Ash Wednesday

Ash Wednesday
Light of Christ Anglican Church

Rev. Michael J. Moffitt, February 14, 2024

SCRIPTURE 2 Corinthians 5:20–6:3

Over the past 3–4 years I’ve read or listened to stories of actors and actresses who were forever changed spiritually while playing a role in “The Chosen” series. Prior to that they had little interest in following Jesus Christ. Teresa and I have enjoyed these stories of the way people come to faith in Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord.

I remember the same thing happening in 2004 when Mel Gibson’s “The Passion of the Christ” was released. One man in particular caught my attention. Pietro Sarubbi, an Italian actor, played the part of Barabbas, the thief and murderer who was released and set free by Pontius Pilate in the place of Jesus. He recalled the scene where the irrationality and fury of the crowd as they made their choice while screaming “CRUCIFY HIM, CRUCIFY HIM!!!” had deeply affected him.

He described the scene in the film where he, as Barabbas, is freed from his bonds, meets Jesus’ eyes, and stops for a moment, pierced by that gaze, before descending the stairs into the crowd.

They’re just actors in a scripted scene: Jim Caviezel in the role of Jesus, and Italian actor Pietro Sarubbi in the role of Barabbas.

But making the film was a transformative experience for both actors. Caviezel’s testimony has been widely shared and discussed, but Sarubbi was just as affected, despite spending just a few minutes on screen. Sarubbi in a 2020 interview in Aleteia, a Catholic news and information website recalled the experience.

I myself was thrown off balance by that look. While I was playing Barabbas, the Holy Spirit used one man to look at another man. Now it’s clear to me; it was perturbing and unsettling then.

This is precisely God’s method: to look at people through the eyes of other people. This explained what was inexplicable to me: I could not imagine that a simple actor playing Jesus could look at me in a way that turned my soul upside-down. From that moment on there was a change in my personal, human, and professional life, because when you’re captivated, you’re captivated in every way.

I was very struck by a passage written by Bishop Nicola Lepori about St. Peter: “He met Simon and called him Peter, called him with a new name, making him new and leaving him as he was.”

Conversion is exactly that: You’re called to a new name and a new life while remaining who you are. And from that moment on an entirely human challenge begins because there’s no magic wand that transforms you; you remain exactly who you were, but you fall in love with Christ, and your life becomes an attempt to live up to that love.

Tonight, we have come together for the Ash Wednesday Service which for the church is the beginning of the season of Lent. Lent is to be 40 days (not counting Sundays) leading up to the celebration of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ from the grave on Easter morning. The period of 40 days comes from the story of Jesus being tempted in the wilderness for 40 days prior to the beginning of his earthly ministry. During this time the proof that he was the Son of God in the flesh was established to the enemy. Jesus showed that there would be no going back, and no deals made, Jesus had come at the command of his Father, and he would follow through to the end. It gives us an amazing clue as to the deep love that Jesus has for the Father and the Father's complete unending love for the Son, and for us.

Every observance and everything that we focus on or celebrate from Advent to Pentecost points us to the combined effort of the Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit to bring reconciliation between sinful man and the holiness of God. Throughout our Lenten journey as we consider our sin and the need for the cross it must be seen through the lens of the God who rescued us in spite of our unworthiness. 

For us, Lent is a time when we make that journey with Christ and ask the Holy Spirit to move in our hearts as we begin a season of self-examination and repentance for sins. Often these are sins we have willfully committed and for those acts of obedience that we have failed to do.

After these 40 days of focusing on the cross and our absolute need for a Savior, we should emerge stronger and more resolved to follow Christ than we had been before. Often people go through the motions, playing a role much like an actor, without really seeking a changed life where God’s glory is of primary importance.

Lent is a time for us to evaluate ourselves in light of God’s Word. It’s a time to abandon the sins that we have grown accustomed to committing in our lives. It’s a time to receive God’s forgiveness and strength to lead a Christian life. It’s an intentional season of asking God to renew in us a desire to follow Christ that is based on a response to his love, instead of feelings of guilt. When we follow Christ out of a desire for more intimacy with God, our sins will seem more grievous to us because our understanding of what they cost Jesus is more acute. In considering that, we realize that our sins are what is preventing that intimacy with God.

The imposition of Ashes has its roots in the Old Testament where covering yourself with sackcloth and ashes was a sign of genuine repentance and mourning.

In our Old Testament reading tonight the Lord sends Isaiah to confront those who were not properly observing the Sabbath nor showing concern for the hungry, the oppressed, the homeless, the naked, and the ill. In Isaiah 58:1 God summoned the prophet to loudly condemn the people, as loudly and clearly as a trumpet.

God does want to bless his people, but that blessing cannot be obtained apart from God’s commands. It is given freely to those who are in unbroken covenant relations with him. What evidence could the Israelites give that they were in such a relationship? Their lives would be changed, and their behavior would reflect God’s heart. The law of God would be reflected in how they lived among all people. There would not be arrogance concerning their obedience but genuine gratefulness to God for being the one who changed them. Every time we look back in remembrance of our past lives, we should be able to see what God has done. If there is no change then it may be because there was no change within our hearts.

Only twice in the Old Testament does God command people to fast. But in hundreds of places he commands his people to treat other people, especially those weaker than them, with respect, justice and kindness. So here God tells the people that if they want to stop doing something, they can stop oppressing the poor, the homeless and the afflicted.

The hypocrisy of the Israelites was exposed. Although they seemed pious they weren’t. They complained that even though they were fasting, praying, and humbling themselves before the Lord they were still in exile. They were upset because they had performed all these acts of righteousness and yet God was silent and didn’t seem to be rewarding them for their obedience.

In essence they were accusing God of covenant unfaithfulness. God knew the wickedness within their hearts and their neglect of those who cried out to God for mercy.

Their contention was that there was no point to their prayers and fasting if God wasn’t going to reward their righteousness. The darkness of their hearts wouldn’t let them see that as the people of God they should have been the ones who saw that justice was done, revealing to those around that the God of Israel was in their midst. Their lives and manner should have revealed to those around them the love and mercy of God. Instead they ignored the cries and desperation of those around them. It was like an actor playing a role that made no real difference to them or those around them.

Notice that in both of these situations the Lord himself is encouraging the people to turn from their wickedness in genuine repentance, with the hope that He would show mercy even though they had turned away from his righteous commands. They treated God as if he were a man like themselves who observed the outward appearance and judged accordingly. God knew every thought and intention of their hearts and therefore judged accordingly.

The people of God should have known the character and nature of God, that He wanted to show mercy and have an intimate relationship with his people. However, they were warned in the giving of the law that God was offering blessings or curses depending upon whether or not they followed him faithfully or turned in disobedience. 

In our gospel reading in Matthew 6:1, Jesus warned “beware of practicing your righteousness before other people in order to be seen by them, for then you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven.” 

The Pharisees made a show of helping the poor, praying openly, and letting it be evident that they were fasting so that they would be seen as righteous before men and would have a place of honor in the synagogue.

Jesus tells them that they should help the poor because it pleases God when his people have his heart for them. We should pray to our Father in Heaven because we long for his love and mercy and because we want to respond to his love by demonstrating ours for him. We should fast because we earnestly desire his blessing and forgiveness.

The Pharisees did not see themselves as wicked and in need of repentance but looked down on others as inferior. They saw themselves as the model of godliness but Jesus rebukes them for their self-righteousness and hardness of heart. They had forgotten that God is holy, and they would always need to bow before him in worship and repentance. God is rich in mercy, but he is also a consuming fire.

Hebrews 10:31 warns us that “it is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.” During the season of Lent we should focus on the love and mercy of God. We should also encourage and exhort those around us to seek the God of mercy. Let me close with an example of that.

Years ago while in Rwanda we were staying in Kemembe which is on Lake Kivu. The lake divides Rwanda and the Republic of Congo. Every night, throughout the night, we heard fishermen on the lake singing. They were on longboats and were casting nets to catch sardines and two other species that I can’t pronounce. All the fish were very small because of the methane coming up from the bottom of the lake. All night long these fishermen sang, and it drove me nuts. I asked the Bishop why they sang all night long and what were they singing about.

He said, “It’s very hard work but they depend upon the catch to feed their families. The fish are small so they must catch many. So they sing songs of encouragement to each other to not give up but to press on.”

Suddenly, I loved their songs and thought about how we must encourage one another to stay the course. The work is hard but Jesus, and his kingdom is the reward. This isn’t a role, but what life was intended to be.

Let us pray.