Like the Hypocrites Do

Joel 2:1-2, 12-17

Blow the trumpet in Zion; sound the alarm on my holy mountain! Let all the inhabitants of the land tremble, for the day of the Lord is coming, it is near— a day of darkness and gloom, a day of clouds and thick darkness! Like blackness spread upon the mountains a great and powerful army comes; their like has never been from of old, nor will be again after them in ages to come.

Yet even now, says the Lord, return to me with all your heart, with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning; rend your hearts and not your clothing. Return to the Lord, your God, for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love, and relents from punishing. Who knows whether he will not turn and relent, and leave a blessing behind him, a grain offering and a drink offering for the Lord, your God? 

Blow the trumpet in Zion; sanctify a fast; call a solemn assembly; gather the people. Sanctify the congregation; assemble the aged; gather the children, even infants at the breast. Let the bridegroom leave his room, and the bride her canopy. Between the vestibule and the altar let the priests, the ministers of the Lord, weep. Let them say, “Spare your people, O Lord, and do not make your heritage a mockery, a byword among the nations. Why should it be said among the peoples, ‘Where is their God?’”

Matthew 6:1-6, 16-21

“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.

First, we put ashes on our heads which disfigures our faces.  Then we read this Gospel where Jesus tells us NOT to disfigure our faces… you know… like the hypocrites do!  The first time I made that ironic connection in 25 years of preaching, was last Ash Wednesday… while I was preaching.  After worship Bishop Jack and I laughed about the irony. 

So, keep the ashes or wipe them off?  Maybe change the name from Ash Wednesday to Irony Wednesday?  I don’t think we’ll be able to sell that one.  Honestly, I think what we should do with these ashes on our heads depends.  Does keeping the ashes on your head, in some way or another, move you closer to God and neighbor?  If so… then by all means keep ‘em!  But, if keeping them doesn’t do either, then you’d be better off wiping them off before you go back into the world looking “like the hypocrites do.”  

That’s the same for most of the practices of Lent… fasting, giving things up, prayers, giving alms, doing extra acts of service.  When you do those things, do they move you, in one way or another, into a closer relationship with God and  neighbor?  If so… then by all means do ‘em!  But, if doing them isn’t moving you closer to God or your neighbor, then you’re probably doing them for yourself and if that’s the case, you’d be better off NOT doing them at all, rather than doing them “like the hypocrites do.” 

There does seem to be one Lenten practice that doesn’t “depend” so much.  It comes out of that lesson from Joel where he says, “Call a solemn assembly; gather the people. Sanctify the congregation; assemble the aged; gather the children, even infants at the breast.”  It is the Lenten practice of showing up… the practice of being here, together, consistently… some might even say “religiously” in community. 

The gathered congregation, Joel believed, has the power to not just make a difference in individual lives, but to make a difference in the world.  I’d have to agree with Joel on that one.  Remember our first Sunday back together after two icy Sundays?  Being together again made a difference for us individually.  We all felt it.  But you also have to admit that when this particular assembly assembles, good things happen in the world as well.  Sheffield Pride, Berkstock, the AT project, tens of thousands of dollars shared with our non-profit partners.  All THAT happens out of our gathered solemn (and not so solemn) assemblies!

So, if there is an individual Lenten discipline that moves you closer to God and your neighbor by all means, take it on.  But whether or not you choose an individual practice… whether or not you keep your ashes or wipe them off…  let’s all take on the ancient Lenten practice of being with each other here this season.  Let us commit to being present and allowing the Divine to work compassion, healing, and hope through this solemn (and not so solemn) assembly to change the world for good.  God knows, the world could use some good.  Amen