Psalm 91:1,2, Romans 10:9-13, Luke 4:1-13
Lent started on Wednesday. Lent is a time of Christian discipline. Those who observe Lenten disciplines hope and expect to grow closer to God.
So, although today is Valentine’s Day, I’m keeping the focus of our worship on the formational work of this season, starting with the work of renunciation and rejection of evil. Baptism starts us in a way of life where the temptations to serve a kingdom other than God’s, or a way other than that of Christ, become much more intense. Have you noticed that? That after we commit ourselves to Jesus being good gets harder?
This is why early Christians spent three years preparing candidates for baptism, and this preparation intensified in the season of Lent, just before their baptism at Easter.
Our reading from Luke tells us that Jesus was tempted by Satan. Note that neither of them at any stage suggested or attempted a compromise or accommodation. Likewise for us, following Jesus is all-or-nothing; it is never a both-and. To be clear about allegiance to Christ and God’s kingdom is to be equally clear about renouncing all allegiance to the spiritual forces of wickedness and rejecting and casting away from us the evil powers of this world.
Temptations
We could talk about the ways Satan tempted Jesus but our temptations more often look quite different to them. Who of us has been tempted to make food out of rocks? Or to jump off a building assured that God’s angels would catch us? More likely is the offer of power and money in return for worshipping Satan, but even that is more blatant than most of us get. Satan wasn’t subtle with Jesus; but he can be much more subtle with us.
What about the temptation to go for an easy life?
It seems to be part of our culture. “Indulge yourself; do what you want to. You owe it to yourself. Don’t put yourself out for others; you don’t want to pay the cost. You look after yourself; they can look after themselves. Don’t look to Jesus, he’ll only ask you to do something uncomfortable.”
When I don’t exercise physically I feel heavy and out of breath and moving around is an effort.
Not exercising spiritually has a similar effect. I get lazy and guilty and don’t get on well with Jesus.
The counter to self-indulgence is in Phil.2:3,4. Don’t do anything from selfish ambition or from a cheap desire to boast, but be humble toward one another, always considering others better than yourselves. And look out for one another’s interests, not just for your own. This is Jesus’ way. This will help to keep us spiritually fit.
The temptation to be over-busy
We are tempted to keep ourselves very busy for, we are told, there is fulfilment in achievement. The more we do the better. But how many people do you know who are frantically busy, run ragged, stressed out and not achieving anything like what they think they should? Busyness does not equal achievement and often ends in burnout. Being overly busy can keep us from seeing the lack of fulfilment in our lives.
God says, “Be still and know that I am God.” When God is in charge we relax and find we achieve a whole lot more and that what we achieve is so much more worthwhile. So resist the temptation to busyness; learn to live at Jesus’ pace.
Money
We are tempted to get money – lots of it – for, we are told, money is the source of all good things. And we are tempted to spend, even if we don’t have the money, for that’s the only way to get things, significance and fulfilment.
Jesus had a lot to say about this one. No one can serve two masters. It’s money or God. God provides all good things, money provides worry and strife. Seeking money is chasing after the wind. Seeking God; following Jesus is where the fulfilment is.
Be selfish
We are tempted to look after ourselves, at the expense of others if necessary. Phil.2:3,4 reminds us that Jesus’ way is to look after others.
This temptation to look after ourselves has a shadow in the church. Think about how well do we actually apply Phil.2:3,4? Do we put our Christian brothers and sisters ahead of ourselves? Do we put anyone even up with us – in practice?
In the Presbyterian Church we title our clergy as Ministers of Word and Sacrament and we give them responsibility for worship and teaching and expect them do most of it themselves. Over the years many have extended the title to Word, Sacrament and Pastoral Care as if the Minister has responsibility to pastorally care for the congregation. It is a serious mistake that has done much damage to the church. A number of years ago one of our senior ministers, Peter Willsman, commented to the effect that our church has been pastored to death. What he meant is that too many ministers have been the only ones caring for others, while their congregants looked after themselves. The church was trained to leave it to the minister and may still operate this way.
In reality, everyone has a part to play in caring for one another. Didn’t we say two weeks ago that we are all ministers? We are – ministers to one another. People say they’re not trained for this. The only training we offer is on the job – learn by doing. And Phil.2:3,4 is a good starting point – consider one another’s needs as well as your own.
When I started in parish ministry pastoral care was not my forte. I needed to learn and I have learned a lot but it is still not my default setting. I may appear to some as a professional pastoral carer but anyone can do what I have done which is to apply Phil.2:3,4, and many other verses, sharing the love of Jesus.
I hope I haven’t encouraged you to think that I would do the caring and that you could leave it to me. If I have I apologise. I don’t know if you will think this good news or bad news, but after April 3rd I won’t be here to do the pastoral care and there won’t be a is Pastoral Care person to whom you can leave it all . Ministry of Word and Sacrament will continue to be provided, not by one person, but by several, but Pastoral Care is everyone’s job.
But what am I actually talking about? I’m talking about being friends. Caring comes out of friendships. Friendship means taking time with people – talking, doing things together, eating together – and caring comes as we see needs and help to meet them. For several of our folk their need is simply friendship.
My prayer for the study group that has its first meeting this evening is that members of the group will become friends. I would like to see the group inviting more people to join. I would like to see group members getting together at other times through the week at other places, for example a local cafe. I would like to see the group members get to know one another and care for one another, as well as study and apply the Bible. That’s why I want to call it a Community Group and I will call it that until someone comes up with a better name.
So, resist the temptation to indulge yourself, to make life comfortable for yourself while ignoring others. Fulfilment isn’t there (neither is Jesus). Fulfilment is in giving – yourself for others. And in resisting all the temptations that come our way remember it is easier when friends help each other. After all, that’s why Jesus put us together in the church.
If you don’t have a Lenten discipline for this week, my suggestion is that you meditate on Phil.2:3,4 for a week and at the same time think about people you know and let the Holy Spirit direct you. Could be a good way to use Lent.