The Road of Humility

Ash Wednesday

February 21, 2007

Readings:

Psalm 51
Isaiah 58:1-12
2 Corinthians 5:20b – 6:10
Matthew 6:1-6,16-21

The account from Isaiah regards fasting – what God considers humble work. In Matthew, we are tasked not to do it for the knowledge or attention of others, but to do this work quietly.

“Be careful not to do your ‘acts of righteousness’ before men, to be seen by them …. Do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret.”

And Isaiah says

“ … you will be called Restorer of the Streets to Living”

Pastor Johnson analogized the act of “repairing of the streets for living” to the roadside cracks and potholes that develop of a long winter, in which the process by which we make our way in the world leads to damaged roads and things that, by spring, require us to fox them. Those who fix our roads go about their work quietly. Do our thoughts ever turn to them, Pastor asks? He admits to having many a thought when watching them, not all of them generous or benevolent. Are we any different? None of us are. The workers who will soon be repairing our streets do their work, necessary work, without fanfare. Theirs is “the quiet work of filling the cracks”, of “making smooth again” the roads long torn up by travel on many a cold day that takes its toll.

We are similarly tasked to “repair the streets, again, for living”; to “stop speaking evil & pointing fingers”. We are tasked to take a different road, the “high road”, a road less traveled, for sure. The work of “repairing the streets fir living” on this road is humble work. It’s not about spotlights or getting credit. We are tasked to be driven by God’s mercy, and not any inner desire for notice or thanks. The hope is that this will make us happy, to work for the good of God, with “humble quiet”.

And the good news, and this theme will present itself again and again along the road(s) less traveled. We are not, strictly speaking, 100% ready for this work!!! My parents always told me, “If you wait ‘til you think you’re ready to have kids, to have kids, you’ll never have kids.” They said the same thing about college and marriage and a few choice other important stages of life.

In her book, Jesus CEO, Laurie Beth Jones points out that Jesus often used humans who didn’t “look the part”. She said Jesus “wasn't afraid to look foolish. See if you recognize these among ‘his chosen staff’:

A deluded engineer (designed and built an ark in the middle of the desert)
A nudist (Isaiah went naked for 3 years)
A Beggar (Elijah had to ask a widow for food)
A lunatic (King David had to act so to evade his would-be captors)
A harem girl (Queen Esther who made her way to #1 on The King’s List)
An improper woman (Jeus’ own mother who was pregnant out of wedlock)

She further claimed,

"God has little use for people whose main concern is “What will the neighbors think?” He needs disciples who are willing to sacrifice and take risks withtheir public image"

Another theme that will crop up again, along this road less traveled throughout Lent is that God can and does and will use us in “as yet unready form”. This does not, as Pastor Riggle pointed out a few weeks back, mean we are unworthy to serve God. The Scriptures point out quite the opposite in many instances. Abraham was 75 years old before God called him into active duty. There is much to the bumper sticker

“Please be patient with me. God isn’t through with me yet.”

Life’s too short to be waiting to be ready for the business of “repairing them roads”. We are tasked to do the work quietly where it is needed, by the right hand, without letting even the left hand know what the right is doing.

Pastor Johnson said he felt we each knew someone who might have a hole in their heart. Quietly, we’re to go about the job of filling it. We, each of us, have within ourselves the ability to do that! Whether we really feel ready or not.

And the Good News? If we answer the call, God will provide. He will provide, through us, cement, trowels, tar, glue and time enough to make new the cracks, and holes. We will find those tools in quiet, meditative prayer if we will stop pointing fingers and spend our time dedicating those hands to quiet, humble work that “repairs the streets for the living”.

“this road less traveled is in need of quiet workers ready to repair the way for the living …… the question is less ‘are you ready?’ than ‘are you willing?’ …. If you are, well the good news is He travels that road, and in your taking it, He will know you. He alone will see your repair handiwork, performed in His honor and through His mercy. Hopefully that will make you happy because if no one ever knows who you are, BUT God knows – you have need for nothing!”