You should observe Lent because Jesus is worthy of worship. Let me explain.
At several points in the book of Judges we’ve seen various individuals with a transactional understanding of God’s mercy and grace. This was seen most profoundly with Jephthah. Seeking to gain something from the Lord, he demonstrated his profound zeal and commitment to the cause of defeating the Ammonites by offering—indirectly so as to try to leave himself an out—his own daughter as a sacrifice. In this Jephthah profoundly misunderstood the Lord and his love to his people. He was bargaining with God, offering a transaction: his daughter for God’s victory. God’s love and blessing and mercy and grace is not something that can be purchased—especially not with something the Lord hates (child sacrifice).
The gospel, as we’ve seen, is quite simple: God offers mercy and grace and all who receive it in faith are welcomed as the people of God, the recipients of his salvation. In this there is no transaction. There is the one-sided gift of himself to those who trust him. One does not—cannot—earn this, thus there is no transaction involved. The right response to God’s grace is faith, and faith is seen in one’s obedience. This is the point James was making when he said Abraham was justified by works. He does not mean he was declared righteous by God because of works. Rather, Abraham was justified, or proven right, by his works. His faith was proven genuine through his works.
As Protestants we are particularly sensitive to the idea one is justified by works. Many Protestants act as though we must avoid doing anything that may be perceived as a “work”, despite the truth that Abraham’s faith proved his righteousness. James said he would “show you my faith by my works” (James 2:18). That is, his faith justifies—proves him right in believing. Good works make faith visible.
Because Protestants are often concerned about good works being seen as performative, we often miss out on the blessings of long-established practices such as Lent. Many have been taught that observing Lent (and Advent and even participating in weekly communion!) is Roman Catholic. For that to be true one would have to claim Rome is the one true church, for Lent is more ancient than the annual celebration of Christmas! Reading Scripture weekly would be Roman. So would the sermon and reciting the Creed and, of course, so would prayer. These things aren’t Roman Catholic; they’re Christian.
A couple weeks ago we saw the promise of Samson. He is listed as the twelfth judge, one who is the ideal Israelite. He was born through a promise, consecrated from birth, set apart for a unique task. He was everything Israel was supposed to be. Samson was born under a Nazirite vow, one he did not choose for himself. Instead, God determined he would live as a Nazirite, which means he would never cut his hair, would never touch anything unclean (including a dead body), would never drink wine or other alcohol, and would abstain from grape products altogether. None of these is an inherently bad thing. Haircuts and wine and grape jelly and even holding the hand of a loved one at a funeral are all part of life. The things given up during a Nazirite vow were good things. To show one was set apart for the Lord, the Nazirite would voluntarily give up these good things for the duration of the vow.
This is what fasting is. When fasting a person gives up a good thing, often food. Whether a short fast of a few hours or a longer fast lasting days or even weeks, in a fast one gives up something good for the Lord. As with a haircut, the thing given up could be a practical thing. Often during Lent one fasts from social media or from binge-watching a favorite television show.
A fast is much like a temporary Nazirite vow. While the Nazirite vow came with specific things one must give up, fasting allows one to choose what to give up. In 1 Corinthians 7 Paul refers to married couples fasting from the act of marriage, though he places tight parameters around this. It must be for a limited time and only by mutual agreement. It can only be done for the purpose of prayer but then the “fast” must be broken quickly, that the couple may resume engaging in the covenantal act once again. The point is one may fast from an activity or from food or nearly anything good. Obviously one shouldn’t fast from prayer or from worship. All of life, including the time of fasting, must be a time of prayer and worship.
Because Protestants are keen to preserve the Reformation cry of “Faith alone!”, we are often slow to embrace ancient practices such as fasting, though it is clear that the ancient church had no such concern. Fasting was understood to be part of what it means to follow Jesus. In the Didache—written as early as the year AD 50—Christians are instructed in fasting. Jesus himself expected his followers to fast, for in his Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 6 he spoke of both prayer and fasting and warned against engaging in either in order to be seen by others. The warning is not against being seen by others, for if it were we could never pray with one another and certainly couldn’t pray publicly on Sundays! Instead, the warning is against praying and fasting in a performative manner. The problem isn’t being seen by others but in one shouting, “Look at me! I’m praying! I’m fasting! See the depth of my spirituality!”
Jesus clearly expected his disciples to fast, else his instructions regarding fasting would be superfluous. He also directly stated his followers would fast—but only when he was not present with them. In Luke 5 he was asked why his disciples did not fast. He said wedding guests do not fast while the bridegroom is with them. Then he said this:
“The days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast in those days.”
Luke 5:35 ESV
He was referring to his ascension. After his ascension his disciples began to fast, thus the instructions in the Didache. It is clear from church history that fasting has been a regular part of Christian worship. Here is what we Protestants miss when we fail to recognize the gift of fasting: it is an incredible act of worship.
We do not fast in order to receive something. Rather, we fast because we have received something. During a fast, as with a Nazirite vow, one may seek the Lord. Fasting is a powerful way to exert one’s self in prayer in order to hear from the Lord. This is not transactional, however. We are not giving up meat or coffee or giving up binge-watching the show “Silo” or giving up creature comforts such as sleeping in or watching sports or taking hot showers in order to twist God’s arm, as if we give up something and so God must give us what we want.
Instead, fasting is an act of worship. We turn to the only one who can hear our prayers, knowing he hears them in Christ. When Paul speaks of presenting our bodies as living sacrifices (Romans 12:1), this includes the voluntary giving up of something good, something we enjoy. By doing so we are demonstrating God is worthy of our sacrifice. Fasting from soda or from chocolate isn’t a way to say, “Look how much I am willing to give up so that you will give me what I want“. Instead, it is a way to say, “You are worthy of giving up everything“. Period. There is no qualifier. God is worthy of us giving our very lives for him. This is what it means to present our bodies as a living sacrifice. One way in which we do this is by fasting.
Lent is a time the whole church focuses on fasting. Lent comes from a word that means “spring”. Since Easter is always in the Spring, the Spring fast is what is meant by “Lent”. In the second century Irenaeus wrote of some Christians fasting for a day, some for two, some for longer. It quickly became a week-long fast right before Easter, hence “Holy Week”. By the time of the Council of Nicea, the organizers wrote of “the 40-day fast” prior to Easter—and they didn’t have to explain it to anyone, for it was widely practiced among Christians. Just as Moses was fasting on Mount Sinai for 40 days and Jesus fasted in the wilderness for 40 days, so Christians began fasting for 40 days prior to Easter. Remember the caveat Jesus gave, however: when the bridegroom is present, his disciples will not fast. Lent is 46 days long, though it is a 40-day fast. Because Jesus is uniquely and powerfully present in his gathered assembly, we do not fast on Sundays. If you add in the six Sundays during Lent to the 40 days of actual fasting, you arrive at 46 days. (Technically Lent ends on the Thursday before Easter but that’s another article.)
The mistake many Protestants make is limiting “worship” to the Sunday morning gathered assembly. We recognize that corporate singing and prayer and giving and celebrating the Eucharist are worship, but we fail to recognize intentional acts of devotion as worship. These acts of devotion can come in many forms. When one spends time reading Scripture or praying before a meal, these are acts of devotion. Fasting is a significant act of devotion, one the whole church can do together even as most of the time we do them privately in our own homes.
Lent provides us the opportunity to express our devotion to the Lord together. This isn’t performative, just as opening my wife’s car door for her is an act of devotion to her but isn’t performative. I’m not trying to impress anyone—well, her, maybe. I want her to see my love and affection and devotion to her. In a greater way, this is what fasting offers us. Through fasting we demonstrate our love and devotion to the Lord. We don’t fast in order to receive; we fast because we have received and we want to express our gratitude by giving up something good from our lives for a period of time.
We should observe Lent together because Jesus is worthy of worship. He gains nothing from our service to him. He gains nothing from our worship. The gospel isn’t transactional! He gives and we receive. Because we have received all things in Christ, we gladly give up some things for a time as a means of worshiping the one who is worthy.
Lent begins on Ash Wednesday. This year that is March 5. Let’s choose something good in our life and give it up Monday through Saturday over these next six weeks or so. Let’s present our bodies as living sacrifices to the Lord as our corporate and individual act of worship and devotion. During this time let us seek the Lord, spending even more time in prayer. Let us pray for loved ones and for opportunities to love our neighbors and for the salvation of friends and family. Let us pray to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the body of Christ. Let us do this not as a transaction, as if we’re offering payment to God for something only he can give. Let us fast together as an act of worship, for our God is worthy of giving up everything. Period.