True Fasting & Lent

 

Valentine’s Day was also Ash Wednesday which means we are Lententide. The intent of Lent is to imitate Christ, specifically his forty days in wilderness through fasting. I have spoken in the past against the practice on grounds of making the build up to Resurrection Sunday somber rather than a celebration. I still stand by that, I also worry about  penitential spirit that can attach to Lent, with saints using it as means to merit favor with God. Lent originally was instituted by The Council of Nicea in 325 A.D. as a fast for forty days before Easter Sunday. I imagine they supported it with this Scripture, “Jesus answered, “Can you make the friends of the bridegroom fast while he is with them? But the time will come when the bridegroom will be taken from them; in those days they will fast.” (Luke 5:34-35). A strong case, however, Jesus did not say He commands fasting nor do the apostles, just that people will fast, which is more of prognostication that simply means, “they will fast.”  I think that distinction is important, Jesus and His Apostles don’t institute or endorse a 40 Day Fast, our Lord simply says people will fast after His Ascension.  

Another piece of Scriptural evidence to call into question the practice of Lent is Ash Wednesday itself, which usually has a bowl of ashes that priests or deacons place an ashen cross on the forehead of congregants. I remember once have the opportunity to do it, and I felt a great aversion, turns out Jesus is against such displaying of fasting, “And when you fast, do not look gloomy like the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces that their fasting may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, that your fasting may not be seen by others but by your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.” (Matthew 6:16-18). Jesus says to fast in secret, to not let anyone know your fasting, to bath and look and act normal. And yet Ash Wednesday and the whole practice of Lent is a public display in the church which violates Jesus’ own words!  Christ our Lord says there is no reward in Lent and public fasting! Lent is in direct contravention of Christ’s teaching! Which proves it is not to be practiced! 

Here is fast the Lord desires:

“Is this not the fast that I have chosen:
To loose the bonds of wickedness,
To undo the heavy burdens,
To let the oppressed go free,
And that you break every yoke? ()

Is it not to share your bread with the hungry,
And that you bring to your house the poor who are cast out;
When you see the naked, that you cover him,
And not hide yourself from your own flesh?

Then your light shall break forth like the morning,
Your healing shall spring forth speedily,
And your righteousness shall go before you;
The glory of the Lord shall be your rear guard.

Then you shall call, and the Lord will answer;
You shall cry, and He will say, ‘Here I am.’

“If you take away the yoke from your midst,
The [c]pointing of the finger, and speaking wickedness,

If you extend your soul to the hungry
And satisfy the afflicted soul,
Then your light shall dawn in the darkness,
And your darkness shall be as the noonday.

The Lord will guide you continually,
And satisfy your soul in drought,
And strengthen your bones;
You shall be like a watered garden,
And like a spring of water, whose waters do not fail.” (Isaiah 58:6-11). These same words are reiterated by Jesus who says,

“Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’

 “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’

 “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’

“Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink,  I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.’

 “They also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?’

 “He will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.’

 “Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.” (Matthew 25: 34-46). 

What God desires is not sackcloth, wailing and ashes, but to set free the oppressed, to feed the hungry (especially Christians in Matthew version), to help widows and orphans, and do those things! As the apostle James said, “True and undefiled religion before the God and Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their tribulation; to keep oneself unstained from the world.” (James 1:27). 

We impress no one with fasting eating or giving up stuff for Lent in some act of piety. What matters is the fast mentioned by the Prophet Isaiah and our Lord Jesus Christ which is to rescue the oppressed, feed the hungry, and so much more!  If you are going to fast in the traditional way keep it to yourself so that Abba Father will reward you, and put away ashes and gloomy Lententide attitudes. Amen.