2024-03-30 A Meditation on Fasting and Resurrection

“19 For though I am free from all, I have made myself a servant to all, that I might win more of them. 20 To the Jews I became as a Jew, in order to win Jews. To those under the law I became as one under the law (though not being myself under the law) that I might win those under the law. 21 To those outside the law I became as one outside the law (not being outside the law of God but under the law of Christ) that I might win those outside the law. 22 To the weak I became weak, that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all people, that by all means I might save some. 23 I do it all for the sake of the gospel, that I may share with them in its blessings.” (1 Cor 9:19-23 ESV)

Living in the twilight of a hurried day, what-all knocking at the door, the feeling of indebtedness to a certain benchmark of sinfulness; all these things promise Tomorrow’s Victory as a victory pervasive. We can indeed do the walk on water. We can indeed dare to overcome, to have overcome, to still overcome, to live in the twilight of overcoming. Because that sin knocking at the door goes by many names, many dreamy “it’s all okay” presuppositions, are no reason to fear but rather to live on and internalize that all things are pure in the stark light of Grace.

All things are clean, to the one overcoming litanies and observances and endeavors unto that age-old invented anew in each generation Call to formulate a notion of holiness. We feel we should avoid this or walk light-footedly around that or have a pristine self-discipline, composure, track record; many things would indicate a falling away, so these we avoid. Many things would indicate a compromised body and mind, so we evade. Yet God sees on a different level. God sees the strange false reassurance obtained by that Fast, the reassurance that says “you are mostly in the good”. For we are not mostly in the good. Sin is knocking at the door, and we have zero ability to fight it. We have zero innate strength to overcome. We are vainglorious and proud, equivocating and self-justified. We are if ever walking in holiness, doing so by virtue only of not being conscious of the holiness, not being cognisant of the God-pleasing things we do. For that so-called knock at the door, is after all Jesus. It is after all the wedding feast of the Lamb. It is after all the due spiritual battle of the ages, of this generation, of each tribe and bracket, of all people.

Then to the ramparts, and to the battle cry: we are not moderating nor measuring out good things, but going full-on to the assurance that None can take us away from the love of Christ Jesus, for us, for our people, for our station in life, for our watchful fellowship, love and romantic relationship if that, or platonic and steadfast respectful diligence. We can dualize, walking this holiness route while not oblivious nor obfuscating that Peace and Love and Genuine Grace is anathema to the standard measuring rod. The standard measuring rod maligns and criticizes certain things, while Grace gives us the strength no longer to be implicated nor guilt-ridden. Grace is a wide open new day, where we have first and foremost the appetite and taste indulged, the fantasy indulged, of Overcoming Law. We have overcome yesterday’s battle field, finding no lust nor envy capable of healing, but Grace in and of All Things doing it’s good work. To give us a fresh outlook and inner mindset. To give us something genuinely “clean” because it is of virtuous—in the best sense—appropriation. We are cleansed because our works-righteous boasts have come to nil. We are cleansed because our guilt-ridden apologies have heard the call-response of “No worry!”, “Forgiven!”, “My problem not yours!”. And still, that perennial knocking at the door. Because we are alive. Because we are receptive to His knock and His sanctum. Because we are living beyond the rat-race and imaginings. We have seen it dwindle and desiccate and come to naught. We have seen that with Grace come unheard of new challenges, not boring, not beneath us, but the Christian’s armor that calls for hazard lights and emergency haste, immediate Mercy and Rebirth and Renewal. We were tempted because we were victorious. We were victorious because we went all the way on God’s team. We went thus far because we had unknown good instincts to guide through the maelstrom of what-all wants to mock and belittle our accidental fasts and holiness walks.