Matthew 6:1-6, 16-21
1 "Beware of practicing your piety before others in order to be seen by them; for then you have no reward from your Father in heaven. 2 "So whenever you give alms, do not sound a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, so that they may be praised by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward. 3 But when you give alms, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, 4 so that your alms may be done in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you.
5 "And whenever you pray, do not be like the hypocrites; for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, so that they may be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward. 6 But whenever you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you.
16 "And whenever you fast, do not look dismal, like the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces so as 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.
19 "Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust consume and where thieves break in and steal; 20 but store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust consumes and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
Reflection
So... what are you giving up for Lent? These questions as we walk out the church door with a black cross smeared across our forehead for all the world to see! Come on people! You just read above and perhaps heard read in the service about doing things in secrecy! What kind of secrecy is this when you walk into the grocery store with that cross on your head? What kind of secrecy is it when you question people about what they are giving up for Lent? We miss the point here!
It's not so much about what we do. It's more about why we do it. Do I walk forward to receive the imposition of ashes in order that my friends and neighbors will see that I am a Christian? Do I give something up for Lent in order that I may have a reply to the question when asked by someone else? This is not a "club" we are in as Christians! This isn't some secret society either, with a special handshake and butt bump of some kind! This is about our motives with God.
So what about our motives? What are they? It's not about being number one in the giving contest. It's not about being the best of the best in the "Church Lady" contest. It's not about being "Mr. Goody Two Shoes!" All of that stuff goes right out the window when you realize that we ALL have sinned and we ALL fall short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23). All inclusive... so we have nothing to brag about in and of ourselves. We have nothing to display and to do that would bring us into that glory of God. We ALL fall short.
Thus, the motive for the imposition of the ashes is not to display to all the world that we are the "Church Lady" or "Mr. Goody Two Shoe" but rather that we ALL are dust and to dust we shall return. The motive is our own realization that we need a God to save us! We need a Savior! ALL the world needs a Savior and that Savior has come in Jesus Christ. The motive is not to display our righteousness. The motive is for each of us to realize our need and to humble ourselves before our God and to know that we need God and God alone! It's not about the display of our being better than another person at the grocery store... it's about the realization that we are NO better than anyone else at the grocery store and that we all fall in need at the foot of the cross with thankful hearts to Jesus our God and Savior for what he has done for us, through his coming, his ministry, his healing, his suffering, his death and his resurrection. It's about the coming of the Holy Spirit into our lives to call us, gift us, lead us and guide us as we live out life on this earth in our sin and with the sin of those we are with. It's about a God the Father that would care enough to grant eternal life through our Heavenly Father's gracious love for his creation.
So, we are left with, "What are you giving up for Lent?" Somehow, deep within myself, I don't think God cares one bit if I give up chocolate, Facebook, snacks, alms to the poor, time in the food pantry, bubble gum, prayer time or anything else that is some temporary act of what I believe to be is giving up of myself. I really don't think God gives a hoot about any of those things. I think this way, because I know I have a God that gave his Son to die for my sin on a cross. And I'm going to give up bubble gum in remembrance of him for forty some days??? Come on! I don't even want to tell someone else that I'm giving up bubble gum or praying extra hard for Lent! What's that all about? I think that's about the wrong motives once again.
So the question becomes, what motive do I have for giving something up for Lent? Well... the motive is a Savior that gave his life so that even though I return to ashes I will receive eternal life. Not because of what I gave up for Lent but because God loves me so much that he gave his one and only Son that I and all people may have eternal life (see John 3:16). My motive is not to look like I gave so much of myself up that I had to suffer through Lent without bubblegum to be righteous before God, but my motive is to not only give up bubblegum, chocolate, Facebook, snacks, alms to the poor or anything else temporary. My motive is to respond to the love of God in Christ Jesus by believing in God and coming to him as Jesus comes to me and give myself to him as his disciple. I give myself up to God not only at Lent but for life. Not to look good. Not to gain favor. Not to earn my points... not for any of these displays... but because of what God has done. God did it!
What did I give up for Lent? Nothing!!! Nothing at all!!! God gave up his one and only Son, Jesus for Lent! I gave up nothing. But I'm responding to this gift of God with myself. I can do nothing else. For all I have and all I am, depends and is rooted in what God gave up for me. And for this I am eternally thankful to God!
Yes, I will wear that ashen cross on my forehead today. Yes I will give myself to God now and through all of the Lenten Journeys that God has planned for me in this life in this place. Not because of any motive to be recognized for myself but rather because of what God has done for me in forgiving me and saving me from eternal damnation and taking me with him as his disciple into eternal life with him in all glory now and forever. Thanks be to God!
I leave you with this song that reminds me of my sin and the gracious and loving action of Jesus for me in my sin and for you in yours, that ALL may have eternal life. Yes, Jesus gave it ALL to ALL.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=38EVco7eba0
Prayer
Lord, lead me through this Lenten Season. Open my eyes to the wonder of your grace and show me how you would have me respond to your love for me and for all people and for all creation... today... tomorrow... and forever. --- Amen
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