Ash Wednesday, 03/09/2011

Sermon on Matthew 6:1-6; 16-21, by Walter W. Harms

[Jesus said:] 1 "Be careful not to practice your righteousness in front of others to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven.

2 "So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. 3 But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, 4 so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.

5 "And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. 6 But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. . . .

16 "When you fast, do not look somber as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show others they are fasting. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. 17 But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, 18 so that it will not be obvious to others that you are fasting, but only to your Father, who is unseen; and your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.

19 "Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. 20 But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."

Ashes to Ashes In many churches during or before worship begins on this day, ashes in the form of a cross are placed on the foreheads of the worshipers. Traditionally the words: "ashes to ashes and dust to dust, you will return to the ground from which you were taken," are spoken to the penitents as they kneel in front of God.

The ashes are, again, traditionally from the palms used in the worship celebration of the previous Palm Sunday, the Sunday immediately preceding the Festival of the Resurrection. What once was vibrant and green is now dirty and black. What once spoke of life and celebration, now shouts death and mourning.

As the 40 weekdays before the Easter celebration begins, what might in our own life need to be destroyed, turned to ashes, done away with?

While few people today do much fasting, giving money openly, and public praying, we might quickly dismiss the words of caution about these practices spoken of by our Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. But then we have become clever, sneaky and quite good at hiding our actions and motives about fasting, giving and public prayer.

Who here today practices your "righteousness" in front of others? Well, we are not going to do that, are we? And who of us today doesn't believe that somehow we will get rewarded by the heavenly Father for our good actions, whether that is in the area of giving, praying, serving or perhaps living a life which very openly demonstrates that we are God's people?

On the other hand we might well despise those who have much and give much to our church or charities and think that they somehow are better than the rest of us. Worse we may not practice any kind of righteousness anywhere. Praying only in times of crisis, giving as little as possible or only when we or our church get some benefit, and as far as fasting, well, it doesn't appear that Americans are fasting very much. You cannot pick out a slim person and say: that one must be Christian! Christian overindulge at the same rate or more so than others.

In our own life, what do we find, during these 40 days of Lent, that needs to be destroyed, turned to ashes, become useless to us, so that we might celebrate the victory over death on Easter by our Savior, the sacrifice of his life for us which means that all our righteousness which is nothing but a dirty rag has been cleaned up and we are free to live as his people? Yes. what might need to turn to ashes in your life, in my life?

Our Savior says, "Be careful!" So we, who have become sons and daughters of the heavenly Father through what He has done do indeed need to be careful, don't you think?

What's to be "careful" about? Practicing your righteousness in front of others. That could mean, couldn't it, that we should not think of ourselves as better than others, any others?

Think whom you have put down, derided, considered worse that manure, wished that God would deal harshly with, or send them straight to hell NOW!

Our words of condemnation of others, regardless of any kind of status that they have, high or low, means that we consider ourselves better than those folks. These words could be uttered in families, to associates, school buddies, friends, or just to our inner self.

How did we get righteous? Well, it wasn't by anything we have done, are doing, or will do, is it? We have become right with God through the sacrifice of Jesus. During these 40 days of Lent, consider that daily. "I am good with God only, solely and alone because of Jesus and his sacrifice for me."

If people know you well, they know about how "righteous" you really are, don't they? Would you like them to tell the world about you and your righteousness?

Jesus says: "Be careful!" Perhaps a few, just a few of our pious notions about ourselves need to experience the flame that turns them into worthless ashes.

Why? So that when we hear, contemplate, and then see our Lord, stricken, smitten and afflicted, we may shed tears of remorse about the part we played in all of that which made his trip "from heaven to earth, from the earth to the cross, from the cross to the grave" necessary and then burn any self-righteous thoughts, words, facial expressions or actions in the crucible of the passionate love of God for you, "by the power of his love."

And your reward? It will be with your Father in heaven.

My son and I were returning from working out at a local gym and we saw a squirrel in the street that had been hit and killed by a motor vehicle. So many squirrels, who would miss one? Our heavenly Father who knows the hairs on my balding head knows that squirrel and so much more.

My son remarked that we are here for such a short time and then we will be forgotten. He said that the diamonds in the rings we flash will remain much longer that we will, but who will remember where they came from, or perhaps they will be lost, forgotten, tossed out, considered nothing.

Jesus, the Lord of life, the God-man of Calvary and the grave said: "Be careful!"

Be careful about all the treasures that God gives you. Even be careful to remember that every income check you get, every bill you pay, every savings for the "future"-all of it comes from God. It belongs to him and always will.

These times are very difficult for some. Some who tried very hard to "store up for themselves treasures on earth" have seen them evaporate. Foreclosures, loss of jobs, store closures, bankruptcies, floods, snows, droughts, oil spills-all have seen treasures of this earth gone. Not even ashes remain in so many instances.

About all of these and rising costs can create not only doubts and fears, but a loss of trust that God will provide for us.

These 40 days ahead of us are times to see that things of this earth, even life itself is ephemeral. It all flourishes for a moment and then turns to dust and ashes. It is a time to see that when times are fearful, when every earthly prop gives way, Jesus then is my only hope and place of safety and strength.

Where your treasure is, there your heart is also. How true. How true that we are lured away to trust in "stuff" and "things." How easy it is for us to give in to fears and nightmares of what might happen. We seem almost powerless before whatever forces are out there.

We are lured to trust in our own strength and abilities, to believe we have the intelligence and wisdom to provide for ourselves, and then to fall into the gloomy ash pit of worry, distress, fear and hopelessness. Or if we are doing well, to ignore the plights of others as their being foolish, while we are wise.

"Be careful!" Be careful. How little we seem to be able to be careful, how easy it is to put our trust in things of this world, how soon we think this world is everything and if things-relationships, work, family, and society are not working out for us, we sense abandonment, or desertion. Where is God we wonder.

A burning must take place. A reduction to ashes is necessary. Pride, humility, fears, arrogance, and all shows of our "righteousness" and so much more must all be turned to ashes.

During this time of the year, when we see all of nature beginning to return to life, we must kneel in sackcloth and ashes before our God and see that he will provide for us in the cross, the grave and his resurrection to life all that gives us real life, and then we will be perfect.

Ashes to ashes, dust to dust! In order that we may receive life, real life, forever life from Jesus. Amen.

retired pastor Walter W. Harms
Austin, TX U. S. A.

E-Mail: waltpast@aol.com

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