By Susan Schaefer
Lectionary reading for March 5, 2025: Joel 2:1-2, 12-17; Psalm 51:1-17; 2 Corinthians 5:20b-6:10; Matthew 6:1-6, 16-21
Selected passage for reflection: Matthew 6:1-6, 16-21
Read
Matthew 6:1-6, 16-21
“Beware of practicing your piety before others in order to be seen by them, for then you have no reward from your Father in heaven.
So whenever you give alms, do not sound a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, so that they may be praised by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward. But when you give alms, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing so that your alms may be done in secret, and your Father who sees in secret will reward you.
But whenever you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, so that they may be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward.
And whenever you fast, do not look somber, like the hypocrites, for they mark their faces to show others that they are fasting. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward. But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, so that your fasting may be seen not by others but by your Father who is in secret, and your Father who sees in secret will reward you.
Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust consume and where thieves break in and steal, but store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust consumes and where thieves do not break in and steal.
For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”
Reflect
I never truly appreciated Ash Wednesday until I experienced Mardi Gras in New Orleans. If Mardi Gras is about sin and celebration, Ash Wednesday is about repentance and reflection. Speaking from personal experience, I can testify that I longed for Ash Wednesday after six weeks of excessive celebration.
Ash Wednesday is the doorway into Lent. It begins with repentance. When we repent on Ash Wednesday, we are, in the original language, changing direction: sometimes in the literal sense of changing actions; more often in the mental sense of changing our minds. We move from self-centeredness to God-consciousness. We follow Jesus and take on the mind of Christ.
The disciples followed Jesus up a mountain to listen to his teachings, what we call the Sermon on the Mount. They did not yet know who or what he was- a rabbi? a sage?
They were puzzled and perhaps a little distressed by what they heard. I can imagine their dialogue. “Are we really blessed when people revile and persecute us? Do we have to love our enemies? Do we have to give to everyone who begs from us? Jesus, we could never follow the Law the way you teach it. There’s no way we can be as perfect as our Father in heaven is. We are tired and confused. You have told us that we should let our light shine before others, so that they might see our good works. Now you are telling us to beware of piety?”
I’m as confused as the disciples probably were. When do I let my good works shine and when do I keep them anonymous?
The Oxford dictionary defines piety as “habitual reverence and obedience to God.” Good Christian behavior, right? So why beware?
Because the focus of the verse is on piety before others. We need not beware of piety, but of hypocrisy, which comes from a Greek word meaning “the acting of a theatrical part.” We should beware of acting like a Christian rather than being a Christian. We should fear our self-righteousness, not our righteousness.
I love Eugene Peterson’s use of theatrical imagery in his translation: “When you practice a discipline to better concentrate on God, don’t make a production out of it. It might turn you into a small-time celebrity, but it won’t make you a saint.” (Matthew 6:16-18, The Message)
Here’s a modern-day example of acting like, rather than being like Christians: During one Mardi Gras, I saw a church on the parade route with a big billboard that self-righteously declared that Christians should not celebrate Mardi Gras. The church’s members gathered just outside of their church wearing Sunday clothes and dour expressions, while praying for the sinners on the sidewalks. In contrast, I could imagine Jesus mingling joyfully (not sinfully) with the celebrating crowds, and turning to tell the praying Christians to “beware of practicing their piety before others.”
I’ll leave you with a question about hypocrisy using another Mardi Gras/Ash Wednesday example: On Mardi Gras day, the treasures on earth that people covet are plastic necklaces and doubloons. They are worth less than a dollar, and they aren’t good for the environment, but you would never know that on Fat Tuesday. On that day, it would not be unusual to see a male vice president of a local bank, dressed as an old woman with curlers in her hair, wearing a housecoat and slippers. He is holding a Dixie beer in one hand and waving madly with the other at the elaborately decorated floats driving by him, and shouting, “Trow me somethin’, mistah!” The next day, the same vice president would show up at his bank, sober, wearing his Brooks Brothers suit and tie, along with a mark of ashes in the shape of a cross on his forehead. He had been to mass that morning before work.
Is he being a hypocrite by wearing the mark on his face all throughout Ash Wednesday?
My answer: It depends.
Respond
Think about the Ash Wednesday practice of repentance. What are you doing or thinking that has you walking in the wrong direction? Consider confessing, asking for and accepting forgiveness, and thinking about what change you wish to make. Perhaps Lent would be a good time to make that change.
Think about how you express your faith to others. How might you “walk your talk?”
Rest
Gracious and Loving God, thank you for this Ash Wednesday. Be with me today as I reflect upon my life. Help me to turn away from any thing or any thought that is blinding me from awareness of Your presence, and from awareness of all that is true, noble, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent, or praiseworthy. May I be authentically me as I express my faith through the lens of Your love. Amen
About the Author
Susan Schaefer, DMin, is ordained by LaSalle Street Church and endorsed by the Federation of Christian Ministries to a Ministry of Philanthropy and Service. She and her son, Ash, find purpose and joy in researching and donating to non-profit organizations in the Chicago area that help those in need, and that work towards social justice. As of this writing, she is discerning which Lenten practice to choose that will be life-giving and will deepen her relationship with God.
This reflection is part of a series called Prayerful Reflections: A Daily Devotional for Lent 2025. Join us on the blog each day, for a new reflection from a different writer, or download the pdf of the entire devotional by clicking the button below.
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Thank you Susan. May we all be authentically ourselves as we walk our talk this Lenten season, showing others our faith in ways only we can do. 🙏🏼