Homily at All Saints’ Parish Church, Whiteparish and All Saint’s Parish Church, Winterslow
- Ash Wednesday – Sunday 14 February 2018
Matthew
6:16-21
May the words of my mouth and the
meditation of all our hearts be always acceptable to you, O God. Amen
Do
you ever have those moments, during bible reading, when the words spring off
the pages as though they were written, not nearly 2,000 or more years ago, but
perhaps only that day? And specifically
for you! Well for me, when I read the
Gospel Reading again yesterday in preparation for this homily, the words of
Matthew did just that – and I do hope that such an experience something you’ve
all had at some time or another as it is the proof that the bible is as much or
perhaps even more relevant today as it
always has been – words written centuries earlier but also for today and indeed
tomorrow. It’s the living word of God.
Ash
Wednesday is the beginning of that period in the church’s calendar called Lent.
You won’t find the word Lent anywhere in the bible and the word, so the
Internet tells me, comes from the Anglo-Saxon word Lecten meaning “Spring” –
that period leading to new birth. So, in the Christian tradition we prepare
ourselves, during 40 days or so, for the Passion and the Resurrection of Jesus
on Easter Day. We use this period, traditionally and historically for fasting
and reflection.
Fasting
was nothing new for the Hebrews. Indeed,
in our Gospel reading Jesus is, in fact, echoing the words of Old Testament Isaiah
(Isaiah 58:3) – “Why do we fast but you do not see? Why humble ourselves, but you do not
notice? Look you serve your own interest
on your fast-day and oppress all your workers.
Look you fast only to quarrel and to fight and to strike with a wicked
fist. Such fasting as you do today will
not make your voice heard on high.”
And at verse 6 - “Is not this
the fast that I choose; to loose the bonds of injustice, to undo the thongs of
the yoke, to let the oppressed go free and to break every yoke. Is it not to
share your bread with the hungry and bring the homeless poor into your house …
the n your light shall break forth like the dawn and your healing shall spring
up quickly”. Jesus is reminding his listeners, in this, his great Sermon on
the Mount, that fasting is about personal reflection and meditation – that in
fasting the Hebrews should be dedicating themselves to deepening that greatest
of relationships – with God himself – and not just using it to show to others
how holy they were in their self-denial.
“Hypocrites” he called them – “players” in modern day terms. We are told in 1 Samuel 16:7:
“For the Lord does not see as man sees; for
man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart”
We would do well to remember
this. Jesus frequently chastised the
elders of the Jewish religion, Pharisees and Sadducees who would appear, to all
outward appearances, as very righteous holy people, fasting and observing the
law but Jesus also knew them to be sinful, else why would he have said of the
woman found in adultery – “Let him who is
without sin cast the first stone”. For all their outward holiness, they were
flawed just as we humans will always be flawed but we are able to repent
through following Jesus Christ as our Lord and Saviour.
Jesus tells his listeners that when
they fast they should put oil on their heads and wash their face – in other
word not make a big show of the sacrifices they are making but appear to all
outwards appearance as they would normally – not to look dismal emphasising
their sacrifice.
There was a time, following the Ash
Wednesday service when I had had the sign of the Cross smeared in ash and oil
on my very prominent forehead, when I would go around trying to preserve it all
day. Why? Well I told myself it was as a
witness to others but in reality I soon realised that it was, in all
probability, something more to do with my own vanity and “self-righteousness”
showing others that I was “holy” in observing the beginning of Lent. This is precisely what Jesus is saying –
“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”.
he second part of Jesus’s message
in today’s gospel seemed even more relevant to my situation today! As many of you will know, Liz and I have sold
our respective houses in Whiteparish and Old Sarum and effectively moved from a
total of eight- bedroomed accommodation to a four-bedroomed house in
Downton. During the course of the move
it struck us both, in the process of trying to “downsize”, just how many
possessions we have between us – many of which we had either forgotten we had
or which we had been clinging onto as part of not letting go our history. Jesus
tells us “not to store up treasures on
earth, where moth and rust consume or where thieves break in and steal.” (Matthew
6:19-21). I am also reminded of the parable of the Rich Fool in Luke 12 who builds bigger barns
to store more crops in the hope of an easier life in the future – his life is
suddenly taken away and the futility of such actions becomes very apparent.
Jesus gives us a template for how we
should behave not just during Lent but also during the whole of our lives. We
should be ourselves, we should be the people God created us to be and we should
remember always to dedicate our lives to God.
God gives life and God takes it away. We bring nothing into this world
and we can take nothing out. We should concentrate on the present and our
relationship with God through Jesus Christ.
The past often gives us regrets, the future brings us worries but the
present is for living.
Lent is not just about self-denial –
no wine, no chocolate, no fun. It is a
time for reflection but it is also a time to pray, to provide charity and share
the good News of the Cross with others not only by what we do for ourselves but
how we act towards others.
I love the film “Chocolat” starring
Juliette Binoche, Judi Dench and hear t throb Johnny Depp. If you haven’t ever
seen the film, I highly recommend you try and watch it during Lent and, if you
feel so inclined, have some chocolate too.
For me the message is clear, as Isaiah so clearly put it :
Is
[not a period of fasting] not to share your bread with the hungry and bring the
homeless poor into your house? … then your light shall break forth like the
dawn and your healing shall spring up quickly”.
Amen
MFB/109/13022018
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