The Focus of Worship - Matthew 6:1-6, 16-18 (Ash Wednesday)
Five-year old Robbie was not a lot different than other children
his age who had been an only child for so long and then was forced to deal with
a new-comer in the house. Robbie had
been used to being the center of attention.
However, when his little sister was born, most of the attention was
diverted from him and focused on her.
Robbie naturally became jealous.
A few months after Robbie’s sister was born, his parents realized
that they needed a new home with more space.
Once they decided on a new home, they sat Robbie down and proceeded to
tell him that now that his sister was getting older, they realized that the
house they lived in was too small and that they needed to move.
“It’s no use.” Robbie said, “She’s crawling good now and she’d
probably just follow us.”
We’ve encountered those children before—the children that have to
be the center of attention. You know the
ones I am talking about. It does not
matter what is going on. The family may
be at home by themselves and the child wants both parents focused in upon
them…no use trying to read a book, watch television, take a nap, get chores or
anything else done, because that child is going to have to be right there in
the middle of it all vying for attention.
Let the doorbell ring and that child is opening the door before the
chimes ever finish sounding. As they get
older, in their group of friends, they may become the “class clown” or, on the
negative side of things, be easily swayed by peer pressure because they want
folks to like them.
Unfortunately, we have also probably encountered (or we may be one
of these ourselves) folks who do not grow out of this “center-of-attention”
mentality, even upon reaching adulthood.
You know, those folks, who will dominate a conversation, and no matter
where the conversation started, it always comes back around to them. They are the ones who have done the same
thing everyone else has, but for them it has been a little bit more difficult
or a little bit more exciting. You know,
if Bill over here went sky-diving, then David will tell you how he went
sky-diving over Hawaii. If Bill mentions
that his parachute hung, then David will tell you that his parachute wouldn’t
deploy until the last possible second.
It might even go as far as Bill telling you that his parachute never did
deploy and he didn’t make it…David then would talk about how far the impact
scattered his dead body.
It is this “center-of-attention” attitude that Jesus addresses in
our reading tonight. Jesus is dealing
with a group of them amongst the faithful of Israel. Jesus, though, is not dealing with folks who
are trying to be the “center of attention” with regards to their adventures or
their conversations. Jesus was dealing
with those who wanted to be the “center of attention” when it comes to
practicing their faith:
“Beware of practicing your piety before others in order to be seen
by them…”
“So when you give alms, do not sound a trumpet before you, as the
hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets so that they may be praised
by others…”
“And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites; for they love
to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, so that they may
be seen by others…”
“And when you fast, do not look dismal, like the hypocrites, for
they disfigure their faces so as to show others that they are fasting…”
Too often folks have taken these statements by Jesus and twisted
them to suggest that everything we do, good works, giving, praying, and
fasting, should be done secretively so that no one else knows that you are
doing these things. However, that is not
the point that Jesus was making. The
focus that Jesus was the intent behind the actions of those “center of
attention” practicers of the faith.
Jesus pointed out that the reason that were doing good works in front of
others was so that others would see them and acknowledge them and glorify
them…the same for the giving of alms…charitable giving…wanting folks to know
what they have done and be appreciative of it.
They prayed to impress others and wanted folks to look upon them and
feel sorry for them and acknowledge them as the suffering righteous when they
fasted. The problem is, as Jesus was
pointing out, that the focus of their acts of worship was not God, the focus of
their worship was themselves.
Jesus says that those who are the “center of attention” when they
are worshipping are getting all the recognition they are going to get. Jesus tells those around them, “if you are
doing these things and men are praising you, then enjoy while you can, because
God is not going to praise you at all for it.
You’ve had your reward, don’t look for anything from the Father.”
The focus of worship should never be ourselves…it should never be,
“I went to church and didn’t get anything out of it.” Let me repeat that again, we should never
say, “I went to church but didn’t get anything out of it.” We are not here for ourselves…this is not
about us…we are here to offer ourselves to God.
God is the focus of our worship, not us.
Our good works, our charitable giving, our prayers, our fasting should
all be directed toward God…our worship should be about giving ourselves
completely over to God…all that we do should direct ourselves and all that see
us to bow down and worship God. It is
okay for someone to see us doing good works if it directs their praise not to
us, but to God. It is okay for someone
to see us put money in the collection plate, if it turns them toward God and
not toward us. It is okay for us to pray
in public if our prayers direct all who hear to God and not toward
ourselves. Jesus did say to fast in such
a way as others do not see, but does that mean that it is a problem if someone
asks why you are not eating peanut butter or why you are not eating chocolate
or why you are not going out to eat this Friday and you share with them the
sacrifice you are making, and it opens their hearts and minds up to God. . For
anything we do should be directed toward God…so that it is not about “I went to
church and didn’t get anything out of it” but rather, “I went to church and
gave myself completely over to God…I went to church and surrendered myself to
His grace…I went to church and realized it is all about God and not about
me…and you know what…I came away full.”
As we enter this season of Lent and examine our lives, let us take
the time to search out where, for each one of us, we locate the focus of our
worship, the focus of our lives…and insure that the focus is on God and God
alone.
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