Ash Wednesday
February 18, 2015
TEXT:
[Jesus said:] “Lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”
Matthew 6:20, 21 (ESV)
Being somewhat of a child of the sixties, I have always been a fan of the music of Simon and Garfunkel. I don’t necessarily embrace their political views, but I find their commentary on life to be profound. One of their songs, the words of which they borrowed from the poet E. A. Robinson, is entitled “Richard Cory.” It provides a very revealing look at the human condition and the emptiness of wealth. I’d like to share some of those words with you now:
“They say that Richard Cory owns one half of this whole town
With political connections to spread his wealth around.
Born into society, a banker’s only child,
He had everything a man could want: power, grace, and style. . . .
The papers print his picture almost everywhere he goes:
‘Richard Cory at the opera.’ ‘Richard Cory at a show.’
And rumors of his parties and the orgies on his yacht,
Oh, he surely must be happy with ev’rything he’s got. . . .
He freely gave to charity; he had the common touch,
And they were grateful for his patronage and they thanked him very much.
So my mind was filled with wonder when the evening headlines read:
‘Richard Cory went home last night and put a bullet through his head.’”
The point is one that most of us know all too well: it is possible for a person to have everything and yet have nothing. It’s the same point that Jesus is making in this evening’s Gospel, from His Sermon on the Mount, when He talks about the futility of putting too much stock in material things. It’s sad when you think about it and even sadder when you see people striving to accumulate all the wealth that they possibly can, thinking that this will somehow ensure their happiness for the present and the future. As we begin the season of Lent this evening, let’s take Jesus’ words to heart as we think about our real treasure in terms of what Jesus has to say about it and what this means in regard to our Lenten observance.
What is Jesus really saying here? A lot of people think that Jesus spoke negatively about material wealth, but that’s not the case at all. It isn’t wealth in itself that is bad according to our Lord; it’s having confidence in wealth. The problem with that is twofold. For one thing, if you have confidence in what you are or what you have, then you will never long for the grace of the Lord Jesus. You will not be interested in a Savior, because you won’t think that you need to be saved. The other problem with having confidence in wealth is that material things can’t really give you what you need or even what makes you happy in the long run. The pursuit of material riches has a way of swallowing people so that in the end it’s not the people who possess the wealth but rather the wealth that possesses the people. It becomes an obsession--almost an addiction--as people dedicate all of their efforts and energies to the goal of acquiring more and protecting what they have.
Jesus tells us that there is something else that is able to provide far greater happiness than material wealth. It is something that cannot be bought or sold; something that cannot be earned or deserved. He’s talking about His redeeming grace, which provides for the forgiveness of sins and the sure hope of everlasting life. This grace is offered freely to all, but is usually received only by those who don’t have anything else going for them. No matter what the wisdom of the world may say about the Lord helping those who help themselves, the truth is that the Lord helps those who realize that they cannot help themselves, because they are the only ones who will be receptive to His help. That’s why King David wrote in his famous psalm of repentance: “The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, You will not despise” (Psalm 51:17).
What are the implications of all of this as far as our observance of the Lenten season is concerned? Traditionally Christians have viewed the season of Lent as a “quiet time”--a time of fasting and self-denial--a time of sacrifice. But for the Christian sacrifice has nothing at all to do with appeasing God because God has already been appeased in the cross of Jesus. For the Christian sacrifice has nothing at all to do with winning God’s favor because we already have God’s favor in the cross of Jesus. And yet it’s not a bad idea for Christians from time to time to do without some of the luxuries of life that tend to become distractions that crowd their lives--the things that Satan uses to deceive us into thinking that we can take care of ourselves. It’s not that any of these things are necessarily evil in themselves; it’s just that we could all use a reminder from time to time that we are in need of the grace of God revealed in His incarnate Son.
When our attention is freed from all of these distractions, we are better able to focus our attention on what we have received in the Suffering Servant who bore the cross for us and to savor that grace of Christ. This is true wealth--true treasure--because the suffering of Jesus gives us comfort and the death of Jesus gives us life. In Him we have riches that are not perishable, for the riches of His grace will be with us forever and will see us through all of life’s pains and sorrows and even death itself, bringing us at last to those glorious things that He has made possible for those who live and die trusting in Him as their greatest Treasure.
Jesus says that we can tell a lot about a person by what that person values--by what that person considers to be his greatest treasure. What is valuable to you determines what kind of person you are. If your treasure is in your possessions, I feel very sorry for you. Spiritually speaking, your material wealth can neither make nor break you, but your attitude toward it can. Jesus isn’t particularly interested in what you have, but He’s very interested in where your confidence lies. May His Spirit bless all of us, especially during these Lenten days, to forsake the empty treasures of this world and to find our greatest treasure in the suffering Servant of God, knowing that as we “take up [our] cross daily and follow” Him (Luke 9:23) He will make that cross for us not a heavy burden but a glorious treasure.
Amen.
May the One who loved us and washed us from our sins in His own blood, making us kings and priests before His God and Father, lead you to a life of repentance and trust. May He also be glorified in the lives of you, His people. He who calls you is faithful, and He will do it. Amen.