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Ash Wednesday Matthew 6:1-6, 16-21 |
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TODAY MARKS THE START OF OUR LENTEN JOURNEY. IT BEGINS THE LONG SEASON OF PRAYER, FASTING AND OUR RECOMMITTMENT TO THE CALL OF OUR LORD TO FOLLOW HIM TO THE CROSS. WE START ON THIS JOURNEY KNOWING THAT THE JOY OF EASTER IS BEFORE US, YET, ON OUR JOURNEY, WE PUT ASIDE THAT JOY TO WALK IN THE SHADOW OF THE CROSS. WE BEGIN ON OUR KNEES, BEING MARKED WITH THE SIGN OF THE CROSS ON OUR FOREHEADS WITH THE ASHES OF DEATH; A REMINDER THAT WE ARE MORTAL, AND PRONE TO ALL THE FAILINGS AND SINS OF MORTALITY. AS WE RISE UP MARKED WITH THE CROSS OF CHRIST, WE ARE ONCE AGAIN ADMONISHED TO LISTEN CAREFULLY TO THE WORDS OF OUR LORD AS HE PREPARES HIMSELF, AND US, FOR THE SACRIFICE HE WILL MAKE FOR THE SALVATION OF THE WORLD. HIS WORDS CALL US TO A LIFE OF PRAYER, FASTING, CHARITY AND COMMITMENT, FOR ONLY IN THE LIVING OF SUCH A LIFE CAN WE REALLY HEAR HIS WORDS AND FOLLOW IN HIS FOOTSTEPS. IN THE GOSPEL FOR TODAY, OUR LORD JESUS INSTRUCTS US IN HOW WE SHOULD PRAY, FAST AND GIVE ALMS. WHEN WE GIVE TO CHARITY, WE ARE NOT TO PROCLAIM HOW BENEFICENT WE ARE, BUT TO GIVE OUR GIFTS TO OTHERS IN SECRET. WHEN WE PRAY, WE ARE NOT TO STAND UP PROUDLY IN FRONT OF OTHERS SO THEY CAN SEE HOW HOLY WE ARE, BUT TO PRAY IN SECRET WHERE ONLY GOD CAN HEAR US. WHEN WE FAST, WE ARE NOT TO GO AROUND LOOKING LIKE WE ARE SUFFERING FOR THE LORD, BUT TO WASH OUR FACES AND COMB OUR HAIR, SO THAT NO ONE BUT GOD CAN KNOW WE ARE FASTING. IN ESSENCE, OUR LORD TELLS US THAT WHAT WE DO, WHAT EVER WE DO, IN OUR LIFE OF COMMITMENT TO OUR GOD IS TO BE FOCUSED PURELY ON GOD AND NOT ON OUR SELVES. WHERE OUR FOCUS IS, WHERE THAT WHICH WE TREASURE IS, THERE, OUR LORD TELLS US, WILL BE WHERE OUR HEART IS. AS MARTIN LUTHER WAS SITTING AT TABLE WITH HIS SEMINARY STUDENTS, LUTHER’S LITTLE PUPPY JUMPED UP ON THE SEAT NEXT TO HIM AND, AS PUPPYS DO, TRIED TO GET LUTHER TO GIVE HIM A PIECE OF MEAT OFF HIS PLATE. AS LUTHER TOOK THE MORSEL OF MEAT IN HIS HAND TO GIVE TO THE PUPPY, HE STOPPED, AND, NOTICING THE INTENSE FOCUS OF THE PUPPY ON THE MEAT, SAID TO HIS STUDENTS; “OH, IF I COULD ONLY PRAY THE WAY THIS DOG WATCHES THE MEAT! ALL HIS THOUGHTS ARE CONCENTRATED ON THE PIECE OF MEAT. OTHERWISE HE HAS NO THOUGHT, WISH, OR HOPE.”* SO, TOO, SHOULD WE BE FOCUSED IN PRAYER, CHARITY, FASTING AND COMMITMENT. ALL OUR THOUGHTS, WISHES AND HOPES SHOULD BE IN HIM WHO CREATED ALL THINGS, SUSTAINS ALL THINGS, AND TO WHOM ALL THINGS, INCLUDING OUR SELVES, BELONG. THIS SEASON OF LENT IS A TIME WHEN WE ARE CALLED TO RENEW OUR FOCUS. WE ARE CALLED TO SHIFT OUR FOCUS FROM OUR SELVES, OUR DAILY CARES AND CONCERNS, AND TO CONCENTRATE OUR MINDS AND SPIRITS, AND CONSECRATE OUR BODIES, TO OUR GOD THROUGH OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST. THIS WE DO BY DEEPENING OUR FOCUS IN PRAYER, BOTH IN PRIVATE AND IN PUBLIC WORSHIP; BY GIVING OF OUR TIME, TREASURE AND TALENTS TO THOSE IN NEED; BY FASTING AND CASTING OFF THAT WHICH DISTRACTS US FROM OUR FOCUS ON GOD; AND BY OUR RENEWED COMMITMENT TO THE WAY OF THE CROSS. COME; LET US JOURNEY TOGETHER IN THIS SEASON OF LENT, AS WE FOLLOW JESUS ON HIS WAY TO THE CROSS. MARKED WITH THE CROSS OF CHRIST ON OUR FOREHEADS, LET US FOLLOW TOGETHER THE JOURNEY OF OUR LORD. LET US FOCUS SOLELY ON HIM, FOR HE IS OUR TREASURE, AND IS WHERE OUR HEARTS SHOULD BE, NOW AND FOREVER. *LUTHER’S WORKS: Vol.54 pp 37 – 38 Fortress Press
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