Lent: Living Out the Sermon on the Mount

“But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing . . .

“But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. . . .

“But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, so that it will not be obvious to others that you are fasting, but only to your Father, who is unseen; and your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.”

          -Matthew 6:3, 6, 17-18

In the Sermon the on Mount, Jesus assumes his followers will be praying, fasting and giving to the poor. He wants to guard us from self-focused hypocrisy of doing these spiritual practices for show. Nevertheless, he expects us to be doing these practices of righteousness.

Since the early centuries of the church, Christians began to set aside the 40 days (not counting Sundays) leading up to Easter as a time for intentional spiritual growth. They focused on these three practices of Matthew 6: giving alms, praying and fasting. What a wonderful model this is for an extended time of self-examination and the practice of purposeful spiritual disciplines.

Alms, praying and fasting provide a balanced approach to inner formation. Often one or the other of these practices comes fairly easy to each of us, and that is great. However, most of the greatest growth in our lives happens when we exercise the areas of our lives that do not come so naturally.

Beyond my normal offering/financial giving to the Lord, who in need can I give some money to this Lent?

What can I do special for the next 40+ days in my prayer life? Perhaps it would be extra time of silence, going on a one- or two-day spiritual retreat, following a Lenten devotional in addition to my normal Bible reading, or adopting a special focus for intercessory prayer.

What can I fast from this Lent? It could be food, desert, social media, complaining, procrastinating, or any number of things.

As Ash Wednesday approaches in just a few days, ask the Lord to guide you in each of these three areas. Invite the Lord into your use of money, your activities, and your prayer life in special way. See what he wants to do in your life and your heart as we prepare ourselves to celebrate afresh the Resurrection of our Lord!

 © 2019 Glenn E. Myers