Young Tae Chang
Hebrews 12:1-2 (NIV)
12:1 Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, 12:2 fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
This week, we began the holy season of Lent. It is a time to prepare for our Lord’s suffering and resurrection. Lent is a 40-day period before Easter. It does not include Sundays. During this time, we deeply meditate on Jesus Christ. He is the one who carried the cross for us.
In church history, the first Wednesday of Lent is called "Ash Wednesday." Look at the people in the Bible. People like Job, Daniel, or the people of Nineveh sat in ashes. They did this to confess their weakness and return to God. In the ancient Near East, ashes were a common byproduct of daily life. But they also represented the final result of death and judgment. Ashes are what is left after all life has burned away.
In Canaan and Mesopotamia, people used ashes to show deep sorrow. They also used them to ask for God's mercy. It was a common custom. They took off their fancy clothes and covered themselves in humble ashes. I learned this while preparing this sermon.
Jonah 3:6: "When Jonah’s warning reached the king of Nineveh, he rose from his throne, took off his royal robes, covered himself with sackcloth and sat down in the dust (ashes)."
Job 42:6: "Therefore I despise myself and repent in dust and ashes."
In the Bible, sitting in ashes had a very clear meaning. It meant completely denying your social status and ego. People went down to the very bottom of life. They reached the "Zero Point." It was an expression of absolute humility. Sitting in the ashes was a desperate struggle of faith. They were waiting for God’s creative breath of life. They wanted to start again from that Zero Point.
Ashes are just the leftovers after everything is burned. It is a confession. It says, "God, I am nothing but a handful of ashes. I cannot live without Your grace."
In our Protestant tradition, we don't have strict rituals during Lent. We don't have mandatory fasting. But during this time, we can honestly look at ourselves before God.
Why is Lent 40 days? In the Bible, '40' is a number of training and purification. Moses spent 40 days on Mount Sinai. Israel spent 40 years in the wilderness. Our Lord overcame temptation in the desert for 40 days. This means we should also look back at our lives. We should focus only on the Lord. As Lent begins, the church hears the declaration from Genesis 3:19: "For dust you are and to dust you will return."