Ash
Wednesday 2013
***
‘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.
‘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. But when you give alms, do
not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your alms
may be done in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you.
‘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. But 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.
‘When
you are praying, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do; for they
think that they will be heard because of their many words.
‘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. But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, so 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.
‘Do
not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust consume and
where thieves break in and steal; but store up for yourselves treasures in
heaven, where neither moth nor rust consumes and where thieves do not break in
and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart shall also be. (Matthew 6:1-7, 16-21)
***
Jim and I got back from our trip to
Georgia on Monday night, driving about 90 miles west on highway 212 on what
some would call a white-knuckled journey.
Our return had already been delayed a day because of the snowstorm on
Sunday when our plane touched down at the Minneapolis/St. Paul airport. Blowing
snow and ice made roads slick and driving conditions “difficult.” The forecast was for more snow, wind, and
falling temperatures.
But we needed to get back. So we set out
from the Cities late Monday morning. Jim was driving. Snowplows were working to
clear the main roads, and a light snow was gently falling. All seemed to be well. As we traveled west,
however, the wind picked up and road conditions worsened.
When we reached Renville County, visibility
had gradually lessened until it was impossible, at times, to see beyond the
front of our vehicle. Our Santa Fe
shuddered as wind gusts pushed snow and ice against our car. We were engulfed
in a fierce white cloud.
Then, suddenly, a slow-moving snowplow
appeared in the road ahead. Jim had to make a decision. He could attempt to speed up and pass the
snowplow in the icy, slushy mess, but without being able to see if there were
cars or trucks coming toward us in the left lane.
Or he could blindly follow slowly in the
white cloud, hoping he would not misjudge the snowplow’s position and crash,
but also taking a chance that someone might suddenly come upon us from behind
and not be able to see us—until it was too late.
What we couldn’t do was what I wanted to
do—stop and go back. We had to keep on
going, hoping and believing that God would protect us, guide us, and lead us
safely home.
The rest of the world went dim and
nothing else mattered as I lifted up silent prayers for His help. They were
cries that came from deep within the heart. I strained to hear God’s reassuring
voice and feel His comforting presence in the storm. And then, just as suddenly as the white cloud
had come over us, it lifted enough to allow Jim to see to pass the snowplow and
we continued on.
I silently thanked God for being with
us, watching over us, and showing us the way He wanted us to go.
The journey back home was truly a
journey of faith.
***
And that is how it is with our spiritual
lives, especially during Lent. This is when we seek to allow the rest of the
world to go dim; nothing else matters as we make time and space to draw closer
to the Lord each day—to humbly cry out to Him in our need, to listen for His
voice, and feel His comforting presence.
We see only dimly, traveling through this
world in our earthly bodies like vehicles in a Minnesota snowstorm. We don’t know what lies ahead or what trouble
may be whirling around us. And we certainly don’t know God’s thoughts or
plans. We can only trust in the Spirit
to be our strength and guide—until He leads us safely to our heavenly home.
We look forward to when we can finally
see everything clearly—and fully understand. When we are no longer living in
these perishable bodies that were created from dust and someday will return to
the dust of the earth. We look forward to when we are living in resurrected,
God-perfected bodies. When we see our Savior face to face!
During this Holy Season, though we see our
risen Christ only through the eyes of faith, we will seek to engage fully our
hearts and minds as we gather for worship on Sunday mornings and Wednesday
nights. We are not just going through the motions of rituals and liturgical
responses. We are not gathering for our
entertainment or to impress anyone with how religious we are. We come to
worship, to hear from God, and be pleasing to God alone.
This is what Jesus is talking about when in
Matthew he says, “Beware of practicing your piety before others in order to be
seen by them.”
He warns us not to be like the hypocrites
whose religious practices of giving to the poor, praying, and fasting are done
solely as a performance—so that others will think they are good. They are meaningless practices because they
do not come from a grateful heart that loves the Lord and wants to serve
Him.
When we gather to worship and pray in our
churches and when we go to a private place to pray by ourselves or when we engage
in acts of kindness and compassion without anyone but God knowing, then we are
building up our treasure in Heaven, as Jesus calls us to do.
Let us, especially during this Holy Season
of Lent, find time to allow the things of the world to grow dim—and let nothing
else matter but hearing His voice, feeling His comforting presence, and
following after Him.
May it truly be for all a journey of faith
that leads us to the foot of the cross where our Savior suffered and died for
our sins.
Let us build up a treasure that neither
moth nor rust can destroy. A treasure
that no thief can break in and steal.
And where our treasure is, there our hearts
shall also be.
Let us pray.
Holy God, thank
you for always being with us, watching over and protecting us, and leading us
on the way you want us to go. Forgive us when we haven’t spent enough time with
you alone in prayer and meditating on Your Word. Forgive us when we have been
too busy for you and not grateful enough for all you have done for us through
Your Son, Jesus Christ. Forgive us when we have sought the favor of human
beings instead of seeking only to please You with the acts of kindness and
compassion you lead us to do in secret.
Let us feel your comforting presence as we seek to humbly walk beside
Your Son. Take us to the foot of the
cross, show us Your Will, and help us to obey. In Christ we pray. Amen.
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