Ash Wednesday – Year C

Sermon Notes from the Church’s Ministry Among Jewish People

RCL Readings –  Joel 2:1-2,  12-17 or  Isaiah 58:1-12;  Psalm 51:1-17;  II Corinthians 5:20b-6:10;  Matthew 6:1-6,  16-21

Seasonal Introduction. The Seasonal Introduction. The earliest recorded reference to the practice of Lent, initiated by the fast of Ash Wednesday, came on the heels of the Council of Nicea, in about 325 AD. However, fasting prior to Easter was already established and practiced in the 1st and 2nd centuries. At Gethsemane, Jesus told Simon Peter to “watch and pray that you might not enter into temptation.”

From the beginning of Jesus’ journey to the cross He fasted and prayed. Jesus continued to pray, not only for Himself but for His disciples and even us. If we are called to journey to the cross then we too should follow in our Master’s pattern as we turn to God. Ash Wednesday can serve as a catalyst for our journey to the cross. In humility we know that we are dust and to dust we shall return. However, that which dies perishable will rise imperishable as we will be raised to life with our master.

Common Theme. Our texts make it clear that fasting is connected to repentance. The benefits of fasting go beyond repentance as we draw near to God, but they are unattainable without repentance. The Apostle Paul begs the Corinthians to be reconciled with God, Joel, Isaiah, and Psalm 51 all deal with fasting and repentance. Isaiah also connects ashes, or dust, to humility and repentance (as do Abraham, Job, and David).

Both repentance and fasting are also connected to obedience to God. Without obedience, we cannot be said to be truly repenting. This obedience commonly comes in the form of serving others around us, even as Jesus served His disciples. Paradoxically, devotional practices can tempt the human spirit to feel a self-congratulatory holiness for its achievements. Jesus warns us that we work in service to God, not to bring glory to ourselves.

Hebraic Context. Fasting is first mentioned in Judges 20:26 but we see it first when Moses spends 40 days and nights on Mount Sinai with the LORD without eating bread or drinking water. It is immediately connected to a time of being in the presence of God and His Torah as it was during this time that Moses wrote the words of the covenant on the tablets. However, a second context for fasting is its frequent association with the consequences of sin and its remedy—repentance, often accompanied by fasting. 

With the exception of Yom Kippur, a yearly feast (or fast) to the LORD, days of fasting were generally called to respond to crises. II Samuel 12:16-23 shows David throwing himself before the LORD in repentance and fasting after he committed both adultery and murder. Joel 2:12 gives us the example to follow, “‘Yet even now…return to Me with all your heart, with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning; and rend your hearts and not your garments.’ Return to the LORD your God, for He is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love; and He relents over disaster.”

Besides fasting practices related to mourning, fasting is continuously shown to be a practice of a people who wish to return to God. Samuel called for a day of fasting after sin and before battle. Jehoshaphat called for a fast as he sought the LORD’s direction in prayer. However, fasting wasn’t always effective in the way that was desired. David’s son didn’t live despite David’s prayers and fasting. 

In addition, fasting wasn’t always done to draw near to God. Queen Jezebel called for a fast before condemning Naboth to death. When Ahab heard the consequences God set upon Jezebel and himself, he fasted. Both Ahab and Jezebel saw the consequences of their sin, however, because Ahab fasted God declared, “Because he has humbled himself before me, I will not bring the disaster in his days.” There was a fast in the time of Jehoiakim when the words of Jeremiah were read before the leaders of Judah. His words were ignored and Jehoiakim became accursed.

As in Joel 2:12 and Isaiah 58, the prophets call Israel to repentance through fasting, sackcloth and ashes as expressions of repentance in order to avoid the disaster of God’s judgement. Without drawing close to God, fasting is useless. And without obedience to God, sharing bread with the hungry, inviting the homeless into your own house, clothing the naked—doing all the things that God desires and exemplifies—we are not drawing close to God and fasting is still useless.

Following the Babylonian exile, additional fast days were scheduled as a yearly reminder of national sin and the need for national repentance, such as Tisha B’Av and the three weeks leading up to it. Zechariah 8:19 speaks of four separate fasts. But, unlike the foolish and ineffective fasting in Isaiah 58:3-5 these fasts will turn into “seasons of joy and gladness and cheerful feasts.” But there is still a reminder to “love truth and peace.” 

Fasting continued to become popular in the 2nd Temple Period—sometimes effective in true repentance and obedience and sometimes with simple regret and legalism. Texts, such as Psalms of Solomon 3:7-8, connect repentance through fasting and humility before God with the removal of injustice. The Didache, an early church document, continuously spoke of fasting as something all practicing disciples of Jesus (almost always in community) would partake in throughout the year.

Fasting and other ascetic practices aren’t unique to Israel, Christianity, and the Bible. But Biblical fasting is not a bargaining chip with the gods, as was common in pagan cultures. While it is true that fasting often occurs because of a crisis, upcoming decision, and regret, if fasting is only about the crisis and not humbly seeking God’s salvation, listening to God, and repenting it will not be effective—not because we didn’t produce the right ritual to persuade God, but because we aren’t drawing near to God. If we do not love truth and peace and serve the hungry, this too will not be a fast that is acceptable to God. Biblical fasting is always associated with drawing near to God in humility, obedience, and prayer. 

When God instructed Israel to fast for Yom Kippur, the phrase used is ענה נפש (innah nefesh, to afflict the soul). This is more than simple fasting but a humbling of our very breath and soul. It is commonly associated with various ascetic practices. King David, in Psalm 34:11-14, spoke of praying for the sick while afflicting his soul with sackcloth, mourning, and fasting—bowing down in prayer before God. Ezra too called for a fast in order to humble themselves before God. 

Fasting is a Jewish spiritual practice that Jesus and the disciples practiced. As the church grew, the practice continued to flourish. The early Jewish church knew the importance of humbling themselves before God and drawing close to Him. As the church expanded to include Gentiles, they too were instructed in the Biblical practice of fasting, not as a mystical formula, but an excellent way of setting aside our pride and drawing nearer to God by setting aside temporal distractions and self-gratification for a specific time. And then we, like the Pharisees before us, so often turn around and make it an issue of pride. 

Joel 2:1-2, 12-17. The blowing of the trumpet, an ancient Israelite equivalent to an air-raid siren, was practical and also a common means of announcing good things (feasts, the Sabbaths) as well as cataclysmic events (invasion, God’s judgement). The latter dominate Joel’s concerns. In this case, the risk is so fear-filled that it should cause physical trembling. The cause for fear is the Day of the Lord, once understood as a day of the Lord’s salvation of Israel. In Joel’s post-exilic context it becomes a source of fear as Israel reels from the consequences of the Kingdom’s rebellion against the Lord. 

Joel speaks in metaphor of “a great and powerful people; their like has never been before.” The implication is that a terrible invasion will take place. History shows that Israel would not be an independent nation again for over 2,500 years except for a brief time of independence during the Hasmonean kingdom. Joel doesn’t mention a king or date in his text, but successive empires conquered Israel in the following centuries.

Joel 2:12-13, so often quoted in liturgies throughout history, has a far wider context than Joel’s own time. The remedy that God prescribes is תשובה (teshuva, repentance). “Return to me with all your heart.” Teshuva, in Hebrew, means to turn around completely and go in the opposite direction—full repentance with sincerity and a practical change. Rending your garment was a common practice of mourning and sorrow: Reuben and Jacob, Joshua and Caleb, Jephthah and Ahab, David, Hezekiah, and Josiah. But Joel doesn’t simply speak of regret or mourning, “rend your heart, and not your garment.” 

Nonetheless, the return to God is physical and emotional as well as spiritual. Joel calls for the people to fast, weep, and mourn. It is also communal. All are called to gather as the trumpet is blown to call the people to return to God—the same trumpet that warns of an army that swarms from the north from the Mediterranean to the Dead Sea.

Joel reassures his listeners of God’s compassion and love. Surely He desires to “relent from sending calamity. Nonetheless, Joel adds a qualifier, “Who knows? He may turn and relent…” This is a helpful challenge for our contemporary listeners. To a nation traumatized by crisis, just starting to come to terms with the reality that their rebellion and sin caused the calamity, the Lord offers Israel, through Joel, a possibly hopeful future. But, in this moment of their still disobedient distress, he does not offer certainty even though God will suffer scorn along with them. 

What follows, although not part of our readings, is a reassurance that (when they repent with fasting and mourning) the Lord will cease His judgement and even provide blessings upon Judah and Israel. In fact, as the chapter ends, He promises to increase his Presence and blessing among them. The day of the Lord will truly be a “great and dreadful day” but “everyone who calls on the name of the LORD will be saved.” It is a timely message for a church that takes its eternal security for granted, even as we so often entertain syncretistic (albeit abstract) idols, that God both blesses and judges. 

Isaiah 58:1-12. Isaiah’s prophecy precedes the Babylonian onslaught, so its hearers still had opportunity to call upon the LORD, not in disobedience but in light of Isaiah’s message. The worst of the consequences had not yet come about, although Judah had already seen Israel’s exile. While the consequences had not fully fallen upon Judah, the catalogue of their sin was egregious. Despite knowing the Torah, the people still looked to themselves rather than to God when they fasted—they did not draw near to God. They oppressed their workers, even while they were looking for God’s righteous judgement to be gracious towards them. They did not turn from wickedness; they turned towards wickedness by ignoring and even abusing the hungry, the homeless, and the naked. 

The requirement of being reconciled with God is no different in the time of Isaiah than they are for us. Let this time leading towards Lent be a trumpet call to us as we cry aloud and don’t hold back. Israel, just like us, operated under grace. And we, just like Israel, may very well be seeking God daily, delighting in His ways even as He despises our own. Remaining in God’s presence requires holiness. 

First, we must humble ourselves before God. This is more than simply bowing down with sackcloth and ashes. As we prepare ourselves on this Ash Wednesday, the action of placing ash on ourselves is only useful if we are humble. And correct doctrine isn’t enough, humility means we don’t look to the things I want to do but the things that God wants to do and then I practice them. 

We give food to food pantries and our church, perhaps help serve in a soup kitchen. This is good. But I don’t think I can even think of five families I’ve personally known who have actually brought the homeless to live in their own homes (perhaps it is because many who do will not boast of it). We do not go hungry in order to provide for others. Our generosity only comes from our excess. Nevermind that God is the giver and all we have is His. Isaiah told Israel that their slick religious practices and surface obedience did not draw them into the Lord’s presence. They pale in comparison to righteousness and justice.

So many in the church have every reason to be as fearful as the ancient Israelite when shown what God requires. Not because God is without grace, condemnation is not offered without hope. But the Scriptures do not hold back as our transgressions are declared and the question is, will we choose the fast of God or will we keep singing songs to a God who will not listen? 

Psalm 51:1-17. Of all the texts in this lectionary sequence, Psalm 51 best illustrates the required first step in being reconciled with God. Psalm 51 provides a clear context to David's cry of repentance; “To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David, when Nathan the Prophet went to him, after he had gone in to Bathsheba.” David is a devout follower of the God of Abraham with strong faith. And David is the perfect illustration of a deeply spiritual man who, misled by his broken humanity, distances himself from God through sin.

Once recovered from the folly of his lust, his confession makes clear he has set aside all self-deception about the gravity of his sin. His previously righteous life, now resurgent, keeps his sin “ever before” him with the proper shame of a healthy conscience. 

David’s prayer states that any kind of sin, regardless of whether it harms another human, is evil as sin is ultimately against God. David also makes the claim that we are broken as we are even born in iniquity. God knows the “truth in the inward being”. We cannot hide our sin from God even if we try to from others—something we, as servants of an almighty God, ought to heed. David did not deceive himself about his sin and its consequences. 

The illustration of David’s deep sense of remorse and the personal responsibility he assumes for it is equally valuable corporately for a church that has forgotten how and why we must seek forgiveness. Psalm 51:10-11 memorably affirms God’s ability to cleanse that which we’ve stained and the desire we have to be in God’s presence—a reflection of God’s desire to be present with us. Psalm 51:12 could not state the outcome of forgiveness more precisely—with forgiveness comes joy! Joy should always follow repentance, not despondency or self-effacing shame, for we can live in the presence of God. 

David continues with a vow that he will teach other sinners the ways of God. David will teach them of God’s mercy, kindness and willingness to forgive. David will share his own experiences and bring God’s redemption to others. The action of repentance can also be a witness to those around us as joy is restored. David can once more praise God in song, word, and deed. Personal repentance can have an effect on our community.

Ash Wednesday is a day of fasting, returning to that ancient tradition of focusing on the Lord alone. If we wish to come into the presence of God, the entry point for the forty days of Lent is repentance. We are but dust and must humble ourselves before God, but He will lift us up with restoration and joy.

II Corinthians 5:16-6:10. The giving of the Torah has as its objective the restoration of the Jewish people to holiness through repentance and righteous living. Israel is often accused of being sinful. This is true and is the reason why God sought to bring reconciliation between Himself and the people He created. The Torah—the instruction and guidance of God—provides a practical means of repentance so that Israel might restore their relationship with God. He desires this relationship and the reason He brought Israel out of Egypt in the first place in order that “I will dwell among the people of Israel and will be their God.” Leviticus 19:2 says, “You shall be holy, for I the Lord your God am holy.” Holiness includes both ethical righteousness and ritual purity, that is, doing those things that set Israel apart—sanctified them—from the pagan nations and gave them a separate identity and an unavoidable witness.

Scripture often speaks of new things that are happening and then immediately speaks of a topic or theme that is directly analogous to God’s earlier instructions and actions or calls us to obey God in a similar way to how God had previously called us to follow His instructions. Paul, once again, speaks of something new: Reconciliation with God. As it turns out, Israel isn’t the only one who is sinful. Once again God provides a means of restoration in a holy relationship with God, but this time it is directly through the Messiah—the one who gave the Torah. 

With the coming of the New Covenant, that restoration of holy relationship with God is made possible through the work of the Messiah. As Paul describes the reconciling work of Jesus in II Corinthians 5:16-19 he challenges his reader in verse 20, “...be reconciled to God.” This biblical principle is essential to the purpose of Lent. Romans 3:24-25 reminds us that the doorway to reconciliation with God is the propitiation offered to us through the work of Christ. 

And what grace is received when Jesus reconciles us with God. When we repent from our sins, the relationship with God is restored and we can dwell with Him and He with us. As His servants we can endure hardship, live with the fruit of the Spirit, and rejoice. If we live with God, we can give everything that we have in service and still be rich beyond measure.

Matthew 6:1-6, 16-21. Moralizing is not the same as being moral. In today’s world of media, it’s easy to disguise an action as being kind, generous, and good without actually serving anyone. We can present our motives as “I want to encourage others to be moral,” with “just like me” being left unsaid but flouted.. This is not a new issue—people have been trying to show their righteousness, rather than actually being righteous, for millennia. The problem isn’t the platform or medium; it’s the condition of the heart.

In Matthew 6, Jesus speaks directly to His disciples, who were raised in the teachings of the Torah. After the exile, obedience to God in charity, prayer, and fasting were recognized as incredibly important for our living. The prophets often connected Israel’s failure to a lack of charity. Through the examples of Moses, Hannah, and Daniel, prayer was seen as the primary way to turn to God for mercy—including repentance of sins leaving to atonement. And fasting in humility became more and more important, as seen from Esther, Ezra, and even the early Church. 

Jesus’ disciples were not only called to continue these practices but to take on even greater responsibility, leading the church and writing Scripture under the guidance of the Holy Spirit. In this position, they could either be humbled by God or become proud in their righteousness. This is where Jesus’ warning becomes crucial.

Jesus cautions His disciples to avoid performing righteous acts for public recognition. Just as sin cannot be hidden from God, neither can righteousness. "Your Father who sees in secret will reward you." If we do these acts to be seen by others, the praise we receive from them will be our only reward.

While there are many passages that emphasize the communal nature of prayer, we must remember that prayer is ultimately a conversation with God, aligning our hearts with His will—“Your will be done.” Too often, we find ourselves “praying” in a way that’s meant more for the people around us than for God. 

Fasting is not about trying to persuade God to grant us His favor through asceticism, but about drawing near to Him in humility and repentance. Jesus makes this point clear—pride in fasting defeats the purpose of the fast. But even as we practice these things in humility, we must also recognize their communal nature. Fasting, prayer, and giving to the needy are inherently connected to serving others. A fast without care for others is incomplete; prayer in community is essential for disciples of Jesus. Giving to those in need will inevitably be seen, but it is done not for personal gain but out of a love for others.

God doesn’t warn us to beware of practicing righteousness. He tells us that we can only serve one master: God or money. We get to choose who we serve and how we will receive our reward. And, even though it isn’t a ritualistic formula, our “Father who sees in secret will reward you.”

Hebraic Perspective. This is תשובה (teshuva, repentance), turning to God with all our heart, soul, and might and worshipping God alone: not just in song, though we must give Him praise and thanksgiving; not just in theology and doctrine, although we must teach transgressors the way of God; and not just in traditions, although we follow in the footsteps of Jesus and the apostles. We praise God for His incredible gifts and freely offer our thanksgiving to Him by generously sharing what we have. We know that we are sinners against God in word and deed, in what we do and what we do not do. But we must turn from our own ways and throw ourselves before God in humility and repentance. We are called to be the disciples of Jesus and follow His example. He fed the hungry, clothed the naked, showed mercy to the stranger, and visited the sick. He died for His enemies.

Endnotes

1. This is echoed in I Kings 19:8 when Elijah journeyed forty days and nights to Horeb (Mount Sinai) to hear from the LORD.
2. I Samuel 7:3-11
3. II Chronicles 20:1-17
4. I Kings 21
5. Jeremiah 36:9-31
6. For additional studies on fasting in the time of the Church Fathers, see Eusebius’ Church History 5.24-11-18; Tertullian On Fasting 3; and Tertullian On Repentance 9-11
7. Leviticus 16:29-34, 23:26-32
8. Joel speaks of several enemies of Judah, including Tyre, Sidon, Philistia, and Egypt. However, the unnamed and vast army spoken of in Joel 2 is from the north—possibly Assyria. With the named enemies and the unnamed enemy from the north, many scholars date the prophet to the end of the 9th century or beginning of the 8th century.
9. Joel speaks of elders, children, nursing mothers, and brides all fasting along with the priests and ministers before the LORD. Both Jewish and Christian tradition recognize that God is a God of life and if a fast would threaten the health of someone to bring them (or their dependents) towards death then fasting is strictly prohibited.