Catalyst Question
What words come to mind when you think of Lent?
Confession and Protest
In Luke 13:31-35, we hear Jesus lament about Jerusalem. It’s quite an odd thing for the Messiah of Israel to lament about Israel’s capital. How strange for the Son of God to weep over the city of God. Yet, it’s Jesus’ love for Jerusalem, for God, and for God’s people that leads him to cry out. Simply put, Jesus is saying that Jerusalem is not living up to its promises. Rather than be a city where the voice of God is welcome, the religious leaders oppress the prophets that speak God’s word. Instead of celebrating God’s presence, the political elite fear it. When Jesus laments over Jerusalem, it comes from a place of love–even of hope–rather than a place of hatred.
Another way to think about this passage is a protest. By naming the difference between Jerusalem’s ideals and Jerusalem’s actions, Jesus protests the difference between the two. Since our primary practice in Lent is to confess sin, it’s not common to consider protest as a practice of the season. Yet, consider that the goal of protest and the goal of confession are both to seek reconciliation. They seek to restore the ideals of life for all people. Confession primarily calls for personal accountability and behavior change, while protest primarily calls for social accountability and behavior change.
Consider the recent marches on International Women’s Day. The goal of these demonstrations was to confront the injustices of things like violence against and exploitation of women, as well as our cultural acceptance of these sins. Similar protests have arisen to defend justice for immigrants in countries across the globe, to name the injustices of war, and more. Such confrontations seek to end the negative behaviors and restore healthy relationships. Like Jesus’ lament over Jerusalem, these cries come from a place of love, even hope, that this confrontation will one day end with restored relationships.
To be clear, protest and confession aren’t the same thing. Instead, this Lent, we should consider what kind of sins protests seek to expose, because Lent is a time of confrontation. We’re confronted by sin, both our own and others. We’re confronted with ruptured relationships. We’re confronted the need for change. Fortunately, in Jesus, God confronts us with both justice and love. Not only do we come face to face with sin, but in Jesus, we also come face to face with forgiveness and a path to reconciliation. Throughout Lent, we will journey further along that path that leads us through death and into the abundant life of Christ.
Ask Yourself
What kinds of sin are keeping you separated from God and from other people? This Lent, consider how confronting those sins can lead to restored relationships.
Ask a Friend
What are the similarities and differences you notice between confession and protest?
