Sermon, Ash Wednesday 9th March 2011
In the name of God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Amen.
At the beginning of the service book that we are using today is a description of why we have gathered together to mark Ash Wednesday. It speaks of ideas that may seem to have somehow gone out of fashion in today’s world. It speaks of penitence, of repentance, prayer, fasting, self-examination and self-denial. These are not really words that people tend to feel comfortable using today. Indeed many people would rather run a mile in the opposite direction than take part in something which may make them face up to their own limitations and mortality. Yet in this season of Lent, which begins today, we are called upon to observe these practices in order to aid us in our faith and devotion to Christ.
In our reading from John’s gospel we hear of the account of when Jesus was in the temple courts and a woman accused of adultery was brought in. I’m sure it’s a story we have all heard before. The penalty according to the Law of Moses for adultery was to be stoned to death (and from time to time we do hear of such situations even today where women in other countries face similar horrific penalties). The Pharisee’s brought this woman in and said to Jesus “Teacher, this woman was caught in the act of adultery. In the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now what do you say?” Jesus could quite easily have agreed with them, as what they said regarding the law was indeed quite correct. This woman had transgressed the law, and now must pay the penalty,
Yet in his response Jesus did not choose to argue the finer points of the law with the woman’s accusers. And neither did he try to defend her actions. Instead he bends down and starts writing on the ground. We are not told what he writes, but as he does so the questions regarding the woman keep coming at him from the Pharisees. Always eager to stick to the very letter of the law and ready to catch out anybody they suspected of breaking it. They were not going to let Jesus off this one.......they wanted an answer. If he simply let her go they would use that as the basis for accusing Jesus of having no regard for the law. On the other hand, if Jesus agreed with them and took their side it would go against everything he had stood for so far in his ministry, where he stands up for those who are on the margins, and shows compassion for those who are often looked down upon.
Instead, Jesus simply stands, looks them straight in the face and says, “If any of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone at her”. In a way he was giving them permission to do exactly as they wanted, and stone the woman, but first he made them look into themselves and examine their own thoughts, attitudes and behaviour. As we see, the ones accusing her melt away, leaving Jesus (the only one to be actually without sin) standing by her side, offering his compassion rather than condemnation, as he says “Go now and leave your life of sin”.
It is interesting that as well as using this occasion as an opportunity to show compassion to the woman, he also uses it as a chance to get her accusers to examine their own underlying motives behind what they do.....and when they did so honestly, none of them stayed around much longer. When confronted with the sin in their own lives, their eagerness to point their fingers and condemn others seems to vanish pretty quickly.
I wonder what people outside the church make of Lent. There is often a general sense that it is about “giving things up”. It’s not perhaps too different from when people make often well-meaning New Year resolutions a few months earlier. Full of good intentions to somehow make a positive difference to their lives. Yet often the momentum seems difficult to keep going. If you were to mention the words spoken of earlier; of penitence, repentance, prayer, fasting, self-examination or self-denial I suspect you would probably be greeted with a blank look and maybe a few embarrassed, mumbled words about religion, but that’s about it. Yet it is in observing these things that we are able to come closer to what Lent is all about.
Lent is a time of preparation. Five weeks that hopefully take us on a journey of discovery about ourselves and our relationship with God as we slowly move towards the events of Holy Week. It is an opportunity to deepen our commitment to the one with whom we make that journey. As we are reminded in our reading from Paul’s Second letter to the Corinthians, we are able to be reconciled to God because, “God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.”[1] In a few minutes we shall recite together The Liturgy of Penitence where we will bring to mind not only our own sin, but also the unfailing love and mercy of God.
As each of us receive the Imposition of Ashes today let us remember that though we may have come from dust, and shall return to dust, the words of the liturgy remind us not simply of our own human failings, but of how our spirits can be renewed through his power and grace. And, at this time of renewal may each of us be like the woman who received grace instead of condemnation, as Jesus says to each of us “Neither do I condemn you. Go now and leave your life of sin.”
AMEN
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