"And the Spirit immediately drove [Jesus] out into the wilderness. He was in the wilderness forty days, tempted by Satan; and he was with the wild beasts; and the angels waited on him." (Mark 1:12-13)
Through very extensive study this week I have discovered that another word for "tempted" in this passage is "tested."
Tempted has a connotation of sin. Tested has a connotation of doing battle, or being purified or galvanized or clarified. Again, I think that the scholars who include "being tested" along with "being tempted" in this passgage are onto something.
I can see how and why God may have wanted to test Jesus. He was about ready to embark upon a great piece of work, and that was to bring us back to God, to give his life on the cross for us, to show us the way of faithfulness. In order to proceed on his work God needed to know and Jesus himself needed to know if he could pass the test of Satan, the test of whether he was going to serve another Master other than God, the test of whether his mission was going to be for himself or for us and for God.
We all get tested. I know that many of you are facing real and challenging tests right now. Why don’t you think about calling on Jesus to help you face into and pass your tests? He knows all "testings" that we face—that is one of the reasons why he came to this earth. And if you fail, as we all have done and as we all will continue to do, then throw yourselves onto his mercy. Don’t make excuses for your failures. Don’t blame anyone else. It is not worthy of you. But do, again, trust in his mercy. It was imperative that Jesus pass this first test for many reasons. One of which was that in passing this test and ultimately in facing his final test, the cross, his forgiveness is real for you and for me.
Saturday, February 28, 2009
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
Jesus Told us to Turn Around - Day 3
The first recorded words we hear from Jesus in Mark’s gospel are these: “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has come near; repent, and believe in the good news (1:15).”
The word “repent” means turn around, change your mind, your direction, your orientation. The word doesn’t mean beat your breast. It doesn’t mean feel total and unremitting shame, remorse, guilt. And yes, I know that this is how the word is often used; and yes I know that many of us have been beaten up by the word. But anybody who has done that to you didn’t do his or her homework. Anybody who did that to you was working out his or her own agenda and was not working for Jesus.
When Jesus says “repent” he is saying come back to me, come back to my love. He is saying, “Dearest Brother, dearest sister, if you keep on going that way you are going to get lost, in trouble; you are going to get hungry; you are going to hurt your self or someone you love.” Repent is a loving word. It can be a strong word, even a fierce word, but it is, again, always a word about love.
So, how might you need to repent this Lent? Turn around? Come back home to God? Come back home to yourself, your best self, the self God made you to be? Don’t be ashamed to ask for directions. Consult the map. God is home.
The word “repent” means turn around, change your mind, your direction, your orientation. The word doesn’t mean beat your breast. It doesn’t mean feel total and unremitting shame, remorse, guilt. And yes, I know that this is how the word is often used; and yes I know that many of us have been beaten up by the word. But anybody who has done that to you didn’t do his or her homework. Anybody who did that to you was working out his or her own agenda and was not working for Jesus.
When Jesus says “repent” he is saying come back to me, come back to my love. He is saying, “Dearest Brother, dearest sister, if you keep on going that way you are going to get lost, in trouble; you are going to get hungry; you are going to hurt your self or someone you love.” Repent is a loving word. It can be a strong word, even a fierce word, but it is, again, always a word about love.
So, how might you need to repent this Lent? Turn around? Come back home to God? Come back home to yourself, your best self, the self God made you to be? Don’t be ashamed to ask for directions. Consult the map. God is home.
Jesus Likes Doughnuts - Day 2
Yes, I know that this is a clever heading, but I am trying to get your attention. So often I hear people say that they are giving up doughnuts or chocolate or ice cream or…for Lent. I think most such "deprivations" are rather silly. I think most such "sacrifices" trivialize Lent, and completely miss the point of what Jesus has done for us.
It says in the gospel of Luke that "when the days drew near for him to be taken up, he [Jesus] set his face to go to Jerusalem." (9:51) Jesus gives up his life for us and we give up doughnuts for him. That now sounds silly to you too, doesn’t it?
So, let us get real. I am all for giving things up, but what do you need to give up that gets in the way of you following Jesus, being Jesus for others, loving like Jesus, forgiving like Jesus, trusting like Jesus, and making disciples for Jesus? Fear would be one. Worry and anxiety would be others. Lack of faith or of courage, they, too, would work.
It is easier to give up doughnuts than giving up control. But don’t fool yourself and certainly don’t try to fool Jesus. He would rather have your life than your doughnut abstinence. Don’t give up doughnuts for Jesus. He doesn’t want them. Give up something that will actually change your life.
It says in the gospel of Luke that "when the days drew near for him to be taken up, he [Jesus] set his face to go to Jerusalem." (9:51) Jesus gives up his life for us and we give up doughnuts for him. That now sounds silly to you too, doesn’t it?
So, let us get real. I am all for giving things up, but what do you need to give up that gets in the way of you following Jesus, being Jesus for others, loving like Jesus, forgiving like Jesus, trusting like Jesus, and making disciples for Jesus? Fear would be one. Worry and anxiety would be others. Lack of faith or of courage, they, too, would work.
It is easier to give up doughnuts than giving up control. But don’t fool yourself and certainly don’t try to fool Jesus. He would rather have your life than your doughnut abstinence. Don’t give up doughnuts for Jesus. He doesn’t want them. Give up something that will actually change your life.
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
Jesus Didn't Like Grandstanding Piety (Ash Wednesday)
In today’s gospel lesson (Mt. 6: 1-6, 16-21) Jesus says, "Beware of practicing your piety before others in order to be seen by them; for then you have no reward from your Father in heaven."
What are we to do with this admonition on the day when many of us will be walking around with ashes on our foreheads?
I think what Jesus is saying in this scripture is that we must do our piety, our acts of ritual, our worship, for our souls and for our connection with God and not for anyone else. He doesn’t want us to play Pious-Peter or Holier-than-Thou-Holly.
Jesus also doesn’t want us to divorce any pious acts or observances from real and significant inner transformation and soul-changing. If we go through our rituals and they don’t change us, then something is missing. If we go through our rituals and we are not impacted, then we are playing magic and we give no glory to God.
Today, with the ashes on your forehead—what will change for you? How will thinking about your mortality help you to change some aspect of your life? How do you need to turn around, make amends, surrender, say that you're sorry, say thank you, give praise? Let the ashes prompt real questions and real commitment.
What are we to do with this admonition on the day when many of us will be walking around with ashes on our foreheads?
I think what Jesus is saying in this scripture is that we must do our piety, our acts of ritual, our worship, for our souls and for our connection with God and not for anyone else. He doesn’t want us to play Pious-Peter or Holier-than-Thou-Holly.
Jesus also doesn’t want us to divorce any pious acts or observances from real and significant inner transformation and soul-changing. If we go through our rituals and they don’t change us, then something is missing. If we go through our rituals and we are not impacted, then we are playing magic and we give no glory to God.
Today, with the ashes on your forehead—what will change for you? How will thinking about your mortality help you to change some aspect of your life? How do you need to turn around, make amends, surrender, say that you're sorry, say thank you, give praise? Let the ashes prompt real questions and real commitment.
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