Ash Wednesday begins the start of Lent. Many of us participate each year by placing ashes upon our foreheads as an outward sign of repentance. But when is the last time you put on some sackcloth?
The ancient form of sackcloth was not made from burlap, but rather from goat or camel hair. It was sewn in a rectangular shape and used as a sack. During times of great grief or repentance, the Israelites also fashioned these sacks as clothes for mourning. Jacob put on sackcloth to mourn over his son Joseph (Genesis 37:34). The leaders of Jerusalem wore sackcloth as the holy city was overrun by foreign invaders (Lamentations 2:10). The prophet Jonah warned the Ninevites to repent, “and they called for a fast and put on sackcloth, from the greatest to the least of them.”(Jonah 3:5)
Wearing sackcloth served several purposes:
· It was an outward reminder (both for others and yourself) that you were in a state of mourning.
· It was also uncomfortable to wear, and in this way was similar to fasting. By it, you mortified your flesh to better focus on God’s word of grace instead.
· It was a sign of humility, and allowed wearers to be reminded of the seriousness of their sin.
· Lastly, it was meant to be worn only for a period of time, so that afterward, gladness and rejoicing could begin again.
Sackcloth (as well as ashes, fasting, and other Lenten disciplines) must be used rightly in order not to turn into empty ritual. “‘Even now,’ declares the Lord, ‘return to me with all your heart, with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning; and rend your hearts and not your garments.’”(Joel 2:12-13) Outward acts of repentance are only useful if they lead toward true sorrow over sin and faith in Christ.
That’s why Jesus would teach: “And when you fast, do not look gloomy like the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces that their fasting may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, that your fasting may not be seen by others but by your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.”(Matthew 6:16-18)
All this caused me to think: what appropriate forms of “sackcloth” might we still employ today? Some people dress more simply during Lent, avoiding bright colors or fancy dress. Others employ Lenten crosses worn on the outside of their clothing as a humble sign of faith. Pastors take up both of these forms of “sackcloth” by wearing simple robes and unadorned crosses throughout the 40-day Lenten season.
I believe such physical practices as fasting, ashes, and modern-day “sackcloth”, are helpful for our spiritual journey. They disrupt our normal routine and remind us that we are to struggle against everything that leads us away from love of God and neighbor. Living out such physical practices takes our Lord's words seriously about self-denial: “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.”(Matthew16:24)
So while we might not put on potato sacks this month, it is good for us to take up some form of Lenten discipline. May the prayer penned by hymn writer Claudia Hernaman also be our prayer:
“O Lord, throughout these forty days,
You prayed and kept the fast;
Inspire repentance for our sin,
and free us from our past.”
(LSB 418:1)