You Don’t Have to Wash Your Ash
Matthew 6:1–6, 16–21
Ash Wednesday
February 18, 2026
Rev. Teer Hardy
Ash Wednesday is about telling the truth in front of God.
And here is the truth:
We do not need to be cleaned up before we are loved.
We do not need to be impressive before we are forgiven.
We do not need to scrub away our failures before we are welcomed.
We are already washed.
Not with water alone, but with grace.
Not with our discipline, but with Christ’s mercy.
Not with our righteousness, but with Christ’s.
The ash on your forehead is not a badge of spiritual achievement. It is a confession. It says, “I am not who I pretend to be.
And God answers, “I know. And I love you anyway.”
Amen.
