February 18, 2026

Today's Reading: Matthew 6:1-6, 16-21

Daily Lectionary: Genesis 1:1-19; Mark 1:1-13

“For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” (Matthew 6:21)

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

When you think about treasure, maybe you think about buried treasure, chests full of gold, pirates searching for that which is lost, maps where X marks the spot.

Martin Luther said in theses #62 (of 95), “the true treasure of the church is the most holy gospel of the glory and grace of God.”

The treasure of the Gospel is not about buried chests of gold; rather, it’s about the death and burial of Jesus, who saves us “not with perishable things such as silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot” (1 Peter 1:18-19). It’s not about pirates searching for lost treasure; it’s about the Good Shepherd who seeks to save His lost sheep and bring all people to Himself. It’s not about maps where X marks the spot. And if you rotate the X just a little bit, it becomes the shape of a cross. The cross marks the spot where true treasure is found, that cannot perish, spoil, or fade.

Today is Ash Wednesday. There’s a Lutheran joke that talks about a pastor who, on Ash Wednesday, says, “We are but dust.” To which the little kid in the pew says to their parent, “What’s butt dust?”

Ash Wednesday reminds us that we are but dust in the sense that “for you are dust and to dust you shall return” (Genesis 3:19). The ashes remind us that death is the punishment for our sin. And one day, when death comes for us, we might have a pastor speak over our body, “ashes to ashes, dust to dust,” as we are laid in the ground. But the ashes in the shape of a cross remind us that even though death may await us, physical death that is, Christ has given His life that we would not face eternal death, Hell. The cross reminds us of the Good News that Jesus took on the fullness of our humanity. He who was without sin became sin for us. And on the cross, He generously gave up His life out of love for us. But Jesus does not return to the dust of the ground because He rises from the dead on the third day. And so, the cross on our foreheads reminds us that though we may return to the dust, we will also rise to new life in Christ on the day of resurrection. Ashes to ashes, dust to dust, resurrection to resurrection, and life to life.

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

Death, you cannot end my gladness: I am baptized into Christ! When I die, I leave all sadness to inherit paradise! Though I lie in dust and ashes faith’s assurance brightly flashes: Baptism has the strength divine to make life immortal mine. (LSB 594:4)

Rev. Glenn Worcester, pastor of Peace Lutheran Church, Winnipeg, Manitoba

Audio Reflections Speaker: Rev. Richard Heinz, pastor at Trinity Lutheran Church in Lowell, IN.

Better understand difficult and overlooked Old Testament passages in this new book by Authors R. Reed Lessing and Andrew E. Steinmann. Their conversational yet academic writing style makes learning about the Old Testament accessible to those at all points in their Bible reading journey. Discussion questions at the end of each chapter invite you to think more in-depth about what you just read and record your answers. To stretch your understanding, a list of resources for further reading is also included at the back of the book.