(All texts in this post are in accordance with the Revised Common Lectionary and taken from New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright 1989 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Church of Christ in the USA)
On this first Sunday in Lent, we begin where we left off on the First Sunday after Epiphany; after Jesus' baptism by John, with Jesus driven by the Spirit into the wilderness for forty days; the forty days we commemorate during this season of Lent. We find ourselves with a weary and worn out Jesus, who has been fasting and praying.
As we walk with Jesus through the wilderness on this side of life, we hear, along with Jesus, the tempting voice (personified as the devil) telling Jesus - telling us - showing Jesus - showing us what could be if we just give up and give into the momentary illusion of perpetual self-gratification, popularity, and power.
There's a great deal of human logic in this voice. Its worldly wisdom resonates with our pragmatic, albeit short-sighted perspectives, of looking out for "number one - prompting us to ignore the messes of the present and choose those elusive, greener-looking pastures that are always just beyond our reach.
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We see Jesus resisting with every ounce of his being:To the temptation of perpetual self-gratification, the temptation to turn stone into bread - to fulfill one's desires whenever and with whatever is available, Jesus says, "It is written, 'Man does not live on bread alone.'" (Deuteronomy 8:3)
To the allure of become the darling of the world, if he would give in and bow a little - just says please - Jesus says, "It is written, 'worship the Lord your God and serve him only.'" (Deuteronomy 6:13)
The greatest challenge is save for last; tempting Jesus to test himself in order to get and answer to that perennial existential question, "Who am I?"
"Who am I?" - "Who are we?" form a subconscious loop prompting us to define who we are as individuals and groups at any given moment or situation. In the moment of Jesus' fasting and prayer, the challenge was, "Who are you Jesus?"
"Are you really God's son?"
Doubt can be a burden too great to bear. The human mind wants to know - And all Jesus had to do to get the devil off his back and out of his head was to prove the he was God's son.
To make this more challenging, the devil takes Jesus (takes us to the pinnacle of the Temple) God's house on earth:
"Surely, if you are who you say you are; God's son (God's children), surely God won't let something bad happen to you in God's own house - in his own back yard!"
"Are you who you think you are? Why don't you jump and find out?"
"Do you really have faith in God, because if you don't jump, are you too afraid to find out?"
"Jump - Prove your faith."
"Is God really watching out for you?"
"Come on - take a good look at yourself, Jesus. You've been through the wringer these past forty days. You're a mess."
"Where's your abba - your daddy in all of this? Is he even here?"
"You want to know, don't you? I know you do"
"Jump."
"It'll be a win/win outcome for you. If God saves you, fine, - I go away. If not... well - at least you won't be living... a lie."
"Surely, God will send his angels to protect you." (Psalm 91:11&12)
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We are all subjected to such inner dialogues. We are constantly tempted to go for the greener-looking pastures on this side of life, to bow to the temporal; to be a god for a season -
And why not? What do we have to lose?
Win/win - right?
Let's face it, it's hard to resist the vistas of temporal reality, hard to ignore the voices both out there and in here (inside one's head), challenging - questioning us to prove who we are and what we're made of.
At the end of Luke's wilderness narrative, Jesus puts aside the need to prove himself and choose, instead, to listen to that voice which was still ringing in his ears of his heart, after his baptism; the voice of God saying, "You are my beloved, my son, in you I am well pleased." (Luke 3:22)
The same voice that spoke to our hearts in our baptisms - "You are mine and I am well pleased with you." This too forms a continuous loop at the level of our hearts - that whispers ever so gently along with every one of our heat beats, in every moment and situation on this side of life.
The narrative we heard today in Luke is nothing more than a continuation of the narrative that started back in Genesis when this world-wise, serpentine voice got into Eve's head, telling her she had nothing to worry about (a win/win situation) about eating the forbidden fruit - that she'd become like God. (Genesis 3) It's a narrative that continues with us today.
Jesus, listening to the voice of God ringing in the ears of his heart, sent the Devil packing for the moment with these words, "It is written, 'Do not put the Lord your God to the test.'" (Deuteronomy 6:15)
In Jesus's final response the devil's true agenda is exposed; trying to get God to jump.
What tests us tests God. We are, after all, made in God's image. We are God's children.
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Throughout Luke's narrative, Jesus's responses were taken from the Book of Deuteronomy - Each one contains a sermon in itself. We would do well to fill our mind with such scriptures as to take up enough space to limit the type of mental challenges that try to creep in.
The apostle Paul quoted Deuteronomy in his letter to the Romans this morning. (Roman 10:8b-13) He reminded us, "the word is near you, on you lips and in your heart." (Deuteronomy 30:14)
St. Benedict, in his monastic rule, says, "Listen... and turn... with the ear of your hearts." (Prologue to the Rule of Benedict)
We are free to choose to live in our heads - or - we can live from the heart, the dwelling place of God, the place where God speaks to us.
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Lent is an old English word meaning Spring - a season of transition and change. Turning - changing is a constant process on this side of life. We humans are, after all, seasonal creatures and creatures for a season.
We have come to associate the Season of Lent with reflection and repentance; as in, taking into account what we've done and what we left undone and trying to amend or adjust our lives and way of thinking.
The Franciscan contemplative and theologian, Richard Rohr tells us that the true meaning of repent is to "change our perspective" to look at things differently.
("Alternative Orthodoxy - Week I - A Different World View," Richard Rohr's Daily Meditation, Center for Action and Contemplation, February 7, 2016)
Change is inevitable. The only choice we really have with the challenges that changes bring is how to view them.
A Holy Lent literally means, "Other Spring."
A Holy Lent invites us to look at this side of life "otherly; " from the heart rather than the head and to listen to voice that gently bears us up - the voice that says, "You are mine."
Until next time, stay faithful.
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