“REPENT YE”
Saint Matthew 6. 16-21
Ash Wednesday: 9 February Anno Domini 2005
Fr Watson
Dr. Luther wrote that the entire life of a Christian was to be one of penitence. The Reformer said that this was so because the Redeemer said so: "Repent Ye." That is also the message of the greatest of the Prophets, St. John Baptizer: "Repent Ye."
God is not redundant. There's no "filler" in His message to you. The Lord Christ Jesus doesn't speak platitudes. He wouldn't have said it, if He hadn't meant it: "Repent Ye." Repent that, deep down, you, like me, resent all these special services which get in the way of our "real" lives, our "practical" lives, "interests," "diversions," the things we need to be doing and WANT to be doing. Repent that it all gets so burdensome, stale, "same-old-same-old." Repent that because you consistently break the First Commandment, you are by default repeatedly breaking the other nine as well. You lust and covet because your sinful self wants something other than God. That something will rust and be moth eaten in the end. It's fool's gold. You gossip, slander, lie, and hurt others with cruel words because your sinful self wants something other than God; you want yourself! Your "self" will rot and decay in the end. Ashes to Ashes, Dust to Dust.
To be a pagan is to be adrift at sea; stranded in a lifeboat with no provisions. To be without the true God, the Holy Trinity, is to be an inborn-inbred enemy of the Lord. It is to be alone, hot, hungry, thirsty, in sorrow and despair. To the "lost at sea" the vast ocean begins to look good to drink. But it's poison to the parched. It's salt and brine doesn't quench, only drives men mad with more thirst and eventual death.
To be a Christian, is to have an old-enemy, sinful nature, that also struggles and craves to drink the "world," to eat things "of the flesh" and to imbibe the lies, deceits and treacheries of the old ancient foe.
To be lost at sea, to be without the love and companionship of the One who is Father, Brother, friend and Comforter, is hell on earth. To die in such tragedy and terror is to receive the just reward for not having the true reward. A Christian needs to repent, that is, to turn from the pull and allurement to jump into that life boat and paddle away alone into a vast but empty sea. The "life boat" of self, of sin, is in reality a death boat; a ship not of fools, but of "a" fool; a ship with a slow leak headed only down to the deep.
The Skipper has enlisted you for His ship. His cruise through these dangerous Lenten Seas. You have been given a crew, a family, on this Ship of Faith, this Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic vessel. You are no longer self-seeking, bloodthirsty cutthroat pirates seeking contaminated treasure. You have the very treasure itself, Himself, onboard with you. Your treasure is where Christ is, for you. This treasure is blood red not golden or silver. This treasure is not located where He is in His Kingdom of Power; not in nature, not in sentimentality and romantic fantasy, not in Gnostic, Platonic philosophical dream worlds of what might be. Jesus the Captain of your soul is with you and for you in His boat, His Church. He, your Treasure, is given out in abundant rations fit for this difficult voyage. He feeds you Himself. He gives you drink Himself. There is no greater treasure than to eat and drink the Treasure Himself. He is God. He gives you God to be in you, and for you.
To "Fast" is to not eat the things of the world. God does not contradict Himself. There are no absurdities in the perfect Will of the Savior. God gives you all your First Article gifts, including meat and drink. God gives you these earthly forms of nutrition and sustenance not just for maintenance and health, but also for enjoyment and conviviality. If the Lord Himself did not relish feasts and banquets so much He would not constantly be referring to them in Holy Writ. No, God doesn't want you to give up eating and drinking because He's strict, or mean, or a harsh disciplinarian, or punishing you for your sins. He says to you: "Repent Ye." He gives you His Law so that you will know your hopeless and helpless state without His presence. When you fast, you fast neither for men, nor do you fast to earn merit with Christ. When you fast, it is to have your body, your sinful flesh, reminded in a tangible, solid and physical way, that as good as food is, there is only One real meal, only One real Treasure, only One real Ship of Salvation that you desire to be at and on. Of course Christians need not fast all the time. But the Lord says "Repent Ye." The Christian will repent all the time; will drown the "old Adam" every day in contrition. Fasting from sin, fasting from the world, the flesh and the serpent, you will always be famished for the Food that truly satisfies, for the Water that really quenches, for the genuine Treasure of forgiveness and life. Here it is for you, in abundance.
In the Name of The Father and of The Son + and of The Holy Ghost