Matthew 6:1-6, 16-21

[Jesus said:] “Be careful not to practice your righteousness in front of others to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven. 2“So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. 3But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, 4so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. 5“And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. 6 But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.

Fasting & Treasures in Heaven

16“When you fast, do not look somber as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show others they are fasting. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. 17But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, 18so that it will not be obvious to others that you are fasting, but only to your Father, who is unseen; and your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. 19“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. 20But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

Today is Ash Wednesday, a day we begin our pilgrimage to the cross of Christ. Together, we remember the suffering, death and resurrection of Christ. Today is a day of repentance. What should we consider as we consider seeking God's forgiveness, grace and mercy? The reading assigned for the day is interesting. Christ, when he speaks in righteous anger, usually reserves it for the religious leaders of the day.

Why do we do what we do as people of faith? Christ speaks of doing actions of faith because it is the right thing to do. We do it out of response to the grace we've been given. Gone is the tithe, the command to give of your first fruits, and now we give because God first loved us and gave us a full offering of His Son. We do what we do not to be shining stars, to get the hall named after us or to be seen putting our star on the sidewalk, we do it quietly and privately. We don't do what we do to create fame on earth. We do it as a response.

That Christ felt the need to address it tells us to beware of our own motives. Put a check on our own egos. We pray that over Lent, if we sacrifice an activity, a food, or an object, we do it to put our focus on Christ and for no other reason. Not to brag, boast, or even tell, but rather, we do what we do to focus on Christ. Pray that we seek Christ and Him crucified over the next six weeks.