March 17 - Have Mercy on Me a Sinner

Luke 18:9-14

Several weeks ago we celebrated Ash Wednesday as the beginning of the Lenten season.  Using ashes is a sign of repentance mentioned several times in the bible (Job 42:5 and Matthew 11:21 are examples).  I found the following information on Ash Wednesday in a post by the ELCA entitled “Why and how do we use ashes on Ash Wednesday?”.

Ashes symbolize several aspects of our human existence:

·         Ashes remind us of God's condemnation of sin, as God said to Adam, "Dust you are and to dust you shall return" (Genesis 3:19).   

·          Ashes suggest cleansing and renewal. They were used anciently in the absence of soap. Even on Ash Wednesday, this most penitential day, we receive ashes in the form of the cross, the same symbol placed on our bodies with water in our baptism. Even in this ashen mark of death, we anticipate the new life of Easter.   

·         Ashes remind us of the shortness of human life, for it is said as we are buried into the ground or as ashes are placed in a columbarium (see “What are columbaria and memorial gardens?”). "We commit this body to the ground; earth to earth, ashes to ashes, dust to dust” (Evangelical Lutheran Worship, p. 284).  

·         Ashes are a symbol of our need to repent, confess our sins, and return to God.

So why the reference to Ash Wednesday over half way through Lent?  Because today’s reading reminds us of the need for true repentance and humility.  Jesus uses the contrast between the Pharisee and the tax collector to illustrate this truth.  While Ash Wednesday and the Lenten season are not mandates from scripture, they serve us well in reminding us to examine ourselves on our journey towards Easter. 

I like our use of 1 John 1:8-10 during our confession on Sunday mornings:  ⁸ If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. “⁹ If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. ¹⁰ If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word is not in us.”  These words from John seem to provide a summary of what Jesus was teaching in today’s reading.

Lord, please help us to think about our need for true repentance and the humility of the tax collector.  Help us to use this Lenten season to create this habit so that we can carry it forward in our daily walk with you.  Amen