‘Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax-collector. The Pharisee, standing by himself, was praying thus, “God, I thank you that I am not like other people: thieves, rogues, adulterers, or even like this tax-collector. I fast twice a week; I give a tenth of all my income.” But the tax-collector, standing far off, would not even look up to heaven, but was beating his breast and saying, “God, be merciful to me, a sinner!”
Luke 18:10-13
Lent is the forty days before Easter, which is the time where we seriously examine our lives. It is intended to be a special time for prayer and reflection, a time for spiritual growth and discipline. Historically, Lent was a time for penance for those who have committed grave sins who had applied for reinstatement into the church. Because it became a season where one dwelt on and lamented over their sins, the season of Lent sometimes takes on a somber and dismal mood.
It goes against the grain of everything we seek in our world, and we find ourselves almost screaming out “Don’t go there.” Why dwell on the things that bring us down. Focus on those things that build us up. Everyone needs to have a healthy self-esteem by focusing on the good points, practicing positive reinforcements, and combating that critical inner voice. There is power in positive thinking, not negative thinking. Nothing good can come out of facing our mortality and our sin. Why must we focus on the bad things in our lives?
Besides, we find ourselves saying, OK, I’m not perfect; I have some things I need to work on. Well, I’m not as bad as that guy. Isn’t that what the Pharisee was saying in the story from Luke? Even the most despicable of persons can find someone who is more despicable than they are. So, I’m not the one who needs to examine myself, it’s that other guy.
Yet the whole motive for dwelling on our faults and our sin that we are to be focused on during the season of Lent is not to make us feel so miserable and so worthless but is to allow us to be freed from the things that hinder our relationship with God. To be conformed to the image of Christ, who is himself “the image of the invisible God” by the power of the Holy Spirit. It is to remind us that God is not with us simply to console, affirm, heal and love us yet is with us to challenge our illusions and confront our personal idolatries. God is in the business of remodeling and is constantly calling us to reorient ourselves. “Return to me with all your heart” the Lord says according to the prophet Joel. Lent is a time to return to God with all your heart.
Lent is a time to remind us that we are not God, yet mortals. The world does not revolve around us. It is a time to say to the Lord God, "I know my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me. Against you, you alone, have I sinned, and done what is evil in your sight, so that you are justified in your sentence"(Psalm 51:3-4) God knows exactly what you've done, even after years of running and hiding. Even when every impulse we have says “don’t go there.” It’s OK to “go there.” God is big enough to handle it, even though we may not be.
For God's not interested in locking you up.
No, God wants only to free you up.
Free you through forgiveness.
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