Figuring out the real sacrifice of Lent

Mar 13, 2015

By Marcellino D'Ambrosio
Everyone knows that Lent is about sacrifice. But generally, the notion of sacrifice in our pampered modern world is, to say the least, a bit impoverished. To recover the authentic meaning and power of sacrifice, we need to take a few moments to review one of the most famous sacrifices of all time.

This notable sacrifice involved Abraham, who had already given up a lot. He left a settled life in the centre of the civilized world to wander in a trackless desert. But civilization and comfort are not what he wanted. He really only desired one thing: a son to lead to descendants as numerous as the stars of the sky. The only problem was that his wife was past childbearing age and could not give him any children.

So he tried to solve the problem in his own way: He had a son with a slave girl. This did not work out well, and his wife sent away the slave and her son. Next, God intervened, worked a miracle and caused the elderly Sarah to conceive and bear a son for Abraham. His name was Isaac and he became Abraham’s last hope. There is absolutely nothing more precious to Abraham than his son. Indeed, to give up his son would be to give up himself.

But what happened? Abraham heard a voice, God’s voice, no less, asking him to sacrifice his only son.

This, by the way, is the true meaning of sacrifice in the ancient world. God deserves everything because, He has given us everything. Our ancestors instinctively knew that authentic sacrifice could never be just a “nod to God.” Rather, sacrifice had to be big and precious enough to represent our entire lives.

That’s why human sacrifice was so prevalent in ancient times. The offering of the firstborn was seen as the only adequate worship of the gods responsible for our very existence. In Genesis 22, God stops Abraham before he slays his son, even though God had asked him to do so.

The ordeal was just a test to see if Abraham was truly devoted to God in faith, obedience and gratitude. God does not want Isaac’s blood. He wants Abraham’s heart.

Instead of watching him give up his son, God provides Abraham with a substitute, a ram, which shows the true meaning of all authentic sacrifice: we give to God something precious that represents our very selves.

But the image of Isaac carrying the wood for the sacrifice up the slope of Mount Moriah should tip us off that this story points beyond itself to a future sacrifice beyond all comprehension. The ram caught in the thicket is not the true substitute, and the true sacrifice does not take place upon Mount Moriah. It is the lamb, not the ram, God’s son, not Abraham’s, that is offered.

Like Isaac, Jesus went toward a sacrifice, this one on Mount Calvary. But unlike Isaac, he did so freely, knowing what that sacrifice would cost him. And his sacrifice accomplishes what no animal sacrifice could possibly accomplish: the eternal salvation of all who are willing to accept the free gift of love.

This is what the whole story is about. From Genesis to Revelation, the theme is the astonishing love of God. We see the love of a God who sacrifices his beloved son for us, and the love of the son who leaves behind the brilliant cloud of Mount Tabor for the agony of Calvary.

It’s ironic, isn't it? Though it is we who owe everything to God, it is God who sacrifices everything for us. Our love for him can only be a faint echo of his unstoppable love for us. “He who did not spare his own son, but handed him over for us all, how will he not also give us everything else along with him?” (Rom 8:32).

So this is the true meaning of the Lenten sacrifice. We renew and deepen our dedication to God by sacrificing something that is truly meaningful to us, something that represents our very selves. It’s us that God wants, not our chocolate.

I would say that probably, the most precious commodity in this harried age is time. So as we go about our fasting and almsgiving, let’s not forget to give God some extra time in prayer.

To tell the truth, I can find nowhere in Scripture where God asked us to give up chocolate. But, after identifying Jesus as his beloved son on Mount Tabor, he did give us a very clear command: “Listen to him!” The greatest gift we can give anyone is our undivided attention.

So let’s resist the impulse to do one more thing on our almighty to-do list. Instead, let’s try to silence the din and clatter of our media-saturated lives. Let’s sit at his feet as Mary did. This, more than anything, is the sacrifice that God wants.