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Sermon
Delivered By Rev. Dick Stetler – March 1, 2020
Centenary United Methodist Church
Psalm 32:1-11;
Matthew 4:1-11
If there is a
Scripture that all of us thoroughly understand, it can be found in our
Gospel lesson for today. No
one has ever lived without facing temptations throughout their lives.
This morning, we are going to explore the nature of our
temptations. Have you
ever wondered how such urges became associated with leading us astray by
enticing us with self-sabotaging thoughts and attitudes?
Most likely such descriptions of
temptations have come from the myth of what took place in the Garden
of Eden. This myth that
supports so much of our Christian theology was composed by some unknown
writer in the 9th century BC.
God provided a lush
environment to place Adam and Eve.
He instructed them not to eat the fruit of a particular tree or
it would kill them. A
serpent disclosed to Eve that God had lied to her about the fruit
killing her. (Genesis 3:4) She ate the fruit and shared it with her
mate, Adam and, indeed, God had lied. Once they confessed to God that
they had disobeyed his order, God expelled them from the lush
garden and punished each of them, the serpent, along with all of
humanity forever because of their disobedience. (Genesis 3:14f) This myth that has
similar content found in other ancient civilizations has been used to
explain how sinfulness entered our world. Throughout the ages,
the label of original sin has been attached to temptations that
so easily seduced people by all the attractions that can be found in the
material world. Why is it that early Christians did not question this
ancient myth? Is anything
happening in our world that is truly evil or is that the label
we have attached to certain experiences?
People can develop attitudes
that compromise the outgoing flow of their energy by becoming
unforgiving, bitter, impatient, deceptive, manipulative, defensive,
uncaring, and childish. However, very little is evil about any
of these responses. Someone who has not
been impacted by this early myth could understand these responses as
examples of people who have not matured as others have. Their choices
have prevented their growth. People
have made such choices since the dawn of civilization. But are such
responses evil or are they an example of primitive responses by
those who have not been exposed to the wisdom of being loving, kind, and
compassionate? In our lesson
today, Jesus never labeled as evil the three temptations that he
faced in the wilderness. All three of these experiences were
tempting Jesus to use his status as the Son of God, to turn
stones into bread, to jump off the high wall of the Temple without being
hurt, and to gain control over all people on the earth if Jesus
worshipped the physical world, symbolized by the Devil. None of
these suggested activities even remotely interested Jesus. These
temptations actually had a positive affect on Jesus.
They helped him define the kind of person that he wanted to be.
He wanted to teach people how to live in this world by developing their
inner spirits. He was not
interested in gaining the attention of the public by impressing people
with superhuman feats. The 40 days of
fasting were so transformative that they caused him to leave his
profession as a carpenter, his family, the war-god Yahweh, and his need
to remain faithful to the Laws of Moses.
If Jesus understood his identity as being the Son of God,
why did he spend time in the wilderness trying to figure out what had
just happened at his baptism?
Moses' Laws taught
that obedience was the key to living a life that was pleasing
to God. Jesus wanted to
teach a very different orientation to live.
Rather than the rigorous disciplines mastered by the Pharisees,
Jesus was inspired to teach attitudes-of-being that could be
developed from the inner world of spirit within his listeners.
Jesus' ability to
heal people of their physical ailments crept in the back door
of his compassion for suffering people. After healing people, Jesus
would tell them, "Do not tell anyone what has happened today." (Luke
8:56) Jesus was trying to
make a course-correction so that people would come to him because of
what he was teaching and not because he could heal them. However, once
he healed Peter's mother-in-law, there was no way he could put the
genie back into the bottle. (Luke 8:38-42) He opened the
flood-gates that became a major distraction that overwhelmed him
with needy people more than once. (Mark 3:21f) Quite often Jesus'
healing ministry completely overshadowed what he was teaching.
(John 6:25-27) Healing others was not evil, but it did define the
rest of his life. I recall a time
when I was greeted with a temptation that changed the course of my life.
During my sophomore year at college, I spotted a freshman girl who just
started working in our college dining hall where I had started working
the year before. I was shy
and there was no opportunity for me to meet her so I created one. Secretly and
without notice, I went to our posted schedule of the waiters and
waitresses with an eraser.
Certain mysterious changes were made to that schedule allowing
her to be my partner for a week. Every couple served a station of four
tables of our classmates. By the end of the week, a comfort level was
established and I asked her to attend a basketball game with me and she
accepted. From my initial
temptation, the flood-gates were opened and the course of my life
was forever altered. Among the
fruits from that initial temptation came two beautiful and very
accomplished children, five churches, five trips driving across
the United States while pulling a modest, second-hand Apache camper,
seven weeks on an archaeological dig in Jordan, and her having to put up
with me for 53 years of marriage, giving Miss Overgaard, her well-earned
title of Saint Lois in all of our church families. Most temptations
that we yield to, bring memory-building consequences that create trials
and tribulations as well as many joyous and happy moments.
Hindsight teaches us that our lives are an adventure
with many unknowns, mysteries, detours, and numerous moments of
soul-searching. Jesus
experienced the same thing. (John 6:66) God's presence
remains invisible and behind the scenes.
The value of irresistible passions within some people can be a
challenge to understand until the adventurer sees where these powerful
urges are leading them. Sometimes those urges can feel like a call
from God, to enter the pastoral ministry, to enter nurses'
training, or to launch into a career in cyber-security.
Other times that urge can come from an unrecognized need. For several years I
served on a Congressional Committee that selected men and women to
attend one of our five service academies like West Point or the Naval
Academy. Every member of the
House of Representatives and the Senate can appoint two people.
Every congressional district had its own committee.
One year we had an
ideal candidate. He had all
the credentials along with strong evidence of his leadership skills.
His grandfather and his father had both been Admirals in the
United States Navy. He was
facing the temptation to attend the Naval Academy to carry on the family
tradition. At the close of our
interview with him, one of the committee members said, "We have all read
your resume'. You will most
likely be among our top picks, but is attending the Naval
Academy something that you really want to do?"
That question was clearly unexpected and hearing it struck a
nerve. The candidate grew silent. The
committee members noticed that tears had formed in his eyes. After he
composed himself, he said: I have to be honest
with you. All my life I have dreamed of becoming an architect.
I began making designs when I was six years old. I have never
told my family anything about my dream.
My family has groomed me to carry on a tradition. I have had
moments of torment during my last year of high school knowing that I
would have to make a decision. What brought me to your committee was my
decision to attend the Naval Academy. I dearly love my family and I
cannot disappoint them. Because of his
testimony, the committee chose to deny his application. We told him that
he needed to have an opportunity to do what he wanted to do
instead of what would please his family. We thanked him profusely for
his candid honesty. We sent him home
with certain specific instructions. He
had to have a heart-to-heart conversation with his family before
the letter from our committee arrived at his home. Further, we told him
that if his desire as an architect did not work out for him, he could
apply for reconsideration by our committee.
The temptation to
honor his family's tradition was quite noble, but by refusing to pursue
his life-long dream he could deny the world the presence of a marvelous
creator the likes of Frank Lloyd Wright. The committee intervened and at
the close of our interview, he responded with an enthusiastic "Thank
You!" He needed to be
nudged to pursue his dream and the committee gave him permission to do
so. Temptations are fascinating and need to be evaluated. What are they telling us? Each of them has a value that will reveal itself by asking ourselves a question that is seldom considered. "Will the experience I am facing equip me with skills that I can use after my adventure in my physical form is over?" Jesus had a
response to all three of the temptations that came to him.
He knew enough about the nature of God to realize that his
answers were superior to what was being offered by the material world,
an environment that will always be changing.
He knew that his calling was to teach people how to use their
inward asset of spirit while living in this constantly-changing
world. St. Paul was at
the top of the chart of human accomplishments in the ancient
world. He suddenly realized
that such successes in this world were useless. (Philippians 3:8) He
had been totally transformed by the same shaft of light that came
through a similar window like the one that transformed Jesus at
his baptism. Paul wrote
about his discovery in his letter to Christians living in Rome: Do not conform
yourselves to the standards of this world, but let God transform you
inwardly by the complete change of your mind.
Then you will have loving qualities-of-spirit that you can use
anywhere in Creation.
(Romans 12:2f) The lesson
that Paul learned was that everything that he had been pursuing in life
would vaporize upon his death.
His Roman citizenship would
have no meaning or importance in the next realm. What he learned
after his transformation, was what had changed in his spirit as a
result of having his experience while on the road to Damascus. (Acts
9:3) THAT spirit is what he would be taking with him when he
exited this world. Have we
learned where our true treasure is that we will be
taking with us?
CONGREGATIONAL PRAYER
Merciful God, we cannot experience the Lenten season without reflecting
on the number of times we take for granted what comes to us without our
asking. When we are eager
to learn, understanding comes.
When we extend ourselves in love, we are never without receiving
it. Yet, we are also
mindful of our mistakes, our hasty judgments, and our need to cast
blame. Kindle in us, O God, our desire to stretch beyond the areas of
our weaknesses. Help us to
learn that our finest moments are when we find ourselves walking on the
road less-traveled because we are following the Master.
Amen.
PASTORAL PRAYER
Eternal God, thank
you for the oasis of peace we have at Centenary while living in
the midst of so much that stimulates our senses. As we enter our
house of worship, it seems as though we constantly need to be reminded
of who we are. Everything around us attempts to define us as a
student, a parent, a customer, a client, a consumer, a success, or a
failure. It is comforting
to remember that we are your children, when life's reversals pull us
into the valley of uncertainty.
It is inspiring to remember that you are near when we fear our beliefs
and faith are not strong enough to still the storms all around us.
Give us guidance, O
God, to carry our energy with peace, to shoulder our perceived burdens
with confidence, and to enter moments of uncertainty with unwavering
trust. Thank you for your support when we enter fragile moments.
Thank you for experiences that cause us to make a course correction when
we find ourselves on a one-way street that leads to nowhere.
Thank you for the knowledge that everything that we experience
stays here when we graduate from this life.
As we move into our
tomorrows, thank you for our potential to forget labels, judgments, and
differences. Thank you for the ability to extend ourselves so that
the angel within us becomes visible. Through our living, inspire
those around us to learn that we are all citizens of one world and loved
equally by you. We pray these thoughts through the spirit of
Jesus, the Christ, who taught us to say when we pray . . . |