ASH WEDNESDAY

Ash Wednesday 17th February 2010

→ Ash Wednesday is the first day of Lent.
→ It occurs 40 days before EASTER (46 days with Sundays)
Jesus → 40 days of fasting
Nation of Israel’s wandering in the wilderness → 40 years
Moses’ fasting on two occasions → 40 days and nights
Elijah’s journey to Horeb → 40days and 40 nights

NAME -
Ash Wednesday gets its name from the practice of placing ashes on the foreheads of believers or believing Christians as a sign of repentance.
The ashes used in this are gathered after Palm Crosses from the previous years’ Palm Sunday are burned.

RITUAL – (a very old tradition)
This ritual of putting the ashes on the foreheads of the believing Christians in the shape of a cross is performed by a priest, or pastor, or I some cases officiating layperson. This act or the ritual echoes the ancient eastern tradition of throwing ashes over one’s head to show their repentance before God. We cam see this at many places in the Bible, particularly in Old Testament. This ritual is very prominent in Roman Catholic Church, they treat it as a sacramental, and not as a sacrament, and it can be given to any Christian because it is a mark of repentance. Most of the other Christian Denominations observe the Ash Wednesday but this ritual is not observed so strictly, and in some cases not observed at all.

As the first day of Lent, Ash Wednesday is observed by fasting, abstinence from meat, or alcoholic drinks, smoking etc.
This observance is a very old tradition probably started in 5th or 6th century AD. This is a very old tradition and it marks the beginning of Lent days. In NT times also there were many traditions but Jesus Christ condemned only those traditions which came directly in conflict with the commandments of the Word of God. Like Jesus condemns the tradition when he said in Mt 15:3 “why do you break the commandment of God for the sake of your tradition?” [Tradition was – what you would have gained from me is given to God (qurban). By this they brake God’s command – ‘Honor your father and your mother’ and Whoever reviles father or mother must surely die.’]
Eastern Orthodox Churches does not in general observe Ash Wednesday.
In Republic of Ireland, Ash Wednesday is National No Smoking Day.

BIBLICAL SIGNIFICANCE
Ash Wednesday is a day of repentance and it marks the beginning of Lent. According to the Bible ashes were used in ancient times to express mourning. Dusting oneself with ashes was the penitent’s way of expressing sorrow for their sins and faults.

EXAMPLES: Job – Job 42:3-6
For cleansing -- Numbers 19:9 & 17
The king of Nineveh -- Jonah 3:6
Jesus gives this as an example of repentance -- Mt. 11:21 Lk 10:13
Requirement of Law for cleansing -- Heb 9:13
Being a mark of repentance and the beginning of Lent . . .

Today we just concentrate on the subject of REPENTANCE.

Repentance is the only way with which we can re-establish our relationship with God through faith in our Lord Jesus Christ.
To redeem us from the bondage of sin, God did every thing in Jesus Christ, few of them are:

i) God gave us instructions through his prophets, through the Law of Moses etc

ii) God prepared a perfect sacrificial lamb to be sacrificed for our sins.

iii) God accepted that sacrifice for our sins because it was a perfect sacrifice.

iv) God has given his righteousness to us.

v) God has prepared a place for us in heaven.

vi) God has given the Holy Spirit to us, who dwells in us to teach us, to guide us, to strengthen us, and so on . . .

vii) God has opened the door for us to become God’s children & the citizens of heaven.

Why Repentance?
BUT ALL THESE THINGS ARE POSSIBLE ONLY because of ONE THING -- REPENTANCE.
John the Baptist and Jesus Christ both started their ministries by calling to “REPENT”.
John said, “Repent, for the kingdom is near.” (Mt.3:2)
Jesus began to preach, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near.” (Mt 4:17)
And in Gospel of Mark states like this, “Repent and believe the good news!” (Mk 1:15)
Call to repent was the basic teaching in the message of salvation.

What is Repentance?
Repentance is not an achievement or success (if success is defined as an achievement of a goal.)
Rather it is a process which starts from the time of turning back.
The Greek word for repentance means turn around, or change of direction totally.
It is not a finished act but is a continuous process. As an explanation, consider this small illustration:
A healthy man → become sick → visit a doctor → starts following all his instructions regarding food and life style → may be a diabetic → after some time of good health started ignoring the instructions → got sick again very badly, on a death bed → recovers again but then takes a conscious decision to follow all the instructions of his Dr.
Because he experienced a death like situation, he took this conscious decision to follow the instructions, even after he faces trials and temptations to fall in the trap but again and again he over comes and consciously follow the instructions.
Analyzing our present situation → giving a serious thought to it → deciding to turn around → act accordingly → always be alert not to turn back again →

This is REPENTANCE.
→ Change one’s mind
→ Call for a change in a person’s attitude toward God that impacted one’s actions and life choices
→ It involve the idea of “turning” → from one way of thinking and living to a different way
→ Common external signs of repentance → prayers of remorse and confession and renouncing of sin

In the Bible we find a very good example of repentance:
The Parable of the Lost Son or the Prodigal Son. Luke 15:11-32

Analyze few facts of this Parable
Father divided his property → Indicates that the father responded to his younger son’s request and allowed him to make his own choice to go his own way.

When the son came to himself he realized that his sin was not only against his earthly father but in the deepest sense against heaven, that is, against God himself.
The prodigal repeats his prepared confession, but father cuts short before he finishes, showing that he has forgiven him, and shows his great love for him.
→ While the younger son represents tax collectors and sinners, the Older son represents the Pharisees. Both groups were listening to the parables, but the Pharisees were probably the primary intended audience of this parable (see verse 3).
→ The older brother protests that the welcome extended to the returning younger son in not fair, comparing the life with his father to years of servitude without celebration.
The picture offers a sharp contrast between → on one hand, the mercy and grace extended by the father (representing God the Father)
→ and, on the other hand self-righteous resentment (never disobeyed … yet you never gave me) of the older brother (exemplified by Pharisees)
Even after all these things older brother refuses to acknowledge the prodigal as his brother.
An affectionate appeal by the father, showing that he still loved the older son and wanted him to join in the celebration
By implication, Jesus is still inviting the Pharisees to repent and accept the good news.

Two → younger one is extrovert → loud → express his mind → own will → acts quickly sons → it’s easy to express his repentance → world will know
→ elder one is introvert → quite → don’t express his mind and will → slow to act
→ it’s difficult to express his repentance → difficult for the world to know it

Both the characters fond in each one of us → the areas in which we can speak, express, show → → it is easy to repent because every body know it can see.
But in the areas in which it is difficult for us to speak, express, show → it is difficult to repent because no body knows about so we can live in hypocrisy in those areas

This tradition of observing fast for 40 days is a good tradition, for new generation it may seem irrelevant but if you treat this, not as a religious practice, but as an opportunity to trained yourself in your spiritual life and battle. In any of the sports whether it is cricket, or foot-ball, badminton or athletics training camps used to be organized by the authorities.
So treat →
Lent → as a spiritual training camp,
Jesus → as a chief coach, master and Lord, and
Bible → as instruction manual

by Mr. Roneld V Kumar