|
| |
Jesus retreated into the wilderness and fasted for
forty days to prepare for his ministry. It was for Him a time of contemplation,
reflection, and preparation. By observing Lent, most Christians join Jesus on
His retreat.
Lent consists of the forty days before Easter. In the western Church, we skip
over the Sundays when we count the days of Lent, because Sunday is always the
joyful celebration of the Resurrection. Therefore, the first day of Lent in the
western Church is always a Wednesday.
Biblical societies relied very heavily on wood fires for heating and cooking,
which meant that keeping ashes under control was a major housekeeping task. Then
as now, if a person was preoccupied with something serious, they didn’t always
tend to the housekeeping—it’s the least of their concerns. Imagine that there is
a death in the family. A friend stopping by to pay their respects might gently
say, “Did you know you have ashes on your face?”
So ashes became a sign of remorse, repentance, and mourning. Today someone might
wear a black armband to signify that they are in mourning; back then people put
ashes on their foreheads.
You can find biblical examples of this in
2 Samuel 13:19,
Esther 4:1-3,
Job
42:6, and
Jeremiah 6:26. During Lent, ancient Christians mourned their sins and
repented of them, so it was appropriate for them to show their sincerity by
having ashes on their foreheads. The custom has persisted in the church as
secular society has changed around us. It is most appropriate on Ash Wednesday,
when we begin a period of sober reflection, self-examination, and spiritual
redirection.
Traditionally, the ashes for the Ash Wednesday service come from burning the
palm fronds from the previous year’s Palm Sunday celebration.
Some people only celebrate the happy times in Jesus’ life: Palm Sunday, Easter
Sunday, and Christmas. As true friends, we should also watch and pray with Him
on Holy Thursday, stand by Him at the cross on Good Friday, and retreat with Him
into the wilderness during Lent.
- Rev. Ken Collins
|
