A Word from Pastor Nathan

A reading from the gospel according to Luke, chapter 4, verses 1 through 13.

Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the wilderness, where for forty days he was tempted by the devil. He ate nothing at all during those days, and when they were over, he was famished. The devil said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command this stone to become a loaf of bread.” Jesus answered him, “It is written, ‘One does not live by bread alone.’” Then the devil led him up and showed him in an instant all the kingdoms of the world. And the devil said to him, “To you I will give their glory and all this authority; for it has been given over to me, and I give it to anyone I please. If you, then, will worship me, it will all be yours.” Jesus answered him, “It is written, ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve only him.’” Then the devil took him to Jerusalem, and placed him on the pinnacle of the temple, saying to him, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down from here, for it is written, ‘He will command his angels concerning you, to protect you,’ and ‘On their hands they will bear you up, so that you will not dash your foot against a stone.’” Jesus answered him, “It is said, ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’” When the devil had finished every test, he departed from him until an opportune time.

This is the Word of the Lord. Thanks be to God.

In the gospel story, we finally see Jesus at 30-ish years of age, wading into the Jordan River, waiting in a baptismal assembly line. A baptizer calls Jesus’ number, under the water Jesus goes, and up from the water Jesus comes. There, Jesus prays. While he was praying, the heavens opened, and the Holy Spirit descended upon him in bodily form like a dove. And a voice from heaven, “You are my son, the beloved. With you, I am well-pleased.” The same voice that spoke to Jesus also speaks to us at our baptism, no matter how it happened. This same divine voice continues to say to all of us, even now, “You are my child, my beloved. With you, I am well-pleased.”

Right after Jesus’ baptism, when Jesus was praying, Jesus was full of the Spirit and the Spirt leads him into the wilderness for 40 days. Clearly, Jesus did not have that on his itinerary. No boarding pass, no luggage, no food even. During the days and weeks of wilderness and wondering, Jesus is not alone, but an adversary is present, tempting Jesus with food, power, and even scripture itself. Each time Jesus responds to the adversary with scripture until the adversary departs until an opportune time.

At first read, the temptation story sounds beyond the realm of possibility for us. None of us can turn a stone into bread, and it seems hard to imagine that an adversary would be able to whisk us away to the pinnacle of a building. Yet, you and I know adversaries, we can call them by name, and our adversaries tempt us in differing ways.

The adversaries say to us, “See the successes of the world? How are you going to measure up?” To the adversary we will respond, “It is written in II Corinthians 12 and 9: ‘“God’s grace is sufficient for me, for power is made perfect in weakness.” So, I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me.”
Then the adversaries will hurl another charge and temptation against us, “You are flawed and anxious and with mental difference; you are not enough; you are imperfect.” To the adversary we will respond, “It is written in Genesis 1 and 27: So God created humankind in the divine image, in the image of God the Holy One created them; of differing genders, God the Creator fashioned them. When God saw everything that God had made, indeed, it was exceedingly beautiful.”

Then one adversary will do its worst and tempt us with self-harm, saying, just one word as a question: “Suicide?” The temptation is real because the struggle is real and the adversaries that are present in this world seem hellbent on doing their worst. For far too long the adversary has tempted family and friends and the church with the invention of hell. If there is a hell, and I am not convinced there is, the only thing that belongs there is a deplorable, death-dealing theology.

To all the adversaries of this world, we join with the apostle Paul in his eternal life with God and with all people of God, all who are gathered here, in a unison response, saying and proclaiming what we trust to be true, “It is written in Romans 8, ‘If God is for us, who is against us? God who did not withhold God’s own Son, but gave him up for all of us, will God not with Jesus also give us everything else?… Who will bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies… Who is to condemn? It is Christ Jesus, who died, yes, who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who indeed intercedes for us… Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will hardship, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For we are convinced by God that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.’”

In Luke’s story, the adversary departs until an opportune time. These days—the weeks and years ahead—may feel like wilderness and wondering. Opportune times will come again. An adversary may tempt us to think that we failed or that our love was or is not good enough. To that adversary we will answer, saying, “It is written in 1 Corinthians 4 and 8: “Love never fails.”

To all gathered here, I commend you to one another’s care, to the love of one another, and to the love of God that does not fail. You may find this love in your family and friends, the theatre, and the Marine Corps. You will also find this love in the church, and if you don’t find it there, find a new church. I commend this congregation to you and to your communities of affiliation and you to them.

Believe these words. And even when you cannot quite hold them to be true, look around you for people to affirm that you are enough. You are God’s beloved and with you God is well pleased. Nothing can separate you from the love of God, not now, not ever. For the love of God is perfect, and God is perfect. Jesus the Christ is with you in life, through death, and in resurrection, which always leads to eternal life.