Sermon - Ash Wednesday 2018 - Matthew 6:16-21

The season of lent, and this evening in particular, Ash Wednesday, is a time for us to remember that we are dust and to dust we shall return, and that we have already been “cleansed from our former sins.”It’s a time for us to heed our Lord’s Words, who commands us “return to me with all your heart, with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning.”

During lent we “blow the trumpet in Zion; consecrate a fast; call a solemn assembly; gather the people. Consecrate the congregation; assemble the elders; gather the children, even nursing infants.” During this season of the church year we petition the Lord, saying “spare your people, O Lord.” And throughout this solemn assembly we remember especially that our heavenly Father looks upon us who discipline our hearts and He has pity on us.

The lenten season is a time to discipline your hearts. You might notice Jesus’ words at the beginning of our Gospel reading: “when you fast.” He doesn’t say if you fast, He says when you fast. Jesus is simply assuming that we will be fasting. But what is this fasting supposed to look like?

Today when people talk about a lenten fast, they often talk about it in terms of giving up something for lent. So perhaps giving up Facebook, or sweets, or fast food, or whatnot. Often enough, this giving up something for lent is no more than trying to do less of something that is already not very good for you. 

Trying to stop doing things that are bad for you is a good idea. So if you spend too much time on the computer or watching TV, perhaps you should lessen your screen time. If you eat too much junk food, you should try to eat healthier. These are noble things to work at and I encourage everyone to identify bad habits in order to correct those bad habits.

But that’s not the kind of fasting that Jesus is talking about. In fact, Jesus says “do not look gloomy like the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces that their fasting may be seen by others.” The Lord doesn’t want us to fast just so that we can be seen and admired by others as more holy. Instead, Jesus says to “anoint your head and wash your face, that your fasting may not be seen by others but by your Father who is in secret.”

Instead the Lord desires that we “rend our hearts and not our garments.” What is more important than outward personal acts of piety is having a penitential and repentant heart. Luther puts it this way in his little catechism: “Fasting and bodily preparation are certainly fine outward training. But that person is truly worthy and prepared who has faith in these words: “Given and shed for you for the forgiveness of sins.””

While it can be valuable to abstain from eating for a time, since this is certainly fine outward training, what the Lord truly desires of us is that we would repent of our iniquity and return to the Lord from our wicked ways in order to trust and cling to Him. If abstaining from certain pleasures encourages you towards repentance, then you should most certainly do it. But if your fasting doesn’t direct you to contrition and repentance and trust in God, then you need to reevaluate what you’re doing.

Because the only reason we can feel contrition, that is, feeling badly over our sins, and repent, that is, confessing our sins and ceasing to do them, the only reason we can be contrite and repentant is because we have already been cleansed of our sins by Jesus Christ. God has already had pity on us, He has already washed us in the waters of baptism, He has already paid the debt of our sin, and therefore we ought to feel badly for our sins and we ought to repent of them. 

But don’t get me wrong, repentance isn’t something that can exist solely in the heart. When we repent of our sins, this also includes making a change in our manner of living. St. Peter explains “For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love.” Nevertheless, outward actions in and of themselves are not a substitute for repentance of the heart. But these outward actions flow from repentance. 

Also, we don’t repent in order to make God forgive us, instead already “His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us to His own glory and excellence.” God through the power of the incarnate Word Jesus the Christ has already given you all life and godliness, He has already purchased you and won you with His precious blood. Because God has given you the gift of faith that believes and trusts in Him, you therefore should readily discipline and teach your heart to confess.

But “whoever lacks these qualities is so nearsighted that he is blind, having forgotten that he was cleansed from his former sins.” Lent is a time to remember. A time to remember that we are sinful and unclean, but most important this is a time to remember that Jesus has cleansed us from our sins. When you remember your sin, you must also remember that your sin is forgiven in Jesus. This is why Jesus came to earth as man: because He has pity on us poor sinners. 

Out of God’s great pity, mercy, and love for us He sent His only begotten Son into our flesh to bear our sin. Out of God’s mercy Jesus suffered for us, He walked the long road to Jerusalem in order to be crushed for our sins. He became as dust so that we may be raised from the dust to life immortal. The ashes upon your forehead are there to help you remember that you are dust and to dust you shall return, they are there to help you remember to repent. They are black, to help us remember that our sins are darkness and death. Those ashes are in the shape of the cross to help you remember that Jesus took our death upon Himself so that we would be raised to new life. Always remember that Jesus has pity on us and was crucified for us out of His great love for us. Jesus is your treasure and your great reward.