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Reading 1: Isaiah 58:1-12
Reading 2: Matthew 6:1-6; 16-21
Welcome to the Council of Elders Lent Series. I’m Reverend Elder Stuart Sutherland from Sydney Australia.
Ash Wednesday is all about us calling and turning to God and letting Jesus wash us clean so that we can be God's children.
50 years ago a small independent movie became unexpected hit. The movie was about a washed up boxer who gets one more chance to make it. You might remember the movie “Rocky.”
The boxer Rocky Balboa is a tired, older boxer who's taken too many punches and lost too many fights. His career is over. Then the world champion Apollo Creed offers Rocky a title fight. The champion is using Rocky as one more easy -beat to be an opponent, a loser being set up for a loss. Although everyone knows that Rocky has no chance against the champion Rocky agrees to the fight. To have a chance to put on a decent fight Rocky has to overcome many demons, low self esteem and inconsistency in his workouts, distractions, and bad health habits in other words Rocky has to change his past just to have the smallest chance to put up a good fight. Fortunately a few people support and believe in him. Still it takes all his courage and will to prepare. Finally the fight takes place and Rocky succeeds, but only because of his determination to change.
The world in which we live has winners, leaders, as first class people, there are moments when we feel like the old Rocky, especially when it comes to our faith. All of us go through experiences that pull us away from God. We might still attend worship but the truth is there are times in our lives that we're just too distracted from our faith. The gospel of Matthew addresses our spiritual struggles as we practise our faith. We may think and feel that we're doing right, but the truth is that we often missed the mark of being faithful and obedient to Christ. We no longer feel that we are children of God, and our self-esteem suffers. Our lives are inconsistent, we are easily distracted from faith.
God wants us to be the children of God. And God gives of us another chance, but we have to do our part. We need to turn to God and look at our mistakes and thoughts and actions. When we truly reflect then there is new life for us. As Jesus said, “I am the way and the truth and the life.” Being truly alive is being part of God's family. Amen.
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