Why do you worship? What makes you come to church week after week, makes you read your Bible – why do we tithe, serve in the church, sing, spend a regular time in prayer?
During the life of Jesus there were three major issues in the life of a religious Jew; alms (giving to the synagogue and to the poor), prayer, and fasting.
Jesus talks about hypocrites (literally, actors) who walk around bragging when they give money or they do good for people. He says, “Don’t be like them, blowing a trumpet in the synagogue or in the street.” He’s using a figure of speech (its actually where we get the phrase “toot your own horn”). He may have even been talking about these trumpet-shaped chests (called shofar-chests) where money for the poor was collected. The point is: Don’t be like these religious people – they are only showing off – for man. They are doing right things, but for wrong reasons.
Next he talks about prayer. Pious Jews prayed at set times in the morning, afternoon, and evening. Sometimes they would stop what they were doing, wherever they were, and begin to pray – even loudly. Jesus says that they have their reward – kind of threatening, if you ask me.
Instead Jesus says to pray quietly, privately. (He’s not against public prayer, He did so himself) but Jesus calls them to go into their closets. Now the average 1st century person didn’t have a closet for clothes like we do now, and most of them didn’t even have private rooms. The word used for closets may refer to a storeroom, like one used for grain. It may even allude to this tradition of praying with your head tucked into a prayer shawl – your closet…Jesus is using metaphor and the point is that Jesus is instructing his disciples to pray to the Father (which is in secret) - not to pray to be rewarded by men. Prayer is good. They are doing right things, but for wrong reasons.
Next Jesus talks about fasting. And that’s what this day reminds us of. On Ash Wednesday we remember the wilderness fast of Jesus. It begins the 40 day period of Lent, which is a time of fasting…And Jesus says when you fast…don’t be a hypocrite.
Originally there was only one day of fasting required by the law. But later throughout the Bible more and more days were added. By the time of Jesus shows up some very religious Jews fasted twice a week, usually Monday and Thursday to mark Moses' trip up Mt. Sinai.
Jesus says don’t be like them, instead of putting ashes on your head and dressing in burlap sackcloth he told them to anoint their heads (similar to putting on perfume) and to look joyful. They were to enjoy life. He echos Solomon:
Ecc 9:7 Go thy way, eat thy bread with joy, and drink thy wine with a merry heart; for God now accepteth thy works.
Ecc 9:8 Let thy garments be always white; and let thy head lack no ointment.
Its not that fasting was wrong. But fasting is an inward dedication, one that is between you and God. They were doing right things, but for wrong reasons.
So why do you worship? Why are you serving, helping, singing, praying, reading the Bible? Is it because you want people to see you? Do you want people to think you are a good person? Are you trying to prove to yourself that you are a good? Or is it because we love God?
