Did you know that the Catholic church observes a season called “Lent” in preparation for Easter? Briefly, what is “Lent”, and should we as Christians create seasons of ritual to prepare for God’s biblical Holy Days?
(Wikipedia) Lent (Latin: Quadragesima, 'Fortieth') is a solemn religious observance in the Christian liturgical calendar that begins on Ash Wednesday and ends approximately six weeks later, before Easter Sunday. The purpose of Lent is the preparation of the believer for Easter through prayer, doing penance, mortifying the flesh, repentance of sins, almsgiving, and denial of ego.
So, this forty day “season” is used to “prepare” Catholic Christians for their holiday, Easter, with prayer, repentance, penance, mortifying the flesh, denial of ego, and almsgiving.
I have a question for you? Do you think it is appropriate to pray MORE during a season of the year, to show a GREATER DILIGENCE to repent of your sins, to practice humility MORE, or to be MORE charitable?
You may notice I don’t bring up mortifying the flesh and penance, because these terms as defined by Catholicism are against scriptural guidance. Paul does instruct us to “mortify the flesh” in Colossians, but he is expressly admonishing the brethren to not sin, therefore, not needing to repent if not sinning. The Catholic definition includes self-denial of things that are not sins in and of themselves.
Col 2:20 Therefore, if you died with Christ from the basic principles of the world, why, as though living in the world, do you subject yourselves to regulations—
Col 2:21 "Do not touch, do not taste, do not handle,"
Col 2:22 which all concern things which perish with the using—according to the commandments and doctrines of men?
Col 2:23 These things indeed have an appearance of wisdom in self-imposed religion, false humility, and neglect of the body, but are of no value against the indulgence of the flesh.
So, what is your answer? Is there a season, a month, a week, even a day, that is more important than any other day, week, month, or season when it comes to seeking first the kingdom of God and His righteousness? (Matthew 6:33)
Of course NOT!!!
Let’s now go to a passage often used to prepare us for Passover and the Days of Unleavened bread. Turn to 1 Corinthians 11…
As we read through this, let’s do our very best to cast out pre-conceived notions about Paul’s admonitions and the circumstances.
1Co 11:20 Therefore when you come together in one place, it is not to eat the Lord's Supper.
1Co 11:21 For in eating, each one takes his own supper ahead of others; and one is hungry and another is drunk.
Reminder: As three of the Gospel accounts report, while Jesus and His disciples were eating the Passover, He introduced the new symbols of bread and wine. So, it is reasonable to believe the church at Corinth engaged in a meal as well as performing the ceremony we are familiar with. Paul’s complaint, however, is that members were putting themselves ahead of others, eating most of the food, and leaving others without enough.
1Co 11:22 What! Do you not have houses to eat and drink in? Or do you despise the church of God and shame those who have nothing? What shall I say to you? Shall I praise you in this? I do not praise you.
Obviously, the entire church was not misbehaving, since some had plenty and others were lacking. Paul’s solution for the greedy guts was to tell them to eat some food before coming to the meal if they didn’t have enough self-control when putting food on their plates.
1Co 11:23 For I received from the Lord that which I also delivered to you: that the Lord Jesus on the same night in which He was betrayed took bread;
1Co 11:24 and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, "Take, eat; this is My body which is broken for you; do this in remembrance of Me."
1Co 11:25 In the same manner He also took the cup after supper, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in My blood. This do, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me."
1Co 11:26 For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord's death till He comes.
Here, Paul summarized for us the purpose of the evening, clearly emphasizing the new symbols, to one, memorialize (remember) that Christ died for mankind, and, two, that the letting of His blood introduced the new covenant that He established.
1Co 11:27 Therefore whoever eats this bread or drinks this cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord.
1Co 11:28 But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of the bread and drink of the cup.
1Co 11:29 For he who eats and drinks in an unworthy manner eats and drinks judgment to himself, not discerning the Lord’s body.
Paul’s admonition concerning this event was to examine oneself as to his or her worthiness to take of this particular bread and wine. And one could not be expressing unworthiness at a time more obviously than during the very meal centered around remembering Christ’s sacrifice.
But to suggest that this self-examination is a seasonal examination based upon the memorial service is simplistic and can cause a discordant understanding of our relationship with God.
It is believed the Paul was in Ephesus when he wrote the first letter to Corinth. This city was about 315 miles away by sea, or 1065 by land. Back before the U.S. Postal Service was formed, the Pony Express had figured out a good way to carry mail 2000 miles in only 10 days by horse. If the Pony Express had been running in Paul’s day, it would have taken about 6 days to send a message. With favorable weather and winds, a sailboat could have traveled from one coastline to the other in about 3-4 days. Considering that walking was an option, traveling 30 miles a day, it would have taken about 33 days to send a message from one city to the other.
It is entirely reasonable to believe that someone could have written a letter to Paul, or personally visited Paul, and Paul write and send a letter to Corinth BEFORE Pentecost. Certainly, he wouldn’t have waited 11 months to reply. Why?
Let me ask you something? Would it be more tolerable for me to get into today’s potluck line, be at the head of the line, and fill my plate without consideration of those at the back of the line? What about at a church picnic? What about when the neighbors get together?
The people of Corinth were not being corrected for backbiting or spreading rumors or taking God’s name in vain at the meal. All that was happening was a form of inconsideration we commonly see, today. Yet, even though people who went without food at the meal could go home and grab a bite to eat before bed, the behavior of the greedy guts was still considered disrespectful of Christ and His sacrifice.
Paul was not instructing the Corinthians to examine themselves only before Passover, but at all times and in all circumstances. Whether we are dealing with issues of the Ten Commandments, or something as simple as not thinking about the needs of others, we should always be on guard so that we can observe Passover being right with God.
As with anything Paul and any of the writers of the Bible, OT and NT, were addressing, the instruction is to turn away from sin NOW, turn toward God NOW, and follow in His Way NOW.
