40

There are a lot of stories in the Bible which feature the number forty. In Genesis 7, forty days and nights of rain lead to a disastrous flood. After Moses killed a man, he fled Egypt and spent forty years in the wilderness of Moab tending flocks (Exodus 2, Acts 7) before his encounter with a burning bush. Moses was on Mount Sinai for forty days and nights before he received the decalogue (Exodus 24). When Moses descended from Mount Sinai, he found the people worshipping a golden calf. Moses then interceded on Israel's behalf for forty days and nights, pleading with YHWH to give them another chance (Deuteronomy 9).

When the Israelites arrived on the border of Canaan, looking for a new home, they sent twelve men to check out the land. The men's reconnaissance mission lasted forty days and nights (Numbers 13). Subsequently, the Israelites spent forty years camping in the wilderness before they finally settled in Canaan (Judges 13). Goliath, a giant warrior, taunted Saul's army for forty days before David arrived on the scene and defeated him (1 Samuel 17). Elijah, afraid for his life, fled from Jezebel and travelled forty days and nights to Mount Horeb (1 Kings 19). Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness where he fasted for forty days and nights before he faced the tempter (Matthew 4).

In the biblical texts, the number forty is a way of saying "a long time." If you look at the stories, you note that these experiences of "40" were not instances where people were living their best lives. The "40" was usually a long, unpleasant time. When you see the number forty in the Scriptures, it is often indicative of a probation period, a trial, or some form of chastisement or correction. Basically, "40" means a longish, yucky time. But why? Why is "doing a 40" integral to so many stories, even the life of Jesus?

Psychiatrist Carl Jung said, "The first half of life is devoted to forming a healthy ego, the second half is going inward and letting go of it." Richard Rohr takes Jung's concept of the first and second halves of life and relates it to the spiritual journey. Rohr suggests that the first half of life is spent building a container. Through performance, doing, and achieving, we develop our sense of identity, importance, and security. The first half of life is quantifiable, easily put on a resume. In the second half of life, we discover that the container is not sufficient, that there is no meaning in being successful, rich, special, famous, or healthy. What becomes clear is that the aliveness comes from the inside out, so the second half of life focuses on what goes in the container. It is more about surrender, letting go, and embracing mystery.

The shift between the two phases is usually precipitated by an outer challenge, failure, or some form of suffering. This hardship becomes the impetus for a person to move from building the outer structure of life to putting something of worth inside the container. This is what a "40" experience does. It invites us to shift our perspective, to rethink priorities, to move from doing to being, to change from living for externals to living from the inside out, to step toward maturity and wisdom. When we look at the biblical stories mentioned above, we note that the long, challenging "40" experiences were all preludes to some significant change. In each, we can see an invitation to rethink, to repent, to adopt a new posture, to enter into a new way of being.

The temptation of Jesus, which came after forty days and nights of fasting, shows the push and pull between living for the outside (first half of life) and living from the inside (second half of life). Let us look at the account in Matthew 4. The first temptation Jesus faces is to satisfy his appetite by doing a quick miracle. Jesus replies that sustenance comes from a much deeper place. Instead of focusing on what goes in his own mouth, Jesus places priority on what comes from the mouth of God. The second temptation is to put on a performance, to do something spectacular which will show off God's protective power. Won't everyone be amazed? Jesus responds by indicating that this is not the type of relationship that he has with his Father; they do use each other to gain influence or make an impression. The final temptation is to compromise his relationships in order to be rich, famous, and powerful. Jesus indicates that his loyalty and love are not for sale.

It is interesting to note that after this "40" experience, significant changes happen in Jesus's life. He moves from Nazareth to Capernaum and takes up John the Baptist's message of metanoia (an invitation for people to change their minds, their thinking, the direction they are going). Jesus then invites people to join him in his mission. The call Jesus issues to Peter and Andrew clearly shows the contrast between the two aspects of life. No longer are they to be fishermen (building the exterior life) but they are to become fishers of people (helping people attend to their inner life).

Like Jesus, we all have to "do a 40" at some point. The Spirit leads us into these challenging situations so that we can see what is real, what has lasting substance, and what does not. It is part of the human experience, part of the process of maturing, part of life in the Spirit, so we do ourselves no favours by trying to avoid it. Each "40 experience" is unique. The time period may vary, but it will feel long, too long. The discomfort will also vary from person to person, but it will be distressing and unsettling in a way which makes life seem precarious. We will wish and hope and pray that the present condition will go away.

I have just been through the worst March I have ever experienced. I had a number of jobs and life challenges all happen at the same time and it left me very depleted. I have never been so tired in my life, physically, mentally, and emotionally. Much as I wanted to, I couldn't just snap out of it after a few days off. As the weeks passed and I was still battling fatigue in both mind and body, I realized that I needed to rethink how I do life, how I engage with writing, reading, researching, teaching, and pastoring. I asked myself, what are you trying to build? How much of your work is a response to external pressures? What internal pressure do you put on yourself in an attempt to feel like a valued, productive member of society? What have you lost in the process? Where are you not flourishing? What is the state of your inner life? What change or reorientation might the Spirit be inviting you to consider?

Not everyone responds well to the transformative invitation of the "40." We will be tempted to revert to business as usual, just to distance ourselves from the discomfort. We will want to go back to Egypt even if it means enslavement. We will want to return to our fishing boats to numb the pain of our dear mentor and friend being killed. We will want to die alone on a mountain instead of facing our fears. We will want to hide in the desert of Moab instead of going back to the bad memories of Egypt.

But the Spirit calls us onward. The Spirit invites us inward. Let us meet Jesus there, in the 40 days of our lives, and be made anew.

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Image from thoughtco.com