Wednesday
02/18/15 Freeville/Homer Ave UMC’s
Sermon Title: “A Call to
Repentance and Holiness”
Old Testament Lesson:
Joel 2:1-2, 12-17
New Testament
Scripture: 2 Corinthians 5:20b-6:1-10
Gospel Lesson:
Matthew 6:1-6, 16-21
My friends, my
brothers and sisters, on this day, our Ash Wednesday, we are in the first day
of the season of Holy Lent. On this day, we begin our trek to the cross with Jesus
Christ. As we begin this season, we are called by God to prepare our hearts and
our minds for Christ’s suffering and death.
The term Lent in the Latin language is “Quadragesima,” which in English translates
to “Fortieth.” The meaning behind this word, is that the Season of Holy Lent
goes from today, Ash Wednesday, through Holy Saturday, which is the day before
Easter. Yet today, until that Holy Saturday, is 46-days, not 40-days. The reason
that most churches celebrate Holy Lent as a 40-day observance and not 46-day
observance though, is that Sundays don’t traditionally count as part of this
observance.
In
this way, if we were to give up something for Lent, like chocolate, or coffee,
Sunday would not have to count as part of our Lenten observance, as every
Sunday is a “mini-Easter.” Every Sunday is a mini-Easter, as we traditionally
worship on Sunday, as that was day that Christ rose from the dead. This is why
Easter is on a Sunday.
So on
this Ash Wednesday, we are then 46-days away from Easter morning. Since we can
exclude Sundays from our formal observance of Lent, we get 40-days of Lent.
Yet,
even though Lent begins on this day, why Ash Wednesday? Why Ashes on the
forehead? Why do we do this?
Well,
as we see in our gospel reading from the gospel of Mark for this coming Sunday,
after Jesus is baptized by John the Baptist, he then goes into the wilderness
or the dessert for 40-days, and is tempted by Satan. The Jewish people were
also led by Moses for 40-years in the dessert, as well. This concept of the
number 40 is a significant number in the Bible. Further, the blessing and the imposition
of the Ashes, comes from when Christ entered Jerusalem on Palm Sunday, on a Donkey,
to shouts of Hosanna. As a result, it has been the tradition of many Christian
Churches for centuries, to burn the palms that we use from Palm Sunday, and
then impose or sprinkle those palm ashes on us, to mark us and prepare us, for
the season of Holy Lent.
The
ashes then, are not a sign of how holy and great we are, but rather, the ashes
are “A Call to Repentance and Holiness.” The ashes, while just a symbol, should
help us to embrace humility, should help us to repent of our sins, should help us
to renounce our pride, and should help us to strive toward holy living. The
ashes then, are but a reminder for us. When the world looks at our ashes when
we leave here tonight, they should not think that we are holier than them, but
rather that as Christians, that we take this season of Lent very seriously. That
as Christians, we are very serious about growing closer to God, and growing
closer to Jesus Christ, in this season, and all seasons.
For
all of these reasons then, historically when ashes have been imposed or
sprinkled on people, the pastor or the priest would say, “Repent, and believe
in the Gospel.” Or they would say, “Remember that you are dust, and to dust you
shall return.” In fact, in the gospel of Mark 1:15 it says, “and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God
has come near; repent, and believe in
the good news (Mark 1:15, NRSV).”
When looking at other scriptures in
the Bible, Tamar had unfortunately just been sexually assaulted by her half-brother
in 2 Samuel 13. The scripture says that Tamar’s response to this in 2 Samuel 13:19 was, “But
Tamar put ashes on her head, and tore the long robe that she was wearing; she
put her hand on her head, and went away, crying aloud as she went (2 Sam.
13:19, NRSV).”
When
looking at Job 42:3-6, it says, “Who is this that hides counsel without
knowledge?’ Therefore I have uttered
what I did not understand, things too wonderful
for me, which I did not know. ‘Hear, and
I will speak; I will question you, and you
declare to me.’ I had heard of you by the
hearing of the ear, but now my eye sees you;
therefore I despise myself, and
repent in dust and ashes (Job 42:3-6, NRSV).”
A
final example of ashes comes from the gospel of Matthew 11:21, where it says, “Woe
to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the deeds of power done in you
had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth
and ashes (Matt. 11:21, NRSV).”
There
are other scriptures, as well, that talk about ashes. The idea is, generally
speaking though, that when we are wearing sackcloth and ashes that we are in a
low and humble state before God.
It
is also interesting to know that in many countries and cultures around the
world, ashes are not imposed in the shape of a cross on a person’s forehead,
the way some western countries do it. In fact, in many countries the ashes are
sprinkled on the heads of the people, instead of putting them on foreheads.
So with all of this said, what is
this Ash Wednesday to us? What does this day mean to us? Is it simply a solemn
day that we celebrate as Christians, to begin the Lenten Season? Is it a day
where we should feel guilt and shame? Or is it something else?
For me, I don’t believe that Ash
Wednesday is about guilt and shame. I also don’t believe that Lent is about
guilt and shame. You see Christ isn’t going to die for us soon, so that we can
feel guilt and shame, rather, Christ is coming to die for us soon, so that we
might be forgiven. Christ is coming to die for us soon, so that we might be
spiritually set free. So that we might live life abundantly, and share the “Good
News” of the gospel abundantly.
To me then, Ash Wednesday, and
Lent, do not have to be gloomy times, where we just give up sweets, or coffee,
or something else, merely in an effort to punish ourselves. Ash Wednesday and
Lent to me are not times to beat ourselves up, but rather with the help of the Holy
Spirit, are times to build ourselves up.
You see when Christ takes on the
cross, he takes the sin of human kind with him. In this season then, we are not
called to be crucified, we are called instead to know the one who was
crucified. In this season then, we are not called to be whipped, but rather are
call to know the one who was whipped.
In all of these ways therefore, Ash
Wednesday and Lent are “A Call to Repentance and Holiness.” Instead of abusing ourselves
and hating ourselves this Ash Wednesday and this Lent, let us repent of all of
our wrong doing, and let us pursue the Holy living that Christ teaches us. Let
us make Ash Wednesday and Lent a time of living, giving, loving, praying, and growing
closer to Jesus Christ. For this is why he came, so that we may know him, and that
through him, that we may live abundantly.
This is why we should take very seriously
the words from the gospel of Matthew from tonight, about using our religion for
attention or power. This is why we shouldn’t as Christians be generous to the
poor, just to look good to others. This is why we shouldn’t pray in front of
many people, just to look holy. When we do any of these things that the gospel
of Matthew reading from tonight says, we fail to claim “A Call to Repentance
and Holiness.”
I would like to share a brief story
with you this evening, called “Robert Robinson.” This story is
taken from R Kilpatrick in “Assurance and Sin” in RC Sproul (editor), Doubt and Assurance (Baker,
1993). Here is how it goes:
“Robert
Robinson was an English clergyman who lived in the 18th century. Not only was
he a gifted pastor and preacher he was also a highly gifted poet and hymn
writer. However, after many years in the pastorate his faith began to drift. He
left the ministry and finished up in France, indulging himself in sin.”
“One
night he was riding in a carriage with a Parisian socialite who had recently
been converted to Christ. She was interested in his opinion on some poetry she
was reading: Come thou Fount of every blessing,
Tune my heart to sing thy grace, Streams of mercy never failing, Call for hymns
of loudest praise.”
“When
she looked up from her reading the socialite noticed Robinson was crying.” “What
do I think of it?” he asked in a broken voice. “I wrote it. But now I’ve
drifted away from him and can’t find my way back.” “But don’t you see” the
woman said gently, “The way back is written right here in the third line of
your poem: Streams of mercy never ceasing.
Those streams are flowing even here in Paris tonight.” “That night Robinson
recommitted his life to Christ.”
You
see my brothers and sisters, Ash Wednesday and Lent are “A Call to Repentance
and Holiness.” They are a call to recommit our hearts, our minds, and our souls
to Jesus Christ. Let us on this Ash Wednesday and in this Lenten Season, pursue
“A Call to Repentance and Holiness.” Amen.
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