May the words of my mouth and the meditation of each heart be acceptable in your sight, O God, our strength and our Redeemer.  Amen.

            It has always seemed a little bit strange to me to have a gospel on Ash Wednesday that talks about not practicing our piety in order to be seen and then going out with an ashen cross on our foreheads.  However, I am finally beginning to understand.  In Matthew 6, Jesus is more concerned about why we engage in any spiritual practices.  Is it so that others will see how pious we are, or is it to deepen our relationship with God?  We are then presented with three illustrations that also happen to be the three disciplines of Lent.

          The first of these is giving alms, which is basically sharing with those who have less than we do.  Those who followed the Jewish Law were supposed to give alms in order to provide for those who could only beg for a living.  However, the Law did not include bringing a trumpet with you so that everybody can see what you’re doing.  The question, once again, is why we would give to somebody who is in need.  Is it so that others can see how good we are, or is it in order to deepen our faith and trust in God?  Is it in order to see our names on the donors list, or out of love and compassion?

          In the same way, we are asked to think about why and how we pray.  In first century Palestine, there were those who prayed out in the street where everybody could see them – many of whom were among the religious leaders.  It was kind of like the parable that Jesus tells about the Pharisee and the tax collector, where the Pharisee thanks God that he is not like other people and then lists all of the good things that he does (Lk. 18:9-14).  These days, praying in private is not a big ask for those people who are afraid to pray out loud in front of others to begin with.  However, have you ever heard somebody in a group pray in such a way that it’s all about them rather than a prayer that all of us can enter into?

          Finally, we are asked to think about fasting, and why and how we might do so.  Once again, the Jewish Law required fasting at certain times during the year – particularly on Yom Kippur, or the Day of Atonement (Lev. 23:26-32).  Current Jewish wisdom says that if you are fasting, you are not to publicize it.  It is also advised that those who perform essential services should not fast so that they can be at their best at all times (myjewishlearning.com).  While Matthew 6 describes what some of the “hypocrites” were doing at that time, a modern equivalent might be giving something up for Lent and then making sure that everybody knows how much you are suffering.

          No matter which spiritual discipline we might be addressing, the focus in today’s gospel is on our hearts.  When we do these things, are we focused on what others will think and making sure that we look good?  Or, is our focus on God and on the way of Christ?  There is earthly treasure, and there is heavenly treasure, which cannot be stolen or destroyed.  “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Mt. 6:21).

          A commentary on this verse jokingly asks if perhaps our hearts are in a locked self-storage unit (sundaysandseasons.com).  The question comes from industry trends that show a rise in demand for these places to store our stuff.  At the same time, we are asked if perhaps Lent is a good time to declutter and to get rid of anything that doesn’t “spark joy.”  This could also be a way of sharing with those who have less than we do.

          As for fasting, it doesn’t have to be all about food and drink.  We could fast from social media, or video games, or screen time.  We could fast from things that add to our carbon footprint.  We could fast from those things that take our attention away from following Jesus – whatever those things might be.

          The whole point of adopting any spiritual discipline during Lent is to make space for God in order to renew our faith and our life.  Today is the reality check that comes at the beginning of Lent – when we acknowledge that we are sinners and that we will return to dust.  Still, this is not the end of the story.  Underneath those ashes lies the life-giving cross that we received at our baptism.

          And so, today we pray, “Create in me a clean heart, O God, and put a new and right spirit within me…. Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and sustain in me a willing spirit,” (Ps. 51:10, 12) through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

Ash Wednesday                               Matthew 6:1-6, 16-21

February 22, 2023

St. Francis Anglican Church

Pastor Lynne Hutchison

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