Lenten Disciplines
Discipline is sort of an ugly word in our context. It has the connotation of punishment, or strictness. Maybe you think of a mean old school teacher who runs a tight ship in the classroom. Or maybe we think of the military as imposing discipline in new trainees, marching in step and keeping their uniforms flawless. You make like a little discipline. But who wants to be disciplined?
But discipline is a good thing for the Christian to practice. Self-discipline, as St. Paul taught it, for example, is not letting sin have mastery over you, but fighting it. Pressing on, like an athlete who disciplines himself for the race set before him. Christians are indeed, also like soldiers who must be disciplined for the fight we face – for the enemies rage about us.
And Lent is a good time to engage in such disciplines. It's no accident that our reading for Ash Wednesday, from the Sermon on the Mount, has Jesus teaching us about some particular Christian disciplines – fasting, praying, and giving. Surely, these are appropriate at any time for the people of God. But let's take a closer look as we begin the 40 day journey to the cross. This evening – let us consider Matthew 6 and “Lenten Disciplines”.
Jesus calls these disciplines, in general, “practicing your righteousness”. We do these things because we are righteous, not to earn righteousness. And we are righteous only by grace through faith in him. Nevertheless that faith produces works, and the word instructs us many things about how to do it all. We might call it the “third use of the law”. We might call it spiritual discipline. Or the good habits of faith. Or practicing righteousness. It flows from faith, and is instructed by Christ. Here, today, are three examples: giving, praying, and fasting.
Giving
The first spiritual discipline Christ teaches here is that of giving. And while he especially mentions giving to the poor and needy, we could expand the principle to include all the good causes a Christian endeavors to support with our giving. And such giving is a discipline.
We are taught by Scripture to give. We are taught to give in grateful response to the gifts we've been given, especially in Christ. We are taught principles of giving. For instance we are to give sacrificially, proportionately, joyfully, and of our first-fruits. And we are warned of the dangers of giving wrongly.
Many times Jesus encourages giving to the poor and needy, indeed teaching that in giving food or drink or clothing to even the least of these, we do it unto him.
Here, Jesus attacks the temptation to give in order to be seen. We are tempted to turn even the most righteous spiritual disciplines into an opportunity for self-serving, self-aggrandizing. Don't blow your own horn, Jesus warns. Do it in secret if you can, to avoid the temptation of doing it to be seen by men. And such discipline, anonymous giving, can help guard of from sin even in the practicing of our faith, and in the serving of others, and in our giving to God and our neighbor.
Praying
The next spiritual discipline he teaches is prayer. Of course the Christian prays. Scripture teaches us much about this activity of faith, the speaking to God in words and thoughts. The asking and thanking and confessing and adoring of God in our private and public prayers.
Here too, to avoid the temptation of doing it falsely, to be seen, he urges prayer be done in secret. Now, he's not telling us never to pray in public, or to pray with other Christians. Indeed, the very words of the “Our Father” indicate it is a corporate prayer – prayed by “us” to “our” Father.
The danger is in taking something good and holy – in this case prayer itself – and twisting it into a show, looking for glory, prattling on in order to impress others. If that's your temptation – then have some discipline, and control the temptation by making your prayers in private. For God will still see and hear, and answer according to his will. Thus, you are rewarded and not led into sin.
Neither is he critiquing the particular posture. Of course, we sometimes stand to pray out of respect. Sometimes we may kneel. But the point is, not to pray to be seen – no matter where or how – but rather as a deep expression of faith. Discipline yourself. Practice righteousness.
What is omitted from our text, but you surely well know, is the Lord's Prayer itself. Jesus says, “when you pray, pray then like this:” And gives us the model prayer. But more than a prayer to be repeated, the Lord's Prayer teaches us also about prayer – what to pray for – who God is, and what to expect from him. There is no better prayer to include in your Lenten discipline than that prayer he has given.
Fasting
The next one Jesus mentions if fasting. Fasting and Lent were almost synonymous in the church for many years. The 40 days of Lent are indeed patterned after Jesus' own 40 days of fasting following his baptism. Most Lutherans I know don't practice fasting much nowadays, but a common practice with the same idea is “giving something up for Lent”. It might be a kind of fasting, a self-chosen self-denial of one thing or another.
There isn't any command or mandate that Christians fast a certain way or from certain foods at certain times. There is great freedom for the Christian when it comes to our personal practice of piety. Paul makes it clear that each Christian's spiritual discipline is his own: (from Romans 14)
One person esteems one day as better than another, while another esteems all days alike. Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind. The one who observes the day, observes it in honor of the Lord. The one who eats, eats in honor of the Lord, since he gives thanks to God, while the one who abstains, abstains in honor of the Lord and gives thanks to God.
Take note, however, like the practices of giving and prayer, Jesus does assume his people will fast. He says, “when you fast...” not, “if you fast”. For the Christian who sets his mind on things above, and not on things of this earth, it seems only natural to have times of discipline that follow the pattern of our Lord and exert discipline in our lives. Fasting is a time-honored way for us to discipline ourselves in the faith.
He tells us not to fast in order to be seen by men, like the hypocrites do. This, too, is not an exercise in puffing oneself up, “hey everyone look at me”. Nor is it to earn merit or favor from God, however, at least not as some have tried to teach it. The reward that Jesus speaks of for fasting is not unto salvation. But it is the reward that discipline offers – deeper faith, better appreciation, a more grateful heart.
It can also bring us to greater joy in the gifts of God when the fast ends.
Take the example of a practice we have here at Messiah:
The church also“fasts” from its Alelluias during the Lenten season, only to welcome them back with joy on Easter.
Laying Up Treasures
And finally, what's this talk about laying up treasures? The contrast is clear. The things of earth are temporary and fleeting. They are treasures that cannot last. They are destroyed by moth and rust as time ravages on. They are stolen by thieves, or lost in some other way. You can't take it with you, they say, but many times you can't even keep it here. Food goes bad. Money slips away. Fame before men is fickle and fades. Even you, yourself are dust, and to dust you shall return.
Impermanence is just one reason Jesus directs our hearts away from the things below, to the things above. The things that last. The things of heaven. And so Christian disciplines like giving and prayer and fasting all serve this same end. To turn our eyes from below – to above.
To point us away from this earth which is passing away, and to turn our hearts toward Jesus – who will never die. To tune our ears to his promises, which will never be broken. To remind us of the hope of glory, where nothing fades but the righteous shine like stars forever.
Where your treasure is, there you heart will be also. Our treasures, Christians are not the things of this world which is passing away. Our treasures are things like: the Word of the Lord which endures forever. The resurrection of Christ, over whom death has no more dominion. The sacraments – by which Christ uses earthly things to do heavenly things. Common things, to bring heavenly treasures. And the Gospel itself, by which we are saved and through which the Spirit works to call and gather, to enlighten and sanctify. You have a treasure trove, a great hoard of heavenly goodies that moth or rust cannot destroy, that no thief can steal away. So set your heart here, on these, by faith. And discipline that faith all the more, practice your righteousness, this Ash Wednesday, this Lenten Season and always.
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