Mathew 6: 1-6, 16-21

The context for this Gospel lectionary passage is Ash Wednesday which provides a direction for our reflections. We are crossing the threshold into the season of Lent. And with this in mind the passage inherently provides a calling and an opportunity for personal examine. A life of generosity, prayer, fasting, and life vision (your treasure) are assumed characteristics of faithfulness and are also easily distorted

These practices are not new for the original audience. These practices and others from chapter five and six would have been common teachings and faith life expectations of Jesus’ time. The first audience would have recognized the practices as signs of a person’s religious faithfulness. The clear invitation is to move from the outward obedience alone to an inward examination of a heart. Is fruit of these practices an alive and beating heart with love for God and neighbor?

A life marked by generosity, prayer and fasting is good. And yet we also know Spiritual Formation disciplines and spiritual language can get diminished from their purpose when used as a way of leveraging power or as a check list of our righteousness. I have heard in church meetings some form of a statement like; “After many hours of prayer I am convinced….” used as an attempt to shut down a conversation. I have also experienced the personal assessment of my Christian faithfulness based on practices rather than a review of meaningfulness or fruitfulness.

Are the religious practices for show or for transformation? The awkwardness of this passage is that it is usually read within a worship service where our foreheads are publicly marked by ashes and our prayers are spoken in front of others. But to get too hung up on private vs public actions is to miss the point. The cores message is found in verse 21: “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” The language of rewards and treasure that weave throughout this passage is a call to seek the longer road of fulfillment over the short road of instant gratification and power.

The word “lent” comes from and old English word for “spring season”. Lent is a time for a slow tilling of the soil of our hearts. As we ask the questions this passage raises, we are invited to an honest confession of the state of our souls. It can be helpful to reframe confession from being limited to repentance of sin to an invitation to shine the light of Christ over our hearts, souls and minds and speak the truth of what is revealed. Where am I stale? Where am I angry? Where am I empty? What is my motivation?

This passage is not a wagging finger telling us to tithe, pray, fast. It is a reflective exercise that asks when you give, pray, fast what are you seeking and what are you finding? It is helpful to review these spiritual practices and what transformation they can hold for us by the power of the Holy Spirit. Giving generously without fanfare allows us to be part of God’s work in the world through our local church, compassionate ministry, individual need. We have the privilege of offering resources to the greater good to the glory of God. Generosity corrects our tendency to hoard and provides an opportunity to review what rises in us when we give. Things like pride, anxiousness, a belief in scarcity. It moves the practice of giving from a potential power play to giving away of power. I have too many times heard someone reference their giving for a reason for special privileges or greater say.

Public prayer has its meaningful moments. In settings of worship, I am glad to join my community in a prayer led by another. The question is when you pray are you focused on the humans who are witnessing this act or are you seeking God with all your being. In addition is public praying the only time you pray? How is praying transforming your walking and talking life? If you never felt convicted or re-directed in a time of prayer I would question if your conversation was with God.

Fasting is a challenging one especially for the western world. We don’t practice this discipline. As we enter Lent, fasting holds a promise of growth and connection. Fasting isn’t just the call to do without food, coffee, social media. It is also an opportunity to create space where we discover what our consumption may be covering up. This moves it from some sort of spiritual competition to an opportunity to allow some unwanted truths to rise to the surface. The scriptural context of this passage is that we might be a people who seek God’s kingdom first. All of us have varying levels of temptation to create our own kingdoms or bow to a kingdom that seems to promise more reward. But Jesus calls us away from settling for the temporary reward and invites us into something deeper, wider, higher and longer than we can imagine.

 May we seek first the Kingdom of God. AMEN

recommended resource for Ash Wednesday: https://paintedprayerbook.com/ash-wednesday