16 Moreover when ye fast, be not, as the hypocrites, of
a sad countenance: for they disfigure their faces, that they may appear unto
men to fast. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward. 17 But thou, when thou
fastest, anoint thine head, and wash thy face; 18 That thou appear not unto men to fast, but unto thy
Father which is in secret: and thy Father, which seeth in secret, shall reward
thee openly (Matt
6:16-18)
The
Eighth Sunday after Trinity.
The
Collect.
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O
|
GOD, whose
never-failing providence ordereth all things both in heaven and earth; We
humbly beseech thee to put away from us all hurtful things, and to give us
those things which are profitable for us; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
This Parable of the Pharisee and the Publican reveals God’s thoughts on
inordinate pride and worldly success as a measure of godliness. It also dispels
the notion that a person of position in the church is somehow more righteous
than the lowliest vagrant who comes in from the street to receive Christ as
Lord and Savior. In fact, a person of high position in the church may be just
as dead as a door nail while those of low esteem may be regarded with great
love and dignity by God the Father.
HOW MUST WE FAST?
Fasting is a subject that has been controversial in its practice and expression
in times past. If long held beliefs, anchored in tradition, conflict with
the clear word of God, which course should we take? I hope no reader of this
devotion would opt for tradition over scripture lest you find yourselves in the
same clan as the man of great error, the Roman Pontiff. Where God’s Word is
clearly and emphatically asserted, we must conform thereto. Our Lord very
clearly articulates both the practice and attitude that we must take in
fasting. Admittedly, a number of errors have grown up over time that seem to
have the warrant of propriety due to the prominence they have been given and
the long history of their practice; however, just because an error has been
long established does not reduce its offense in the eyes of God. We have long
practiced the process of applying ashes to our faces on Ash Wednesday, but does
that practice meet with the clear instruction our Lord gives in Matthew
6:16-18? Do those small dabs of ash on our foreheads reveal to the world
that we are in a mourning and fasting condition? Is it not a means of showing
others that we are righteous to fast?
16 Moreover when ye fast, be not, as the
hypocrites, of a sad countenance: for they disfigure their faces, that they may
appear unto men to fast. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward Does the application of a tiny patch of ash on
the forehead not ¡®disfigure’ our faces for the purpose of ¡°showing¡± others
that we are observing the fast. It is my belief that the spirit of our Lord’s
teaching tells us that it is better that no man knows that we fast, especially
from some outward sign thereof (they
disfigure their faces, that they may appear unto men to fast. Verily I say unto
you, They have their reward)
I do not say that ashes are wrong in fasting, but if we are going to follow in
the Old Testament tradition, let’s do as others such as the King of Nineveh and
his people did when he and his people repented of their sins. What did that
king do? So the people of Nineveh believed God, and proclaimed a fast,
and put on sackcloth, from the greatest of them even to the least of
them. For word came unto the king of Nineveh, and he arose from his throne,
and he laid his robe from him, and covered him with sackcloth,
and sat in ashes. (Jonah 3:5-6) If a tiny dot of ash on the
forehead is pleasing to God, I want to do as the King and people of Nineveh did
and sit me down in an abundance of ash to please Him. But, in actuality,
Jesus does not require that outward form. It is not a sacrament required. But
if the positing of a dot of ash is NOT tradition only, but biblical, could some
reader point out the scriptural passage to me that requires the dot?
17 But thou, when thou
fastest, anoint thine head, and wash thy face; It was a custom in olden days, before we had Wildroot
Cream Oil, to anoint ones head instead with oil to improve appearance. It was
also a custom to wash one’s face to be presentable in pleasant company.
Anointing of one’s head was not a sign of sorrow or fasting, but often of
happiness. But wait! If we wash our face BEFORE fasting, might that not remove
that little dot of ash on the forehead? If we wash that spot off, we may no
longer appear as if we have just been shot in the forehead by a 38 caliber
pistol. We couldn’t have THAT could we? We would never be accepted at Oxford,
or even Rome, without the tiny dot now would we? Do you see the absurdity and
silliness of the dot? If it adds some dimension of spirituality to your soul to
bear the dot, by all means, do not let me discourage you. But at least give
some heed to the words of Christ regarding the efficacy of the practice.
Perhaps a better place for the trace of ash would be at some point where the
eyes of man could not see â€" perhaps in the hidden chambers of the heart.
I will ask the question that is begging here: Why wash the face before fasting?
How readest thou? 18 That
thou appear not unto men to fast, but unto thy Father which is in secret: and
thy Father, which seeth in secret, shall reward thee openly Do we need to boast of our giving of alms¡¦..of
our fasting¡¦.of our persistent prayers? To whom do we give alms â€" to
man or God? To whom do we offer our prayers â€" to man or God? For whom do
we fast in Lent â€" for man or Christ? If we do these things for men, we
should show men that we do them; but if for God, we should leave it a matter
between Him and us. The only exception is communal worship in which we offer
our prayers and alms in unison. God sees every secret thing of our hearts. He
even knows our petitions in prayer before we offer them. Are we fearful
that God will not know that we fast? Must we place a dot on our foreheads to
herald the fact to Him lest He miss the point? Did our Reformation martyrs die
in vain? Archbishop Thomas Cranmer, along with consent of the king’s council,
abolished the use of ashes in 1547. (Letters of Cranmer, CCLXXXI TO BONAR) The
boys of the Oxford Movement, in an attempt to draw near to the POPE,
re-established the practice in ANGLICAN churches to the disregard of the gains
of the Reformation, and in many other areas as well.
I realize the application of ashes is important to many, and a perceived
spiritual benefit may be felt when performed. But would it not be better if we
were able to get an even greater spiritual blessing that could remain hidden to
man even if more open to God? Just thinking.
