Adapted for the people of Emmanuel Lutheran Church in Adell from a message included in the Concordia Publishing House Lenten Series For Us

O Love, How Deep, How Broad, How Wide

Text: Matthew 6:1-6, 16-21

Grace, mercy, and peace be to you from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

O love, how deep, how broad, how high,

Beyond all thought and fantasy,

That God, the Son of God, should take

Our mortal form for mortals’ sake!

As we begin this journey of faith through the season of Lent, we do so through the lens of the love of God, which is ours through Christ Jesus, our Lord. We’ll be looking at the hymn “O Love, How Deep” as an aid to help us reflect upon what the love of God really is and how we can grab hold of such a big and amazing thing.

Part of the challenge with such self-examination is that we do so always looking at and considering our own sin and unworthiness. Every time you set yourself up in comparison with Jesus, you’ll see how woefully short you measure up.

In the Gospel for tonight, Jesus exhorts the disciples and the gathered crowds not to practice their righteousness in front of others. “Do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing,” He says. Furthermore, don’t let your prayers become an excuse to show off how good of a Christian you are.

It’s hard, though, isn’t it? I want to get credit for all the work that I do. How can I get credit if no one knows about it? So, when I do something that I think of as good work, what I want is some acknowledgment. Okay, maybe not a parade, but at least some recognition that I’ve done a good thing.

Yet, this Ash Wednesday, we remember our good works, the parade of righteousness. Think back to these words: “Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return.” It’s as if I, the pastor, am saying, “what good are your good works really, because we’re all going to return to dust?”

But then the hymn goes on to say that Jesus took on “our mortal form for mortals’ sake.” That means Jesus knows your mortality. He knows you’re going to die because of your sin. We all will.

The love of God isn’t a math equation. It isn’t just something we can act like we understand. I love sunsets, so I understand the love of God. Not quite.

No, the love of God is higher, broader, and deeper than we can ever imagine. It is, as the hymn says, “beyond all thought and fantasy.” The love of God is the very thing behind the word mystery. A mystery is not the same as a puzzle. With a puzzle, you figure it out, and then you’re done. But with a mystery, the more you come to understand, the more aware you are that you know nothing.

The mystery of the love of God penetrates to the very heart of the Christian faith. It’s what makes Christianity different from every other religion or faith. It’s what shapes us as a people. It’s what inspires us and moves us forward.

But love is not something to be understood. Not really. No, love is a gift that is ever growing, ever changing. Why? Because the love of God is always moving toward you. Even as the sinner you’ll confess to be in just a moment.

We run around, parade our good works, and try to convince both the world and our own hearts that we’re worthy of God’s love. But we’re just moving in circles. No number of prayers, no fasting or outward acts of piety will ever bring you closer to God. You need a go-between. You need a bridge. You need an intermediary who will bear your grief and carry your sin. What you need is Jesus.

So comes this day and this season and the call to repent of your sins. Don’t let the dust and ash on your forehead be a sign of your piety and self-righteousness. Instead, let it be a sign of the death that you inherit apart from Jesus. It’s a sign of what we deserve. And like that ash that doesn’t wipe off easily, the more you try to rub out your sins on your own, the dirtier and messier they become.

But God, who is rich in mercy, sent His Son, Jesus, to the cross to die for our sins and rise again so that we may have life. It’s a mystery beyond all comprehension. It’s a treasure beyond price. It’s a gift that can only come by grace.

Come this day to the Table. Here you will not eat the dust of the earth but His very body and blood. Here you are drawn into the very life of God for you. It is indeed a mystery, but it’s a mystery that’s beyond all thought and fantasy. God takes on your mortal form so that you may live. And in exchange, He gives you His life, His works, His very self. Amen.

The peace of God which surpasses all understanding guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.