The season of Lent is often associated with various references in the Bible to 40 days, a time reference which generally means “a long time.” In Christian times, Jesus’ journey in the desert is sometimes cited as providing the rationale for the length of the Lenten season:
“Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. And after fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. And the tempter came and said to him, ‘If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread.’” (Mt 4:1-3 – ESV)
Jesus did not allow himself to be tempted by the devil. Likewise, he would not have allowed himself to be caught “loafing” during his time of fasting. While in the desert, perhaps the devil also tempted Jesus to create some dessert. All hot-cross-buns and half-baked puns aside, what do we make of Lent?
The word “Lent” refers to the “lengthening” of days or springtime. Thus, “Lent” did not originally have a religious connotation. Although customs vary, the early church tended to celebrate the resurrection every Sunday with a fast day on the preceding Friday to mark Jesus’ crucifixion. In the course of time, however, a particular “holy day” or holiday for celebrating Easter developed, and correspondingly the single, preparatory fast day was extended to many days just preceding Easter, which we now call Holy Week. This penitential period itself was then preceded with a “longer” fasting time of varying degrees and days numbering 40, as cited from Matthew above. Because Easter is celebrated in the springtime, the “lengthening” of days or Lent acquired new meaning, literally. So, if Lent is a manufactured season of questionable origins and purpose and if Luther was happy to dispense with Ash Wednesday, what do we make of Lent?
Traditionally, taking its cue from the passage cited above, Lent has been observed as a time of fasting. In German, Lent is called die Fastenzeit, the time of fasting, a name which readily denotes the reason for the season. The word Lent, however, does not convey the same meaning, and often means nothing to many people today, whether understood as “lengthening” or “fasting,” although some might give up fuzz for lint.
Some decades ago, it became fashionable in Lutheran churches to have Lenten soup suppers. Presumably, soup signifies a light meal, i.e., doing with less. Also, adding soup suppers to a midweek Lenten service would most likely boost attendance in a secular age when religious practices in an affluent society, especially fasting, are definitely not in vogue. Paradoxically, however, a hearty soup supper of seemingly unlimited servings can prove more filling than one’s regular evening meal at home! Similarly, if one needs to throw on food to help boost attendance during the “fasting time,” then in both cases something is very much amiss. So, what do we make of Lent and why have we added soup suppers?
In reply to the tempter, Jesus said, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God’” (Mt 4:4).
So, why in Lent do we make such a fuss, or not, of foregoing some element of food or some supposed luxury or excess, when doing so does absolutely nothing to strengthen our understanding of God or God’s word? Why do we pay attention to Matthew 4:1-3 and seem to overlook Matthew 4:4? What do we say about our faith in and devotion to the word of God when we feel obliged to provide soup to entice people to midweek Lenten services?
As with so many activities in “the church,” we are often long on doing but short on theological rationale for our doings. In other words, we go to great lengths to devise ways to show our religiosity, but when all is said and done we sinners have said and done little in relation to what God’s word revealed in Christ and Scripture says and does to us. Instead of soup suppers, what if we met for Bible study before our midweek Lenten services? Would our response be, “Bon appétit” or “Fastenzeit”?
