Lent and Hell
What does hell have to do with Lent? I never really thought about how these two are related much. But as I was recently faced with the task of preaching about the reality of hell during Lent (40 days leading up to Easter) I started to understand that the terrifying teaching in Scripture about hell gives Lent, Good Friday, and Easter a profound depth that it would not have otherwise. Hell is described in God’s Word as an awful place of torment, eternal suffering and separation from God (Luke 16:19-31). After much reflection about the reality of hell here is how Jonathan Edwards described it:
“Imagine yourself to be cast into a fiery oven, or a great furnace, where your pain would be much greater than that occasioned by accidentally touching a coal of fire, as the heat is greater. Imagine also that your body was to lie there for a quarter of an hour, full of fire, and all the while full of quick sense; what horror would you feel at the entrance of such a furnace! And how long would that quarter of an hour seem to you! And after you had endured it for one minute, how overbearing it would be to you to think that you had to endure the other fourteen! But what would be the effect on your soul, if you knew you must lie there enduring that torment to the full for twenty-four hours! And how much greater would be the effect, if you knew you must endure it for a whole year; and how vastly greater still, if you knew you must endure it for a thousand years! Oh then, how would your hearts sink, if you knew that you must bear it forever and ever! That there would be no end! That after millions of millions of ages, your torment would be no nearer to an end, and that you never, never should be delivered! But your torment in hell will be immensely greater than this illustration represents.”
This paragraph by Edwards makes me literally nauseas. It makes me emotional. It deeply disturbs me. Truthfully, this is the reason that many times I/we don’t talk or think about it for long. Hell has the power to unnerve us to the core of our souls. But I do think that hell reveals the beauty, mystery and power of Easter in ways that we may never have imagined. Jesus came to earth to save us from…hell. Yes, I know that the life, death and resurrection of Jesus are more than our get out of hell card. The goodnews of Jesus Christ has the power to redeem all things, to make all things new. But when I realize what I have been ransomed from (hell), it makes the saving act of Christ (2 Cor 5:21) even more precious to me.
Hell raises these types of questions in my mind: Jesus talked about hell frequently (Matthew 5:22, Matthew 10:28, Luke 16:23), why don’t we? Why wasn’t Jesus concerned that talking about hard things like hell would alienate people from following Him? Why did Christ use the imagery of hell to awaken religious people out of their religious slumber (Matthew 7:21-23)? Why don’t I care more about those who don’t yet know Christ (Romans 9:1-3)?
What kinds of thoughts and emotions do you have when you read what the Bible has to say about the reality of hell?
Curious what the difference is between Ash Wednesday and Fat Tuesday? http://www.cresourcei.org/cylent.html