First Sunday of Lent
Listen to audio version
Readings: Deuteronomy 26: 1-11 and Luke 4: 1-13
Last week we celebrated the baptism of young Evelyn Walters, and I noted that the words of the baptism service contained quite a lot of serious theological language, which many of today’s generation might find difficult, or even incomprehensible. We asked the parents and godparents, “Do you reject the devil and all rebellion against God? Do you renounce the deceit and corruption of evil? Do you submit to Christ?” As I said last week, that’s all quite serious stuff.
Then, after the baptism itself, we all encouraged Evelyn to ‘fight valiantly as a disciple of Christ against sin, the world, and the devil, and remain faithful to Christ…’ Then the minister adds, “May almighty God deliver you from the powers of darkness, restore in you the image of his glory, and lead you in the light and obedience of Christ.” I remember, when going through the baptism service in a class at theological college, the lecturer referring to that prayer as an exorcism’. He said it in quite a matter-of-fact sort of way, and no doubt that was a correct term in referring to that prayer. But the word ‘exorcism’ is quite a loaded term – a prayer asking that someone is rid of the devil – and I would hesitate to use it lightly. What do you think about the devil, and Satan? It would be interesting to know what Generation Z would think. And as for sin, I quote words of Bishop Tom Wright, who says ‘The Greek word for sin is ‘missing the mark.’ Sin, like a misfired arrow, drops short of the call to true humanness, to bearing and reflecting God’s image.”
If there is a certain reticence in the Church generally today to talk about the devil, the various writers of the bible had absolutely no hesitation about it.
Today – the first Sunday in Lent – we traditionally hear one of the accounts of Jesus being tempted by the devil in the wilderness. It’s Christian doctrine, of course, that humanity fell from grace in the garden of Eden, through one man’s disobedience – Adam, but was restored through the righteousness of another man’s actions – Jesus. So Jesus is often called ‘the second Adam’, as in the hymn Praise to the holiest – ‘a second Adam to the fight, and to the rescue came.’ We see the beginning of that fight in the account of Jesus’ temptations in the wilderness.
Of course we generally think of temptations as being necessarily a bad thing. But it need not always be so. What tempts may even be beneficial: a workaholic, tempted to pause or even have a day off, might very well benefit from it. And temptation itself may also be necessary to help us realise what our morals, beliefs and standards are. Notice that Jesus was led by the Spirit in the wilderness.
But those three temptations, if Jesus had succumbed to them, would have shown that he preferred to rely on his own powers rather than trust the goodness of his Father. Those three challenges made by the devil were – first – the temptation to easy living. “Command this stone to become a loaf of bread.” Then came the temptation to easy power – “I will give you authority over all the kingdoms of the world if you will worship me.” Finally came the temptation to easy fame: “Throw yourself down from here; demonstrate how you can save yourself, and become famous.”
We don’t exactly face those specific temptations, but we do face choices about easy living, power or control over others, and popularity. And whom do we really worship? What would people note as the priorities in your life; in my life? Would they see God at the centre?
It’s been noted that Jesus’ three temptations recall the experiences of the Chosen People in the wilderness, as related in book of Exodus. They cried out for bread, and received manna. They tested God at Meribah, where Moses struck the rock twice to give them water, and they worshipped the image of the golden calf that Aaron had made for them. Centuries later, Jesus resisted the temptations to which the people had succumbed.
It’s been said that the devil is ‘the father of lies.’ Sometimes, as a situation in life develops, we can begin to build-up a web of deceits to justify what we are doing. I go to Colwall station to get a train to Worcester, and back. The ticket machine is out-of-order. Of course, you’re not supposed to join a train without a valid ticket, but there will probably be a conductor on the train. If not, one could pay when getting off at Worcester. But if no conductor came through, and nobody stopped me as I left Foregate Street station, and the ticket office there was closed, what am I to do? I could buy a return ticket to Colwall from the machine at Foregate Street, but that would result in getting a ticket that I don’t need because I’ve already made the journey. So I’ll just get a ticket for the journey home. After all, it’s not my fault that the machine at Colwall was out-of-order, nor that no conductor came through the train, or that the office at Worcester was closed. So I build-up a scenario to justify my actions and benefit financially through not having paid for the first journey. Temptations can be very subtle. As Genesis says, the serpent in the Garden of Eden was crafty. For the record, the conductor did come through the train on the way to Worcester, just in case you’re wondering what happened.
Whether I believe in the devil as an objective personality, what I would never dispute is our propensity for or susceptibility to deceitfulness; to create illusions about our own lives; the way things are, who I am, who God is and what my response to him should be; what my responsibilities to God are.
So Lent is a time when we’re asked to address these things and to try to deepen our reliance on the goodness of God, and ask “How genuine is my relationship with God?” We’re given Jesus as our pattern. Maybe Lent is about going back to basics – which is certainly what Jesus did in the wilderness. No comforts, no distractions; as the hymn puts it – “stones thy pillow; earth thy bed.” Just face-to-face with himself and the demon if not his demons.
In the wilderness temptations, Jesus seemed able to refute the attractive suggestions of the tempter because he was content to be what he was – God’s beloved and obedient Son. If we could live every minute in the knowledge that we are the chosen, created, loved, and precious children of our Heavenly Father, perhaps the lure of temptations would be much diminished; the propensity to sin much less. Bishop Tom Wright again, “The real answer to temptation is not ‘God will be cross if I do that’, but if I do that, I will miss the best that my Father has for me.”
In popular understanding, Lent is seen as something negative. Give up this; give up that; focus on your sinful life. Let us rather think of Lent as an opportunity to re-imagine ourselves as loved children of God; focus on goodness and delight and on all that builds up and restores a right relationship with God and neighbour.