From their earliest days, followers of Jesus have set aside 40 days before Easter Sunday as a “special time” called – “Lent.” It is “borrowed time,” actually! But then, it’s all borrowed time!
Historically, it was all about catechizing “the soon to be – baptized.” They would be taught the scriptures and have constant discussions about Christian living and life. They were instructed about fasting, prayer and almsgiving. All of this was in preparation for their baptisms at the Vigil of Easter.
The newly catechized would be brought into the church for their baptisms…they would enter in darkness and light would be slowly added until they were surrounded with the whole Light of Christ, as the church became totally and completely illumined. They basked in the light of the resurrection!
They would be baptized and communed all on the same day, at the very same liturgy. It was beyond cool.
The Gospel text from Matthew is about “authentic-faithful-living” as being the cornerstone of the Kingdom of God.
You do not want to be like the Pharisees or “others” who simply “go through all the motions” of religious living…but falling way short – in grafting “faithfulness” into their hearts.
For Jesus, faith is meant to be –always “a matter of the heart.” As a matter of fact, when it comes to Christian life and living, it is all about “the heart.” There can be no exceptions!
Over time the emphasis of Lent has changed. Lent is now about “returning back to the Lord.” It is about “upping our game” as Christians. It is about walking the walk and talking the talk. It is about putting “our heart” – where our mouths and lip-service are…
What’s interesting is what “it” has “become.” People giving up wine, or chocolate or pasta for Lent…people giving up sweets or sugar. People quitting smoking for 40 days…or giving up soft drinks…this is considered big stuff!
Lent for some has become about weight-loss…and cutting back on all those extra calories.
Whatever is done, we have to make sure that it is “a matter of the heart.” It is to be about – spending “more time with God” and coming back to him. It is to be “more in line” with the Kingdom of God. It is to be about preparation – so that our “hearts” are set squarely “in the Kingdom of God.” It is preparation for the Resurrection of Our Lord on Easter Sunday!
Lent therefore calls for a “spiritual echo-cardiogram”…for “Holter monitoring”…for “cardiac magnetic resonance imaging”(MRI)…for “cardiac computerized tomography (CT scan)…”
In what shape is your heart…? Remember, faith is meant to be “a matter of the heart!”
Does your heart reach out to “others?”
Lent is not about beating ourselves up, nor is it about attempting to impress our friends and co-workers or work associates or that old minister at the church.
Where does God enter in? Where is there more time spent with God or with his people?
The early followers of Jesus created this “special season of Lent” because of Jesus’ forty days spent in the wilderness of temptation.
Lent is kind of like “a confession” saying that we are not the first ones – to have trouble maintaining a healthy relationship with our God. We need to be called back to him. We need to be called home. We need to return. We need to be reminded.
Very much like us today – the earliest followers of Jesus found themselves busy with too many things. Busyness happens! “They” like us were also easily distracted. Distractions are nothing new to any of us!
The early disciples got forgetful.
Early disciples walked away.
Early disciples got burned out and they had to blame someone, so they blamed God … or “others.”
Early disciples could be afraid.
Early disciples could question everything…and some of them did…
Early disciples could be very neglectful.
Early disciples could “slip and slide” with the best of us, and allow their relationship with God to sit on the back burner. Sometimes it sat there – for a very long time. And some of them just ran out the back door.
The early disciples were not perfect. They were very much like us. They desperately needed/wanted God in their lives…and yet they distanced themselves from him.
Lent called them back. Lent called them home. Let caused some of them to return. It still does. Remember the journey is about returning to God. Return to him-each in your own way.