Live Out God’s Will – Sermon 22 February, 2015

Live Out God’s Will
Hope and Our Christian Journey
Mark 1:9-15, Matthew 4:1-11
Adapted from the Bible Study resource prepared by UnitingWorld for Lent.
Opening prayer
Lord, remove the scales from our eyes this Lenten season and enable us to swallow our human pride so that we can respond to your call in our lives – especially when it challenges us. Amen.
Nathan Eddy (editor) 2014 Fresh from the Word, 93
Lent is upon us! The 40 days before Easter is a dedicated period of reflection on the life of Jesus – his sacrifice, suffering, death, burial and resurrection. It is an opportune time for introspection on our own life and how we put our faith into action. Historically, this is a time to sacrifice something to learn what it means to rely on God and share what we with those who are less fortunate.
In Jesus’ forty days in the wilderness, without earthly comfort, he found sustenance in his relationship with God. Similarly, we are invited to participate in an expression of God’s mercy and grace by giving up something we’d struggle to do without, and donating the money saved to life-changing community development projects through UnitingWorld.
Lent is a period in the Christian calendar that’s associated with some important traditions, including:
Journeying with Jesus toward Jerusalem and beyond
The gospel writers Matthew, Mark and Luke present Jesus’ journey toward Jerusalem as an invitation for us to join Him on the way. According to Luke’s gospel, immediately after Jesus ‘set his face to go to Jerusalem’ (9:51) comes the narrative of ‘the would-be followers of Jesus’ (9:57-62). All three men for various reasons did not follow Jesus on the journey. Luke’s question for us, therefore, is will we follow Jesus on the way to Jerusalem, or do we have other more urgent tasks to attend to? Through this Lent we journey with Jesus to Jerusalem and beyond. We do this as disciples of Jesus today.
Engaging in the (re)building of relationships
The essence of Easter is about reconciliation – the renewed relationship of humanity with God, of humanity with each other, and with God’s ‘very good’ creation. Lent provides an occasion for us to mend broken relationships and build new ones and the opportunity to right the wrongs of both past and present. Lent also provides an opportunity to repent from the ways in which we trample upon the Earth.
Imposing limitations
Various practices of self-imposed limitations and restraint are usually exercised during Lent. These include observing a fast, giving up unhealthy habits, foregoing some level of comfort and luxury or giving up certain foods and drinks. The motivation for such self-imposed limitations is quite noble – it is not simply an inward journey of desiring to be more Christlike, but also an outward journey of being an agent of God’s love and compassion to a world that is hurting. To be Christ-like is to move toward a fuller realisation and sense of our common humanity and Lent provides an occasion for us to give up a part of ourselves in order that another may have the chance to live.
Traditionally, the gospel reading at the start of the Lenten season focuses on the temptation of Jesus as told by Matthew. Traditional interpretations of the 3 temptations say that the devil tempted Jesus with food and pleasure, power, glory, wealth and popularity. However, the devil’s role in the temptations is far more subtle and points us to an understanding of our call to live today’s will of God.
What main challenge does the story of Jesus’ Temptation has for us?
The story of the temptation of Jesus occurs immediately after his baptism by John in the Jordan, during which the Spirit of God came down on him and a voice from heaven affirmed him as ‘my Son, the beloved, with whom I am well pleased.’ What exactly is the role of the devil in the temptation of Jesus? A very brief look into each temptation will help us to address this question.
The first temptation was for Jesus to turn stones into bread to fill his stomach. What is so wrong with such a request? After all, Moses cried out to God in the wilderness and God sent down food for the hungry Israelites. Would God not do the same on behalf of the beloved Son? By performing such a miracle people would have recognised him as the New Moses, the prophet of the end time, the deliverer of Israel, and they would flock to his banner. After all, this was what the people had hoped and longed for. Was Jesus not aware of this? Was it the pinch of doubt that he was indeed the Son of God that held him back from performing the miracle? Whatever the reason, Jesus turned the temptation aside by responding that he would not live by bread alone but by ‘every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.’
The second temptation was for Jesus to worship the devil in exchange for glory and authority. Exactly what did the devil show Jesus? It was the kingdom of David, which had grown to become a world empire. Expectations were exceedingly high amongst the Jewish people for the restoration of David’s kingdom from the oppression of the Roman rulers. Restoration of Israel would be a vindication of the honour of God. So this temptation again reflected the collective consciousness and hope of Israel, and the perceived will of God for God’s chosen people. Did Jesus not share this collective hope and consciousness? Did he not discern that restoration of David’s kingdom was the will of God? Jesus again brushed aside the temptation with the words, ‘It is written, worship the Lord your God, and serve only Him.’
The third temptation was for Jesus to prove himself a super human being who was immune to death by throwing himself from the temple pinnacle. Surely, the courtyard would be filled with people. They would immediately recognise him as the Chosen One of God to rescue Israel. After all, Malachi had prophesied that the Lord would suddenly appear to cleanse the temple of pollution and to purify the priesthood and restore true worship in Israel.
Was this the priestly Messiah? Once again the devil played into the collective expectations of the people. Jesus refused for the third time with the words ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’
Subtlety of the devil’s role! The devil tempted Jesus with what everyone knew to be the will of God: the Mosaic Prophet (Prophet like Moses); Davidic King (King in the line of David); and Priestly Messiah (Messiah who would restore the royal priesthood and true worship). There was nothing wrong with any of these. These were the very images of redemption which every Israelite believed God had given them though the Scriptures. However, when tested against his own sense of calling, Jesus saw these as second-best to that which God intended for them.
What the devil offered to Jesus were not outright evils, but the highest goods known to Israel. This is when evil is most difficult to discern – when it offers the good instead of the best. The devil offered yesterday’s will of God but Jesus was living out today’s will of God through his declaration and practice of the reign of God. In the merging of the devil’s tempting and the enabling and strengthening power of the Spirit, Jesus was able to see the fading of an old novelty and experience the appearing of a new – that transforming power had begun through him and the gospel that he preached and lived.
As we move through Lent, may we journey with Jesus Christ, living out God’s will in every aspect of life, knowing well that today’s will of God may even go against public opinion and collective consciousness, and hence be quite counter-cultural. Let us affirm that with the Spirit’s help we will!