On a day that is observed as a day of repentance, a day of humility, and a day of remembrance, we often treat it as a “start” to our goals. Ash Wednesday signifies the beginning of our Lenten journey as we strive to complete the challenge of going 46 days without *insert what you gave up for Lent here*. Today is the first day without social media. Today is the first day without sweets. Today is the first day without beer. Whatever it may be, we have turned Lent into this season where we get to better ourselves and Ash Wednesday is the starting line. It becomes about us.
Here’s the kicker. It actually is about you, but in a dramatically different way. When I was in college, every weekday chapel service I sat in the right pew, about two-thirds of the way up with my best friends. I remember one specific Ash Wednesday service when my pastor proclaimed God’s Word about the ashes, and I’d like to share them with you today. It changed the way that I look at Ash Wednesday and the dusty cross that is placed upon my forehead. Three things about what the ashes do for us:
Ashes humble us. Ashes remind us. Ashes mark us.
Ashes are a sign of humble repentance. In Job 42:6 in Job’s confession and repentance, he says before the Lord, “I despise myself and repent in dust and ashes.” In Daniel 9:3, as Daniel prays for his people he says, “I turned my face to the Lord God, seeking him by prayer and pleas for mercy with fasting and sackcloth and ashes.” And in Jonah 3, after receiving the prophecy that Nineveh would be destroyed, the king “arose from his throne, removed his robe, covered himself with sackcloth, and sat in ashes (v. 6)” as he called the entire city to repentance. These ashes humble us as we are merely sinners that are in desperate need of salvation. They demonstrate man’s plea that the Lord would purify our hearts, creating in us new hearts! They are a tangible sign of our failure to love, serve, and praise God, no matter what we gave up for Lent in “sacrifice” for Him. We are sinners. And we are dead in in that sin.
Ashes also remind us of our mortality because of sin. In Genesis 3, God is sitting down the serpent, Adam, and Eve after the deception and eating of fruit, handing out the punishments. He says to Adam, “By the sweat of your face you shall eat bread, till you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken; for you are dust, and to dust you shall return” (v. 19). Because of sin, you will die. For you are just dust. Just dust. Ashes remind us that apart from Jesus there is nothing special about us. Ashes remind us that the prices for sin is death, no matter how much “good” that we do, or we think we do.
Lastly, ashes mark us. They mark us as one redeemed by Christ the crucified. In our baptisms, we receive the sign of the cross on our foreheads, and on our hearts to mark us. On Ash Wednesday we receive the same cross, but in dust not water. It marks us children of God and that though we are merely dust, Christ Jesus shed his body and blood for the forgiveness of our sins. So that when we return to the ground, we will soon be resurrected with Christ and given new bodies. God has taken the ashes of our past and given us new life in his son, Jesus Christ. This is why the call during Lent is to “return to (the Lord) with all your heart” (Joel 2:12).
So, if you go to church today or tonight, receive the ashes. If you aren’t going to church tonight, remind the people in your household that they too are redeemed by Christ. Even make the sign of the cross on their forehead. You can give up all the sweets, all the social media, all the television that you want. God doesn’t need it. He’s already made the ultimate sacrifice this Lenten season for you.
Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. Return to him, and him alone.
Rev. Tyler Cronkright 