Ash Wednesday

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Axf4Up_yx8

Gospel

THE HOLY GOSPEL OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST

ACCORDING TO MATTHEW

Jesus said, "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. 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 will be also."

MATTHEW 6:1-6, 16-21

Sermon: The Rev. Dr. Maryann Amor

If you give up chocolate for Lent, don’t sigh loudly when the host of the dinner party brings out a chocolate dessert. Don’t say, “Oh, I can’t — I gave that up for Lent.”

Because the moment you do that, everyone knows. Everyone notices. Everyone quietly admires your discipline.

And with that — you have received your reward. A nod of approval. A small sense of superiority. A moment of being seen as spiritual.

Instead, if you give up chocolate for Lent, don’t make a big deal about it. Don’t announce it. Just keep your practice between you and God.

This is a possible, contemporary addition to today’s Gospel. In our reading, Jesus describes people practicing their piety — giving alms, praying, fasting. And he warns them not to do these things in ways that draw attention. Don’t sound a trumpet when you give. Give so quietly your left hand doesn’t even know what your right hand is doing. Don’t pray on the street corners and in public, so others can see you. Don’t disfigure your face when you fast so others will notice your sacrifice.

Do it all in secret, Jesus says. Let it be known only to God.

Jesus is calling us to stop and examine our motivation. Because he knows how easily faith can become performance. How quickly spiritual practices can turn into ego boosts. How subtly we begin curating a holy image of ourselves that we want others to see and admire.

But faith is not about image. It is about relationship.

Lent is not about becoming visibly more religious. It is about returning — quietly and honestly — to God.

And Ash Wednesday strips everything back to this.

The ash on our foreheads says the same thing to every one of us: you are dust. Not “you are impressive.” Not “you are admired.” Not “you are successful.” Just dust.

The gold stars, the promotions, the applause, the recognition — all those things we receive in life that make us feel secure and valued — they will not follow us when we die. They fade. They disappear.

But the One who formed us from dust remains.

So when we fast, when we pray, when we give — when we stop eating chocolate — we are not doing any of these things for our reputation. We are doing them for the sake of our relationship with God. That is the only motivation that matters.

And this connects to the truth at the heart of Ash Wednesday: Before we ever did anything impressive… Before anyone ever noticed us… Before we received a single word of praise… We were already deeply loved.

God’s love for you — exactly as you are — is the only approval that will last when we return to dust. And what is so remarkable is this: we do not have to do a thing to earn it. It is a gift God gives freely — a gift of love that requires nothing special in return.

So, as we begin this Lenten journey, as you choose a practice — whether individually or as a church family — ask yourself, deep in your heart: Why am I doing this?

And then let your answer be simple. Let it be honest. Let it be between you and the God who already knows you, already loves you, and will still be with you even when everything else turns to dust.