What to do Part Three

And whenever you fast, do not look dismal, like the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces so as to show others that they are fasting. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward. But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, so that your fasting may be seen not by others but by your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you.

“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust consume and where thieves break in and steal; but store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust consumes and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.  Matthew 6:16-21

There are moments when reading the beatitudes that it is easy to nod our heads and think, "This just sounds like good advice."  But there is a difference between good advice and good news.  Advice can be "taken into consideration," which usually for me means, I am going to do something else.  Good advice plays into cultural common sense and doesn't challenge us.  The "good" part of advice is that we tend to agree.

Good news on the other hand can radically change our lives.  It takes us and pushes our comfort zones to places we'd prefer not to go.  And I believe, we never quite grasp the good news.  We might be grasped by it.  Fredrick Buechner is fond of saying, the gospel is always bad news before it is good news.

Here Jesus is saying don't put on airs or make a production out of your spirituality.  In our world of individualism, it can be easy to turn our faith into a kind of "God and me" spiritual improvement program.  There is nothing wrong with that per say...but I think the gospel's claim is bigger and bolder than just about me, myself, and I.  Jesus uses the word, 'hypocrite'.  Which we tend to be as someone who says one thing and does another.  But in Jesus' day, hypocrite meant actor.  Are we acting the role of faith?  Are we pretending on Sunday morning that God is at the center of our lives, only to leave that behind like the bulletin in the pew for the usher to pick up after the service?  Now I do sometimes think you need to fake your way through something as a way to make your way through.  There are moments when I am exhausted, but have a visit.  So, I take a deep breathe, smile, and try to practice active listening.  And the grace of the whole thing is, that usually in the blink of an eye, God grants me energy and attention that I was lacking.  

The real challenging part of this passage is storing up treasures.  As I said in the last post, I am now in my 40s.  Is my pension that the church pays storing up treasure?  What about our savings account so I can trade in my car?  What about my cupboards where I just put away my groceries?  Those questions challenge me.  See what I mean that the gospel can be bad news before it is good?

I don't think there is one easy answer.  We may feel defensive about those kinds of questions, want to justify that we earned it or that God wants to see us happy.  Both of which are truth.  But...but...are we also storing up for a rainy day?  Sure I am.  Therein lays the rub...and therein lays where I believe faith can still speak truth.  It does not need to be either or.  I am not going to cash in my pension and go help the poor.  At least not yet.  But maybe I can worry less about that and more about those who have no savings at all.  Maybe I can be more open to the grace of God.  A grace that is not just good advice, but can alter and ultimate save my life to live a new way.  May it be so this Lenten season and for the rest of this year.

Amen.