Many years ago a tourist from the United States visited the famous Polish rabbi, Hofetz Chaim.

He was astonished to see the rabbi’s home was only a simple room filled with books.  The only furniture was a table and a bench.

“Rabbi, where is your furniture?” asked the tourist.

“Where is yours?” said Hofetz.

“Mine?  But I am passing through.  I am only a visitor here.”

And the rabbi replied, “So am I."

And so are we.  As Christians we are called to be different, to be distinguished from others.  And yet when folks meet us in the marketplace we use the same language they do and our day to day lives are not that different from those around us.

We dwell with non-believers and follow the native customs in dress and food and other arrangements of life. 

Yet we are called to our own citizenship; we are here as sojourners; we bear our share as citizens, and we endure all hardships as strangers.  Every foreign country is a homeland to us and every homeland foreign.

Our existence is on earth, but our citizenship is in heaven. 

We obey the established laws but in our personal lives we are to surpass the human laws, with the commands of God. 

We are to love everyone, even as we are ignored, marginalized and hated.  In some places we are put to death and yet we are endowed with life. 

Even if we are lacking in material things we enrich the lives of those around us.  Even when we are in need we have the joy of the hope within.  

So it makes sense that our motivation is a factor in our piety.  “Be careful not to do your acts of righteousness before men, to be seen by them.  If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven.” 

If we behave as others do and act out of the same motivation we are no different than they are. 

We mark ourselves tonight, the sign of the cross on our foreheads or on our hands. 

We do this not to tell the world who we are, but to remind us that we are just visiting. 

We are different and we are to be motivated not by worldly recognition, we are not to perform acts of piety to draw attention to ourselves. 

When give alms, or fast or pray we are to do so in such away that it points to our Father in heaven. 

Matthew in the fifth chapter says “Let your light so shine before others, that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.  That all glory and honor are his. 

The greatest commandment “You are to love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength…and your neighbor as yourself.”

When we act out of the desire for personal glory and we love ourselves more than our neighbor; we are no longer just passing through but citizens of a world that we are called to be in but not of.

We are no longer sojourners because we love the ways of this world.  We begin to store up earthly treasures and we forget our first love.  Because where your treasure is, there your heart is also.  So this first day of Lent let us re-connect and remember that we are just visiting.

Blessings and love,

Pastor D.