Ash Wednesday 2025

Text: Matthew 6:16 “16 “And when you fast, do not look gloomy like the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces that their fasting may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward.”

I would suggest that you and I are not always good at estimating what people deserve. I am trying to convince you that you and I are not always good at estimating what people deserve— especially in spiritual matters.

It comes quite naturally to judge that the people Jesus listed in the reading— those who give in a way that makes sure everyone knows have received their reward; clearly anyone who makes a show of praying has received their reward; it makes sense that those who make a big show of fasting have received— it makes sense that they have received their reward. If you are doing those things to look good in the sight of others, then you need to be satisfied with whatever reputation you have built in the sight of other people. God certainly is not impressed.

That comes quite naturally, that is very easy to understand. But how would you judge your reward? I don’t know how many times I have heard people say that they are giving up junk food, for example, because they could stand to drop a few pounds, anyway. I’m sure I’ve said it a few times, myself. If that is the case, then have you not received your reward? If you cut back on a few expenses here and there because you really need to be better about saving, then you have already received your reward, haven’t you? Thankfully you are not trying to impress other people. But do you think that you are impressing God?

You may have seen the posts on social media that go something along the lines of, “If you want to fast this Lent, then try making it a true fast. Fast from judging others; fast from hate; fast from anger and hostility and complaining….” I cringe every time I see one of those memes because, so often, they have a very clear political slant to them. But they are not wrong, are they? Why do you play around with skipping a meal here or switching from beef to fish when, as the prophet Micah put it, “8 He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?” (Micah 6:8). Do that and then we start talking about impressing God. Do that and then we can start talking about your reward.

There are people who do more than just give up fast food for Lent. They give to soup kitchens, they volunteer at homeless shelters, they do all sorts of things. Let’s take something that sounds really nice and pious. Let’s think about the group who choose to give a few more dollars to the church during Lent. Can you imagine how offended God must be on account of many of those offerings? Think about it from God’s perspective. You are going to ignore me every other day of the year. You are going to spend the time and money I provide you with on your comfort, your entertainment, your own convenience. And now you’re going to toss a few dollars my way. Now you’re going to spend a few hours caring about someone other than yourself. Keep it. You already have your reward.

If you really want to know what your reward from God is, look to the cross. Look to the pierced hands of your Savior. There you view the nature of your sin properly. There it’s guilt you may estimate far more accurately.

When you do, make sure that you do not miss that Jesus has taken that ‘reward’ for you. The debt you owed God is paid in full— the debt you owed for sinfully judging others, for your hate, anger, hostility, and complaining. There on the cross He received your ‘reward’. Death is no longer the proper wages of your life. He buried you, with Him, into His death and raised you, with Him, from that tomb.

And He did not stop there. Look at those hands, nailed to the cross. Those are the hands of the God who freely gives. He gave every last measure there for you; He poured out every last drop of His blood there for you; as He hung there, He breathed His last breath— but not before He was able to say, “It is finished.”

Your reward has been earned. Think about the reward that your Savior earned. Every moment of every day of His life— in public or in private, it did not matter in the least— He practiced His perfect righteousness before the Righteous Judge— God the Father. Every bit of the reward He earned from the Father from the first beat of His heart inside Mary’s womb to His last breath on the cross— every bit of it— is yours by faith. “8 Henceforth there is laid up for [you] the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to [you] on [the Last D]ay, and not only to [you] but also to all who have loved his appearing” (2 Timothy 4:8 ).

Without a doubt, you will still feel like every effort you make at giving, at doing good, even at prayer, is spoiled with a self-serving spirit. But, on account of your faith in Jesus Christ, He will not fail to reward even a single one.

So do not be shy about fasting, about giving, about doing good for those around you. Continue to look to the nail-scarred hands of the Lord who freely gives. He does not care a bit for what is ‘fair’. You would be more than satisfied with the wages of a servant in His household, but He insists on bestowing on you the inheritance of a Son.

Do not be anxious about coming to Him as a beggar. Your King made Himself a beggar in order to earn for you a crown in His Kingdom. He has labored faithfully from the beginning of the day— in fact, long before He took human flesh in Mary’s womb. He has been laboring faithfully from before creation. And He does not begrudge you a full day’s wages. In fact, He has earned for you His full reward with His holy, precious blood and with His innocent suffering and death.

Let us not be sheepish when it comes to doing good. You want a bold idea for how to celebrate our 150th anniversary next year? Let’s make sure that no one in our community goes hungry from February 14, 2026, through February 14, 2027. I don’t mean simply being here in case someone decides to call. I mean going reaching out, making sure that no one goes to bed hungry here in our community.

We want to bring more children from our community into our school. Let’s pay their tuition for a year. Let’s pay it until they graduate so that no one accuses us of a bait and switch. Whatever. Let us not be sheepish in giving or in doing good.

I know what you’re thinking. Either one of those seems extravagant. You know what? Both of those, together, would not equal the reward— the gift— that He has given to every single one of you.

And yes, at the end of the year, you might have to fire your pastor (him and his hair-brained schemes). But it would be so worth it, wouldn’t it? During that year, you would get to show them the hands of the Lord who gives generously. The Lord who wants to give them so much more.

God is not bad at calculating what people really deserve. He just chooses to be. Let’s learn to be just as bad at it as He is— and in exactly the same way. Because He is waiting to reward you in Jesus Christ.