Sermon 02.22.23 – The Heart of Things

St. John’s Lutheran Church, Toluca, IL – Ash Wednesday

Joel 2:1-2, 12-17; Psalm 51:1-17; 2 Corinthians 5:20b–6:10; Matthew 6:1-6, 16-21

Gospel: Matthew 6:1-6, 16-21

[Jesus said to the disciples:] ¹ “Beware of practicing your piety before others in order to be seen by them; for then you have no reward from your Father in heaven.
 ² “So whenever you give alms, do not sound a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, so that they may be praised by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward. ³But when you give alms, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, ⁴so that your alms may be done in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you.
 ⁵ “And whenever you pray, do not be like the hypocrites; for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, so that they may be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward. ⁶But whenever you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you.
 ¹⁶ “And whenever you fast, do not look dismal, like the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces so as to show others that they are fasting. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward. ¹⁷But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, ¹⁸so that your fasting may be seen not by others but by your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you.
 ¹⁹ “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust consume and where thieves break in and steal; ²⁰but store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust consumes and where thieves do not break in and steal. ²¹For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”

…

The Heart of Things

For Christians of Lutheran tradition who live in the city, it is said that our bondage to sin is such that even if we leave the church – especially if receiving the Eucharist – full of forgiveness, with a clean heart and a renewed spirit, our sinfulness usually returns in the first traffic light. There we may hit the horn and call the driver in front of us names if takes one or two extra seconds for the driver to react to the light going green. I suspect farm communities have their own version of it.

Hence, the fact that we were brought here today by the Holy Spirit to remember that we are dust and to dust we shall return. Yes, today is a day in the church calendar reserved for the practice of penitence, even for Christians of Lutheran and other Protestant traditions.

We are indeed from the dust of the earth, and to such dust, we will return. This is one of the times when science matches faith in such awesome ways. Life on earth is carbon-based, right? Did you know that they figure that the carbon atoms in our body are recycled many times over our lives? I don’t have the same carbon atoms that I had last year. They came from the dust of the ground, and to the dust, they returned.

It is a great image to help cement in our minds that from our birth, through the talents we have, the blessings we received – or not – through the lives we lived, the skin cells we shed daily, to the time the pilgrimage on earth is over, all is due to the will of gracious and merciful God, slow to anger, abounding in steadfast love, who relents from punishing (Joel 2:13). I confess that I never showed enough gratitude.

Not long ago, I was inspired to believe that any situation in my life could have been much worse. The God who created, protected, preserved, forgave, and kept me among the beloved community of saints the best God could, did so as the well-being of billions of my neighbors is as important to God as mine.

I can only choose to surrender to the evil forces that want me to separate from my siblings in Christ and from God. All that I can possibly do that would be in line with God’s will for me is done by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit sealed into me in baptism. Therefore, my spiritual experience when I receive the imposition of ashes is not one of shame and acknowledgment of my sinful past until today. My sinfulness will certainly return before I fall asleep tonight. No, soon, when I am reminded once again that I am nothing but dust, I hope there is enough gratefulness in my heart so that the God who sees me in ways that no one else can will operate enough transformation to allow me to live well alongside all his beloved children. That is, to fully reconcile me with him and my neighbor, so together – who knows? – we might become a glimpse of God’s righteousness, by grace through faith in Jesus Christ.

Thanks be to God. Amen.