Return to the Homepage Home
 Worship Schedules, Education, Fellowship, Outreach Worship & Service
 Sermon Archive Sermons
 A copy of the Sunday Prayers of Intercession Prayers
 Pastor Lynne's monthly newsletter Pastor's Page
 Articles and tidbits from the monthly newsletter Newsletter
 This month's events as well as the monthly calendar Current Events
 Read the Sunday School News Letter! Sunday School News
 Events for grades 7 to 12 Youth
 Other websites of interest Links
  
 Login to Administer this site Admin Login

St. Luke's Zion Lutheran Church
2903 McPhillips Street
Winnipeg, Manitoba
CANADA R2P 0H3
http://www.stlukeszion.ca

Phone: (204) 339-0412
Fax: (204) 339-0412
E-mail: stlukeszionchurch@gmail.com
site design by clayton rumley

 

Ash Wednesday
Wednesday, February 18th, 2015

click here for past entries

Loving God, you call us this day to see ourselves as we really are – undeserving of your mercy yet saved and forgiven.  As we humble ourselves before you this day, help us to also experience your touch that lifts us up; through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

    When I was younger, I remember being not too terribly impressed with Ash Wednesday.  I really didn’t understand why anybody would want somebody to put ashes on their forehead, and make the sign of the cross, and say, “Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return.”  It seemed rather morbid, and a bit of a downer.  So if I was given an option, I usually didn’t go forward to receive the ashes.

    This year, however, it strikes me that Ash Wednesday is really all about acknowledging the truth.  All of us are going to die – nobody gets out alive!  At the same time, ultimately, we belong to God.  It is God who has the power to give life and to take it away.  It is God who created us and formed us in the womb, and it is God who will receive us when we die.  And so, there is a certain humility that is involved on Ash Wednesday – the kind of humility that acknowledges that we are sinners in need of God’s forgiveness, and the kind of humility that acknowledges that our lives are in the hands of God.

    As it turns out, this is exactly the kind of humility that the disciples are lacking in the gospel that we heard today.  You see, in spite of the fact that Jesus has been talking about the suffering and death that await him, and in spite of the fact that he has been teaching them about taking up their crosses and denying themselves and following him, they still don’t get it.  Instead, they’re concerned about things like who gets to sit on Jesus’ right hand and on his left, and who will be the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.  They are concerned about status - and mainly about their own.

    And so Jesus tries to teach them once again that in the kingdom of heaven, things are different.  He calls a child over and says to them, “Unless you change and become like this child, you will never even enter the kingdom of heaven.”  “Whoever becomes humble like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven” (Mt. 18:4).

    It is important for us to know that children in that culture had no status and were totally dependant on others for their well-being.  That’s why widows and orphans were so desperate, and in stories like the feeding of the 5000 we hear that those who were fed were about 5000 men, “besides women and children” (Mt. 14:21).  The men were the ones with the status.  However, Jesus identifies himself with the ones who are lowly when he says that “whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me” (Mt. 18:5).

    And so, do you want to know what it takes to be great in God’s estimation?  Humble yourself, identify with the lowly ones, and know in your heart that you are totally dependant on God.  That sounds a lot like Ash Wednesday.

    But what about all of those stumbling blocks and the little ones and the violent images?  Should this part of the gospel be rated “R” for violence?  My suggestion would be that perhaps it should be rated “H” instead for hyperbole.  If you have ever seen a millstone from first century Palestine, you will know that they are absolutely huge.  It would take several people simply to lift it - let alone attach it to somebody and throw it into the sea.  If one were actually inclined to drown somebody in this manner, a much smaller stone would suffice.

    Jesus is purposely using a ridiculous image in order to get people’s attention.  The same goes for cutting off your hand or your foot or tearing out your eye.  He wants the disciples to know how serious it is to cause others to stumble or to lose their faith.  In this case, the little ones are not necessarily children.  Rather, they are those without status or power who are part of the community of faith.  And so, to scandalize them - to make them stumble - is a grave offense.  Instead, little ones are to be embraced and supported in the faith.

    The other thing to recognize in this gospel is that, in relation to God, we also are little ones.  We have no power or status before God - at least, not on our own merit.  Yet, we have the privilege of standing before God as beloved children because of our faith in Jesus Christ.  Today, we recognize this gift of grace, even as we acknowledge our sinfulness and our total dependance on God for the breath of life.  We recognize the lowliness of our status in the presence of God, as well as the gift of forgiveness and salvation through Jesus Christ that lifts us up.  Thanks be to God!  Amen.

Ash Wednesday (NL 1)                            Matthew 18:1-9
February 18, 2015
Abundant Life Lutheran Church
Pastor Lynne Hutchison

© 2015 Lynne Hutchison  All Rights Reserved


Previous Sermons
March 2024
February 2024
January 2024
December 2023
November 2023
October 2023
September 2023
August 2023
July 2023
June 2023
May 2023
April 2023
March 2023
February 2023
January 2023
December 2022
November 2022
October 2022
September 2022
August 2022
July 2022
June 2022
May 2022
April 2022
March 2022
February 2022
January 2022
December 2021
November 2021
October 2021
September 2021
August 2021
July 2021
June 2021
May 2021
April 2021
March 2021
February 2021
January 2021
December 2020
November 2020
October 2020
September 2020
August 2020
July 2020
June 2020
May 2020
April 2020
March 2020
February 2020
January 2020
December 2019
November 2019
October 2019
September 2019
May 2019
April 2019
March 2019
February 2019
January 2019
December 2018
November 2018
October 2018
September 2018
August 2018
July 2018
June 2018
May 2018
April 2018
March 2018
February 2018
January 2018
December 2017
November 2017
October 2017
September 2017
August 2017
July 2017
June 2017
May 2017
April 2017
March 2017
February 2017
January 2017
December 2016
November 2016
October 2016
September 2016
August 2016
July 2016
June 2016
May 2016
April 2016
March 2016
February 2016
January 2016
December 2015
November 2015
October 2015
September 2015
August 2015
July 2015
June 2015
May 2015
April 2015
March 2015
February 2015
January 2015
December 2014
November 2014
October 2014
September 2014
August 2014
July 2014
June 2014
May 2014
April 2014
March 2014
February 2014
January 2014
December 2013
November 2013
October 2013
September 2013
August 2013
July 2013
June 2013
May 2013
April 2013
March 2013
February 2013
January 2013
December 2012
November 2012
October 2012
September 2012
April 2012
March 2012
February 2012
January 2012
December 2011
November 2011
October 2011
September 2011
August 2011
July 2011
June 2011
May 2011
April 2011
March 2011
February 2011
January 2011
December 2010
November 2010
October 2010
September 2010
August 2010
July 2010
June 2010
May 2010
April 2010
March 2010
February 2010
January 2010
December 2009
November 2009
October 2009
September 2009
August 2009
July 2009
June 2009
May 2009
April 2009
March 2009
February 2009
January 2009
December 2008
November 2008
October 2008
September 2008
August 2008
July 2008
June 2008
May 2008
April 2008
March 2008
February 2008
January 2008
December 2007
November 2007
October 2007
September 2007
August 2007
July 2007
June 2007
May 2007
April 2007
March 2007
February 2007
January 2007
November 2006
October 2006
September 2006
August 2006
July 2006
June 2006
May 2006
April 2006
March 2006
February 2006
January 2006
December 2005
November 2005
October 2005
September 2005
August 2005
July 2005
June 2005
May 2005
March 2005
February 2005
January 2005
December 2004
November 2004
October 2004
September 2004
August 2004
July 2004
June 2004
May 2004
March 2004
February 2004
January 2004
December 2003
January 2003
March 0201