In our polarizing age, we come to see things in extremes. There is much "either... or..." thinking going on. The church is no different.
There are those who would have us Worship, Pray, Tithe and study the Inerrant, Infallible Bible and only concern ourselves with our own salvation. There are others who believe the faith is about action with humanity alone, and being loving with the most vulnerable all the time, only focusing on them.
There are some in the church who believe the church is a business and should be run like a business, with consumers getting services based on what they give and the church trying to build its own security in terms of wealth and influence in the world. Others believe that the church is family, and is all about the giving away of what it has for the sake of the people within and around it.
The Kingdom values of Jesus would seem to refute the dichotomies.
Mary's value was for Jesus. Her comforting, soothing action was an act of devotion and recognition of who Jesus was to her. Jesus was worth the cost to her. Though he spoke in shades of the Law's concern for the poor, Judas did not speak out of devotion to the Jesus or the poor, but out of his disdain for Jesus and the Kingdom values Jesus represented. His criticism was out of a belief that Jesus Himself was not worthy of the cost of Mary's ministry. He would say the same thing regarding the poor, had it been spent on them.
Jesus, fulfiller of Law and Prophets, shared the old law - "Since there will never cease to be some in need on the earth, I therefore command you, 'Open your hand to the poor and needy neighbor in your land.'" (Deuteronomy 15:7-11) Jesus also demanded that Judas recognize His presence and that it was fleeting. He directed Judas to check his empire values and recognize Kingdom values - the Kingdom before him. Judas, now disillusioned with the Kingdom values demonstrated by Jesus, expressed that disillusionment in terms of worldly values.
For Jesus and Jesus' followers, there is a time to Worship, Adore and give Devotion to the Lord. There is also a time to help the most vulnerable among us which comes out of that devotion. Both are necessary. Both are expressions of Agape Love for God and Neighbor. Both are required of those who would follow Jesus.
It is not a question of either worshiping God or serving Neighbor. It is a command to both give our devotion in worship and in service to Neighbor, beyond serving ourselves.
Judas ended up walking away from the Kingdom values of Jesus, in favor of the empire values of the Temple Cult Leaders of his time.
For followers of Jesus who would live within Kingdom values, a deep devotion to God IS expressed in a deep devotion to the Poor. Both... And...
Pastor Jamie
Sunday, March 31, 2019
Friday, March 22, 2019
Entitlement makes Prodigals of us All
Luke 15:1-3, 11b-32
A sense of entitlement is a dangerous thing.
It makes us believe that we should be able to do whatever we want with what has been given or promised. It makes us believe that we can use all that we have or has been promised to us to please only ourselves and indulge every whim, desire, fancy and appetite we may have.
It was no different for the sinners and tax collectors. They were held in disdain by society because they seemed to feel entitled to act contrary to social norms and to gouge the people of God by overcharging them in their taxes.
It was no different for the Pharisees and Scribes, themselves like sinners and tax collectors, who believed that their positions meant they were above reproach, above scrutiny, above God's Law and above everyone else.
These were all the prodigal, as are we all. They felt entitled, as do we all.
It comes out in the language of inheritance. For them, of heritage and position. For us, of our status as children of God and inheritors of the Kingdom. We are (more) "blessed and highly favored" by God because we are "children of the most High God". We are "God's elect" and therefore entitled to a life void of pain or struggle. We are tithers and therefore entitled to the "overflow." We are Worshipers, Praisers and Prayer Warriors so we are entitled to the Kingdom.
And what do we do with this Love of God and God's Grace? Often, we try to take it and run. Often we flaunt it over others we believe are not so entitled. Often we use it as justification in judging others or hating others. In so doing, we squander the inheritance of Grace and Love given to us by God. Being inheritors of Grace and Love requires being gracious and loving, even humble in the reception of those gifts and in their sharing with others around us.
Some of us come to realize that it is the living with God HERE AND NOW that is the real gift, and a gift always available to us with the inheritance of Grace and Love. And some of us never realize it, but instead double down on our sense of entitlement that drives us from the one who gives us all things. And others among us, when prodigals do realize it and repent, begrudge their coming to understand it because of the behaviors they exhibited in flaunting their entitlement earlier in their lives.
Paul at times had a very developed sense of entitlement, based on his writings. Full of hubris at times, even when talking about his very powerful faith, Paul believed that "all things are lawful for (him)." But Paul also knew that "all things are not beneficial." (I Corinthians 6:12; 10:23) AND Paul knew, "'All things are lawful,' but not all things build up." (I Corinthians 10:23) Aha! There it is. Just because I can be arrogant in the living or wasting of my inheritance of Grace and Love does not mean that I should. It is not only about me that I should be concerned. Is it beneficial to others? Does it build others up? If it does not, I should have no part in it.
The prodigals are celebrated when they come back to the reality of restored RELATIONSHIP with God and with community and the truth that THAT is the life in which the inheritance is meant to be lived.
It would seem that the sins of entitlement have no bounds. The only hope we have for justice and well-being is in the discovery of the context in which that inheritence is meant to be lived... life with God in love for God and life in community with love for neighbor. THEN we will be home, HERE AND NOW, in this part of the Kingdom.
Pastor Jamie
A sense of entitlement is a dangerous thing.
It makes us believe that we should be able to do whatever we want with what has been given or promised. It makes us believe that we can use all that we have or has been promised to us to please only ourselves and indulge every whim, desire, fancy and appetite we may have.
It was no different for the sinners and tax collectors. They were held in disdain by society because they seemed to feel entitled to act contrary to social norms and to gouge the people of God by overcharging them in their taxes.
It was no different for the Pharisees and Scribes, themselves like sinners and tax collectors, who believed that their positions meant they were above reproach, above scrutiny, above God's Law and above everyone else.
These were all the prodigal, as are we all. They felt entitled, as do we all.
It comes out in the language of inheritance. For them, of heritage and position. For us, of our status as children of God and inheritors of the Kingdom. We are (more) "blessed and highly favored" by God because we are "children of the most High God". We are "God's elect" and therefore entitled to a life void of pain or struggle. We are tithers and therefore entitled to the "overflow." We are Worshipers, Praisers and Prayer Warriors so we are entitled to the Kingdom.
And what do we do with this Love of God and God's Grace? Often, we try to take it and run. Often we flaunt it over others we believe are not so entitled. Often we use it as justification in judging others or hating others. In so doing, we squander the inheritance of Grace and Love given to us by God. Being inheritors of Grace and Love requires being gracious and loving, even humble in the reception of those gifts and in their sharing with others around us.
Some of us come to realize that it is the living with God HERE AND NOW that is the real gift, and a gift always available to us with the inheritance of Grace and Love. And some of us never realize it, but instead double down on our sense of entitlement that drives us from the one who gives us all things. And others among us, when prodigals do realize it and repent, begrudge their coming to understand it because of the behaviors they exhibited in flaunting their entitlement earlier in their lives.
Paul at times had a very developed sense of entitlement, based on his writings. Full of hubris at times, even when talking about his very powerful faith, Paul believed that "all things are lawful for (him)." But Paul also knew that "all things are not beneficial." (I Corinthians 6:12; 10:23) AND Paul knew, "'All things are lawful,' but not all things build up." (I Corinthians 10:23) Aha! There it is. Just because I can be arrogant in the living or wasting of my inheritance of Grace and Love does not mean that I should. It is not only about me that I should be concerned. Is it beneficial to others? Does it build others up? If it does not, I should have no part in it.
The prodigals are celebrated when they come back to the reality of restored RELATIONSHIP with God and with community and the truth that THAT is the life in which the inheritance is meant to be lived.
It would seem that the sins of entitlement have no bounds. The only hope we have for justice and well-being is in the discovery of the context in which that inheritence is meant to be lived... life with God in love for God and life in community with love for neighbor. THEN we will be home, HERE AND NOW, in this part of the Kingdom.
Pastor Jamie
Sunday, March 17, 2019
Sin is Sin and Repentance is Needed in light of current tragedies
(context is Luke 13:1-9 - the lectionary text for Lent III on March 24)
To be clear - the belief that God pulls strings or pushes buttons to immediately "punish" sinners I do not hold. This is an imperfect world to which we are subject and imperfect because our sinfulness has made it so. Imperfect things happen as a consequence of contributing to, participating in and living in a sinful world. The belief that specific punishment or blessings are dolled out immediately as punishment or rewards is not faithful to a mature faith or love of heart, soul, mind and strength for God. It's not that simple. The relationship is covenantal and not contractual.
Jesus pointed out two disasters and tragedies to make His point, according to Luke's Gospel.
Pilate had ordered believers to be killed while they were offering sacrifices in the Temple. They were no worse sinners than others, according to Jesus.
Eighteen people died in a tragic accident when a structure fell on them. They were no worse sinners than any others, according to Jesus.
You see, we attempt to assign FAULT or SIN to victims of such things, in an attempt to believe that we are better somehow, giving us a false sense of security that "surely God would never let that happen to me."
Jesus put it back on the people and their perceptions. "Unless YOU repent, YOU will perish..." Our focus is all wrong when it is on the FAULT or SIN of victims around us. Their tragedies are not indications of our being better somehow or immune to bad things happening to us.
Long ago I stopped asking myself, "Why me?" when things happened to me, and came to acknowledge, "Why not me?" I contribute to, participate in and am subject to the imperfections of sinfulness like everyone else, as a person of faith in Jesus and Jesus' Way.
Perhaps it is not just the focus but the WORDS and ACTIONS on behalf of victims of tragedies with which we should concern ourselves. Rather than looking for FAULT or SIN in them, maybe we should respond with LOVE and SUPPORT.
Certainly, it has to do with us examining OURSELVES and coming to repentance because it is the right thing to do, regardless of our tragic or natural deaths.
To illustrate, we have the Parable of the DUNG, as I call it (when I want to keep it respectable).
We live in a covenant with God in which God is most "Gracious and Merciful, slow to anger and abounding in Steadfast Love." God does not give up on us and pull strings or push buttons to destroy us at the first signs of us not bearing good fruit in the world. God instead fertilizes the ground in which the seeds of faith and love are planted and works to cultivate us in order to bring us to bear good fruit. On the other hand, this is not a cheap Grace to be taken for granted regardless of how we live in the world around us. Repentance from sin is expected in this covenant. God is still Judge.
So, the folk at Mother Bethel in Charleston, the Sikh folk at the Gurwara Temple, the folk at the Tree of Life Synagogue and the folk at Al Noor and Linwood Mosques were not greater sinners than anyone else.
The folk in the Boeing planes that went down were not greater sinners than anyone else.
They were victims - some of the very specific sinful, hateful, ignorant, unconscionable and immoral actions of others and some of random and tragic reflections of living in an imperfect world (or unconscionable, immoral neglect to work toward their safety - yet to be seen).
WE need to reach out in love and support, pray for their loved ones AND ACT on behalf of others to make sure these things do not happen again. We need to REPENT (change our thinking) regarding the blaming of the victims in any way.
THE PERPETRATORS need to REPENT (change their thinking so their actions follow) to come to an understanding of God's Love and Grace (NOT based on false notions of privilege or entitlement, merit or status, wealth or power) that includes ALL people of ALL nations, ethnicities, sexualities and faiths.
WE need to commit ourselves to ACTIONS that will eliminate the hatreds, fears and intolerances of some over others and the GREED, LUST FOR POWER and DESIRE FOR STATUS that create a climate in which these things can repeatedly happen.
Repent, says Jesus in Luke, of wrong thinking and actions.... and TO right thinking and actions.
Pastor Jamie
To be clear - the belief that God pulls strings or pushes buttons to immediately "punish" sinners I do not hold. This is an imperfect world to which we are subject and imperfect because our sinfulness has made it so. Imperfect things happen as a consequence of contributing to, participating in and living in a sinful world. The belief that specific punishment or blessings are dolled out immediately as punishment or rewards is not faithful to a mature faith or love of heart, soul, mind and strength for God. It's not that simple. The relationship is covenantal and not contractual.
Jesus pointed out two disasters and tragedies to make His point, according to Luke's Gospel.
Pilate had ordered believers to be killed while they were offering sacrifices in the Temple. They were no worse sinners than others, according to Jesus.
Eighteen people died in a tragic accident when a structure fell on them. They were no worse sinners than any others, according to Jesus.
You see, we attempt to assign FAULT or SIN to victims of such things, in an attempt to believe that we are better somehow, giving us a false sense of security that "surely God would never let that happen to me."
Jesus put it back on the people and their perceptions. "Unless YOU repent, YOU will perish..." Our focus is all wrong when it is on the FAULT or SIN of victims around us. Their tragedies are not indications of our being better somehow or immune to bad things happening to us.
Long ago I stopped asking myself, "Why me?" when things happened to me, and came to acknowledge, "Why not me?" I contribute to, participate in and am subject to the imperfections of sinfulness like everyone else, as a person of faith in Jesus and Jesus' Way.
Perhaps it is not just the focus but the WORDS and ACTIONS on behalf of victims of tragedies with which we should concern ourselves. Rather than looking for FAULT or SIN in them, maybe we should respond with LOVE and SUPPORT.
Certainly, it has to do with us examining OURSELVES and coming to repentance because it is the right thing to do, regardless of our tragic or natural deaths.
To illustrate, we have the Parable of the DUNG, as I call it (when I want to keep it respectable).
We live in a covenant with God in which God is most "Gracious and Merciful, slow to anger and abounding in Steadfast Love." God does not give up on us and pull strings or push buttons to destroy us at the first signs of us not bearing good fruit in the world. God instead fertilizes the ground in which the seeds of faith and love are planted and works to cultivate us in order to bring us to bear good fruit. On the other hand, this is not a cheap Grace to be taken for granted regardless of how we live in the world around us. Repentance from sin is expected in this covenant. God is still Judge.
So, the folk at Mother Bethel in Charleston, the Sikh folk at the Gurwara Temple, the folk at the Tree of Life Synagogue and the folk at Al Noor and Linwood Mosques were not greater sinners than anyone else.
The folk in the Boeing planes that went down were not greater sinners than anyone else.
They were victims - some of the very specific sinful, hateful, ignorant, unconscionable and immoral actions of others and some of random and tragic reflections of living in an imperfect world (or unconscionable, immoral neglect to work toward their safety - yet to be seen).
WE need to reach out in love and support, pray for their loved ones AND ACT on behalf of others to make sure these things do not happen again. We need to REPENT (change our thinking) regarding the blaming of the victims in any way.
THE PERPETRATORS need to REPENT (change their thinking so their actions follow) to come to an understanding of God's Love and Grace (NOT based on false notions of privilege or entitlement, merit or status, wealth or power) that includes ALL people of ALL nations, ethnicities, sexualities and faiths.
WE need to commit ourselves to ACTIONS that will eliminate the hatreds, fears and intolerances of some over others and the GREED, LUST FOR POWER and DESIRE FOR STATUS that create a climate in which these things can repeatedly happen.
Repent, says Jesus in Luke, of wrong thinking and actions.... and TO right thinking and actions.
Pastor Jamie
Sunday, March 10, 2019
Despair? Disgust? over the holy city...
Luke 13:31-35 for March 17
Herod was corrupt and wanted Jesus dead.
All the power of the oppressive Roman empire was threatened by what Jesus represented.
The Temple Cult leaders were in collusion with Herod and Rome, and benefitted from their corrupt practices that went against the very faith they represented. Jesus was also a threat to them and they wanted Him gone.
What an environment in which to share the Good News!
Political corruption was rampant along with religious collusion for profit, and the people were victimized through abuses of power by their political leaders and abuses of false teaching by their religious leaders. Sound familiar yet?
And Jesus would not back down. Jesus stayed in their faces and kept putting His message of justice, love and shalom out in the world as an alternative - as Kingdom values in the face of empire values. God's children were being hurt by this system of oppression and Jesus' message was to be transformative in their lives.
It was despair or disgust that brought the harsh and pained words over Jerusalem by Jesus, according to the writer of Luke. It was despair that God's people in God's holy city would turn away from God's Will and reject Jesus' Good News as an expression of it, repeatedly. It was disgust that they would follow the corrupt practices and teach their children the same by their example, rather than turn to God and God's Kingdom values as shared by Jesus. It was a painful expression of futility with a recognition that they were left to their own devices, and that because of it the children of God would continue to be exploited, oppressed and occupied. It was the painful acknowledgement that they were stubbornly determined to go with the flow and get whatever little perks they could while minimizing their oppression as much as possible, rather than adopt Kingdom values, resist living those of empire and establish shalom (completeness, wholeness, well-being) for all people.
Jesus would not be back in Jerusalem until His triumphal entry, according to Luke. Jesus would go and reach out with God's Good News to others because the people of the established faith had rejected the Good News out of fear, confusion or their own corruption. They lived under empire and participated in empire values in how they lived, rather than resist and live the values of the Kingdom of God.
Just being a child of Abraham does not make one above the law of God, of Jesus.
The political leaders were brutal with the people in the land and God was not pleased.
The religious leaders were blind to their corruption and deaf to the cries of God's children.
What would bring a people to profess a faith in God and then with their words and actions go against the very teachings of that faith?
What would bring a people to claim God in name only but ignore the teachings of God?
What would bring a people to dramatically twist the Word so that it justifies the way they live values other than those of their God?
Love of wealth?
Lust for power?
Desire for status in society?
What does that do to their relationship with God?
To their individual and collective soul?
To their children as they witness their inconsistencies?
How sad is that, to walk away from God for a few perks?
To reject God for the following of corrupt, unjust, hateful and greedy values for oneself?
To participate in and promote the empire values that run contrary to God's values and that had destroyed the shalom of so many for so long?
It brings despair.
It brings disgust.
It brings about the death of the soul.
That would be very sad indeed, especially for those who profess to be people of God and followers of Jesus! Can you imagine?
Pastor Jamie
Herod was corrupt and wanted Jesus dead.
All the power of the oppressive Roman empire was threatened by what Jesus represented.
The Temple Cult leaders were in collusion with Herod and Rome, and benefitted from their corrupt practices that went against the very faith they represented. Jesus was also a threat to them and they wanted Him gone.
What an environment in which to share the Good News!
Political corruption was rampant along with religious collusion for profit, and the people were victimized through abuses of power by their political leaders and abuses of false teaching by their religious leaders. Sound familiar yet?
And Jesus would not back down. Jesus stayed in their faces and kept putting His message of justice, love and shalom out in the world as an alternative - as Kingdom values in the face of empire values. God's children were being hurt by this system of oppression and Jesus' message was to be transformative in their lives.
It was despair or disgust that brought the harsh and pained words over Jerusalem by Jesus, according to the writer of Luke. It was despair that God's people in God's holy city would turn away from God's Will and reject Jesus' Good News as an expression of it, repeatedly. It was disgust that they would follow the corrupt practices and teach their children the same by their example, rather than turn to God and God's Kingdom values as shared by Jesus. It was a painful expression of futility with a recognition that they were left to their own devices, and that because of it the children of God would continue to be exploited, oppressed and occupied. It was the painful acknowledgement that they were stubbornly determined to go with the flow and get whatever little perks they could while minimizing their oppression as much as possible, rather than adopt Kingdom values, resist living those of empire and establish shalom (completeness, wholeness, well-being) for all people.
Jesus would not be back in Jerusalem until His triumphal entry, according to Luke. Jesus would go and reach out with God's Good News to others because the people of the established faith had rejected the Good News out of fear, confusion or their own corruption. They lived under empire and participated in empire values in how they lived, rather than resist and live the values of the Kingdom of God.
Just being a child of Abraham does not make one above the law of God, of Jesus.
The political leaders were brutal with the people in the land and God was not pleased.
The religious leaders were blind to their corruption and deaf to the cries of God's children.
What would bring a people to profess a faith in God and then with their words and actions go against the very teachings of that faith?
What would bring a people to claim God in name only but ignore the teachings of God?
What would bring a people to dramatically twist the Word so that it justifies the way they live values other than those of their God?
Love of wealth?
Lust for power?
Desire for status in society?
What does that do to their relationship with God?
To their individual and collective soul?
To their children as they witness their inconsistencies?
How sad is that, to walk away from God for a few perks?
To reject God for the following of corrupt, unjust, hateful and greedy values for oneself?
To participate in and promote the empire values that run contrary to God's values and that had destroyed the shalom of so many for so long?
It brings despair.
It brings disgust.
It brings about the death of the soul.
That would be very sad indeed, especially for those who profess to be people of God and followers of Jesus! Can you imagine?
Pastor Jamie
Sunday, March 3, 2019
The temptations have always been the same
Luke 4:1-13 for March 10, 2019
The writer of Luke recognized that Jesus was tempted to do these things.
Jesus identifies with humanity throughout His life as we have it in the Gospels. Jesus took on humanity and experienced it fully according to the Gospel writers, and here the Gospel writer wants us to know that Jesus understands temptation from first hand experience.
Jesus was tempted to break the fast, gratifying his flesh instead of remaining focused on spiritual discipline, to be sure.
But beyond that, Jesus was tempted to use His supernatural power to gratify Himself, to prove how much power He had and what status He held as Son of God.
We are tempted to do much the same thing. As children of God, we often hear other people of faith boast about all that God has done for them or will do for them, supernaturally. Proving that we are favored children of God can be a heady thing. It puffs us up with pride and portrays us as people of a certain status among others of faith. It also sends us on a path of seeking status (we call it glory) for ourselves rather than walking humbly with our Lord. If we can claim some supernatural intervention, a miracle perhaps in our lives it gives us even more status as God's child and recipient of glory.
The Roman empire was all about status, even godlike status among its elites. They claimed divine connections and certainly milked their status as much as they could. The Jesus of the Gospels taught and commanded humility and a trusting relationship with God based on the belief that enough is enough and that what God has already provided is tremendous.
Jesus did not take the bait. He cleverly shut it down by claiming that what He needed more was the spiritual connection with God, and not the access to power and status (glory) that He was tempted to pursue, and the worldly trinkets that come with them.
Jesus was tempted to gain the whole world for Himself through corrupt allegiances by the selling of His soul. It was all about gaining power and wealth over others in the world.
We are sorely tempted by greed and the lust for power. It drives us in such subtle and cunning ways that we often do not see how inconsistent it is with the Gospel messages of Jesus, believing that we can serve two masters. It is that about which we make our whole lives and we apply the Agape love we are commanded to live to the acquisition of more power and wealth, rather than to our covenant with God and neighbor. Empire values getting all one can for oneself, even at the expense of others. The Kingdom values the Shalom (well-being, wholeness, completeness) of all people in community. Greed and lust for power drive people apart and set up systems that normalize the few having more while the many go without what they need. That is the nature of empire, and it is tempting to believe that it is just a natural way for all humanity to "take care of number one" and "me and mine." It is a part of our nature, to be sure, but Jesus gave us example on how to rise above that baser nature and keep our focus on serving only God, which according to Jesus means loving neighbor as self.
Finally, Jesus was tempted to test God, to see if God was ready and willing to intervene supernaturally on Jesus' behalf. Jesus was tempted to make the covenant with God all about His being served by God, rather than serving God in faith and love.
It happens all the time. We hear folk talking about God being an "on time God," being "blessed and highly favored" and receiving "supernatural" interventions or bounty from God. The focus is then on God as our servant, like a genie in a bottle or a cosmic pump to be primed with our worship, praise and tithes. It is tempting to get into trouble and look for God to rescue us. It is common to hear people talk about how God will correct injustices or climate change supernaturally, so it becomes normal church thinking that we do nothing ourselves on behalf of others, but rather to pray and "wait on the Lord." The problem is not just what we hope to get. It goes much deeper than that. The problem is our focus on self as if we are the center of concern for those around us and expect that same focus from God. The problem is that we are not content to live in loving covenant with God and neighbor, knowing that we live within the love of God, and serve God by living that love for neighbor. We want to receive worldly treasures from God. We want to be elevated according to empire values by God and still be people of the Kingdom of God. The problem is that we want the spiritual benefits of life with God AND the worldly ones. We want to serve two masters, and that is not possible.
Jesus was tempted to do it, too, according to Luke's Gospel, but He remained faithful to loving and serving God with His whole being - heart, soul, mind and strength.
Perhaps THIS Lenten Wilderness is the time of preparation for us in our walk with God in the future. Perhaps we will have opportunity this year to face these same temptations of seeking status, living in greed and lust for power and thus testing God rather than serving God and neighbor. Perhaps in facing them this year we will come to a greater understanding of the nature of the temptations and the damage they cause if we give in to them - damage to our relationship with God and neighbor, damage to soul and community and the world - and that this year we will make strides in saying, "No" to them and "Yes" to faithful Agape for God and neighbor and thus service to them in how we live our lives. This may be the year we "do justice, love mercy and walk humbly with (your) God." This may be the year we walk in Jesus' Way of Agape in the world around us.
With you in the striving to walk in The Way...
Pastor Jamie
The writer of Luke recognized that Jesus was tempted to do these things.
Jesus identifies with humanity throughout His life as we have it in the Gospels. Jesus took on humanity and experienced it fully according to the Gospel writers, and here the Gospel writer wants us to know that Jesus understands temptation from first hand experience.
Jesus was tempted to break the fast, gratifying his flesh instead of remaining focused on spiritual discipline, to be sure.
But beyond that, Jesus was tempted to use His supernatural power to gratify Himself, to prove how much power He had and what status He held as Son of God.
We are tempted to do much the same thing. As children of God, we often hear other people of faith boast about all that God has done for them or will do for them, supernaturally. Proving that we are favored children of God can be a heady thing. It puffs us up with pride and portrays us as people of a certain status among others of faith. It also sends us on a path of seeking status (we call it glory) for ourselves rather than walking humbly with our Lord. If we can claim some supernatural intervention, a miracle perhaps in our lives it gives us even more status as God's child and recipient of glory.
The Roman empire was all about status, even godlike status among its elites. They claimed divine connections and certainly milked their status as much as they could. The Jesus of the Gospels taught and commanded humility and a trusting relationship with God based on the belief that enough is enough and that what God has already provided is tremendous.
Jesus did not take the bait. He cleverly shut it down by claiming that what He needed more was the spiritual connection with God, and not the access to power and status (glory) that He was tempted to pursue, and the worldly trinkets that come with them.
Jesus was tempted to gain the whole world for Himself through corrupt allegiances by the selling of His soul. It was all about gaining power and wealth over others in the world.
We are sorely tempted by greed and the lust for power. It drives us in such subtle and cunning ways that we often do not see how inconsistent it is with the Gospel messages of Jesus, believing that we can serve two masters. It is that about which we make our whole lives and we apply the Agape love we are commanded to live to the acquisition of more power and wealth, rather than to our covenant with God and neighbor. Empire values getting all one can for oneself, even at the expense of others. The Kingdom values the Shalom (well-being, wholeness, completeness) of all people in community. Greed and lust for power drive people apart and set up systems that normalize the few having more while the many go without what they need. That is the nature of empire, and it is tempting to believe that it is just a natural way for all humanity to "take care of number one" and "me and mine." It is a part of our nature, to be sure, but Jesus gave us example on how to rise above that baser nature and keep our focus on serving only God, which according to Jesus means loving neighbor as self.
Finally, Jesus was tempted to test God, to see if God was ready and willing to intervene supernaturally on Jesus' behalf. Jesus was tempted to make the covenant with God all about His being served by God, rather than serving God in faith and love.
It happens all the time. We hear folk talking about God being an "on time God," being "blessed and highly favored" and receiving "supernatural" interventions or bounty from God. The focus is then on God as our servant, like a genie in a bottle or a cosmic pump to be primed with our worship, praise and tithes. It is tempting to get into trouble and look for God to rescue us. It is common to hear people talk about how God will correct injustices or climate change supernaturally, so it becomes normal church thinking that we do nothing ourselves on behalf of others, but rather to pray and "wait on the Lord." The problem is not just what we hope to get. It goes much deeper than that. The problem is our focus on self as if we are the center of concern for those around us and expect that same focus from God. The problem is that we are not content to live in loving covenant with God and neighbor, knowing that we live within the love of God, and serve God by living that love for neighbor. We want to receive worldly treasures from God. We want to be elevated according to empire values by God and still be people of the Kingdom of God. The problem is that we want the spiritual benefits of life with God AND the worldly ones. We want to serve two masters, and that is not possible.
Jesus was tempted to do it, too, according to Luke's Gospel, but He remained faithful to loving and serving God with His whole being - heart, soul, mind and strength.
Perhaps THIS Lenten Wilderness is the time of preparation for us in our walk with God in the future. Perhaps we will have opportunity this year to face these same temptations of seeking status, living in greed and lust for power and thus testing God rather than serving God and neighbor. Perhaps in facing them this year we will come to a greater understanding of the nature of the temptations and the damage they cause if we give in to them - damage to our relationship with God and neighbor, damage to soul and community and the world - and that this year we will make strides in saying, "No" to them and "Yes" to faithful Agape for God and neighbor and thus service to them in how we live our lives. This may be the year we "do justice, love mercy and walk humbly with (your) God." This may be the year we walk in Jesus' Way of Agape in the world around us.
With you in the striving to walk in The Way...
Pastor Jamie
Friday, March 1, 2019
Like Jesus, like Moses and Elijah
Listen to HIM! Luke 9:28-36
Jesus is fulfiller of Law and Prophets.
Jesus IS Moses and Elijah in the New Covenant.
Listen to HIM!
What Jesus taught, commanded and modeled as life in the Kingdom of God.
Listen to HIM!
The Liberator (from sin and death), like Moses.
The Agitator (of empire and those in corrupt power and wealth), like Elijah.
Listen to HIM!
Imitate HIM.
Follow HIM.
That was a new message for them.
It must have been quite a sight, quite an enlightenment, quite a moment.
Passing the mantle of Law and Prophets to Jesus with God's voice commanding them (and us)
to listen to Jesus now AS God's fulfillment in Covenant.
And don't give into the temptation to make this about worship and praise, adoration alone.
This is about BEING Liberator and Agitator.
Can't stay up on that mountain and treat this like it was JUST a moment.
It was a CALL, a COMMAND to FOLLOW Jesus, who came down from that mountain
and into the lives of people who NEEDED the Liberator and Agitator to do the job at hand.
We ain't Jesus.
The best we can do is be like Jesus, imitate Jesus and follow Jesus.
Worship, Praise and Adoration are NOT the call of the Gospel.
The call of the Gospel is to follow Jesus - to listen to HIM!
We are called to be like Jesus, and being like Jesus, like Moses and Elijah.
We are also called to Liberate and Agitate as followers of the Fulfiller of Law and Prophets.
Lent is not a mountaintop experience. It is a WILDERNESS experience. This is the Sunday we prepare for that time in the wilderness, keeping in front of us the mission Jesus/God gives us.
It is time to prepare for the work in the plain, where the people are.
It is time to FOLLOW Jesus in what Jesus taught, commanded and lived in the world.
It is time to listen to HIM! To submit to Jesus as Lord of our lives.
Otherwise, it is time to listen to Jesus say to us, "Why do you call me 'Lord, Lord,' and do not do what I tell you?" Luke 6:39-49 (46)
Liberate those in bondage, under oppression.
Agitate the powers of empire who promote injustice, inequity and hatred/division.
Follow Jesus.
Listen to HIM!
With you on THE WAY...
Pastor Jamie
Jesus is fulfiller of Law and Prophets.
Jesus IS Moses and Elijah in the New Covenant.
Listen to HIM!
What Jesus taught, commanded and modeled as life in the Kingdom of God.
Listen to HIM!
The Liberator (from sin and death), like Moses.
The Agitator (of empire and those in corrupt power and wealth), like Elijah.
Listen to HIM!
Imitate HIM.
Follow HIM.
That was a new message for them.
It must have been quite a sight, quite an enlightenment, quite a moment.
Passing the mantle of Law and Prophets to Jesus with God's voice commanding them (and us)
to listen to Jesus now AS God's fulfillment in Covenant.
And don't give into the temptation to make this about worship and praise, adoration alone.
This is about BEING Liberator and Agitator.
Can't stay up on that mountain and treat this like it was JUST a moment.
It was a CALL, a COMMAND to FOLLOW Jesus, who came down from that mountain
and into the lives of people who NEEDED the Liberator and Agitator to do the job at hand.
We ain't Jesus.
The best we can do is be like Jesus, imitate Jesus and follow Jesus.
Worship, Praise and Adoration are NOT the call of the Gospel.
The call of the Gospel is to follow Jesus - to listen to HIM!
We are called to be like Jesus, and being like Jesus, like Moses and Elijah.
We are also called to Liberate and Agitate as followers of the Fulfiller of Law and Prophets.
Lent is not a mountaintop experience. It is a WILDERNESS experience. This is the Sunday we prepare for that time in the wilderness, keeping in front of us the mission Jesus/God gives us.
It is time to prepare for the work in the plain, where the people are.
It is time to FOLLOW Jesus in what Jesus taught, commanded and lived in the world.
It is time to listen to HIM! To submit to Jesus as Lord of our lives.
Otherwise, it is time to listen to Jesus say to us, "Why do you call me 'Lord, Lord,' and do not do what I tell you?" Luke 6:39-49 (46)
Liberate those in bondage, under oppression.
Agitate the powers of empire who promote injustice, inequity and hatred/division.
Follow Jesus.
Listen to HIM!
With you on THE WAY...
Pastor Jamie
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