Lent: More to Life

Have you ever woken up one day, looked in the mirror, and ask yourself: “Is there more to life than just being ridiculously good-looking?” Or have you woken up and are already thinking about work at the office? Or have you woken up and are not excited about the routine you are about to face for the day? Have you ever asked yourself: “Is there more to life than this?”

We assume that this question is only asked by those whose lives are characterized by tad routine, or by an office worker who wakes up at 5AM and goes home at 10PM day in and day out, or by a construction worker who wakes up every day to accumulate bodily pain that was just relieved by sleep, or by a sidewalk vendor whose only hope to feed his family is for him to have blisters on the soles of his feet from walking, or by a mother who stares at the window of her shanty house waiting for the sun to set while her six children play in the dusty street, or by a young man whose disfigured physical appearance makes him unattractive to potential partners in life, or by the child on the street whose hunger he tries to forget by inhaling glue, or by a Christian reading the most boring blog ever.

We assume that these questions are asked only by those who are suffering, needy, seemingly hopeless, or are bored of their lives. But in reality, even the most successful people ask the same question and think about such things. King Solomon is the prime example:

The words of the Teacher, son of David, king in Jerusalem:

“Meaningless! Meaningless!” says the Teacher.
“Utterly meaningless! Everything is meaningless.”

What do people gain from all their labors
    at which they toil under the sun?
Generations come and generations go, but the earth remains forever.
The sun rises and the sun sets, and hurries back to where it rises.
The wind blows to the south and turns to the north;
round and round it goes, ever returning on its course.
All streams flow into the sea, yet the sea is never full.
To the place the streams come from, there they return again.
All things are wearisome, more than one can say.
The eye never has enough of seeing, nor the ear its fill of hearing

(Ecclesiastes 1:1-8)

King Solomon felt a deep sense of emptiness amidst all the best possible things everybody dreams to enjoy. The whole book of Ecclesiastes portrays Solomon’s great dissatisfaction about himself and his achievements. He was a great builder (his house and the Temple), but he wrote that even work and toil are meaningless (Ecc 2:17-23). He was famous that even the queen of Sheba heard of his name (2 Chron 9:1), yet he says that fame is meaningless (Ecc 4:13-16). He was rich. The Queen of Sheba gave Solomon lots of gifts (2 Chron 9:10-11; his wealth is recorded in 2 Chronicle 9:13-28). But he said that riches are meaningless (Ecc 5:8-17). He was a learned man. When the Queen of Sheba visited her, there was no question that Solomon could not answer (2 Chron 8:2). Yet at the end he said that wisdom is meaningless (Ecc 1:12-18; but wisdom is greater than folly, Ecc 9:13-18). He had 700 wives and 300 concubines (1 Kings 11:1-3). Yet he says that pleasures are meaningless (Ecc 2:1-11).

In all his accomplishments and the things he enjoyed, Solomon found time to complain. Solomon even espoused a dangerous fatalism: “Surely the fate of human beings is like that of the animals; the same fate awaits them both: As one dies, so dies the other. All have the same breath; humans have no advantage over animals. Everything is meaningless. All go to the same place; all come from dust, and to dust all return” (Ecc 3:19-20).

The irony of Solomon’s statements is this: it is as if he was asking the questions: Is there more to life than having fun all the time? Is there more to life than being successful? Is there more to life than being ridiculously good looking?

Solomon’s words portray that we can get tired of enjoying and doing even the good things we have. We can get tired of the things we work hard to attain. We can get tired of things that we think we will never get tired of. We can get tired of things that we thought could satisfy all our longings. We can get tired of things that we have prayed a long time for. We can get tired even of the good things that we have.

We can get tired of our car, our house, our money, our employment, our friends, food, of watching movies and TV series, etc. We can get tired even of the things that give us joy, contentment, self-fulfillment, and satisfaction. But the question is this: what if what makes us joyful, content, and satisfied is doing the Lord’s work? Is it possible to get tired of the joy of serving God?

I think Jesus felt the same moment of questioning. On the night before He was crucified, He cried out in deepest agony to the Father, asking if it was possible not to drink the cup of suffering and death (Matt 26:39, 42, 44). Jesus had been fully obedient to the Father’s will (John 15:10), serving God’s people in teaching, preaching, healing, exorcising, and helping people in every way He could. I am certain that it was His greatest joy to do all these things—all for the glory of the Father and for the sake of people. 

And yet, on the night before He would experience the ultimate fulfillment of His mission, He became weary of continuing to do the good and the righteous. It was as if He was asking: Is there more to life than death? Is there more to life than suffering? Is there more to life than doing the will of my Father? Is there more to life than just doing what is right? Is there more to life than always prioritizing others’ needs before mine?

We, too, can ask the same questions: Is there more to life than serving other people? Is there more to life than suffering for new strangers? Is there more to life than attending meetings several times during the week? Is there more to life than riding the bus for 45 minutes just to attend a one and half hour morning service? Is there more to life than doing the right things? Is there more to life than being dedicated to God and His work? Many Christians, if not most, have already asked these questions, even though they do not want to share it to others for fear of judgmental condemnation. The reality is that we can also be tempted to be discontent and to opt out even from godly things.

In a survey led by Dr. Richard J. Krejcir in 2005 and 2006, with 1050 pastors in the USA as respondents, the following data were found out:[1]

100% knew someone who left the ministry

90% said they are frequently fatigued and worn out on a weekly or daily basis

89% considered leaving the ministry at one time

57% would leave if they had a better place to go – including secular work

77% felt they did not have a good marriage

71% battle with depression beyond fatigue on a weekly or daily basis

I do not know every discouragement, discontentment, and challenge that song leaders face, or treasurers have, or other people have. However, I know many people who worked in the Lord’s vineyard for many years, and were known for their passion for God and His work, but are now struggling to even regularly attend Sunday services. The reality is that no one is impervious or invincible against burnout and forgetting our first love (Rev 2:3-4). 

Whether we admit it or not, we have been confronted by this self-induced question: Is there more to life than loving and serving God? Is there a better life if I stop going to church? Is there a better life if I do not faithfully give my tithes? Is there a better life if I stop sacrificing for the church and start thinking of my own self?

Committed Christians can get tired of the godly and good things they love doing. This is a scary reality. We can abandon even the things that give us great joy and delight. We can feel discontent even when we are serving in the work of the kingdom.

But when we are tempted to abandon what gives us joy today in exchange for what we think will give us greater joy someday—wealth, power, education, fame—let us remember that there was one man who said that all these things are meaningless. When we abandon the godly things that give us joy to pursue other things that will hopefully give us joy, we might end up losing joy completely and find disaster instead.

Paul’s advice to Timothy is important: “Cling to your faith in Christ, and keep your conscience clear. For some people have deliberately violated their consciences; as a result, their faith has been shipwrecked” (1 Tim 1:19).

Rhea F. Miller wrote a poem that is very dear to me. It is now one the most meaningful songs that Christians sing all around the world.

I’d rather have Jesus than silver or gold;
I’d rather be His than have riches untold;
I’d rather have Jesus than houses or lands;
I’d rather be led by His nail-pierced hand.

Than to be the king of a vast domain
Or be held in sin’s dread sway;
I’d rather have Jesus than anything
This world affords today.

I’d rather have Jesus than men’s applause;
I’d rather be faithful to His dear cause;
I’d rather have Jesus than worldwide fame;
I’d rather be true to His holy name.

He’s fairer than lilies of rarest bloom;

He’s sweeter than honey from out the comb;

He’s all that my hungering spirit needs;

I’d rather have Jesus and let Him lead.

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[1] http://www.intothyword.org/apps/articles/default.asp?articleid=36562

Lent: On Mortality

On Ash Wednesday, ashes are marked on foreheads in the sign of the cross. This practice is actually a symbolic reminder of our own mortality. It tells us in the most vivid way that from dust we came and to dust we shall return (Gen 3:19; Ecc 3:20). It is interesting that the whole celebration of Lent begins in this way. It reminds us that the path of Lent is the path of death. This is patterned after the life of Jesus Christ. Jesus was aware that His entire life and ministry will ultimately lead to His death. He journeyed from Galilee to Jerusalem with the knowledge that when He arrives in Jerusalem, He would die at the hands of the religious leaders. He spoke about this quite openly to His disciples. This means that for us, participating in Lent means participating in Jesus’ journey towards death. It is our participation in His journey from Galilee to Jerusalem.

Events in the world remind us of the reality of life and death: natural disasters and the deaths of family members and friends. Each of these instances reminds us that death is the ultimate destination of humanity. There are only two things that are inevitable in this world: change and death. These are also the two things that we have no complete control of. Our life on earth is also like the journey of Jesus from Bethlehem to Calvary. Whether we like it or not, we are going to climb our own Golgothas.

We rename death so that it does not sound so bad. We call the dead someone who is “at peace” or “at rest” or “one who goes to a better place.” We call death as “passing away.” We may even try to suppress the thought about death. We make ourselves busy so that we do not have to face the reality of death. The philosopher Martin Heidegger remarked that we busy ourselves in the crowd in the hope of forgetting our fears. Death is feared because it is irreversible: “Like water spilled on the ground, which cannot be recovered, so we must die” (2 Sam 14:14).

The immediacy, imminence, and reality of death is vividly narrated in Psalm 90:3-12, which was apparently written by Moses. So what was Moses’ credential to write about human death? Let us look back at biblical history. According to the Bible, there were 600,000 (excluding women and children) who left Egypt (Exo 12:37; Num 11:21). At Mount Sinai, when there was a census, the record was that there were 603,550 men over 20 years old present (Num 1:45-46). In the second census, when the Israelites were on the plains of Moab by the Jordan across from Jericho (Num 26:3), there were 601,730 males recorded (Num 26:51). [1]

600,000 men, excluding women and children	left Egypt	Exodus 12:37; Numbers 11:21
603,550 men over 20 years	Mt. Sinai	Numbers 1:45-46
601,730 males	Jordan River	Numbers 26:51

We may remember that many (if not all) of those who left Egypt were not able to enter the promised land. Yahweh proclaimed: “Not one of those who saw my glory and the signs I performed in Egypt and in the wilderness but who disobeyed me and tested me ten times— not one of them will ever see the land I promised on oath to their ancestors. No one who has treated me with contempt will ever see it” (Num 14:21-23). Also, we read in the Scriptures how God brought death to the Israelites in huge numbers while they were in the wilderness:

3000 killed by Levites	Golden Calf at Sinai	Exodus 32:28
23,000 killed by God	Golden Calf at Sinai	Exodus 32:35; 1 Cor 10:8
14,700 killed by God	Kadesh Barnea	Numbers 16:49
24,000 killed by God	At Shittim near Jordan	Numbers 25:9
many people killed by God	Zered river	Numbers 21:6

Moses saw and encountered death all throughout his life in the desert with the Israelites. He witnessed how people’s lives are so fragile. All throughout Psalm 90 we see Moses’ description of human mortality. Verses 3, 6, and 10 portray the shortness of human life. Verses 7-9 and 11 reveal Moses’ awareness of the wrath of God which He witnessed as the cause of the death of many Israelites.

You turn people back to dust,
    saying, “Return to dust, you mortals.”
A thousand years in your sight
    are like a day that has just gone by,
    or like a watch in the night.
Yet you sweep people away in the sleep of death—
    they are like the new grass of the morning:
In the morning it springs up new,
    but by evening it is dry and withered.

We are consumed by your anger
    and terrified by your indignation.
You have set our iniquities before you,
    our secret sins in the light of your presence.
All our days pass away under your wrath;
    we finish our years with a moan.
Our days may come to seventy years,
    or eighty, if our strength endures;
yet the best of them are but trouble and sorrow,
    for they quickly pass, and we fly away.
If only we knew the power of your anger!
    Your wrath is as great as the fear that is your due.

But after considering the life-span of humanity and the anger of God, Moses leaves us a verse with an important lesson: “Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom” (Ps 90:12).

Teach Us to Number Our Days (90:12a)

We like measuring things. Laboratories are filled with instruments that measure things by milliliters and milligrams, but it is easy to neglect measuring our life span on earth. Thomas Chalmers once remarked, “Once in my unconverted days I forgot two things: the magnitude of eternity and the shortness of life. These are the great mathematical factors which I now see to be important.”

What does it mean to number our days? It is to recognize that life is short. The Bible has some more passages that highlight this: “we all shrivel up like a leaf” (Isa 64:6); “you have made my days a mere handbreadth” (Ps 39:5); and “you are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes” (James 4:14).

Life is short and time runs fast. We do not need rocket science and complicated calculations to notice that our days on earth are fleeting. Although we do not notice it, because we are busy living our lives, the people around us are changing. Our children are now attending schools, and what’s left of their childhood are only photographs. Children who we once knew are now in relationships, ready to get married. Some of them have become successful in their careers. Some of our grandparents, parents, relatives and friends have passed away. Time is fast. It runs its course without our permission and observation.

A Heart of Wisdom (90:12b)

Moses admonished that God would teach us to number our days so that we might gain a heart of wisdom. What wisdom is found in the awareness of our fleeting existence?

1. Teach us to number our days so that we do not offend God (90: 7-9, 11). Moses witnessed the hasty death of his fellow Israelites because they have disobeyed God. This is foolishness. It is not wise to spend our short days in blatant disobedience. Moses is saying that since our life on earth is short, we should spend it in pleasing God and obeying His commands. We cannot be arrogant before God, continuously incurring His wrath because of our grumblings, murmurings, and disobedience. Since we owe God every minute of our existence, we should spend it in worship.

2. Teach us to number our days so that we store treasures in heaven: “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal” (Matt 6:19-20). People spend their days trying to gain more money. To use John Bunyan’s words, it is “raking a little bit of dust into a pile: a little bit of money, a little bit of property, and little bit of this and that.”

We are reminded of the parable of the rich fool (Luke 12:13-20): “Then he said, ‘This is what I’ll do. I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store my surplus grain. And I’ll say to myself, “You have plenty of grain laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry.”’ “But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?’” There are many who are fools, although they are not rich.  Jesus said, “What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul?” (Mark 8:36).

3. Teach us to number our days so that we redeem the time. Paul admonishes us to “make the most of every opportunity in these evil days (Eph 5:16). William Whiting Borden, graduate of Yale and Princeton Theological Seminary, once said: “Each day consists of 24 golden hours; each hour consists of sixty diamond-studded minutes.”

Of course, in all these things, we must learn from the example of Jesus Christ. Jesus knew that His days on earth were numbered. The distance from the Sea of Galilee to Jerusalem is a mere 123 kilometers. It will take about 2 hours to drive this distance. (The average speed a human walks is 3-5 kilometers per hour. Walking 3 kilometers per hour in 8 hours gives you 24 hours per day. This means that to walk from Galilee to Jerusalem should only take 5.125 days.) Jesus knew that His walk to Jerusalem, where He would die was a very short walk. It is true that it took Him three years to get to Jerusalem because of His teaching and healing ministries. But He was aware that every step He took was leading Him closer to Jerusalem.

Jesus knew that His days were numbered. So how did He use His remaining days on earth? He used each day seeking the lost, serving the needy, proclaiming the kingdom, healing the sick, fellowshipping with the outcasts, teaching the gospel, and forgiving sinners. Lent is a commemoration of the short life of Christ before His death. Like Christ, we are all in this journey. The question is: “How are we living our days on earth? Are we pursuing a life full of wisdom or foolishness? Are we using our days like Christ in obedience to the Father and in service to other people, or are we using them to gratify our self with pleasure and indulgence?

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[1] http://www.bible.ca/archeology/bible-archeology-exodus-route-population-of-jews-hebrews.htm

Lent: Nature of Temptations

Since Lent is patterned after the forty days of Jesus’ fasting in the wilderness immediately after His baptism, and since I already dealt with prayer and fasting, it is just appropriate that I also deal with the temptations of Jesus Christ that marked the culmination of His days in the wilderness. Matthew 4:1-11 records the temptation story:

Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. The tempter came to him and said, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.” Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’”

Then the devil took him to the holy city and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. “If you are the Son of God,” he said, “throw yourself down. For it is written:

“‘He will command his angels concerning you,
    and they will lift you up in their hands,
    so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.’”

Jesus answered him, “It is also written: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’”

Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. “All this I will give you,” he said, “if you will bow down and worship me.”

Jesus said to him, “Away from me, Satan! For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.’” Then the devil left him, and angels came and attended him.

In movies, the castles and hide-outs of villains are truly quite impressive: the White Witch’s Castle (The Chronicles of Narnia), Sauron’s tower at Mordor (Lord of the Rings), and El Macho’s Crib (Despicable Me 2). These citadels or strongholds are presented as huge, and often scary. Imagine these citadels and how frightening it is to invade them. Scary, right? When Matthew 4:1-11 narrates that Jesus was led into the wilderness to be tempted (4:1), it was actually saying that Jesus was led into the very domain of Satan in order to be tempted. In Jewish mentality, the wilderness (along with the sea) is the place of evil. This means that Jesus was led to be tempted precisely in Satan’s stronghold. Therefore, it was not as if Jesus was on the defensive side; rather, Jesus was actually in the wilderness to defeat Satan in his own turf.

So how did Satan try to defeat Jesus Christ in his own turf? What were Satan’s strategy? In this post, we are going to focus on the words of Satan. In particular, we will try to discern the presuppositions he had when he tempted Jesus.

If You are the Son of God… (4:3, 6)

When I was an elementary pupil, fights among children were almost a daily occurrence. Fights did not really erupt with violent punching and hitting. Rather they were usually characterized by a long standoff. The fighters would stand in their fighting stance, but they would not touch one another. In order for the fight to start properly, a ring leader was often necessary. The ring leader would say things like, “If you are really not scared, touch his ears,” or “If you are not scared, walk closer to him.” So the one challenged to do the touching, in order not to be called a coward, will touch the other child’s ears, and the violent hitting would officially begin.

I think the nature of the temptation of Satan to Jesus is similar to this. Satan was tempting Jesus to do something by saying “If you are the Son of God, you will do this.” The implication, of course, is that when Jesus does not do what Satan asks, Jesus’ identity will be called into question. Satan’s temptations are well-laid traps.

From Satan’s tactics, we can discern that temptations are specially tailored according to our own identities, personalities, and capabilities. Satan knew that Jesus is the Son of God, and he knew about Jesus’ capabilities. Although it is true that Satan tempted Jesus in consideration of Jesus’ weakness (hunger), the neglected other side of the coin is that Jesus was tempted in consideration of Jesus’ strength and capability. The temptation to turn bread into wine and to jump from above unharmed only works with Jesus because He is capable of doing them. An illuminating dialogue from the 2003 movie Luther was between Cardinal Cajetan and the young priest Aleander:

Cardinal Cajetan: “What is your desire in life, Aleander?”

Aleander: “To serve God with all my heart.”

Cardinal Cajetan: “Then it is through your desire that you will be tempted.”

The fact is that we are tempted not only in accordance with our weaknesses, but also in accordance with our strengths. What are we capable of? If we are rich, we face temptations related to our wealth. If we are good-looking, we face temptations related to our physical attributes. If we are politically and socially influential, we face temptations related to our influence. If we are leaders, we face temptations related to our responsibilities and privileges.

We face temptations grounded in who we are and what we have.

The temptation of Jesus reveals the fact that there are limitations related to our capabilities. There are things that we are able to do but should not do. Satan tempted Jesus to do what Jesus was capable of, but Jesus knew that if He does what Satan suggested, He would be abusing His own powers for His own self-interest. This is one of the crucial elements in the story. Doing something we are capable of doing is not inherently wrong. What is wrong is using our own influence, power, wealth, talents, gifts, etc. for our own self interests. Jesus can easily turn stone into bread in the wilderness like He turned water into wine at the wedding of Cana (John 2:1-12), but why did He do the latter and not the former? Because the former benefits Him only and the latter is for the sake of others. Why did He not violate the laws of nature (or gravity) in the wilderness when He can actually control waves, winds, and storms? It is because He did not want to abuse His own power if it is only for His own sake.

The Great Wall of China is a gigantic structure which cost an immense amount of money and labor. When it was finished, it appeared impregnable. But the enemy breached it: not by breaking it down or going around it. They did it by bribing the gatekeepers. It was breached because some soldiers abused their power and capability.

If You Will Bow Down and Worship Me (4:9)

Jesus overcame the first two temptations, and so in the final temptation, Satan changed his tactic. If Satan failed to tempt Jesus by appealing to what Jesus is, in the last temptation Satan appealed to what Jesus is not yet enjoying: kingly reign.

Satan’s temptation is actually very tricky. When he said “All this I will give you,” he said, “if you will bow down and worship me” (4:9), he was actually saying “be my son, and I will give you all of these.” In Jewish culture, like ours today, children are heirs of everything their father owns. Bowing down to Satan is reminiscent of the bowing down of sons in order to receive the blessing of their father (eg., Jacob in Genesis 27:27-29).

So if the tactic to appeal to the identity and capability of Jesus did not work, Satan tried to tempt Jesus with what Jesus did not have yet. We can translate Satan’s words as “You are the Son of God, but here you are in the desert suffering. Is this really the life of a King? Why don’t you worship me and I will give you rulership right here and right now?” The third temptation, therefore, is a temptation based on who we are not yet, what we do not have yet, or what we are not yet enjoying. John Piper says that sin “gets its power by persuading me to believe that I will be more happy if I follow it. The power of all temptation is the prospect that it will make me happier.”

What is hidden in the temptation, however, is a necessary exchange. In order to gain something, you will have to give up something. A survey was conducted about what people are willing to do for $10,000,000? Here is the response of the respondents:[1]

Would abandon their entire family (25%)
Would abandon their church (25%)
Would become prostitutes for a week or more (23%)
Would give up their citizenship (16%)
Would leave their spouses (16%)
Would withhold testimony and let a murderer go free (10%)
Would kill a stranger (7%)
Would put their children up for adoption (3%)

Of course, there is nothing wrong with the desire to have what we do not have yet. It is alright to dream for a new car or a new house. It is alright to dream for promotion at work or to have higher socio-political status. The problem is when we are tempted to obtain or accomplish these godly dreams in the wrong way. Satan was tempting Jesus to be glorified now and in the wrong way. Jesus will be glorified by His Father in heaven anyway, but the road to such glory is not through Satan’s suggestion, but through humility and the cross. Paul wrote:

In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus:

Who, being in very nature God,
    did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage;
rather, he made himself nothing
    by taking the very nature of a servant,
    being made in human likeness.
And being found in appearance as a man,
    he humbled himself
    by becoming obedient to death—
        even death on a cross!

Therefore God exalted him to the highest place
    and gave him the name that is above every name (Phil 2:6-9).

Conclusions

One of the most important English words is “No.” We face temptations on a daily basis. But like Jesus, we can become victorious in the power of the Holy Spirit, with whom we are all baptized with (1 Cor 12:13). According to the writer of Hebrews, “We do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin” (Heb 4:15).

The temptations that Jesus faced are not so different from the temptations we face daily in our lives. On the one hand, we are tempted in accordance with our capabilities, who we are, and what we have. On the other hand, we are tempted in accordance with our limitations, weaknesses, and things that we do not have yet. But here is our comfort and assurance: “No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it” (1 Cor 10:13).

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[1] http://www.sermonillustrations.com/a-z/g/greed.htm

Lent: Prayer and Commitment

Since the season of Lent is our preparation for the commemoration and celebration of the death and resurrection of Christ, we must engage in prayer. (For a sermon on Lent and Fasting, see here.) This is all the more so because the forty days of Lent is actually patterned after the forty days of Jesus’ prayer and fasting in the wilderness immediately after His baptism and before His public ministry.

Since we are dealing with prayer, we are going to look at Jesus Christ. I do not know any better approach. The Gospels portray Jesus as a man of prayer. He prayed at his baptism (Luke 3:21-22), in the morning before heading to Galilee (Mark 1:35-36), after healing people (Luke 5:15), all night before choosing His 12 disciples (Luke 6:12-13), while speaking to the Jewish leaders (Matt 11:25-26), giving thanks to the Father before feeding the 5000 (Matt 14:19; Mark 6:41; Luke 9:16; John 6:11), before walking on water (Matt 14:22; Mark 6:46; John 6:15), while healing a deaf and mute man (Mark 7:31-37), giving thanks to the Father before feeding the 4000 (Matt 15:36; Mark 8:6-7), before Peter called Jesus “the Christ” (Luke 9:18), at the return of the seventy (Luke 10:21), before teaching His disciples the Lord’s Prayer (Luke 11:1), before raising Lazarus from the dead (John 11:41-42), for little children (Matt 19:13-15; Mark 10:13-16; Luke 18:15-17), that His name be glorified (John 12:27-28), at the Lord’s Supper (Matt 26:26; Mark 14:22-23; Luke 22:19), for Himself, for his disciples, and all believers (John 17:1-26), “Father forgive them…” (Luke 22:34), “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me” (Matt 27:46; Mark 15:34), “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit” (Luke 23:46), for blessing on the bread (Luke 24:30), and is praying even now for us (Rom 8:34; Heb 7:25; 9:24; 1 John 2:1).

But here, we are going to look at the well-known story at the garden of Gethsemane, when He prayed in deep anguish the night before His crucifixion. We will read Matthew 26:36-45:

Then Jesus went with his disciples to a place called Gethsemane, and he said to them, “Sit here while I go over there and pray.” He took Peter and the two sons of Zebedee along with him, and he began to be sorrowful and troubled. Then he said to them, “My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me.”

Going a little farther, he fell with his face to the ground and prayed, “My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will.” Then he returned to his disciples and found them sleeping. “Couldn’t you men keep watch with me for one hour?” he asked Peter. “Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.”

He went away a second time and prayed, “My Father, if it is not possible for this cup to be taken away unless I drink it, may your will be done.” When he came back, he again found them sleeping, because their eyes were heavy. So he left them and went away once more and prayed the third time, saying the same thing. Then he returned to the disciples and said to them, “Are you still sleeping and resting? Look, the hour has come, and the Son of Man is delivered into the hands of sinners.

This part of the life of Jesus Christ is quite fascinating. Many church theologians and bishops from the early church used this passage to highlight the humanity of Christ. Indeed, we see in the story the sheer humanity and vulnerability of Jesus Christ. He weeps like all of us. He cries in agony. In Luke 22:44, it even says that in His sorrow, “His sweat become like drops of blood.”

The Strength of Jesus Christ

The title might appear inappropriate, considering that the story paints Jesus Christ as a human filled with sorrow and grief. The descriptions that Jesus gives about himself in the passage portray His extreme vulnerability: “he began to be sorrowful and troubled” (26:37) and “my heart is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death” (26:39). Even His commands indicate that at that very moment He was in need of friends who can comfort him: “stay here and keep watch with me” (26:38). There was also a hint of disappointment and irritation in His words: “Couldn’t you men keep watch with me for one hour?” (26:40) and “Are you still sleeping and resting?” (26:45).

But strength is displayed precisely in the midst of weakness.

In the same moments when He was deeply troubled, He was able to pray the difficult prayer “Your will be done” (26:39, 42, 44). This prayer is so simple and basic, but its meaning is profound and its implications are far-reaching. When Jesus prayed this line, it meant that God’s will be done even though He knew it would cost Him pain, even though what God required was death, even though it would not bring any good to Him or give Him earthly rewards, even though the whole nation will taunt and mock Him, even though His closest friends will betray, deny, and desert Him, and even though He would appear like a defeated fool.

This is the strength of Jesus.

The temptation looming over Him to abandon His mission was very appealing. Jesus was sent by the Father (John 3:16-17; 7:28-29) to accomplish something, and the fulfilment was about to come true. He knew about His purpose. He knew that He is the Suffering servant prophesied in the Scriptures (Isa 53:1-7). He knew that He would die, and He made quite an effort to reveal this fact to His disciples (Matt 16:21-28; 20:17-19; Mark 8:31-38; 10:32-34; Luke 18:31-33). We see in our story that He was sorrowful. We can even say that there was reluctance in His tone: “if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me” (26:39, 42).

We can learn from Jesus’ prayer that we need to pray about the things we have previously committed to God. The temptation is always there that we will abandon our commitments. When Jesus asked His disciples, “Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation” (26:41), the word used for temptation was similar to the one used in the Lord’s Prayer (Matt 6:13). The word refers to the “final, decisive test that accompanies the coming of God’s kingdom” (cf Rev 3:10).[1] Like Jesus, we are tempted to abandon our commitment for the kingdom! How often have we made that prayer of commitment to serve and evangelize, and yet we are still not serving or evangelizing? We must pray, Jesus said, so that we are given strength to enact those commitments we have already made to God.

Jesus prayed because He was feeling weak and troubled. Jesus was at the verge of abandoning His commitment and mission. He needed to communicate to God His fear, His anxiety, His sorrow. Without prayer, our commitments to God can easily be forgotten. Obedience is not a one-time decision. In fact, Jesus was not content to pray once; He prayed the same prayer three times (26:39, 42, 44). Sometimes we have to utter the same prayers many times. We have to renew our covenant with God every day.

One Sunday morning, a husband was violently woken up by his wife. It was already 9AM, and they have to be at church by 10AM. The husband did not rise from the bed. Instead he lazily pulled up the blanket to cover his entire body. The wife pulled the blanket away, and asked: “What’s wrong? You realize it is Sunday, right?” The husband replied, “Yeah, I know, but I don’t want to go to church today. Can we skip going just this once?” The wife was surprised and said, “No, we have to go to church!” The husband replied, “OK. Give me three good reasons why I should go to church today?” The wife happily obliged and said: “First, God wants us to be with His people in worship today. Secondly, our children will miss Sunday school. And finally, you are the pastor of the church.”

The Weakness of the Disciples

Whether we like it or not, we are less like Jesus and more like the disciples in the story. First, we are prone not to pray. Jesus’ statement is apt: “the spirit is willing but the body is weak” (26:41). Jesus asked the disciples to pray three times, and He was disappointed three times too. Not only were they not praying, they were sleeping (26:40, 43, 45). The third time, He asked them with a stern rebuke: “Are you still sleeping and resting?” (26:45).

Secondly, we are prone to abandon our commitments. The contrast between Jesus and the disciples cannot be missed. The mention of three specific disciples in the story—Peter, James, and John (26:37)—seems purposeful, considering how these three fellows were the ones who were closest to Jesus Christ and were the ones who made great commitments to Jesus Christ. Peter was someone who voiced what was in his mind quite impulsively. He made strong verbal commitments to Jesus: “Lord, why can I not follow You right now? I will lay down my life for you” (John 13:37) and “Lord, I am ready to go with you to prison and to death” (Luke 22:33). The two sons of Zebedee, James and John, had a somewhat related story. When Jesus asked, “Can you drink the cup I drink or be baptized with the baptism I am baptized with?” they confidently responded “We can” (Mark 10:38-39). But the same three disciples who made these statements were the same people who, in the last hours of Jesus’ life, failed miserably. At Gethsemane, they were not even asked to lay down their lives or drink Jesus’ cup; they were asked simply to stay and pray. Sure, they stayed, but did not pray (26:38-40).

We, like the disciples, are weak human beings. Our spirits are willing. Our minds are willing. Our hearts are willing, But our wills are weak. We can make commitments and covenants with God every time we hear a sermon, but we often times fail to carry through those commitments.

Like Jesus, we can be tempted to abandon our mission and calling for fear of suffering, for fear of the future, or for self-preservation. When Jesus experienced these, He “fell with his face to the ground and prayed, ‘My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will’” (26:39). Then He repeated the same prayer three times. If we are experiencing weakness, we must go back to the Father, fall on our knees and pray. And we should do this as often as we can.

We may have made commitments this Lenten season to fast. Are you experiencing trouble or weakness? Why don’t we go to the garden of Gethsemane and pray “My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will” (26:39)? Have you made commitments in the past that you have not yet accomplished or have already abandoned? Let us go to the garden of Gethsemane and pray “My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will” (26:39).

Are you struggling with something that God is asking you to do? Are you weakened or full of doubt? Let us make this sanctuary the garden of Gethsemane, and pray “My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will” (26:39).

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[1] Daniel J. Harrington, The Gospel of Matthew (Collegeville, MN: Liturgical Press, 1991), 373.

Lent: Self-Denial and Fasting

Lent is the six weeks before and leading to Easter. The observance and celebration of Lent is meant to encourage believers to engage in reflection as we prepare our hearts and lives in approaching the Holy Week.

One of the usual practices during the season of Lent undertaken by Christians all over the world is fasting. As a part of the worldwide church, it is fitting that we learn about this practice so that we may join our brothers and sisters all around the world in this important spiritual exercise.

As we prepare for the commemoration of the death of Jesus Christ on the cross, we are to heed the call uttered by the prophet Joel to the Israelites. The prophet Joel ministered even before the time of Jeremiah or Ezekiel. This means that the Israelites were not yet in exile. However, they were surrounded by powerful nations and empires, and they knew that their lives would be affected by the conflicts among these nations. The prophet Joel painted the picture of the coming invasion of Judah by using the analogy of a swarm of locust. The aftermath of the invasion will not be a good sight (Joel 1:10-12):

The fields are ruined, the ground is dried up;
the grain is destroyed, the new wine is dried up,
    the olive oil fails.

Despair, you farmers,
    wail, you vine growers;
grieve for the wheat and the barley,
    because the harvest of the field is destroyed.
The vine is dried up and the fig tree is withered;
the pomegranate, the palm and the apple tree—
    all the trees of the field—are dried up.
Surely the people’s joy is withered away.

It is in the context of this prophecy that Joel calls the people to humble themselves before God in prayer and fasting (Joel 1:13-14):

Put on sackcloth, you priests, and mourn;
wail, you who minister before the altar.

Come, spend the night in sackcloth,
you who minister before my God;
for the grain offerings and drink offerings
are withheld from the house of your God.

Declare a holy fast;

call a sacred assembly.
Summon the elders
and all who live in the land
to the house of the Lord your God,
and cry out to the Lord.

The essence of fasting is self-denial. It is not really the mere fact of abstinence. The call to fast is the call to abandon our needs for the sake of something else. In the passage, and in consideration of the situation of Joel and the Israelites, three important lessons can be discerned about fasting.

To Fast is to Transcend the Logical

God’s call for the Israelites to engage in fasting or to not eat was completely illogical. It actually seemed counterproductive. It must be remembered that the problem of the Israelites was that there was war going on around them, and that they were implicated in it whether they liked it or not. It did not matter who will win the war between the two biggest empires of the time: Assyria and Babylon. They were pretty sure that whoever won the war would expand their territory, and that Israel would certainly be an appetizing target.

In this sort of situation, the most logical advice would be for them to prepare for war. The call to abstain from food just did not make sense. How can becoming physically weaker a solution to their fears? Yahweh should have said: “Gather all the iron you can find. Melt them and let the blacksmiths labor day and night. Fortify the walls, all you who are young and old. Create a training center to hone every able person to handle a sword. Gather as much supplies as you can: grain, water, and fruits.” But Yahweh did not issue these commands. Instead, He commanded them to fast. Such was definitely an illogical war strategy.

Yahweh was calling His people to have faith. Throughout the history of Israel, Yahweh has always called His people to put their faith, trust, and confidence in Him alone. He commissioned Gideon to defeat the Midianites with only 300 soldiers. The manner of selection was based on how one would drink. Then instead of arming the 300 soldiers with swords and spears, Gideon gave them trumpets (Jud 7:1-25). Similarly, in order to take down the mighty wall of Jericho, he asked Joshua to blow trumpets and sing songs. Instead of the army commander to lead the way, the people who were in front were priests carrying not weapons but the ark of the covenant. Instead of firing arrows, they were to shout (Josh 6:1-27). In both these instances, God was asking His people to trust Him. As the writer of Proverbs calls us today: “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight” (Prov 3:5-6).

To Fast is to Transcend the Self

One of the core messages of fasting is this: “It’s not all about me and what’s best for me or what’s my need.” When we fast, we transcend the me-centeredness that is so entrenched in our human selves. Fasting is only meaningful when we abstain from the things that we need (like food and water) and from the things that are so dear to us (like make up, pleasure, dessert, etc.). Fasting sometimes entails abstaining from even good and healthy things.

To deny one’s self does not mean hiding our identities or suppressing our desires. In fact, self-denial requires the courage to face who we truly are and the honestly to admit what we really want in life. Whether our desires are honorable or embarrassing, we must be ready to admit the innermost contents of our dreams and aspirations, and be true to ourselves. It is only when we recognize what is dear to us do we truly understand what it means to deny ourselves. To paraphrase Bob Michaels,

I will not fast from anything that costs me nothing
I’ll sacrifice nothing less than my favorite best
‘Coz If I’m called to sacrifice
It will be worthy of my Christ
I will not fast from anything that costs me nothing

When we fast, we deny ourselves of the things that we know are so important to us. This, of course, is not easy. Why? Because we are prone to follow our desires, we love ourselves, we have the ability to do and get what we want; and we are surrounded by temptations. Even our peers can be primary tempters.

We live in a consumerist world, where self-indulgence is the order of the day. Hence, the call to fasting and self-denial somewhat sounds strange to our ears. The call to self-denial is totally “against the flow” today, because the world we live in actually encourages us to do the opposite. The world wants us and compels us not to deny ourselves but to engorge in more things. We see advertisements everywhere—on TV, on billboards, on the web—about bigger burgers and pizzas, or bigger homes and cars, or bigger entertainment sets, etc. More and more things are invented these days, and people are getting really creative about what to sell. More and more beauty products go out of the market every day. It is no wonder why a lot of ladies (and some men) look absolutely ridiculous for wearing more make-up than what is really needed. Some even have whiter faces than their necks!

In our consumerist culture, we are no longer surprised that the world is filled with addicts: sex addicts, drug addicts, TV addicts, alcohol addicts, tobacco addicts, games addicts, food addicts, etc. Addiction is a state that nobody willfully decides to be in. It begins with one small act—sometimes just out of curiosity—and develops overtime into something that enslaves people’s minds and habits.  The bad news is that no one is exempted from the tendency towards addiction. We can easily become an addict (if not already). This is why, from time to time, we must fast. We must deny ourselves our basic rights and privileges. It is only when we do this do we transcend our animalistic and survival instincts. It is only when we do this do we transcend ourselves.

To Fast is to Transcend the Present

Fasting is not an end in itself. It is a spiritual exercise that has a deeper underlying significance and purpose. When we fast, we deny ourselves of our present needs and wants, not because we are masochists, but because we want to prepare ourselves for greater things.

The principle is extremely simple: If we cannot deny ourselves with little things in the present, how can we even think of denying ourselves in obedience to a greater demand from God someday? For instance, how can we say Yes to God if he calls us to something with less economic support, if we can’t even give our full tithe today? How can we say Yes to God if he calls us to full-time ministry, if we are not willing to give up some things momentarily? How can we truly surrender ourselves to God completely, if we do not know how to surrender a few things in our lives? How can we say No to the big temptations in life, if we are not able to say No to small and basic temptations? To rephrase Jesus’s statement in Luke 16:10, “Whoever can sacrifice very little can also sacrifice much, and whoever cannot sacrifice very little cannot also sacrifice much.”

It is important to practice denying ourselves now, transcending our present needs, because God may have in mind to call us someday to full-time ministry. If we try our best to avoid suffering today, we will always avoid suffering, even at the cost of disobeying God. We must wake up to this reality. As human beings who are still learning, we must admit that self-denial and surrender is a gradual experience. We grow into it. We mature into it. Fasting teaches us about our ongoing and renewing surrender to God.

There is truth in a line from the 2007 Bee Movie, when the tour guide said, “you have worked your whole life to get to the point where you can work for your whole life.” In terms of self-denial, we can say: “we have fasted our whole life to get to the point where we can fast our whole life.”

But even if we are not called to do a ginormous thing in the future, we must still pursue self-denial in the little things. In our everyday lives, we are rarely called to do great and important things. In our everyday lives, we are often called to do and accomplish the littlest things. As we interact with people, hear their stories, and see their lives, we are always summoned to small sacrifices: may these be a sacrifice of time, resources, strength, effort, and the like.

Conclusions

We are going to commemorate the death of our Lord Jesus Christ on the cross. He made the greatest sacrifice there. As we approach that day, shall we also begin practicing self-denial? Just for six weeks, Christians should engage in fasting, and this is not limited to abstaining from food. We can give up anything for the next six weeks and make a covenant with God that we are not going to taste such and such in that period of time. I know people who gave up going to fast-food chains, or going to fancy restaurants, or going on a leisure trip, or not using the aircon, or not driving. I know people who gave up cosmetics (but please do not give up taking a bath). I know people who gave up certain food, like ice cream, chocolate, or going to Starbucks. Some people give up meat, and only eat vegetables for six weeks.

  

What are you going to give up?

It is quite interesting that great people in the Bible fasted before embarking on something grand. Moses fasted forty days in preparation for receiving the Ten Commandments (Exo 34:28). The Israelites fasted three days before meeting God at Mt. Sinai (Exo 19:14). The prophet Daniel fasted for three weeks before receiving his vision (Dan 10:2-6). Elijah the prophet fasted forty days before God spoke to him (1 Kings 19:8). And we all know that Christ our Savior fasted for forty days in preparation for His temptation by the devil and for the beginning of His ministry (Mt 4:1-11, Lk 4:1-13).