Resistance is Not Futile

 

As I said in the introduction to my sermon from Ash Wednesday, the heaviness and the heartache about what's been revealed in re: the Epstein Files and the class of men who seem to enjoy a status of absolute immunity from having to live by the same laws, rules, and mores as the rest of us has been forefront in my mind.

Then, as I looked at the three main lectionary readings assigned for this First Sunday of Lent, I was having a hard time figuring out which one should be the central text for the sermon. I mean, yes: the Gospel is always the best choice; however, the reading from Paul's Letter to the Romans (which, when taken in this snippet of a pericope does not do Chapter 5 of Romans justice, IMO) shouldn't be left hanging as some convaluted ramblings of Paul. And the first reading about the Garden of Eden illustrated why Jesus' ability to resist Satan fed into Paul's thesis. 

So...I broke my own rules...and decided to take up all three readings, but focusing mostly on the Gospel. 

How did I do?

See what you think...and feel free to let me know in the comments.

Texts: Genesis 2:15-17, 3:1-7; Rom. 5:12-19; Matt 4:1-11

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It’s always a challenge when the diviners of the lectionary lay out on the platter of readings a rich feast with so many options.

It’s as if they want to tempt me to preach a thirty-minute sermon so I can cover everything we’ve heard up to this point.

Don’t worry; I’m not going to do that.

But I do want to touch briefly on both our First Reading and the Epistle because they are connected to what we’ve just heard in the Gospel.

We started this morning with the recounting of that critical moment in the Garden of Eden where a sneaky snake gets Eve to do the one thing God said NOT to do.

This is an allegory to explain the pervasive sinful nature of us humans…and our desire to push God aside and take charge and make ourselves our own gods… instead of seeking God for guidance…wisdom and understanding.

As we heard in our Epistle reading….Paul is giving a lot of thought to what happened in the Garden of Eden as he thinks about the redemption we receive through Jesus.

Now...it may feel as if we have to do a lot of mental gymnastics to understand Paul.

But…putting this in the broadest…and hopefully the simplest terms…the gist of what Paul is saying is that sin exists in human nature.

But despite the existence of sin… the love and grace of God is much more powerful…and for those of us who believe in Jesus…we can look to him as the way to stand up against those things which seek to disrupt and divide us from God’s love.

Because God’s grace is always there for us…if we choose to live our lives in alignment with Christ.

We don’t have to earn it.

We don’t have to perform some amazing feats to deserve it.

Grace is a free gift to us.

And with this free grace enfolding us …Jesus has given us new life…and a heart capable of goodness.

His ask is that we now carry forward his work of mercy…justice…and compassion.

So…that’s the very short…somewhat sweet…and to the point discussion about those first two readings.

And having heard them…we’re now brought out into the wilderness with Jesus and Satan for forty days and forty nights.

So let’s dive into this scene a little bit…and by doing so…we might gain even more insight into Paul’s Letter…the Garden of Eden…and ourselves as we are living in these trying times.

Think about what it feels like to be famished.

Not just hungry…famished.

A time when your stomach won’t stop gurgling and there is no food to eat.

But this famish is not just about lack of food or water.

Think of what it feels like when you’ve been so busy…working…studying…traveling and you haven’t had time to rest.

Those times where your limbs feel heavy…your feet are hurting…but you can’t stop and you can’t lie down.

And because you’re hungry and tired…and aching…your mind is racing and you can’t focus on anything.

This is complete exhaustion.

And this is where we find Jesus…the human Jesus…in the wilderness.

The wilderness is a wild and unsettling place…a state of feeling unmoored from everything.

It’s also the place of testing…challenge and change.

So it’s no surprise that this is where Jesus…when he’s at his absolute weakest point…finds himself wrestling with the Tempter.

It’s an experience that might feel familiar.

It always seems that it’s when we’re exhausted and we have nothing left in the tank that our minds go searching for some way out…a quick fix…that easy solution to our problems…even if it means we’re going against our core beliefs or values.

This is what Jesus is facing in this moment.

The offers get more and more tempting…the chance to feed himself by making stones into bread…making God prove God’s power to save by jumping from the pinnacle of the Temple…and the biggest one….the temptation to have power over all if he’ll turn from God and give himself over to Satan.

And to all of it…this dog-tired Jesus says No.

Out there alone in the wilderness…Jesus didn’t succumb to the tricks.

He stayed true to the mission…that he was one with all of us who suffer from hunger…and from feeling physically spent.

Jesus stuck with God…remembering the words from Deuteronomy…and proved that it is possible to resist temptation.

When offered the fruits of comfort…and power…he did not take that bait.

And rather than accept the offer to show himself as divine…able to be miraculously be saved from a leap off the heights of the Temple…he chose to stay connected to us…in the flesh…so that we see we are not separated from him in this moment of struggle.

Now we know that his journey will come to the ultimate test when he goes to the cross.

But having been through this trial…and having met this challenge…he has shown that through trust and faith in God…and maintaining God and not himself at the center…he is capable of keeping the corrupting powers of sin and evil from consuming him.

We have these same abilities to reject temptation and siding with the evil instincts that lurk within us.

And there could be no more important time than now for us to look to this strength that Jesus has shown us…both in the wilderness and on the cross…as we face the challenges that are before us now.

We have seen in the news what happens when those with the power and privileges take advantage of their status.

It leads to abuse…to criminal acts committed against children and women.

It makes for war…and for the destruction and poisoning of our natural resources.

Like in the allegorical story of Eden…when those with unchecked power and astronomical wealth place themselves at the center of the universe…and obey their own instincts and not a higher moral authority…it leads to pain…and suffering…and deadly consequences.

What Jesus demonstrates for us in the wilderness is that we don’t have to follow that path.

We can choose Love and life…even in our most exhausted…frantic…famished…and frightened times.

Jesus shows us that when we’re caught up in the whirlwinds of chaos and trouble …we have it within us to look to that goodness in our hearts and turn to God for our strength and courage.

We can remember that we are loved beyond all measure…and that free grace abounds for those of us who are willing to keep doing the work of justice…mercy…and compassion in a world that doesn’t always see our efforts as worthy.

Resistance to evil is not futile.

It’s a necessary…constant task…and yet it is the way to life…liberty…and abundant love.

In the name of our One Holy and Undivided Trinity.