Luke 4:1-13
Temptation. “I can resist everything except temptation,” Oscar Wilde is reported to have said. And so we begin our Lent, once again, with thoughts of temptation; with Jesus being tempted by Satan in the wilderness.
As I searched for images to put on the front of this week’s bulletin, I came across one entitled “Jesus in the Wilderness.” It showed a flowing stream in the middle of a forest with birds flying about and small animals cavorting with Jesus sitting on a rock beside the stream. Though yes, that is the idea of wilderness for some, it’s not what I envision when I hear that Jesus was in the wilderness for 40 days and nights.
I envision an inhospitable place: rocks and sand and grit and little else. No flowing streams, no birdies or small animals, no lush greenery. It’s an austere place where temptations are held in a harsh light. Jesus’ temptations came at a time of deprivation. Jesus was in the midst of the wilderness for a long time: 40 days. But Jesus entered the wilderness as we are told, “filled with the Holy Spirit.” He was armed against the wilderness and against encountering Satan.
Let’s look at this for a bit. Jesus had just been baptized by John in the Jordan River. The last thing Jesus hears, after the Holy Spirit descends on him, is a voice from heaven, saying “You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased.” Jesus is well-armed for the wilderness. We are told that that same Spirit led Jesus into the wilderness.
There, we are told, he is tempted by the devil for all those 40 days. We hear of three specific temptations that Jesus encountered. In each case Jesus quotes his scripture in order to rebuff: “One does not live by bread alone,” he says. “Worship the Lord your God and serve only him,” he replies to the 2nd temptation & finally “do not put the Lord your God to the test.” Jesus reaches back into his holy scripture, since all three rebuffs come from the book of Deuteronomy. And Jesus relies on God to repel these advances.
Jesus is at his weakest point here. He is hungry and has been in the wilderness for 40 days. And the devil knows exactly with what to tempt him. Turn stone into bread? Most of us would do so at that point if we were able.
But Jesus is also at his strongest: he’s just come through the baptism experience and is accompanied by the Spirit. Again, the devil knows just what to tempt him with: heady with the Spirit, he is shown power and popularity.
It’s because of his weakness and his strength that Jesus is most vulnerable to the temptations that he faces. But it is relying on scripture and God that he is able to withstand the temptations and remain pure.
What temptations face us: both individually and as a church? With what does evil creep up, tap us on the shoulder and show us something shiny and new and try to lead us down a new, not so faithful, path?
We are attracted by the things our society dangles in front of us as rewards or inducements. We are naturally drawn to many things that our culture says we must have because of the very fact that we have been a part of this culture. But are they rewards or temptations? If we grasp at them are we merely giving into these temptations?
Temptations can face you in the midst of your weakness or out of your strength. Think for a moment of your weak points; things you aren’t so good about. It‘s easy to see how temptations might come when you are at your weakest point. “Here, let me strengthen you,” you suddenly hear. Instead of living through your weakness, you seek to live around it, tempted to go an easy route.
But how do temptations attack us at our strengths? Well think of your strong points. Perhaps you need a little more time to think of something. Most people would. At least to make a list of things at which they’re strong. Because most of us have been brought up to put forth modesty. Religious puritanism, of which our culture is so good, forces us to not think too highly of ourselves. And it’s just in that moment of false modesty that we are open to temptation.
And it’s the same for our church as it is for us individually. Our church is tempted just the same that each of us who belong to it are. What are our weakest points? Our size? Our introvertedness? What are our strengths? Our attention to the community outside? Our sense of mission? Our sense of community? How can we be tempted out of these weaknesses and strengths?
How do avoid these temptations, especially now that we have a visioning committee in place and we look to the future? What temptations must we avoid as we seek God’s will for us? How do we know if we’re hearing the voice of God or hearing the voice of our culture?
These are not easy questions and I won’t pretend to have the answer for them. But we can follow Jesus’ example. We can remember to return to scripture continually as we answer these questions. And we can seek to keep God a part of our deliberations.
Indeed, we are called to the wilderness, especially during this time of Lent. Lent is traditionally a time of introspection; a time to look at ourselves and see how we might be tempted to move away from our call; how we might be tempted to be popular rather than godly; how we might be tempted to be important rather than faithful. Keep faith that you will know temptation and can, with God’s help, resist it.
18 February 2007
Luke 9:28-43a
John Newton wrote the hymn we are about to sing in a few minutes, a hymn with which you are assuredly familiar. Amazing Grace is a hymn that speaks of metanoia, or change, like none other.
This Sunday has been declared Amazing Grace Sunday and throughout the US and Canada thousands of churches are singing this hymn and celebrating the anniversary of something special. 200 years ago this year, the British Parliament ended the slave trade, putting an end to the horrific trading in human lives. Though unfortunately, slavery still exists in our world with thousands of people still working in conditions today that can only be described as actual slavery.
But it’s also, as it says on your bulletin, Transfiguration Sunday; the day when Jesus and some of his disciples climbed a mountain and Jesus’ figure changed.
So how do we put these two special events together—one an age old tradition of the story of Jesus on the mountaintop and one a new movement to bring about the change in our world that would end slavery.
But let’s talk about John Newton a bit. Newton was a sailor as a young man. He became involved in the slave trade eventually captaining a slave vessel. In 1748, he had a change and converted to Christianity, giving up on the slave trade and eventually studying for and applying to the Anglican Church for ordination. Amazing Grace is thus an autobiographical hymn describing Newton’s own change: “I once was lost, but now am found, was blind but now I see.” Newton realized his complicity by being involved in the slave trade and repented of his part in it.
So it’s appropriate that as we think of the modern-day slave trade, we reflect on John Newton and his friend William Wilberforce, the British Member of Parliament who fought to push through the legislation which ended slavery throughout the entire British Empire in 1807. Unfortunately it was too late for the United States where slavery was an integral part of the economy and would not end until the Civil War and the Emancipation Proclamation, almost 60 years later.
Wilberforce fought against the mores of the day to pass his legislation. It was certainly an uphill battle but through years of campaigning, with friends such as John Newton by his side, eventually won the freedom of all indentured human beings in the British Empire.
It takes a change such as happened to Newton in the course of his life, to come around to fight for societal movement. And unfortunately, even 200 years later, there is a need still for the fight to end slavery.
Change within us is a hallmark of the Christian experience. We can’t all be like Jesus though who climbs a mountain and whose very image is transfigured. Most of us come to a realization, like Newton, that we must change our lives and turn away from old habits and ways of doing things.
Now, I must admit that most of us won’t have a dramatic change such as Newton’s: from sea captain to clergyperson. But our changes may be quieter, more simple but just as forceful.
It could be even as simple as following your Christian faith to lead you to contact your representatives more often about events of our day and age that they have the power to have an effect on. We all can’t be William Wilberforces, residing in a seat of power. But the power of our change is easily translatable to power in our world when we become active on behalf of those who have no voice.
Change is an important part of our faith. Changing from ways that are no longer useful to us; changing to new ways of being, new methods of living out the faith.
The change for us has to come from within; welling up from our souls to effect a change on our behavior and being. Transformation must be first and foremost an internal event, be it for us individually or as a congregation.
But transformation is always needed. We are always in a place in which we can turn from old ways to new methods. It may be from complacency to action, or from an inactive prayer life to one of contemplation and vigorous prayer. Transformation takes deep personal reflection and a willingness to look closely at oneself. Change involves the type of contemplation that delves deeply into one’s soul and seeks out those ways of being that are outmoded. It is not simply navel gazing, looking at oneself just for the sake of looking. It is a seeking; a chance to look at one’s own being and effect that change that will change the world.
We can begin by thinking about world slavery and acting to bring an end to it; by realizing that the slavery of thousands of people in this day and age is not acceptable and becoming the John Newtons and William Wilberforces of our day and age.
On the back table I have put some petitions out that you can sign to end modern-day slavery. Only through the transformation of millions of people to realize these horrific conditions continue into our day and age can global change be affected.
As you think about your own change and ways that you might turn around and bring about transformation in your church, your community, your world, let us stop for a moment and sing John Newton’s hymn that speaks of personal change and God’s grace in making it happen.
John Newton wrote the hymn we are about to sing in a few minutes, a hymn with which you are assuredly familiar. Amazing Grace is a hymn that speaks of metanoia, or change, like none other.
This Sunday has been declared Amazing Grace Sunday and throughout the US and Canada thousands of churches are singing this hymn and celebrating the anniversary of something special. 200 years ago this year, the British Parliament ended the slave trade, putting an end to the horrific trading in human lives. Though unfortunately, slavery still exists in our world with thousands of people still working in conditions today that can only be described as actual slavery.
But it’s also, as it says on your bulletin, Transfiguration Sunday; the day when Jesus and some of his disciples climbed a mountain and Jesus’ figure changed.
So how do we put these two special events together—one an age old tradition of the story of Jesus on the mountaintop and one a new movement to bring about the change in our world that would end slavery.
But let’s talk about John Newton a bit. Newton was a sailor as a young man. He became involved in the slave trade eventually captaining a slave vessel. In 1748, he had a change and converted to Christianity, giving up on the slave trade and eventually studying for and applying to the Anglican Church for ordination. Amazing Grace is thus an autobiographical hymn describing Newton’s own change: “I once was lost, but now am found, was blind but now I see.” Newton realized his complicity by being involved in the slave trade and repented of his part in it.
So it’s appropriate that as we think of the modern-day slave trade, we reflect on John Newton and his friend William Wilberforce, the British Member of Parliament who fought to push through the legislation which ended slavery throughout the entire British Empire in 1807. Unfortunately it was too late for the United States where slavery was an integral part of the economy and would not end until the Civil War and the Emancipation Proclamation, almost 60 years later.
Wilberforce fought against the mores of the day to pass his legislation. It was certainly an uphill battle but through years of campaigning, with friends such as John Newton by his side, eventually won the freedom of all indentured human beings in the British Empire.
It takes a change such as happened to Newton in the course of his life, to come around to fight for societal movement. And unfortunately, even 200 years later, there is a need still for the fight to end slavery.
Change within us is a hallmark of the Christian experience. We can’t all be like Jesus though who climbs a mountain and whose very image is transfigured. Most of us come to a realization, like Newton, that we must change our lives and turn away from old habits and ways of doing things.
Now, I must admit that most of us won’t have a dramatic change such as Newton’s: from sea captain to clergyperson. But our changes may be quieter, more simple but just as forceful.
It could be even as simple as following your Christian faith to lead you to contact your representatives more often about events of our day and age that they have the power to have an effect on. We all can’t be William Wilberforces, residing in a seat of power. But the power of our change is easily translatable to power in our world when we become active on behalf of those who have no voice.
Change is an important part of our faith. Changing from ways that are no longer useful to us; changing to new ways of being, new methods of living out the faith.
The change for us has to come from within; welling up from our souls to effect a change on our behavior and being. Transformation must be first and foremost an internal event, be it for us individually or as a congregation.
But transformation is always needed. We are always in a place in which we can turn from old ways to new methods. It may be from complacency to action, or from an inactive prayer life to one of contemplation and vigorous prayer. Transformation takes deep personal reflection and a willingness to look closely at oneself. Change involves the type of contemplation that delves deeply into one’s soul and seeks out those ways of being that are outmoded. It is not simply navel gazing, looking at oneself just for the sake of looking. It is a seeking; a chance to look at one’s own being and effect that change that will change the world.
We can begin by thinking about world slavery and acting to bring an end to it; by realizing that the slavery of thousands of people in this day and age is not acceptable and becoming the John Newtons and William Wilberforces of our day and age.
On the back table I have put some petitions out that you can sign to end modern-day slavery. Only through the transformation of millions of people to realize these horrific conditions continue into our day and age can global change be affected.
As you think about your own change and ways that you might turn around and bring about transformation in your church, your community, your world, let us stop for a moment and sing John Newton’s hymn that speaks of personal change and God’s grace in making it happen.
11 February 2007
070211ser
Luke 6:17-26
There’s a problem with today’s scripture from Luke. The Beatitudes, as we call them, are familiar enough. We’ve heard them before. But that’s not the problem. The problem is that we’d rather hear them from Matthew. We don’t necessarily like Luke’s version.
Luke tells us:
The poor are blessed;
The hungry are blessed;
The weeping and sorrowful are blessed;
The persecuted are blessed.
However
The rich are cursed;
The well-fed are cursed;
The laughing are cursed;
The popular are cursed.
My goodness. It is unsettling. We do prefer Matthew’s version in which the beatitudes are spiritualized. It’s the “poor in sprit” who are blessed; those who “hunger & thirst for righteousness” who are blessed. And Matthew leaves off the curses completely.
As much as Matthew’s version of this sermon is spiritualized, Luke’s version is earthy and unsettling. Luke leaves us wondering exactly where we stand. Matthew allows some wiggle room for us to be included. And we like that better.
It’s important to note that Luke’s beatitudes occur immediately after healings. Jesus does the word as well as speaks it. It’s active as well as audible; bringing more power to the sermon.
Jesus recognizes that he’s come to a broken world; a world of tears and actual hunger and aching poverty. A world that hasn’t changed much in the past 2,000 years, I might add. Jesus knows that he cannot possible heal the whole world but brings comfort to those who are hungry, who are sorrowing, who are poor, who are persecuted.
And he gets a dig in at those who are on the opposite side of the coin: the wealthy, the well-fed, the happy, the popular. Woe to them, Jesus says. And I don’t know about you, but I identify more with the 2nd set of people than with the 1st set. And I’m not sure where that leaves me.
The entirety of Luke’s gospel is all about economic justice as we would call it today. The lowest of the low are exalted in Luke’s gospel. Mary, a simple hand-maiden as she describes herself, is chosen as the one who will bear the messiah. The angels at Jesus’ birth, appear to shepherds, the poorest of the society at the time. And that’s just the beginning of Luke’s gospel. Throughout Luke’s gospel, Jesus expresses his concern for the poor. And these beatitudes are no different; this concern for the poor comes through loud and clear.
According to biblical scholar Rev. John Shearman, “The recent work of the Jesus Scholars group, *The Complete Gospels,* (edited by Robert J. Miller, Polebridge Press, 1992), gives a different slant to both the Beatitudes and the Woes. The word "Blessed" (Greek =*makarios*) becomes ‘Congratulations, "because it "better expresses the performative language of the Beatitudes, which grant the recipient recognition of good fortune.’ Similarly, ‘Woe to you...’ becomes ‘Damn you...’, giving a more forceful if colloquial meaning to what is essentially a total condemnation of those who seek riches, pleasures and public prestige for their own sake. This change brings the sense of prophetic judgment more effectively to our modern ear.”
As a church we are happy and full and doing okay. And clearly as a society, we would ignore these verses of Luke’s as we raise up the rich and exclude the poor. We don’t like this “damn you” approach of Luke’s nor do we like being excluded from the blessings. We’re filled with those who adulate shows such as “Who Wants to be a Millionaire.” Lotteries, which Allen’s sister describes as a tax on those who are bad at math, are all the rage as many in our culture attempt to become rich fast.
Woe on us when we treasure wealth more than Jesus’ words; when we adulate popularity and happiness over doing the right thing. These beatitudes of Jesus begin the sermon on the plain in Luke’s gospel; a sermon in which Jesus lays out the ethics for living as a follower of Christ. This is just the beginning.
We, as Jesus did, are to identify with the poor and the sorrowing. That’s to whom we’re sent and are to minister to. That’s who we are to be among as Jesus’ followers.
We may not like hearing these words. But hear them we must. God’s preference, throughout the Bible, as I have said before, is with the poor. Jesus makes that clear in today’s reading.
We have choices to make; choices about what we will do with our wealth, with our food, with our popularity. These choices, these decisions are made on a daily, sometimes hourly, basis. We make them without thinking about them.
Jesus calls us to think about them; to avoid the curses and join in on the blessings. Make your choices wisely.
Luke 6:17-26
There’s a problem with today’s scripture from Luke. The Beatitudes, as we call them, are familiar enough. We’ve heard them before. But that’s not the problem. The problem is that we’d rather hear them from Matthew. We don’t necessarily like Luke’s version.
Luke tells us:
The poor are blessed;
The hungry are blessed;
The weeping and sorrowful are blessed;
The persecuted are blessed.
However
The rich are cursed;
The well-fed are cursed;
The laughing are cursed;
The popular are cursed.
My goodness. It is unsettling. We do prefer Matthew’s version in which the beatitudes are spiritualized. It’s the “poor in sprit” who are blessed; those who “hunger & thirst for righteousness” who are blessed. And Matthew leaves off the curses completely.
As much as Matthew’s version of this sermon is spiritualized, Luke’s version is earthy and unsettling. Luke leaves us wondering exactly where we stand. Matthew allows some wiggle room for us to be included. And we like that better.
It’s important to note that Luke’s beatitudes occur immediately after healings. Jesus does the word as well as speaks it. It’s active as well as audible; bringing more power to the sermon.
Jesus recognizes that he’s come to a broken world; a world of tears and actual hunger and aching poverty. A world that hasn’t changed much in the past 2,000 years, I might add. Jesus knows that he cannot possible heal the whole world but brings comfort to those who are hungry, who are sorrowing, who are poor, who are persecuted.
And he gets a dig in at those who are on the opposite side of the coin: the wealthy, the well-fed, the happy, the popular. Woe to them, Jesus says. And I don’t know about you, but I identify more with the 2nd set of people than with the 1st set. And I’m not sure where that leaves me.
The entirety of Luke’s gospel is all about economic justice as we would call it today. The lowest of the low are exalted in Luke’s gospel. Mary, a simple hand-maiden as she describes herself, is chosen as the one who will bear the messiah. The angels at Jesus’ birth, appear to shepherds, the poorest of the society at the time. And that’s just the beginning of Luke’s gospel. Throughout Luke’s gospel, Jesus expresses his concern for the poor. And these beatitudes are no different; this concern for the poor comes through loud and clear.
According to biblical scholar Rev. John Shearman, “The recent work of the Jesus Scholars group, *The Complete Gospels,* (edited by Robert J. Miller, Polebridge Press, 1992), gives a different slant to both the Beatitudes and the Woes. The word "Blessed" (Greek =*makarios*) becomes ‘Congratulations, "because it "better expresses the performative language of the Beatitudes, which grant the recipient recognition of good fortune.’ Similarly, ‘Woe to you...’ becomes ‘Damn you...’, giving a more forceful if colloquial meaning to what is essentially a total condemnation of those who seek riches, pleasures and public prestige for their own sake. This change brings the sense of prophetic judgment more effectively to our modern ear.”
As a church we are happy and full and doing okay. And clearly as a society, we would ignore these verses of Luke’s as we raise up the rich and exclude the poor. We don’t like this “damn you” approach of Luke’s nor do we like being excluded from the blessings. We’re filled with those who adulate shows such as “Who Wants to be a Millionaire.” Lotteries, which Allen’s sister describes as a tax on those who are bad at math, are all the rage as many in our culture attempt to become rich fast.
Woe on us when we treasure wealth more than Jesus’ words; when we adulate popularity and happiness over doing the right thing. These beatitudes of Jesus begin the sermon on the plain in Luke’s gospel; a sermon in which Jesus lays out the ethics for living as a follower of Christ. This is just the beginning.
We, as Jesus did, are to identify with the poor and the sorrowing. That’s to whom we’re sent and are to minister to. That’s who we are to be among as Jesus’ followers.
We may not like hearing these words. But hear them we must. God’s preference, throughout the Bible, as I have said before, is with the poor. Jesus makes that clear in today’s reading.
We have choices to make; choices about what we will do with our wealth, with our food, with our popularity. These choices, these decisions are made on a daily, sometimes hourly, basis. We make them without thinking about them.
Jesus calls us to think about them; to avoid the curses and join in on the blessings. Make your choices wisely.
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