Ash Wednesday

Matthew 6:16-21

My Brothers and Sisters in Christ, we begin the season of Lent tonight, and we look ahead to that day when our Lord and Savior goes to Calvary for our sake in order to accomplish our redemption. This time is meant to be a period of penitence as we reflect on what Jesus is bearing for our sake as he ascends the hill of Golgotha and suffers the wrath of God for our sins. For Peter tells us boldly on the day of Pentecost that is was not the Romans that crucified Jesus, nor was it the pharisees, the Sadducees, not even Judas, it was you, you crucified the Lord of Glory and it is your sin that rest upon His head.

Our passages for tonight focus on false penance. Some have asked looking at Matthew 6:16-21 well what about the ashes on our foreheads should we do this, should we even do this, are we guilty of wanting our piety to be seen by men and not by God? So it is important for us to talk about it. For it focuses on the heart which is a wily and deceitful thing, and we must acknowledge that the ashes on Ash Wednesday can be misused.

The pharisees were interested in their piety being seen by others, they had a list of things they would do to put on a great show of their piety, but it was just that a show. Jesus condemns them for it several times. Because piety is not meant so we can receive praise from the world for it. This is why it cannot be manufactured, it is the result of the Holy Spirit working through the Law upon hearts of all to show them their sins.

People have tried to manufacture it for years, look at the Prophet Joel, who tells them to rend their hearts and not their garments. Let their sorrow, their repentance be not just an outward showing the tearing of ones garments, but rather be one that rends the heart within. For while you might receive the praise of men for tearing your clothes, all you do is anger God.

So how would a person misuse the ashes on Ash Wednesday? There is a trend in recent years, built off of selfies called ashies, where they post pictures to show off their the ash cross on their forehead, and chase after the likes, the clicks, etc. This would be misuse, and should be avoided. However, we must also consider that the ashes can be misused, then we must reason that there is a proper use for them as well.

In the days of Jonah when the King of Nineveh removed his robe and covered himself in sackcloth and sat in ashes, and published a decree of fasting for the city of Nineveh. God relented of the disaster that was going to come upon the city. The King’s grief was not false or manufactured. There was the proper use, a place and a time for mourning, but if we do it only to make a show of our repentance, our sorrow, our mourning and want the attention of men, then it is false.

The reason we receive the ashes today is not because we are great or perfect or want others to finally ask about our faith, but we wear them as a reminder that we have nothing good to boast of, we have failed utterly to keep the Law of God and that we are sinners not just by what we have done and have left undone, but we are by nature sinful and unclean. The punishment for our sins is death, and like our forefather Adam, we will go down into the dust for we have failed to live according to God’s Good Law.

The ashes upon our forehead are a remind as well of the fires that await all sinners, and that we have nothing of our own that we can claim as worthy in God’s sight. All our good works are like filthy rags and will burn up before His Holy wrath, and are regarded as nothing when God measures them against His own holiness for we are to be perfect as our heavenly father is perfect. This is the fate of your sinful flesh, it has done nothing good that it should be spared. So all we can do is sit in the ashes and throw ourselves on the mercy of God, despairing of anything good inside of us. For God would be right to not save us, to wipe us away with the rest of the world, for we are nothing but dust and to dust we shall return. What can we cling to in a world which is plagued by moth, and rust, and decay. Our hearts must cling to that which cannot fail, that which endures forever, the Word of God, and cling to Christ alone for our forgiveness, our life, and our salvation.

For that Word became flesh, He became dust like you and me. As dust, he suffered for us, and promised us eternal life. When He died, and was laid down in a tomb, the earth did not hold Him, but He rose again from the dust of death and lives forever. Jesus is our treasure, who has ascended into heaven and lives and reigns eternally.

The moth and rust remind us that decay is all around us, the ashes remind us that it is not just our clothing, tools, or money that will wear out, but our body too will wear out. Some wear out faster than others, but all you are is dust, and to dust you shall return. So we look to Christ, who is like us in every way except he is without sin. He lacks that corruption that we inherited from Adam, and He does that which we could not, He is able to stand in the presence of God and ask forgiveness for you. For none of us were worthy to do it, but He is. He is able to bear the wrath and the fury of God against your sin, and secure for you a promise that will not fade. That’s why your sins rest upon Him. So He might say to you, “whoever believes and is baptized shall be saved.”

For it is God who anointed you by the Water and Word, who saved you by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit. Jesus secured for you a great treasure that will not fade away. We wear the ashes for a time tonight, to remind us that we cannot save ourselves, we never could because we are dust and to dust we shall return, but there is the one who died and rose again and lives forever. He has won for you forgiveness by suffering in your place.

So my Brothers and Sisters in Christ, do not let your penance be only an outward show, but allow the Spirit to penetrate the depths of sin in your hearts, for all of those sins rest upon that precious head, and when you see Christ raised up on Good Friday pleading for you, and you wonder, Why would the Son of God suffer whips, nails, thorns, and shed His blood for me? You will realize it is because Jesus Loves you, and He considers you His dear friend. So let your hearts be rended, for our friend has given up His life for our sake. In Jesus name. Amen.