Message: Ashes of Invitation / Matthew 6:1-6, 16-21

In the Bible, sin does not mean only wrong actions or illegal behaviour. Scripture uses several different words for sin, but what they all have in common is that they point to a state of being distant from God. It might sound a little abstract. Simply put, sin is when we fail to keep what truly matters at the centre of our lives.

Sometimes we forget what is most important in our lives. We lose gratitude for a meal that nourishes us. We overlook the gift of clean water and fresh air. We fail to notice the people who care for us and walk alongside us. We forget the gift of a home where we can rest and recover. Most of all, we forget that we ourselves are precious, God’s beloved.

This kind of forgetting often happens more easily in times of plenty than in times of need. When resources are scarce, we know how much we depend on daily bread, safe shelter, and one another. But when we have more than enough, the gifts that sustain us can slip from our attention. Gratitude grows weak, and comparison enters. Our hearts slowly get caught up in what others have and desire.

At that point, television, social media, and the internet begin to affect our hearts more strongly. In fact, these tools are very helpful for connecting us to the world and staying in touch with others. However, they can also be distorted. Through them, we compare ourselves too easily, reveal ourselves too readily, and long for recognition. Before we realize it, our lives begin to change. We stop living as who we truly are and start living to be seen. We stop living honestly and begin acting out the life that others expect.

In today’s Gospel, Jesus speaks about this. He teaches about important Christian practices: giving, praying, and fasting. What he emphasizes is that we should not practise them to gain the recognition of others. When we become obsessed with the eyes of others, the true meaning and purpose of life vanish, and it darkens both our lives and the lives of those around us. It leaves no place for the heart to rest. It narrows our ability to love those near us. Our pace and direction begin to be set by other people’s judgments, and slowly, we lose ourselves.

Because of this, what Jesus warns against most is hypocrisy. It blinds the eyes of the soul and makes it hard to return to God. Faith is not a stage for acting. Faith is an authentic relationship. It is not for showing off, but for honest confession. It is not pretending, but being just as we are.

In this regard, Lent is one of the most important seasons. It is a time to reflect on Jesus’ journey to the cross, beginning in the wilderness. Traditionally, during this season, Christians practise what Jesus teaches in today’s text, such as giving, praying, and fasting, as a way to focus on what truly matters.

Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of Lent. The ashes remind us that we came from dust and to dust we shall return. They are not meant to frighten, but to help us recognize our mortality and finitude, not as a curse, but as a call to make our lives and choices meaningful. They point to the limited time we have on this earth and invite us to live fully in the present, here and now. In this way, they bring freedom from what traps the heart, loosening the grip of comparison, pretense, and hypocrisy.

So, the ashes we receive are not a mark of sin, but a gift. They are not judgment, but an invitation. The ashes guide us into honest confession. They return us to our true selves. They help us once again to recognize what is truly precious as precious. Through this, we can turn back to God, who is always waiting for us.

May this season of Lent be a time of true return for all of us. Not a life lived to be seen by others, but a life lived honestly before God. Not a life spent struggling to gain more, but a life rooted in deep gratitude for what we have been given. Not a life of showing off, but a life that loves more, shares more, and lives more fully in the time we are given. May the ashes we receive today mark the beginning of that journey. 

Thanks be to God. Amen.



Rev. Min Hwang

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