Making Room

 There is a story about a Roman Catholic Cardinal back in the 1800's who wanted to learn about Zen Buddhism and traveled to Japan and asked around to see who was considered a wise monk. He then traveled to see the monk and the was graciously invited in. The monk offered him some tea and the Cardinal accepted. The monk started pouring tea into his cup and the Cardinal got nervous as the monk seemed to ignore that it was getting close to overflowing and kept pouring. It did overflow the cup and then the saucer and then spilt on the table. The Cardinal jumped up and exclaimed, "What you are doing? Can't you see that the cup overflows and is spilling over everything?" The monk put the kettle down and said, "You are too filled with knowledge and ego and come here to learn about Buddhism, but shouldn't you first empty your mind so what you see and hear isn't immediately flow out?"

When the Protestant Reformation came about and they worked on clearing out the stuff that distracts them from following God that is a part of the Roman Catholic Church, some Reformers and churches did more than others and decided that any and all practices were of no value. Fasting was often one of them. In the eyes of the Roman Catholic Church in the early centuries of the 2nd millennium each practice, communion, and confession lifted the sin off your soul so that when you die you may ascend up to heaven. And there were many monks, priests, and others who took that to the extreme to punish their body, drive the sin out, so all that remained was godly. Lent became a 40-day journey of penitence and remembering how we are but dust and to dust we shall return. It became a reveling that all have sinned and fallen short of God's glory. 

What we have here are four pitchers of water that represents the four areas of our life. They are sleeping, working, family, and free-time (which can include entertainment, recreation, faith, volunteering). I have food coloring that will help us differentiate one area from another. What color would be for sleeping? What for working? What for family? And what for Free-time? Now we have a fifth pitcher in which will represent our life. How much time of our lives should we give to sleeping? Would six hours be a good average? Let's fill this pitcher a quarter of the way. Now what about working? I realize that we have many retired folks in our church, but would you say that over your lifetime how much did you spend working? (Wait for response and fill pitcher accordingly).  Now what about family, raising kids, taking care of a parent, taking care of your house and yard and walking the dog? (Wait for response and fill pitcher accordingly). And lastly, what about free-time? All the other stuff that you did when you weren't sleeping, working, or taking care of family? I could ask how much free time you wished you have, which would probably be a lot more, but how much time did you really have, and yes, it does depend on how much time we spent sleeping, working, and taking care of family. But our free time whether volunteering, playing, or praying is determined often on how much time is left over from sleeping, working, and family, so we can only fill it to the lip of the pitcher. So now our life is filled, and the church and your minister says that you should pray more, read the Bible more, grow in your faith and mature in your discipleship. Adding to your already busy life will only result in one thing, not an overflowing of love, but a life that is mixed up and always a playing catch up. (pouring more water into a full pitcher that overflows)

When Jesus went out into the wilderness, it wasn't to rid himself of sin. Jesus fasted to make room and take time to make sure he was ready to begin his ministry. As it often happens to most of us, if not all of us, when we try to be still and listen or be still and know God, our mind is filled with all sorts of distractions and sometimes impulses that aren't healthy. So whether there was a manifestation of Jesus' own shadow side or ego, or whether there was a tempter who appeared and lead him up the temple or high above the earth; Jesus, being human, had to deal with what was going on in his own heart and mind and soul before he could truly and honestly share God's love. For Jesus had the power to feed everyone as much as they wanted, including himself. Jesus had the power to take over the world and run it the way he thought was best. Jesus had the power to attract all people by daily jumping from high heights or handling snakes or whatever was needed to make people pay attention to Jesus and worship him. But, most importantly, Jesus had to work through that his own heart, mind, and soul and his own intentions were of God and of love. Jesus came to save the world, not condemn it. 

Jesus does tell us in the Sermon on the Mount, "When you fast..." not if, or maybe here's a way to get you more spiritual, but "16 “And whenever you fast, do not look somber, like the hypocrites, for they mark their faces to show others that they are fasting. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward. 17 But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, 18 so that your fasting may be seen not by others but by your Father who is in secret, and your Father who sees in secret will reward you

He doesn't tell us how to fast, but he does tell us that is a part of the Christian life. We can fast during Lent or at other times. We can fast through abstaining from food or certain kinds of food. I believe there are lots of other ways to fast as well. About 10 years ago, I abstained from Facebook and other social media besides what I had to do for work. We can quit watching television or certain shows. We can turn off the radio when we are driving and be in silence or when we wake up in the morning. It may be finding a thin place, in our home or out in the woods. It can be just about anything, as long as it is making room for the Spirit, for the small still voice to speak to us, to show us or lead us to something new or giving up of something that isn't healthy. 

Let us fast. Not so that we can be miserable, though there is often some pain associated with it, depends on what we are giving up. But just like pruning a tree or bush, we fast so we can be healthy in our lives and in our faith and bear good fruit. Amen.