Loving God, you call us this day to see ourselves as we really are – undeserving of your mercy yet saved and forgiven.  As we humble ourselves before you this day, help us to also experience your touch that lifts us up; through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

    When I was younger, I remember being not too terribly impressed with Ash Wednesday.  I really didn’t understand why anybody would want somebody to put ashes on their forehead, and make the sign of the cross, and say, “Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return.”  It seemed rather morbid, and a bit of a downer.  So if I was given an option, I usually didn’t go forward to receive the ashes.

    This year, however, it strikes me that Ash Wednesday is really all about acknowledging the truth.  All of us are going to die – nobody gets out alive!  At the same time, ultimately, we belong to God.  It is God who has the power to give life and to take it away.  It is God who created us and formed us in the womb, and it is God who will receive us when we die.  And so, there is a certain humility that is involved on Ash Wednesday – the kind of humility that acknowledges that we are sinners in need of God’s forgiveness, and the kind of humility that acknowledges that our lives are in the hands of God.

    As it turns out, this is exactly the kind of humility that the disciples are lacking in the gospel that we heard today.  You see, in spite of the fact that Jesus has been talking about the suffering and death that await him, and in spite of the fact that he has been teaching them about taking up their crosses and denying themselves and following him, they still don’t get it.  Instead, they’re concerned about things like who gets to sit on Jesus’ right hand and on his left, and who will be the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.  They are concerned about status - and mainly about their own.

    And so Jesus tries to teach them once again that in the kingdom of heaven, things are different.  He calls a child over and says to them, “Unless you change and become like this child, you will never even enter the kingdom of heaven.”  “Whoever becomes humble like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven” (Mt. 18:4).

    It is important for us to know that children in that culture had no status and were totally dependant on others for their well-being.  That’s why widows and orphans were so desperate, and in stories like the feeding of the 5000 we hear that those who were fed were about 5000 men, “besides women and children” (Mt. 14:21).  The men were the ones with the status.  However, Jesus identifies himself with the ones who are lowly when he says that “whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me” (Mt. 18:5).

    And so, do you want to know what it takes to be great in God’s estimation?  Humble yourself, identify with the lowly ones, and know in your heart that you are totally dependant on God.  That sounds a lot like Ash Wednesday.

    But what about all of those stumbling blocks and the little ones and the violent images?  Should this part of the gospel be rated “R” for violence?  My suggestion would be that perhaps it should be rated “H” instead for hyperbole.  If you have ever seen a millstone from first century Palestine, you will know that they are absolutely huge.  It would take several people simply to lift it - let alone attach it to somebody and throw it into the sea.  If one were actually inclined to drown somebody in this manner, a much smaller stone would suffice.

    Jesus is purposely using a ridiculous image in order to get people’s attention.  The same goes for cutting off your hand or your foot or tearing out your eye.  He wants the disciples to know how serious it is to cause others to stumble or to lose their faith.  In this case, the little ones are not necessarily children.  Rather, they are those without status or power who are part of the community of faith.  And so, to scandalize them - to make them stumble - is a grave offense.  Instead, little ones are to be embraced and supported in the faith.

    The other thing to recognize in this gospel is that, in relation to God, we also are little ones.  We have no power or status before God - at least, not on our own merit.  Yet, we have the privilege of standing before God as beloved children because of our faith in Jesus Christ.  Today, we recognize this gift of grace, even as we acknowledge our sinfulness and our total dependance on God for the breath of life.  We recognize the lowliness of our status in the presence of God, as well as the gift of forgiveness and salvation through Jesus Christ that lifts us up.  Thanks be to God!  Amen.

Ash Wednesday (NL 1)                            Matthew 18:1-9
February 18, 2015
Abundant Life Lutheran Church
Pastor Lynne Hutchison

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