Lent I
By The Rev. Martha Frances+
Year C Lent I, 25 February 2007
Text: Luke 4: 1-13. Other Readings: Deuteronomy 26: 1-11; Psalm 91:1-2, 9-16; Romans 10:8b-13
We’re so used to this account of Jesus’ temptations in the wilderness that we may not recognize just how extraordinary it really is. What does it imply for our observance of a Holy Lent this year. We encounter Jesus immediately after his baptism when dove & voice from heaven have just affirmed Jesus as God’s only son, & he is full of the Holy Spirit. Poised on the brink of his public ministry, Jesus needs to make retreat before he begins to preach & teach & heal. I can certainly relate because I have a hard time finding even a week for retreat, & I’ll guarantee the only way Jesus is going to get 40 days away is to go before he gets to his first assignment.
There’s a deliberateness about the Spirit’s leading him into the desert; he doesn’t just wander out there. This retreat isn’t just a quiet time spent with God, however; he is out there all by himself & has to face himself, certainly a time when I find the devil coming out in my thoughts. Each temptation shows what sort of Messiah this Son of God is.
First is the temptation for a famished Jesus to give in to comfort & pleasure by turning stones into bread. Since God had done exactly that for Moses in the wilderness, it’s not such a far-fetched idea that the devil presents, is it? We all know we don’t do our best thinking when we haven’t had anything to eat, & Jesus has fasted for 40 days & nights. After all, think of all the good Jesus can do if he can make food appear to feed others as well as himself. JoAnn or Harold can tell us how handy it would be to be able to refill shelves at MANNA food pantry when they get low. So this first temptation is relevant, isn’t it? It would certainly be good for Jesus to be able to take care of the physical needs of those around him.
But Jesus isn’t sucked into the devil’s temptation for him to be a miracle-worker. Jesus quotes the Hebrew scripture to remind the devil that it takes more than bread to really live, as Eugene Peterson puts it. This is certainly a reminder that most addictions start out very innocently, by our enjoying a substance or behavior which we eventually come to depend upon & make into a god. Bread—or food—is a good thing; it’s the overdependence upon it that is dangerous. Certainly, caring for another person is admirable. However, doing for other people what they can do for themselves ties both parties to an unhealthy relationship but also keeps either party from growing into the person whom God intended her or him to be. Overspending, gambling, workaholism, compulsive behaviors, inappropriate sexual relationships—all these are ways in which we are tempted by the pleasure principle. Which is most tempting to you?
The 2nd temptation is one especially relevant in today’s world: the temptation to power. The devil offers something he says has been given over to him: worldly authority. St. Paul calls this the principalities & powers—political or social or even religious power. The devil doesn’t want only allegiance from Jesus but actually asks Jesus to worship him.
Not many here today have much power as the world knows it, but I’ll bet each of us feels the allure of possessions at times, for those things which we don’t have & which they would cost our souls a lot to obtain? How many of us have often thought, “I would really be generous with my money if I just had my house paid for or a new car.” The worship of the devil of possessions can be our most common temptation. Let’s not assume, just because none of us worked for Enron or had stock in it, that we aren’t tempted by power & possessions. Jesus’ temptations were not unlike those which happen to us every day.
Finally, the devil takes Jesus to the very top of the Jerusalem temple & offers him a golden opportunity: the chance to win people over by glory & spectacle. The devil tempts Jesus to throw himself off the highest tower & force God into rescuing him, thus showcasing God’s power for all who see it. This is the temptation not only to get credit for doing something very good but to win followers in the midst of it all. Luke sets this temptation last because for Luke, everything begins & ends at the Jerusalem temple. “After all,” Jesus might say, “I only did it to prove how much God loves me, & you, too. It’s all for a good cause.”
The devil uses the oldest trick in the book in this temptation: he quotes scripture. Rather, he MIS-quotes Psalm 91, even one of the verses we recited this morning: “he shall give his angels charge over you, to keep you in all your ways.” Mis-quoting of scripture, either when one doesn’t understand it him or herself or deliberately distorting it, is incredibly popular behavior. How many of us have never done something very good for all the wrong reasons?
Jesus responds with another quote from scripture, “Do not put the Lord your God to the test.” What more can be said after this? How often do we try to bargain with God? Have you ever said, “O God, just get me out of this scrape & I’ll promise to go to church every Sunday, or tithe, or stay faithful to my spouse?”
A close cousin to this type of thinking is the person who says, when faced with tragedy, “Why me?” I think this temptation scene answers that. If Jesus struggled with temptations, who is exempt? After all, Jesus has just given himself to be baptized by John in the Jordan—he’s shown his full commitment to God—yet he’s still tempted. Why do we think it won’t happen to us? Clearly, temptations are simply part of life, an opportunity to indicate what loyalty is most important to us. In just this way, Jesus totally identifies with the rest of humanity. Jesus knows the depth of our temptations. He’s gone through them himself—& has prevailed. He has already won the victory for us.
During this week, we’re looking for inspiration to Dr. Martin Luther King in growing spiritually during Lent. How many times he must have thought, “I just need to go home & take care of my family & my church family. Others will have to march.” He tells in his writings that this was a constant temptation, yet he knew there was no one else who could hold together the tenets of non-violence along with an adequate face of protest. He told Anglo clergy leaders in his “Letter from the Birmingham Jail” that he was most disappointed in those moderate church people because of their silence. How many times have we kept silent & hoped others would stick their necks out for what we knew was right yet was uncomfortable? King could not stand by silently & call others to speak out, also.
Can we withstand temptation? Certainly not on our own. Surely we should know by now that Jesus expects us to call upon him to strengthen us to withstand temptation. Why do we wait until we’ve tried it on our own & failed to turn to him & have really gotten ourselves into a pickle? What are we waiting for? St. Paul tells us clearly what the criterion is: “if you confess with your lips that Jesus is Lord & believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”
Who is included in this salvation? All of us. Paul tells us also that there’s no distinction between Jew & Greek. MLK reminded us that meant our neighbors whom we would most like to rule out. Our current church debates in the national Episcopal Church & in the worldwide Anglican communion are, at one level at least, about whom we draw inside our circle & whom we exclude. Jesus came for us all, every one of us, & desires the gifts each of us share.
So, once we declare our hearts for Jesus Christ as Lord, our testing & temptations are over; right? Heavens, no! Look at the way the gospel for today ends: “When the devil had finished every test, he departed from him until the opportune time.” Even Jesus wasn’t through with the devil after the 3 temptations. We have the rest of the story, so we know that withstanding temptations is a lifelong business & that “the opportune time” is usually when we least expect it & are most vulnerable to it.
Therefore, we’re back 360 degrees to the reason why we need to experience the 40 days of Lent faithfully every year. As we turn to our own inner lives & try to lay ourselves open to the healing love of Christ during these next several weeks, we walk in solidarity with Christ—as well as with Martin Luther King—& to follow certain disciplines which help us to better withstand the temptations of the world, the flesh, & the devil. This week we’re focusing on discerning God’s purpose for our lives, or at least for this segment of them. We know that we’ll be tempted, Lord knows—literally—just as Jesus was, yet we gather together to withstand the love of possessions, of power & of hope of glory. How do we overcome the temptation to stand quietly in the midst of injustice & say nothing?
I hope that you have chosen some disciplines of prayer, study & action to sustain you through this Lenten season. If not, it’s not too late. If you don’t exactly know what to choose, hang around here on Wed nights & Sun mornings & perhaps even for Stations of the Cross on Friday evenings. May you meditate this week on your own brand of temptations & Christ’s offer to stand in solidarity with us through them.
Year C Lent I, 25 February 2007
Text: Luke 4: 1-13. Other Readings: Deuteronomy 26: 1-11; Psalm 91:1-2, 9-16; Romans 10:8b-13
We’re so used to this account of Jesus’ temptations in the wilderness that we may not recognize just how extraordinary it really is. What does it imply for our observance of a Holy Lent this year. We encounter Jesus immediately after his baptism when dove & voice from heaven have just affirmed Jesus as God’s only son, & he is full of the Holy Spirit. Poised on the brink of his public ministry, Jesus needs to make retreat before he begins to preach & teach & heal. I can certainly relate because I have a hard time finding even a week for retreat, & I’ll guarantee the only way Jesus is going to get 40 days away is to go before he gets to his first assignment.
There’s a deliberateness about the Spirit’s leading him into the desert; he doesn’t just wander out there. This retreat isn’t just a quiet time spent with God, however; he is out there all by himself & has to face himself, certainly a time when I find the devil coming out in my thoughts. Each temptation shows what sort of Messiah this Son of God is.
First is the temptation for a famished Jesus to give in to comfort & pleasure by turning stones into bread. Since God had done exactly that for Moses in the wilderness, it’s not such a far-fetched idea that the devil presents, is it? We all know we don’t do our best thinking when we haven’t had anything to eat, & Jesus has fasted for 40 days & nights. After all, think of all the good Jesus can do if he can make food appear to feed others as well as himself. JoAnn or Harold can tell us how handy it would be to be able to refill shelves at MANNA food pantry when they get low. So this first temptation is relevant, isn’t it? It would certainly be good for Jesus to be able to take care of the physical needs of those around him.
But Jesus isn’t sucked into the devil’s temptation for him to be a miracle-worker. Jesus quotes the Hebrew scripture to remind the devil that it takes more than bread to really live, as Eugene Peterson puts it. This is certainly a reminder that most addictions start out very innocently, by our enjoying a substance or behavior which we eventually come to depend upon & make into a god. Bread—or food—is a good thing; it’s the overdependence upon it that is dangerous. Certainly, caring for another person is admirable. However, doing for other people what they can do for themselves ties both parties to an unhealthy relationship but also keeps either party from growing into the person whom God intended her or him to be. Overspending, gambling, workaholism, compulsive behaviors, inappropriate sexual relationships—all these are ways in which we are tempted by the pleasure principle. Which is most tempting to you?
The 2nd temptation is one especially relevant in today’s world: the temptation to power. The devil offers something he says has been given over to him: worldly authority. St. Paul calls this the principalities & powers—political or social or even religious power. The devil doesn’t want only allegiance from Jesus but actually asks Jesus to worship him.
Not many here today have much power as the world knows it, but I’ll bet each of us feels the allure of possessions at times, for those things which we don’t have & which they would cost our souls a lot to obtain? How many of us have often thought, “I would really be generous with my money if I just had my house paid for or a new car.” The worship of the devil of possessions can be our most common temptation. Let’s not assume, just because none of us worked for Enron or had stock in it, that we aren’t tempted by power & possessions. Jesus’ temptations were not unlike those which happen to us every day.
Finally, the devil takes Jesus to the very top of the Jerusalem temple & offers him a golden opportunity: the chance to win people over by glory & spectacle. The devil tempts Jesus to throw himself off the highest tower & force God into rescuing him, thus showcasing God’s power for all who see it. This is the temptation not only to get credit for doing something very good but to win followers in the midst of it all. Luke sets this temptation last because for Luke, everything begins & ends at the Jerusalem temple. “After all,” Jesus might say, “I only did it to prove how much God loves me, & you, too. It’s all for a good cause.”
The devil uses the oldest trick in the book in this temptation: he quotes scripture. Rather, he MIS-quotes Psalm 91, even one of the verses we recited this morning: “he shall give his angels charge over you, to keep you in all your ways.” Mis-quoting of scripture, either when one doesn’t understand it him or herself or deliberately distorting it, is incredibly popular behavior. How many of us have never done something very good for all the wrong reasons?
Jesus responds with another quote from scripture, “Do not put the Lord your God to the test.” What more can be said after this? How often do we try to bargain with God? Have you ever said, “O God, just get me out of this scrape & I’ll promise to go to church every Sunday, or tithe, or stay faithful to my spouse?”
A close cousin to this type of thinking is the person who says, when faced with tragedy, “Why me?” I think this temptation scene answers that. If Jesus struggled with temptations, who is exempt? After all, Jesus has just given himself to be baptized by John in the Jordan—he’s shown his full commitment to God—yet he’s still tempted. Why do we think it won’t happen to us? Clearly, temptations are simply part of life, an opportunity to indicate what loyalty is most important to us. In just this way, Jesus totally identifies with the rest of humanity. Jesus knows the depth of our temptations. He’s gone through them himself—& has prevailed. He has already won the victory for us.
During this week, we’re looking for inspiration to Dr. Martin Luther King in growing spiritually during Lent. How many times he must have thought, “I just need to go home & take care of my family & my church family. Others will have to march.” He tells in his writings that this was a constant temptation, yet he knew there was no one else who could hold together the tenets of non-violence along with an adequate face of protest. He told Anglo clergy leaders in his “Letter from the Birmingham Jail” that he was most disappointed in those moderate church people because of their silence. How many times have we kept silent & hoped others would stick their necks out for what we knew was right yet was uncomfortable? King could not stand by silently & call others to speak out, also.
Can we withstand temptation? Certainly not on our own. Surely we should know by now that Jesus expects us to call upon him to strengthen us to withstand temptation. Why do we wait until we’ve tried it on our own & failed to turn to him & have really gotten ourselves into a pickle? What are we waiting for? St. Paul tells us clearly what the criterion is: “if you confess with your lips that Jesus is Lord & believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”
Who is included in this salvation? All of us. Paul tells us also that there’s no distinction between Jew & Greek. MLK reminded us that meant our neighbors whom we would most like to rule out. Our current church debates in the national Episcopal Church & in the worldwide Anglican communion are, at one level at least, about whom we draw inside our circle & whom we exclude. Jesus came for us all, every one of us, & desires the gifts each of us share.
So, once we declare our hearts for Jesus Christ as Lord, our testing & temptations are over; right? Heavens, no! Look at the way the gospel for today ends: “When the devil had finished every test, he departed from him until the opportune time.” Even Jesus wasn’t through with the devil after the 3 temptations. We have the rest of the story, so we know that withstanding temptations is a lifelong business & that “the opportune time” is usually when we least expect it & are most vulnerable to it.
Therefore, we’re back 360 degrees to the reason why we need to experience the 40 days of Lent faithfully every year. As we turn to our own inner lives & try to lay ourselves open to the healing love of Christ during these next several weeks, we walk in solidarity with Christ—as well as with Martin Luther King—& to follow certain disciplines which help us to better withstand the temptations of the world, the flesh, & the devil. This week we’re focusing on discerning God’s purpose for our lives, or at least for this segment of them. We know that we’ll be tempted, Lord knows—literally—just as Jesus was, yet we gather together to withstand the love of possessions, of power & of hope of glory. How do we overcome the temptation to stand quietly in the midst of injustice & say nothing?
I hope that you have chosen some disciplines of prayer, study & action to sustain you through this Lenten season. If not, it’s not too late. If you don’t exactly know what to choose, hang around here on Wed nights & Sun mornings & perhaps even for Stations of the Cross on Friday evenings. May you meditate this week on your own brand of temptations & Christ’s offer to stand in solidarity with us through them.
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