You Could Have It All

March 6, 2022 – Lent 1
St. John’s United Church of Christ, Union, Illinois

Luke 4:1-13[1]

It’s testing time in schools. Well, it’s always testing time in schools, but when the standardized tests come around, things get more test-focused. Schools began to prepare their students for the state-developed tests that determine whether a student will transition to the next grade level and whether the school itself will be rated as successful. Tests, however imperfect, give us data, hard numbers we can use to make decisions. They can also reveal where help is needed. A good test helps us understand how to improve the teaching to better meet the needs of the student.

The kind of test that Jesus faces in the wilderness is a bit different. This is more of a battle of wits, or perhaps of willpower. We learn from this test that the devil is smart. He knows the Bible verses he needs to put Jesus to the test. We also learn that the devil is not sure of who Jesus is. Jesus knows how he is, and passes the test – not by giving the right answers, showing his power – but by holding firm to his purpose which is not to serve himself, but to serve God.

“If you are the Son of God, command this stone to become a loaf of bread.”[2]. This is not a challenge to do something bad. This isn’t a temptation to steal bread, to take from others. It’s just a stone; turn it into bread. You’re hungry, and it will help you feel better. Of course, if you can do that to help yourself, you could feed all the hungry people in Israel. If you are the Son of God, that is. Jesus responds by quoting Moses, “one does not live by bread alone.”[3] Feeding the hungry is good, but I am here to do more than that.

“Worship me, it will all be yours.”[4] You could have it all: glory, power, all the kingdoms of the world. We both know Roman rule is terrible, you could do so much better. Just think how great everything could be! The world at your command. Just make sure you tell them who gave you your start. Jesus replies that he is not here take over the power of the kingdoms, but to place the rule of God’s kingdom in the hearts of people. “Worship the Lord your God, and serve only him.”[5] You do not have the authority you claim, for all authority belongs to God.

Throw yourself down from the pinnacle of the temple.[6] You won’t get hurt; God will send angels to protect his Son. Do it here, the temple, and all the priests will see. No one will doubt you. Jesus didn’t come to give proofs and rule the temples of the world, but the temple that is in every human heart. “Do not put the Lord your God to the test.”[7]

The devil didn’t get the answers he sought, but Jesus passed the test. He would not become a human hero, but something much more. Jesus finished the test, staying true to his mission to serve God. And though he refused to turn the stone into bread, he will feed the hungry. Though he refused power, he would proclaim the kingdom of God. Though he refused to test God’s love for him, he would demonstrate his love for God and for all of us on the cross.

The tests that we face are not the same as these. Our tests are much more mundane, but we will find ourselves in a wilderness, hungry, tired, and lonely. It may look like a waiting room in the hospital with a loved one on the brink. It may look like sheets on a cheap motel bed, or walls made of cardboard, after you lose your house. It may be a lonely walk through a full parking lot after you lose your job. It may be a wilderness of silence as you cry for help in the depths of your heart.

Sooner or later, each of us will find ourselves in a wilderness, a place or time when we have to rely not on ourselves, our own power, or the safety net that we’re used to. It is there, in the emptiness, that we may discover who we really are and what our lives are really about.

For Jesus, that six-week stretch of hunger and solitude set him free from all that would distract him from his true purpose. With no food, no earthly power, no special protection, Jesus not only learned to manage his appetites; he also learned to trust the Spirit that had led him there and would lead him out again.

We don’t always choose when to go into the wilderness. The Spirit led Jesus there, and can lead us too. And when we find ourselves there, we can try to let go of all that does not lead us toward God and toward life. We can practice hanging on to what sustains, turning toward what gives life, and resisting the temptations that lead us away from who we are. If we are patient, if we allow enough time for the wilderness to change us, we will find ourselves led through to the other side, having finished the test, and ready to trust God to guide us in all the tests to come.  Amen.

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[1] The scripture quotations contained herein are from the New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright © 1989 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the U.S.A.  Used by permission.  All rights reserved.

[2] Luke 4:3.

[3] Deuteronomy 8:3.

[4] Luke 4:7.

[5] Luke 4:8

[6] Luke 4:9.

[7] Deuteronomy 6:16.

Saying 'No' and Saying 'Yes'

March 1, 2020

St. John’s United Church of Christ, Union, Illinois

Matthew 4:1-11

One of the first words we learn to speak as small children is “No.” It is a powerful word, giving a growing person agency, control over their life. It is also a source of considerable frustration for parents.

“Please eat your green beans.” “No!”
“It’s time to get ready for bed.” “No!”
“Did you knock over the lamp?” “No!”
“Please get off the computer” “No!”

We start out making great use of “No!” even if it doesn’t always get the result we seek. As we grow older, however, it can get harder to say “No.” We learn that we more often get what we want if we say “Yes.” People like us more when we say “Yes.” We take on more responsibility and we learn to feel guilty when we say “No,” so we say “Yes” more often.

“I know you worked all day, made dinner, and have a meeting tonight, but would you help me with my homework?” “Yes.”

“I know you’re already working on the update for the client, but would you prepare the PowerPoint for the budget meeting at 4:00?” “Yes.”

“I know you’re already singing in the choir this morning, and reading scripture, but we need someone to run teach Sunday School. Would you please do that?” “Yes.”

We become so good at saying “Yes” and so hesitant to say “No” that we are exhausted, overworked, burned-out, and spiritually depleted. God is still speaking, but how can I listen when there is already so much to do? Who really has time for prayer and reflection, let alone studying scripture? But I feel so guilty saying no to God.

Maybe what we need is to regain the ability to say “No,” not selfishly like we did as a child, not saying “No” to everything, but thoughtfully and intentionally. Perhaps I wouldn’t feel so guilty saying “No” if I’ve already committed to something else. I shouldn’t say “No” just because I don’t want to do something hard, or new, or out of my comfort zone, but I should practice saying “No” to this because I have already said “Yes” to that.

In this story from Matthew’s Gospel, the focus is usually on temptation. Jesus is tempted to use his power in selfish ways, to feed his hunger, to show off, to gain power. But we can also look at how Jesus says “No” to one thing because he has said “Yes” to another.

“If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread.”

“If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down” off the pinnacle of the temple.

“All these [kingdoms] I will give you, if you will fall down and worship me.”

Each time Jesus says “No” because he has already said “Yes!” to God.

“Yes, I will trust God to provide what I really need.”

“Yes, I will trust God to care for me.”

“Yes, I will serve and worship God alone.”

In Matthew’s Gospel, the conflict between the kingdom of this world and the kingdom of God is the major emphasis. The temptations that are presented to Jesus in the wilderness are about having power and authority in this world. If he uses his divine power selfishly, he can gain all that he might desire. He could rule in place of the Roman emperor, he could enforce peace and pronounce judgment from the throne, but it would be the throne of this world. Instead, Jesus stays true to the kingdom of God, to trust and serve God alone, to pray for God’s kingdom to come. In a sense, he has said “Yes” to God and stays true to that commitment.

Now, I doubt any of us will be asked to rule the kingdoms of this world, or be tempted to test God’s ability to provide for us. We will, however, be faced with choices and temptations of our own. We will have to choose how to best use our limited resources of time, money, and energy. We will have to choose when to say “No,” because we have already made other commitments. As followers of Jesus, I hope that we are able to say “Yes” to love of God, love of our neighbors, and love for ourselves before we have to say “No” to something else.

As we journey through Lent, we can practice saying “Yes” to what matters most. Jesus said “Yes” to trusting the word of God, to trusting in the care of God, and to serve and worship God alone. Perhaps we can say “Yes” to faithfulness, kindness, and generosity. Maybe we can say “Yes” to family, friends, and time alone.

Having already said “Yes” to the kingdom of God, Jesus was strengthened when he had to say “No” to the kingdom of the world. By choosing to hunger for God’s word, Jesus was able to resist filling the emptiness with anything less. By seeking to serve God with humility, Jesus was able to resist being lifted up until he was lifted up onto the cross. By accepting his role in God’s kingdom of grace and peace, Jesus was able to resist the lure of ruling through force, and rule instead through the power of love.

When we have already said “Yes” to those commitments that really matter, we will have the power to say “No” when temptation pulls at us. When we have said “Yes” to God we are able to say “No” to all that is not God. When we follow Jesus, we will be tempted to turn aside, yet we will be able to keep walking, even if it means taking up our own cross, because we are headed for the kingdom of God.  Amen.