Feb. 18   Ash Wednesday

“OH LOVE HOW DEEP, HOW BROAD. HOW HIGH”

Text: Ephesians 3:14-19

Wednesday February 18, 2026 – Ash Wennesday

Trinity – Creston

       Grace, mercy, and peace is yours from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ!

       Our text for this Ash Wednesday is from Ephesians 3:14-19.

Let Us Pray: Dearest Jesus, send your Holy Spirit to remind us that there is no way for us to measure how deep your love is for us.  We don’t have to.  With repentant hearts we look to the cross and what you mercifully accomplished for each of us.  Amen.

Dear Fellow Redeemed in Christ:

(Read Ephesians 3:14-19)

1. 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, we do so through the lens of the love of God, which is ours through Christ Jesus, our Lord.

We will 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 it is that 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 will lose.

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 (Matthew 6:3).

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” (LSB Altar Book, p. 483).

It is as if I, the pastor, am saying, “Yeah, but you’re still going to die, so what good are your good works really?”

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 are going to die because of your sin. We all will.

The love of God is not 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 are 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 is what makes Christianity different from every other religion or faith. It is what shapes us as a people. It is 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, sinner.

We run around, parade our good works, and try to convince both the world and our own hearts that we are 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.

In a word, you need 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.

No, let it be a sign of the death that you inherit apart from Jesus. It is a sign of what we deserve. And like that ash that does not 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 is a mystery beyond all comprehension. It is a treasure beyond price. It is 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 is a mystery that is 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.

Now may the peace of God which passes all human understanding keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus our Lord and Savior.  Amen.