Joel 2:12-13- “Yet even now,” declares the LORD, “return to me with all your heart, with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning; and rend your hearts and not your garments.” Return to the LORD your God, for He is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love; and He relents over disaster.
Today begins the 40 days of Lent. The word "Lent" comes from the word Lencten, which is an old Anglo-Saxon word for "Spring". Lent begins a 40-day period that ends the Saturday before Easter (Sundays are not counted in Lent because they are considered to be days of celebrating the Resurrection, not the cross). Why 40 days? Most likely it’s because the number 40 often appears concerning things related to sin and temptation. The rain fell on the earth for forty days and forty nights. The children of Israel wandered for 40 years in the desert. Jesus was led by the Spirit into the desert to be tempted by Satan for 40 days. During the 40 days of Lent, we have the opportunity to “think”, “remember”, and “reflect” on issues of sin, what Christ has done for us in the cross, and how we can live more clearly for Him.
Often Christians give up something for Lent. Why? Perhaps it’s the desire to identify with Christ’s sacrifice for us. Matthew 16:24 (ESV), "Then Jesus told his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me".
By tradition, many churches place ashes on the heads of those who come to worship today. Why Ashes? Biblically, ashes have always stood for mourning, for a repentant spirit. The Old Testament world often depicted mourning as people tearing their clothes, or wearing sackcloth, and sitting in dust and ashes. At a funeral service, especially graveside, we return the body to the earth, "ashes to ashes, dust to dust".
Ashes symbolize the temporal quality of life. Our lives "are but a vapor, which appears for a minute and then vanishes away." We live with the reality that we are not going to live forever in this body, in our world. Our lives will come to an end, and if not for Jesus' death on the cross, we'd live without the hope of the resurrection and the promise of eternal life.
1 Peter 2:24 He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By His wounds, you have been healed.
However this day strikes you - and I hope it means something to you - make a point of coming back each day as we think, ponder, and pray our way through these 40 days leading up to Easter. Take a minute to ask the Lord to be with you and to give you the freedom from His Spirit to see all that He has for you because of what Jesus has accomplished on the Cross.
Peace
From my book, A Lenten Sojourn (pp. 9-10). available on Amazon as a Kindle Edition.
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