Ash Wednesday: Where Is Your Treasure? Luke 6:19-24
- Pastor Jin
- Mar 5
- 3 min read
Updated: Oct 16
Today is Ash Wednesday, the beginning of Lent. Many of us have observed Ash Wednesday and the Lenten season throughout our lives. But what does Lent truly mean to us? Most would say it is about the suffering, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. While this is central to our faith, could there be something more?
Lent is also a time for self-examination—an opportunity to reflect on our identity and purpose. Who am I? Where do I come from? Why am I here? Where am I going? These are profound questions that everyone contemplates at some point in their lives.
During my seminary years, I met many Korean Americans who were born and raised in the United States. Despite being American citizens, they were often asked, "Where are you from?" This question, repeated throughout their lives, led many to wrestle with their identity from a young age. Their struggle made me reflect: Have I truly examined my own identity?
A seminary friend once told me, "What I think about and reflect on shapes who I become." In other words, our identity is not solely defined by our background or appearance, but by what captures our hearts and minds. I found this to be profoundly true in my own life. The things that consume our thoughts and emotions ultimately shape us.
In today’s Gospel passage, Jesus teaches, "Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also" (Matthew 6:21). Simply put, the things we value most capture our hearts and define our lives. But let’s take it a step further: what we treasure most ultimately determines who we become.
In Jesus’ time, many religious leaders sought public recognition. They wanted to be seen praying, giving to the needy, and fasting so that others would admire them. What was their true treasure? Many would say it was themselves. I used to think the same way. But now, I see it differently—their treasure was "the gaze of others." Their deepest desire was not to please God, but to gain approval and praise from people. And that very desire shaped their identity, turning them into hypocrites.
By focusing on how others perceived them, they lost sight of their true selves. More importantly, their actions, which were meant to be directed toward God, became centered on human approval.
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, what is capturing your attention and devotion today?
• Is it worry—the burdens and anxieties of life?
• Is it hardship—the trials you are facing?
• Or, like the religious leaders in today’s passage, is it the opinions and judgments of others?
This Lent, I pray that our hearts and minds will be fully directed toward Jesus Christ—toward His love, His suffering, and His sacrifice for us. When we fix our eyes on Him, we begin to see ourselves clearly—not through the eyes of the world, but through the eyes of God. And in the end, this will shape our true identity—not as the world defines us, but as God has created us to be.
A Prayer for Ash Wednesday
Gracious and Merciful God,As we enter this sacred season of Lent, we turn our hearts and minds fully toward Jesus Christ—toward His love, His suffering, and His sacrifice for us. In a world that constantly seeks to define us by its own standards, help us to see ourselves not through the fleeting gaze of others, but through Your eternal and unchanging love.
Teach us to fix our eyes on Christ, that in Him, we may find our true identity—not shaped by our fears, failures, or the expectations of the world, but by Your divine purpose and grace. May this season be a time of deep reflection and renewal, where we strip away distractions and draw closer to You.
Forgive us for the times we have sought approval from others rather than seeking Your will. Purify our hearts so that our greatest treasure is not in earthly praise, but in the joy of knowing and following You.
Lord, as we walk this Lenten journey, may our hearts be humbled, our spirits be strengthened, and our lives be transformed by the power of Your love. Guide us ever closer to the cross, where we find redemption, and to the empty tomb, where we find our hope.
In Jesus' holy name, we pray. Amen.
