Ash Wednesday (Quadragesima) – March 5, 2025Psalm 57; Joel 2:12-19; 1 John 1:5-9St. Matthew 6:1-21
In the Name of the Father, and of the +
Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
The middle portion of our Lord’s Sermon on the Mount,
recorded in the sixth chapter of St. Matthew’s Gospel, primarily concerns the
spiritual disciplines of almsgiving, prayer, and fasting. These disciplines
were not something new at the time of Christ. They have been in use by
Christians since the beginning of time and have endured right up until the
present.
Almsgiving is works of charity toward your fellow man. This
can include giving money to those in need or charities dedicated to the same.
It can also include giving of your time, talents, or even your presence. In our
digital age, the best gift you can give someone is often your presence. Taking
someone out to lunch; having a conversation beyond comments on the weather or current
events; showing interest in something important to another person are all
examples of giving one of your resources (time and presence) to another. Such
alms are in great need today. That is not to say that financial gifts are
unimportant. Offering to pay a burdensome bill brings great relief to someone
struggling with his finances, lifting not only a financial burden but the
weight of debt from his conscience.
Prayer is conversing with God. It is a conversation
initiated by God in His word and continued by our response. Prayer takes two
forms – private and corporate. Your private prayers are those offered between
you and God, a time to thank and praise God for the many blessings He has
bestowed on you as well as an opportunity to ask Him for aid, comfort,
forgiveness, strength, peace of mind, and even temporal things that you need or
desire. If God is your Father, then He wants you to talk to Him. He has
promised to hear the prayers of His dear children and to answer them.
Corporate prayer is what we are doing here this evening. It
is the gathering of the saints to collectively call upon God for forgiveness
and blessing, as well as give Him thanks. The corporate prayers of the Church
are not heard more clearly by God, as though more voices make our prayers
louder and thus more powerful before the Almighty God. But it does serve to
show that when we call upon our Father, we do it as a corporate body, not just
alone and in our closets. The corporate prayers of the Church are the time when
we join our voices together into one Body, the Body of Christ, and lift up our
voices as one, uniting our petitions and praise, so that we speak as brothers
and sisters in Christ.
Fasting is the deliberate choice not to make use of certain
temporal goods. Historically, Christians have chosen to fast from foods that
are not sinful in themselves. Most commonly, this was meat, though the
specifics have been different at different times and places. By choosing to
fast from something that is, on its own, good, a Christian reminds himself that
he does not live by bread, or meat, alone but by every word that proceeds from
the mouth of God.[1]
It puts the Christian in mind of the One who provides every good thing for our
life – temporal and spiritual.
In more recent times, it has become customary for Christians
to fast from something other than food. This is the practice of “giving
something up for Lent.” Some people stay off social media for Lent. Others fast
from alcohol, television, or foods that aren’t good for you in the first place,
like sweets, soda, or fast food. This type of fast generally recognizes that
these things aren’t good for you in the first place and Lent is a good time to practice
living without them. This can be a good way to rid yourself of a bad habit. The
danger in this type of fast is that once Lent is done, will you continue to
fast from something that is harming you? Or will you go right back to knowingly
damaging your body by over-indulging? My advice would be to completely fast
from such things during Lent and then either continue that fast for the rest of
your life or return to using these things but only in strict moderation.
Our Lord’s words about these spiritual disciplines are not
so much concerned with what they are but how they are practiced. He assumes
that everyone who hears His words knows what these practices are and is already
engaging in them. He is concerned about how and why these disciplines are used
by Christians.
Some are tempted to think of these spiritual disciplines as
meant to induce a type of suffering in the Christian. You give to the poor so
that you would know what it is to lack. You spend additional time in prayer so
that you have less time to do earthly things. You fast so that you feel pain in
your belly and are reminded of the suffering of Christ, who fasted 40 days in
the wilderness and suffered thirst on the cross.
This idea of discipline to induce suffering is wrong. Christ
has promised that Christians will suffer in this world and St. Paul has much to
say about suffering but neither commands nor commends self-chosen suffering. We
welcome suffering as the just punishment of our sins, but we do not choose to
actively suffer. That would be the same error as recognizing the longing of the
Christian to be free from the sins of this world and be with Christ by actively
seeking martyrdom.
Rather, the proper use of spiritual disciplines is for the
training of our bodies and souls. It is for bringing the body into subjection
and aligning our souls with the Word of God. Some have even spoken of them as tools
or weapons against temptation, sin, and the devil.
Almsgiving works against temptations toward greed. It is our
weapon against the world. Almsgiving reminds you that everything you possess in
this world belongs not to you but to God, and that you have only been placed as
the steward over it for a time. It also puts you in mind of your fellow man,
bringing his needs to your mind. By this, you are reminded of just how many
blessings God has given to you and the joy it is to share those blessings with
others.
Prayer works against temptations toward self-reliance. It is our weapon against the devil. In our war against satan, we are lost on our own. We must call upon our King to win the victory for us. He holds the field forever and slays the ancient dragon with one little Word. Prayer, when combined with the study of God’s Word, molds your thoughts and desires to conform to the will of God. Spending time in God’s Word and in prayer will quickly make you realize that many of the things you think important simply aren’t.
Fasting works against temptations toward gluttony and
pleasure. It is our weapon against the flesh. The Old Adam clings to our flesh
and craftily subverts our faith. Yet our bodies are fearfully and wonderfully
made in the image of God.[2]
Our Lord has given us the task of bringing our bodies under subjection, that
is, making use of our body to the glory of God.[3]
Fasting, like the other disciplines, should be thought of as training. It is
training your body to act and respond according to faith rather than according
to base instinct or desire. Man is composed of body and soul. Physical
disciplines impact and are impacted by our souls. The two ought to work in
harmony and fasting is a tool for strengthening that connection.
Our Lord’s warning in the use of these spiritual disciplines
is against hypocrisy. The world generally thinks of hypocrisy as ‘saying one
thing but doing something contrary.’ The Scriptures speak of hypocrisy as confessing,
or saying, one thing but believing something contrary. Any good work, any pious
action, comes with the danger of hypocrisy. Our Lord points to using any of
these spiritual disciplines for the purpose of gaining the attention of man as
hypocrisy. He says that those who give alms, pray, or fast for the attention of
man receive temporal rewards for their actions but in so doing, have forfeited
their eternal rewards. That is to say, they have gained the recognition of man,
but they have lost their faith; they have lost their eternal salvation by
seeking great temporal rewards.
Don’t think this doesn’t apply to you. It does. As I said,
every good work comes with the danger of hypocrisy. The more powerful the act,
the greater the danger. The devil, the world, and our own flesh are crafty. They
seek to chip away at your faith, piece by piece. Choose to fast from social
media and soon you will think that anyone who uses it isn’t a real Christian.
Attend every additional service throughout the year and soon someone who
doesn’t seems like a heathen. Receive a letter of recognition or an award for a
donation to a charity and soon giving to others becomes a means of fame and
glory.
The same can be said of ceremonies in the Church. Although
we are gathered late in the evening, there is still a temptation to show the
world the ashes on your head, not to confess what you believe, but so that the
world will see ‘how good a Christian you are.’ The temptation to hypocrisy
shouldn’t stop you from engaging in these disciplines. Our Lord has highly
commended them to you as good and useful for the strengthening of your body and
soul. But the warning persists. Do not make a weapon of faith into a tool of
the devil.
These spiritual disciplines, these weapons against the world, the devil, and our flesh, will never win victory over them. Christ is not outlining a way to salvation such that as long as you follow these evangelical counsels, you will save yourself. He is arming you for battle in the war He has already won. As we prayed in the collect this evening, “Almighty and everlasting God, who hates nothing that You have made, and forgives the sins of all those who are penitent; create and make in us new and contrite hearts, that we, worthily lamenting our sins, and acknowledging our wretchedness, may obtain of You, the God of all mercy, perfect remission and forgiveness.”
Christ has perfectly kept the Law. He has perfectly given
alms to the world, prayed to the Father on your behalf, and fasted from all
pleasures of the world to fulfill the Law of God. He has submitted to the wrath
of God so that you would be spared. We cry out to the God who fulfills His
purpose for us. He was sent from heaven to save you, sending out His steadfast
love and faithfulness.[4]
It is for Christ’s victory over death and hell that we prepare to celebrate.
The spiritual disciplines of alms, prayer, and fasting are
for the strengthening of your body and soul to face the dangers still present
in this world. While they do not merit salvation, they do embolden your faith
for the trials and sufferings of this world. Christ has not, and will not, deal
with us according to our sins because He has forgiven the sins of all those of
a penitent and contrite heart.[5]
In giving thanks to Christ, we utilize these spiritual weapons that we might
care for the very bodies and souls which He has redeemed.
As we begin our walk through the cross and to the
Resurrection, carefully consider how you will prepare. Prepare your hearts and
minds through God’s Word. Examine your conscience that you might find relief in
the forgiveness of sins. Give alms, pray, and fast in the joyful knowledge that
the war is over, even though there are still battles ahead.
In + Jesus’ name. Amen.
