Should Christians Participate in Lent
Lent this year begins on February 14th, which makes for an interesting, ashy Valentine’s Day for participants.
Every year, the question comes up in some form or another about whether Christians should take part in Lent. I think the answer is very clear: “Sure, if you want to.” Christians can certainly participate in Lent.
But the internet has a way of making perhaps a bigger deal out of things than necessary. If you want to see the darker side of Christians on the internet, bring up literally any secondary or tertiary doctrine or belief, and people seem to come out in droves to discuss why that topic is the deepest heresy.
So I want to answer some questions about Lent (and some rebuttals) as clearly as possible. My goal is not to be divisive or publicly shame any sides of the issue, but simply bring clarity based on Scripture and reason.
I also want to be super clear that I am not trying to convince anyone that they should participate in Lent if they don’t want to. It’s certainly not something that is necessary. My only aim is to illustrate that it is absolutely permissible to partake if you would like to.
Sound good? Let’s dive in.
Is Lent Biblical?
Opponents to Lent (which I honestly didn’t know was a thing until recently, even though I’m not typically someone who partakes in Lent), will often say that Lent is just not biblical. Closely related, they will often say that we shouldn’t participate in Lent because you won’t find it in the Bible.
That’s not a great argument, honestly. For several reasons:
There are plenty of examples of practices very similar to Lent discussed and prescribed throughout Scripture. Christians seem to be expected to fast. In Matthew 6, Jesus says “When you fast…” Not that it’s not “if you fast” but instead, when, as if it was expected of his followers to observe a fast from time to time. The disciples, apostles, and subsequent church leaders also fasted throughout the New Testament, and narratives that do include fasting do so in such a way that it seems normal and commonplace. Finally, the Jewish people observed several festivals (and still do to this day) and some were even commanded by God for them to observe. So there is certainly nothing wrong with participating in an intentional time of reflection and focusing on God.
There are countless personal habits and practices that we almost all partake of that the Bible never commands, and yet we do them without conviction. Even these opponents of Lent on this stance will partake. Taking showers, brushing teeth, watching TV, eating bacon, the list goes on. And I, for one, am very thankful for each of those things. You know what else isn’t in the Bible? Doom-scrolling social media and looking for things to get angry about.
On a related and more specific note, there are plenty of modern church practices we do that aren’t found in Scripture, that nobody gets upset about. Okay, I’ve been in ministry long enough that somebody probably gets upset about them. But things like having coffee on Sundays, taking roll and attendance, having Sunday School classes, using microphones to be heard, using electricity for heating and air conditioning (God bless modern technology), and a million more things that I could list.
There is simply so much that we do that isn’t found in Scripture that it makes any argument for something like this seem silly. Now obviously for matters of doctrine, salvation, theology, etc, we want to be firmly rooted only in what we know from Scripture. Of course.
But when it comes to secondary or tertiary, maybe even quaternary issues, the argument, “It’s not in the Bible” just isn’t good enough.
No, you won’t find anything in the Bible that says, “Do Lent, and do it this way.” But that’s fine. You don’t have to find it there in order to still find value in Lent and the principles it conveys.
Lent Is for Catholics, Not Christians
This is another argument that is used super often. And I get it. There is some confusion here, so we’ll discuss. And I also want to be sensitive. There are plenty of people who left the Catholic faith with plenty of scars and have no interest in opening those wounds. I get it. Totally valid.
Historically, Lent formally began with the Roman Catholic Church around the year 600. Variations of the tradition were observed as early as the 2nd century, and began to be widespread after the Council of Nicea in 325.
After the protestant reformation, many protestant denominations rejected Lenten practices as a rejection of the Catholic church. However, many early non-catholic denominations and churches still observed Lent and continue to do so today. Lent has been a part of the global church for almost two centuries in many denominations, congregations, and locations. It’s not just Catholic.
Now I will emphasize this point: for the church (any church) to say that practicing Lent is mandatory for believers is absolutely wrong. To the previous point, we shouldn’t mandate anything that the Bible, and therefore God, Himself, doesn’t mandate. But that doesn’t mean that we aren’t permitted to take part in those things. In fact, many Christians find it deeply valuable to partake in a fasting period of focused reflection in the weeks leading up to Easter.
Now for those with a difficult Catholic background, I totally understand why you might want to avoid Lent. And I say go for it. Nobody should ever tell you that you must observe Lent. But also know that it’s okay for believers who genuinely want to participate and honor the biblical practice of fasting.
Is Lent Idolatry?
Some may say that Lent is engaging in idol worship. Either the idol worship of the Catholic church, the idol worship of self-righteousness, the vain idol of piety, you name it. And understand the concerns.
One thing we should all be careful to consider in these situations is whether we are presuming the heart’s intent. It’s one thing to be concerned for the heart of a fellow believer and want what’s best for them, but it’s another thing altogether to assume that a simple practice that they may be engaging in is definitely idol worship when the intent of their heart is to grow closer to God.
Should we be careful about allowing idols into our lives? Absolutely. Should we be very diligent to not attempt to co-opt idols for our own faith? For sure. That was a major sin of the kings of Israel and Judah back in 1 and 2 Kings.
But this is a practice that has been observed in the church for nearly 2,000 years that can be powerful for the believer who partakes, and there is no biblical reason to accuse them of idol worship.
Just because this tradition has deep roots in Roman Catholicism (which, by the way, is definitely in the danger zone of idolatry) does not mean that Lent, itself, is idol worship.
Also, somewhat related to this is a belief that Lent, and placing ash on your forehead is prefiguring the mark of the beast. Which is honestly just silly, and silly enough that I won’t even address it. Other than to say, no. Lent is not a sign of the mark of the beast.
Is Lent Legalistic
Many view Lent as legalistic. Side note about legalism: my hot take about “legalism” is that it’s the word modern Christians often use to describe something the Bible says to do that makes them uncomfortable.
Now I don’t necessarily think that’s the case here. Maybe it is. Maybe this goes with the “unbiblical” crowd because they don’t like the idea of doing something that makes them feel uncomfortable. I would argue that’s part of the whole point of Lent: step outside your comfort zone so that you can experience God in a new way and learn to rely on Him.
That said, if you want to mandate practicing Lent, yes, that’s legalistic. If you say that Lent is necessary to be a good Christian, then it’s totally legalistic. If you voluntarily participate and enjoy the opportunity to sacrifice parts of your life to let God fill those spaces. That sounds awesome. And not legalistic at all. Speaking of sacrifice…
Jesus Sacrificed Everything So I Don’t Have To
Some will say that Lent is adding to the gospel, or that since Jesus paid the sacrifice so that we don’t have to. And like… where do I start?
Is Lent adding to the gospel? If any spiritual practice adds to the gospel, it’s wrong. The dicey part is that so much of our practices can fall danger to this, and I would argue that many Christians add to the gospel almost daily. As part of our human nature, we constantly feel like we need to be active contributors to what Christ did for us. That’s a topic that will take more explanation in its own format, but my point is this: Lent does not inherently add to the gospel, but like anything else, it could be easy to take it too far.
Should we still sacrifice? The other side to this discussion is the fact that people will say that Jesus was the ultimate sacrifice, and we shouldn’t practice Lent because there are no more sacrifices necessary. This argument is short-sighted and honestly self-centered. As believers, we are all expected to live a life of sacrifice. Far more is expected of us than a paltry 40 days a year. In fact, Romans 12:1 tells us to offer our entire selves to God as a “living sacrifice”. So every part of us should be considered a sacrificial offering to the Lord precisely because Jesus sacrificed himself on the cross. Jesus himself says this in Luke 9:23. Hebrews 13:16 helps us bridge the gap between verses like Hosea 6:6 and Romans 12:1 to help us understand that putting others before ourselves and setting aside our own wants and desires to pursue God is the best sacrifice that we can offer. Lent can absolutely be a part of that journey. If a Christian ever tells you that we don’t need to make sacrifices anymore and they mean anything other than burning animal fat and grain on an altar, they’re wrong.
Our Fasting Should Be Private
Possibly the greatest rebuttal against the practice of Lent comes from those who submit Matthew 6:16-18 as evidence that Lent goes against what Jesus instructed. The argument holds merit: Lent is often a very public ceremony with many churches having the opportunity to go on Ash Wednesday to receive the ashen cross on their forehead. This doesn’t seem private at all, does it?
But I want to look at the text and see what Jesus actually said, because his words are important here.
“And when you fast, do not look gloomy like the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces that their fasting may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, that your fasting may not be seen by others but by your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.”
Jesus’ first sentence tells an important context that we need to consider: the attitude of the heart. He tells us not to be like the people who display their fasting so “their fasting may be seen by others”.
This issue here is spiritual pride. It’s religious elitism. “Look at how much more pious I am than you are.” Which, ironically, is the same sin that the vehement opponents of Lent flirt with. Not that Lent should be obligatory or mandated at all, but I think some opponents take too strong of a stance that verges on pharisaical legalism. Which is exactly what they will say Lent is.
But to this point, it’s assuming a lot in the attitudes of Lent participants to say that they are necessarily showboating their piety. It’s unfair to assume that. There are many reasons to practice a fast, and there are examples throughout the Bible in which people practice corporately. The public participation of a fast is not the issue, the issue is the performative yet empty religion that we tend to pridefully practice which undermines our effectiveness and relationship with Jesus and others.
So yes, develop a strong, private, and personal relationship with God that doesn’t depend on other people seeing it or any sort of public piety. But also feel free to practice spiritual disciplines corporately with a healthy body of believers. This is good.
Unity in the Church and Romans 14
All of that brings me to this final point.
No matter where you land on whether or not Christians should participate in Lent, understand that others have very different backgrounds, perspectives, and freedoms than you do. Unless the Bible condemns something, we should be very careful to condemn it without a strong biblical foundation.
In Romans 14, Paul tells us how to operate in matters of opinion with bottom-tier doctrinal issues. If it’s not clearly sin, then we shouldn’t quarrel over it.
When it comes to Lent, I’ve seen some downright hateful presumptions shared over the issue, mainly from people who think Lent is of the devil. But the same could be said of those who would mandate Lent (which is actually way less common).
If a Christian wants to participate in Lent, by all means, feel the freedom to do so. If you don’t want to, by all means, abstain.
But there is no good reason to fight about it. Unity in the church is far more important.
What does a lost world think when they see a church that can’t even amicably disagree about an issue so far down the dogmatic totem pole that it’s just not worth fighting about? It certainly doesn’t help advance God’s kingdom.
As a good friend of mine often says: “Don’t yuck someone else’s yum.”
Or as Paul would say, “Why do you pass judgment on your brother? Or you, why do you despise your brother? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God.”
