2026 Lent Reflections - Stewardship & Sacrifice

In the Gospel of Matthew, chapters 5 to 7 are accounts of the Sermon on the Mount, which records the teachings of Jesus in regard to a number of topics, like prayer, fasting, worry and serving two masters. This week we are going to consider Matthew chapter 6 verses 19 to 21, which says:


‘Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust consume and where thieves break in and steal; but store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust consumes and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. - Matthew 6:19-21

So often during Lent we focus on ourselves and look for ways to improve our relationship with God, drawing closer to God and sacrificing things in our own lives to demonstrate our obedience. The reading encourages us to “store up” treasures, but ones that cannot be destroyed. So, what does that look like? The last verse lays it out plainly for us:


For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

The “heart” in biblical language is not emotion alone. It also refers to the centre of desire, will, and devotion. Jesus is saying, your investments reveal and shape your deepest loyalties. Reflect on what the heart of God may be today? Who is God’s treasure?

Christina Rossetti (1830-1894) wrote the following entitled, Good Friday:

Am I a stone, and not a sheep, That I can stand, O Christ, beneath Thy cross, To number drop by drop Thy blood’s slow loss, And yet not weep?

Not so those women loved Who with exceeding grief lamented Thee; Not so fallen Peter, weeping bitterly; Not so the thief was moved; Not so the Sun and Moon Which hid their faces in a starless sky, A horror of great darkness at broad noon – I, only I.

Yet give not o’er, But seek Thy sheep, true Shepherd of the flock; Greater than Moses, turn and look once more And smite a rock.

f we treasure only our own comfort, our hearts will be small. Christina Rossetti’s poem asks why we are sometimes “stone” while the rest of creation grieves. Brandon Heath’s Give Me Your Eyes serves as challenge and a prayer for us to widen our view and make others our treasure. To see the person on the street corner or the lonely girl in the Bay Cafe not as a “problem,” but as a person worthy of our sacrifice. Have a listen here:

According to Matthew 22:37-40, the greatest commandment is to love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, and mind. A second, equally important commandment is to love your neighbour as yourself. Lent gives us time to improve our love of God, focusing on wherever we might be weak - heart, soul or mind. But we cannot ignore the second commandment, so here is the challenge this week...

The challenge this week is the Simple Table. Choose one mealtime this next week and change your menu to eat one minimalist meal, which must still be nutritious, and then donate your savings to a charity of your choice, thinking of others. As we sit in this small, tiny moment reflect on the world's hunger. Pray that we can shift our "treasure" from our own comfort to the needs of others. By eating a Simple Table meal and giving the difference away, we break that stone. We shift from consumers to stewards. We let go of the grip that we have on ourselves and allow a moment for God to soften our hearts and to consider others.

LET US PRAY:

Jesus, You gave everything so that we might have life. Everything we own is a gift from Your hand. As we simplify our lives and share our resources this week, help us to loosen my grip on ‘things’ and tighten our grip on You. Give us eyes to see the needs of the world and a heart big enough to respond with courage and generosity. Amen.


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