Ash Wednesday 2016

+ In nomine Patris et Filii et Spiritus Sancti + Amen.

Text: Matthew 6:21
Theme: The Renovated Heart

Dear friends in Christ Jesus,

“The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?”1 So says Jeremiah! “Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also,”2so says our Lord. That upon which the heart dwells, that with which it steadfastly resides to the end, that in which it finds its final hope and joy- that is one’s god. There are numberless idols to suit numberless passions but there is one God of passion. He seeks the devotion of the heart to the exclusion of all others. He is the God of our Lenten journey- the Crucified One.

Our midweek series for this Season of Lent is called ‘Places of the Passion”. Each week we will consider the events that took place at key locations in the passion narrative. These are road markers on the journey to the cross. Lent is an ancient tradition. Countless Christians over the centuries have benefitted from the focused reminder that it offers. The decisive events of the Christian faith, of world history, and of eternal destiny are the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Everyone must come to terms with the truth that He represents. His message is universal. His place is central.

Ash Wednesday kicks off the season of Lent. The vivid image of ashes is confronting; a palpable reminder of our mortality. Our time here is fleeting and it’s fraught with many struggles. As we consider the places of the passion we’ll be looking at our place in relation to God and others. Sin has the power to rob people of their identity. When lives become fractured beyond the limits of normal functioning people become displaced within families and society. At a deeper level they become estranged from God. People may float along as if they have been cut adrift on the open ocean. People are searching for a sense of belonging. In Lent the Holy Spirit points us to the ‘place’ where God meets us: the flesh and blood of His Son, Jesus.

So, above all, Lent is a season for listening. God’s truth has power. When God’s word is proclaimed the Holy Spirit has a way of making sure people hear what they need to hear. It’s not necessarily what they want to hear. They may be wanting to justify themselves but hear condemnation. They may be wanting to hear castigation- proof they are no good and without hope, subjects for self-pity-instead they hear words of liberation. The self-righteous always want to hear more law because they believe they are exempt from condemnation (because of their piety.) They get satisfaction from having other people (the real sinners) called to account. For them the gospel is superfluous; perhaps amusing, but irrelevant. The absolved penitent always wants to hear more gospel. They are filled with joy from the overwhelming freedom Christ’s mercy gives. The unremorseful sinner always needs to hear more law. The repentant sinner always needs the comfort of the gospel. Lent certainly involves a call to repentance but fore mostly, accentuates the profound love of God in Christ.

A worthy goal of Lenten reflection is to bring these truths into sharper focus. Clarity is important. God does not wish to be misunderstood. The best of intentions can have disastrous results when misconstrued. Consider these classified ads actually listed in the newspaper: “For sale: dog, eats anything and is fond of children.” “For sale: an antique desk suitable for lady with thick legs and large drawers.” “Lost: small poodle. Reward: neutered like one of the family.”

The Scriptures do not misrepresent God when they tell us He judges sin but longs to shower sinners with His grace. Jesus says today, “When you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father who is unseen.”3There is a very practical danger here. A danger that this text could be misunderstood and thus reinforce the particularly Western phenomenon of religious individualism. That which is almost second-nature to us was completely foreign to First Century believers. We have been immersed, for some time now, in a cultural climate that encourages the privatization of faith. Our Lord was not advocating private practice of the faith to the exclusion of public worship. Jesus was condemning ostentatious displays of piety. Do we seek praise from others or to be faithful to God?

We all have our personal battles. We have weaknesses, propensities, and addictions. We struggle with the world’s opinions, our own limitations, and Satan’s temptations. But they should never, ever be isolated struggles. Isolation is a triumph for the devil. He easily outwits the solitary soul. We are privileged to be part of a mystical fellowship, the “one holy, Christian and apostolic church.” It is spiritual but it is also very concrete. Living within the body of Christ can be a real challenge. But it also has many rewards. All believers are responsible to one another. Mutual support and sensitivity are offered in Christ’s name.

What does this mean for those moments of stress? Anxiety over pending results of medical tests; pressure to perform at work, angst over strained relationships between spouses, children, and parents, just the struggle to make ends meet? What does it mean for those despairing of deeper meaning in life? It means hope in the midst of darkness. It means permanence in the midst of change. It anchors us to truth in a world of deceit. It means companionship in an often lonely world.

Dear friends, world history is a chronicle of structures, achievements, and whole civilizations that flourished, were destroyed and then were rebuilt. The temple in Jerusalem was destroyed in days. It was rebuilt in greater grandeur. The Twin Towers were destroyed in hours. The Freedom Tower has risen in their place. Dynasties have been destroyed over decades and even centuries. New ones advance to supersede them. The whole scheme and scaffolding of this world is decaying under the weight of sin. But all of God’s good creation will be reconstituted in Christ.

He wore your crown of thorns. He was pierced by your nails. He embraced the harrowing horrors of hell that you may be spared from its fury. He was on the spot every place necessary for your salvation. He first offered His body and blood for you in the Upper Room. He sweat drops of blood for you in the Garden of Gethsemane. He endured the slander of the High Priest and the defeatist skepticism of Pontius Pilate for you. He ascended the Hill of the Skull for you. He is risen! He stands as your intercessor, your High Priest, your Redeemer before the throne of grace.

The baptismal water that washed over you was vested with the Spirit’s promise and His power. Death lasts for a moment; the resurrection for eternity. The very structure of your body and all that constitutes it will be destroyed. Nothing can prevent it. But your ashes will rise to experience immortality. The heart is always under renovation. But it already possesses the promise of complete restoration. This promise is no pious wish. It was decreed by Christ. He is the firstborn from the dead. He has sovereignty over your ashes. Amen.

+ In nomine Jesu +

Ash Wednesday
10 February, 2016
Reverend Darrin L. Kohrt

1 Jeremiah 17:9
2 Matthew 6:21
3 Matthew 6:6