PEA RIDGE — As of Wednesday, Feb. 22, Mardi Gras is over, and the season of Lent has begun.
I have always been somewhat nonplused about Mardi Gras, and troubled about it from a Christian viewpoint. Much of the practice of Mardi Gras seems counter to the Christian appreciation of life. It is like a last-minute final hedonistic fling before one gets down to serious Christian devotions, and takes up thinking again of the cross of Jesus Christ and other somber concerns.
The Lenten Season is a 40-day season during which Christians focus devotionally on the sacrificial sufferings, crucifixion and death of our Savior, and on preparing for Easter’s celebration of Christ’s resurrection. In the 16th chapter of Matthew’s Gospel, verses 13 through 26, we see an extended interchange between Jesus and the apostle Peter, often called Peter’s Confession.
Jesus had asked his disciples, “Who do men say that I am?” Some people were comparing him to John the Baptist, others to Elijah the prophet, or to the prophet Jeremiah. When Jesus asked, “But who do you say that I am?” Peter answered, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” Jesus commended him for that faith confession, indicating that he got it not from the world, but from the Father in heaven; and on that truth the Lord would build his Church.
With verse 21, the gospel indicates that from then on, Jesus began to show his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem, and suffer many things, and be killed, and on the third day be raised.
Peter’s initial reaction was to rebuke the Lord, saying, “God forbid, Lord! This shall never happen to you!” But Jesus said to him, “Get behind me, Satan, ... for you are not on the side of God, but of men.” And he went on to say, “If any man would come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross and follow me.
For whoever would save his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and forfeits his life?” To observe Lent is to seek to share the mind of Jesus, how he prepared his followers for his suffering, death and resurrection, and how he challenged them to deny themselves, to follow him and to take up a cross of self-giving service, devoting themselves to a Christ-honoring servantlifestyle.
Quite often, observing Lent is discussed in terms of “giving up something for Lent.” That might mean giving up certain foods that one enjoys or has a weakness for, or giving up certain luxuries one normally seeks for oneself, or making a greater than normal effort to be helpful to others. Lent is a fitting time to renew one’s practice of Christian spiritual disciplines, such as the reading of scripture, regular personal prayer and regularly gathering and worshipping with other followers of Christ in church.
Fasting, a spiritual discipline often neglected in today’s fast-paced world, is the origin of that motivation to “give up something for Lent.” Interestingly, in recent years we have witnessed certain individuals resorting to a form of fasting, (questionably so described), in which the person goes without food or drink for a period of time to make a political or social statement. Also, some who struggle with diets and excess weight may take the season of Lent to recommit to their dietary plan, seeking to overcome their temptations to overeat. It may be noted, however, that these exercises skew a person away from the fasting that Jesus himself practiced. Jesus taught a practice of fasting which was not for others to see, not for impressing other people, but an intensely personal focus which tunes one’s heart to the heart of God, affirming the greater value of that soul-to-soul relationship over all fleshly appetites and desires. See Matt. 6:16-18, and Luke 4:1-15.
Worldly wisdom tends to see doing without something as merely an onerous and grievous deprivation.
Quite to the contrary, Jesus taught that denying oneself for the Lord’s sake is a path to new self-discovery, to greater vision for living and being, and to deeper fulfillment in life and service.
It truly is more blessed to give than to receive. (Acts 20:35).
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Editor’s note: Jerry Nichols, a native of Pea Ridge, is a retired Methodist minister with a passion for history.
He can be contacted by email at [email protected], or call 621-1621.
Church, Pages 2 on 02/29/2012