Ashes
By Peggy Kleckner
“…..for dust you
are and to dust you will return.”
Genesis 3:19b
The
calendar reads “Ash Wednesday.” From my childhood, I remember this church
tradition of ashes being placed on our foreheads. Over each person who accepted
the sign of the cross rubbed in with ashes, this reality was spoken, “Remember,
man, that thou art dust, and to dust thou shall return.”
These
words are taken from Scripture, God’s Word. Therefore, they are truth. These
very words are part of the curse gained from the sin of Adam and Eve. To
remember the curse is to remember that we, as men and women born from the flesh
of Adam and Eve, are under the same curse. We cannot walk with God - - who is
holy - - while covered in the shame of our sin. It is only natural that this is
the news that comes first as we journey toward Easter.
If
we are unwilling to acknowledge and identify with the sinfulness of man, we
will not see or recognize our need for a Savior. We will not want the gift of
Easter: Jesus Christ.
To
accept the ashes is to admit that we are sinners who are imperfect and unholy.
It is only through the good news of the gospel, the death and resurrection of
Jesus Christ, that we can be (and really are) freed from the curse. Through
God’s gift of the sacrifice of Jesus, we can have full fellowship with God. We
can have that wonderful relationship restored.
Truly
understood for the first time, ashes on Wednesday may lead people to their need
for a Savior, their true and only hope. Ashes can also be an outward sign to
others; a witness that redemption (Jesus Christ) is necessary for eternal life
with God.
Many
of the Pharisees in the days of Jesus - - those who knew the Word of God, those
who practiced and followed the rules of religion - - could not (or would not)
admit that they were sinners in need of a Savior. They believed they were “good
enough” to attain heaven by their own good works. They refused God’s gift of
Easter, redemption through His Son. We must admit that we cannot be, and are
not, perfect; we need a Savior.
May
the “Ash Wednesday” on the calendar remind us of our reality and our need…and
the joy that came when God sent His Son as our answer. We need only to admit
our need and accept our Savior.
GOING DEEPER:
1. Do you know someone who accepts the ashes,
but may not know the full story?
2. Are you
willing to share God’s story by explaining Ash Wednesday to someone?
FURTHER READING:
Peggy is a wife and
mother of four adult children - - two sons and two stepsons, and is an active
encourager at Oakwood Church in Delafield. She serves as the Coordinator of
Fresh Start.
