, be rejected, and die. Jesus warns them to be prepared for the same. True discipleship is not about glory, it is about service and sacrifice. Traditionally people give up things for Lent to show the world they are completely committed to Jesus. That leads us to a common question in my Catholic community.
What are you going to give up for Lent? The idea of giving up something for Lent is based on Matthew 16:24, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me.” Giving up something for Lent is not a second chance at your broken New Year’s resolution. It is about self-denial. Giving up something for Lent should be done prayerfully, so we can wholly renew ourselves in Christ. Giving up something for Lent is not a bad thing. It can be a good thing. Giving up something for Lent tests our self-discipline.
These are the most common things people give up for Lent. I found this list on the internet, so it is not original. It is found in a variety of places. What you give up for Lent changes from generation to generation. Are you giving up any of these things for Lent?
1. Chocolate or Sweets
2. Alcohol
3. Smoking
4. Fast Food
5. Swearing
6. Social Media
7. Shopping
8. Sports
9. Caffeine
10. Sex
A television personality announced on Ash Wednesday she is giving up goldfish crackers for Lent. Some believe people who give up secondary things in their lives are not giving up enough for Lent. Some believe it is more important to change your attitudes. I am in this camp. You must dig deeper.
There is a website called Catholic Extension. I found an article on that site called What to Give up for Lent. This is their list of what to give up:
Give up bitterness; turn to forgiveness.
Give up hatred; return good for evil.
Give up negativism; be positive.
Give up complaining; be grateful.
Give up pessimism; be an optimist.
Give up harsh judgments; think kind thoughts.
Give up worry, trust Divine Providence.
Give up discouragement; be full of hope.
Give up anger; be more patient.
Give up pettiness; be more mature.
Give up gloom; enjoy the beauty around you.
Give up jealousy; pray for trust.
Give up gossiping; control your thoughts.
Give up sin; turn to virtue.
That list speaks to me. When I was in the ministry, I prayed people would give up complaining for Lent, but it never happened. Some believe you can still go deeper.
In AD 590, Pope Gregory I (540-604) revised a list of sins that had existed for centuries. We call them the Seven Deadly Sins. St. Thomas Aquinas (1224-1274) elaborated on them in the thirteenth century. The Seven Deadly Sins are the origin of all sins. These are the seven deadly sins and a brief examination.
Pride – a feeling of high self-worth based on accomplishment or talent.
Greed – a selfish desire for something, especially wealth, power, or food.
Lust – an illicit sexual desire. This often leads to immoral behavior like adultery or pornography.
Envy – an emotion which occurs when someone lacks another person’s quality, skill, or achievement. Aristotle (384 BC- 322 BC) defined envy as pain caused by another’s good fortune.
Gluttony – an overindulgence of food or drink, which in time will harm the body.
Wrath – a loss of self-control.
Sloth – laziness. Every day is a gift from God and not a single day should be wasted.
Some believe if you want to give up something for Lent, then give up something that can be traced back to one of these sins. They have a point because these are the things that are frustrating your spiritual development.
Unlike Christmas and Easter, Lent has not crossed over into the secular world. The reason is obvious. Christmas and Easter emphasize receiving something – presents and candy. Lent emphasizes giving up something. Did you know, according to Life Way Research, only 24% of all Americans observe the season of Lent? That means 76% of all Americans ignore Lent. That means, mathematically, we are in the minority. That does not bother me because Jesus was never interested in the crowd. Jesus was only interested in the committed. How committed are you to Jesus? What are you giving up for Lent? Perhaps, Jesus said it best, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me.”
Russ Adams 