Readings: Genesis 2:15-17; 3:1-7 Matthew 4: 1-11
We pray: Holy God, at this moment of entering the time
of Lent, may we be open to your voice in our hearts and minds, allowing your
guiding light to shine strongly in all our lives and everything that we do and
say. May we keep learning how to be your
presence in this world. In Jesus name.
Amen.
Wouldn’t it be
great if we could turn stones into bread – just imagine how many people we
could feed, what a difference it would make to the starving people of the
world.
And if we could
all be superheros, winging our way around the trouble spots, stopping missiles
with our hands and holding tyrants by their heels from a great height until
they agreed to stop being nasty and manipulative.
And then if we
just had the power – just give us the running of the country for a few days, we
say – we would sort it out, make things right, bring about peace and ensure
equal distribution of food and keep everyone honest and ethical.
Wouldn’t it be
great?
Enter, stage left,
the devil with a bag of temptations slung over the shoulder.
Sitting back
waving a magic wand to sort hunger – how long before we would be choosing who
was deserving or forgetting that it is about people and caring and sharing
And when does the
superhero turn into the autocrat, judge and jury rolled into one?
And the power to
rule – would we really give it up after a few days, would it corrupt us without
our knowing.
Maybe there is
another way!
Jesus knew exactly
what was being thrown before him in the desert, these temptations that were
particularly enticing and very clever -
not too far different from the purpose of God in Jesus but just
insidious enough to bring about his downfall.
First of all he
was being offered the ability to seek solutions to his hunger outside the
sufficiency of God’s created world. When
something wasn’t working, use his own power to sort it rather than trusting in
God to satisfy his needs. It is one of
the things we know the most about in Jesus – his absolute trust in his Father
for all his needs. He said no – loud and
clear.
Then he was
presented with a picture of physical invulnerability – of proving God’s power
and presence by putting himself deliberately in danger. Jesus had a swift rebuttal to the scripture
quoted out of context – do not put God to the test – this is a misuse of power
in everyway. Imagine the impact giving
in to this temptation would have had on his journey to the cross. He said no.
The third
temptation is completely about control – think what he could do with the reins
of political power in his hands. The sweeping changes, the judgements, the
command and the violence. Jesus’
influence and persuasion to faith would come instead in a very different way –
through God alone and in teachings so removed from the domination and prestige
that was the temptation of the devil. He said no.
So how do we
identify temptation today – as a church and as individuals living the life of
faith? How do we say no, are our
temptations so gentle, so subtle that we don’t even notice we’ve taken a detour
from the way of Jesus, the uncompromising no has become maybe.
For instance, if
we can’t be spectacularly successful in our desire for a just and caring world,
are we tempted to just not try at all.
Are we tempted to
ignore the poor because we can’t make stones into bread?
Are we tempted to
give up on trying to make a difference to the world because we can’t be a
superhero?
Are we tempted to
ignore injustice and inhumanity because we don’t have the power to control the
world and don’t see how we could make a difference?
It’s that thing of
being overwhelmed by the immensity of what is before you and therefore choosing
to just not engage. That’s insidious and
subtle, isn’t it?
We as a Christian
faith over the centuries would have to own up to making poverty etc easy to
ignore. Belief that the poor and hungry
must have done something bad for God to have let this happen – or whether it is
brought on oneself by a lack of work ethic – or that they will get their reward
in the next world would be two prevailing ways of thinking in the western world
at least. And the opposite - do we still
carry a theology of (shall we call it) righteous prosperity – where we believe
that comfortable living demonstrates our faithfulness.
What are our
excesses that prevent the fair distribution of food and housing and safety and
education and health in this country? I
can’t answer that for you but I can look closely at my choices and
assumptions. How is my giving stacking
up against my privileges and my possessions?
As for being a
super hero – what is wrong with just being a hero – we are surrounded by them –
here in this church, this community, this city.
The ripples that go out from one act of helping are amazing. I want tell you about one from a few days
ago. I was coming out of a house in
Signal Hill Rd to discover an elderly gentleman staring rather bemusedly at a
huge (to him anyway) pile of soil that had to be carted bucket by bucket up at
least 30 steps to his garden. I didn’t
offer to help, did I (see, easy to remain outside of it – had things to do),
but he said that a young man had walked by, seen his dilemma and had offered to
help. Then this voice – hey, Margaret –
and it was Malcolm Gordon, who didn’t leave till it was all finished. Malcolm told me after that when his coming
along was referred to by the gentleman as lucky, he suggested that better words
might be that is was a godsend.
Beautiful.
The plate of
baking, the invite to a meal, the taking time to be a local hero in the name of
Christ – that is how to make a difference.
And then there is
the being in control thing – if only we had the power we could make it
right. We so have the power! Every time we vote in an election we have the
ability to question and the power to vote not on things that suit us but
policies that serve the dispossessed and the vulnerable.
Every time we
challenge racist or sexist comments or behaviour, in ourselves and in others,
when we stand up to speak to an issue or go on a march or write to the paper or
…hey you fill in the gaps here.
Workplace, home, on the street or at the club, wherever there is need to
stand up and say ‘this is not ok’.
At the beginning
of Lent might we take time to look at our lives and see where temptations have
insinuated themselves into our choices and attitudes. And may we celebrate every moment saying
no! And as we symbolically gather round
the table today, as we share bread and wine, may we look around and remember
and thank God for all those here who care, who share and who love – in Jesus
name.
Margaret Garland
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