Saturday, February 20, 2010

First Sunday in Lent, cycle C

LUKE 4:1-13
TODAY WE HEAR THE FAMILIAR STORY OF JESUS' TEMPTATIONS WHICH OCCURRED AT THE BEGINNING OF HIS PUBIC MINISTRY. LUKE PICKS THESE TEMPTATIONS FOR THEOLOGICAL REASONS; JESUS WILL NOT USE HIS POWER TO FEED HIMSELF, BUT WE READERS KNOW THAT HE WILL MULTIPLY BREAD TO FEED OTHERS. JESUS WILL NOT WORSHIP SATAN, EVEN THOUGH IT WOULD MAKE IT POSSIBLE TO BRING ABOUT THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN IN AN INSTANT; NOTHING IS WORTH DISRUPTING HIS RELATIONSHIP WITH THE FATHER. JESUS WILL NOT USE HIS POWER OVER THE ANGELS TO DEMONSTRATE HIS DIVINITY, EVEN THOUGH THAT WOULD IMMEDIATELY CREATE A LARGE FOLLOWING OF THOSE WHO WITNESSED THIS MIRACLE. JESUS WILL NOT DO ANYTHING TO FORCE US TO BELIEVE. THE TEMPTATIONS TELL US SOMETHING ABOUT JESUS, AND IN TURN SOMETHING ABOUT THE FATHER IN HEAVEN. AND OF COURSE, THEY ENCOURAGE US TO IMITATE JESUS IN OUR OWN RESPONSE TO TEMPTATION.
BUT THINK ABOUT THIS. JESUS WAS LIKE US IN ALL THINGS BUT SIN. THAT MEANS THAT HE WAS TEMPTED LIKE US, HE EXPERIENCED NOT ONLY THESE TEMPTATIONS, BUT UNDOUBTEDLY, MANY OTHERS. IF YOU'VE EVER BEEN TEMPTED TO EAT WAY MORE THAN WAS GOOD FOR YOU BECAUSE THE FOOD WAS SO GOOD, SO WAS JESUS. IF YOU'VE EVER BEEN TEMPTED TO YELL AT SOMEONE FOR DOING SOMETHING STUPID, SO WAS JESUS. IF YOU'VE EVER BEEN TEMPTED TO THINK ABOUT SOMEONE OF THE OPPOSITE SEX IN A LESS THAN PURE WAY, WELL, SO WAS JESUS. HE WAS LIKE US IN ALL THINGS, BUT SIN. HE HAD ALL OUR TEMPTATIONS, BUT UNLIKE YOU AND I HE NEVER GAVE IN TO THEM; HE NEVER LET THEM LEAD HIM INTO SIN. WHEN JESUS TAUGHT US THE LORD'S PRAYER, A PRAYER HE MAY HAVE SAID HIMSELF IN PRIVATE, HE BEGGED NOT TO BE LEAD INTO TEMPTATION; BECAUSE ALTHOUGH JESUS NEVER GAVE IN TO TEMPTATION, IT WOULD NOT BE A TEMPTATION FOR HIM IF THE TEMPTATION DID NOT TROUBLE HIM, JUST AS SEVERELY AS TEMPTATION TROUBLES US.
FIFTY YEARS AGO, NIKOS KAZANTZAKIS PUBLISHED A NOVEL CALLED “THE LAST TEMPTATION OF CHRIST”. THIS WAS LATER MADE INTO A MOVIE, WHICH CAUSED A GREAT DEAL OF CONTROVERSY BECAUSE OF SOME OF ITS R-RATED SCENES. BUT THE NOVEL WAS ACTUALLY A VERY PROFOUND AND VERY SPIRITUAL BOOK. IT PORTRAYED JESUS AS A PERSON WHO WENT ALL THROUGH HIS LIFE BEING TEMPTED, A JESUS WHO WAS RELUCTANT TO FOLLOW THE DESTINY CHOSEN FOR HIM BY GOD. WE HEAR A LITTLE HINT OF THIS PERHAPS WHEN JESUS SAYS “FATHER, IF YOU ARE WILLING, LET THIS CUP PASS FROM ME.” IN THE END, JESUS TRIUMPHS, HAVING ACCOMPLISHED WHAT GOD WANTED OF HIM DESPITE THE TEMPTATIONS – AND THE NOVEL GIVES YOU A FRESH APPRECIATION FOR WHAT JESUS DID – AND THE FACT THAT THE PASSION HE ENDURED STARTED WHEN HE WAS BORN, NOT ON HOLY THURSDAY NIGHT.
BUT THE GREAT SCENE IN THE BOOK AND IN THE MOVIE IS WHEN JESUS IS HANGING ON THE CROSS, AND HE HAS A VISION; HE SEES HIMSELF AS AN OLD MAN, SURROUNDED BY CHILDREN AND GRANDCHILDREN, AND HE IS COMFORTABLE, HE IS NOT POOR; AND HIS WIFE IS MARY MAGDALENE, WHO IN THE STORY WAS ENGAGED TO HIM BEFORE HE BEGAN HIS PUBLIC LIFE. AND AS JESUS DWELLS ON THIS VISION HE UNDERSTANDS THAT THIS LIFE COULD BE HIS, EVEN NOW, BECAUSE HE HAS THE POWER OF GOD. HE COULD STEP DOWN FROM THE CROSS, GET MARRIED, HAVE CHILDREN, WORK AT THE TRADE HE KNEW WELL, AND LIVE A QUIET, NORMAL LIFE. AND THAT WAS THE HARDEST TEMPTATION OF ALL FOR JESUS. AND HE OVERCAME THAT TEMPTATION AS WELL, AND GAVE HIMSELF UP TO DEATH FOR US, IN OBEDIENCE TO HIS FATHER.
THE TEMPTATION TO NORMALCY. I THINK THAT IS A STRONG TEMPTATION FOR EACH OF US AS WELL. MOST OF US AREN'T TEMPTED TO MURDER OR STEAL OR COMMIT ADULTERY OR IF WE ARE, WE ARE SUFFICIENTLY AFRAID OF THE CONSEQUENCES SO THAT WE DON'T CARRY OUT THOSE TEMPTATIONS. BUT MOST OF US WANT A COMFORTABLE LIFE, A NICE HOME, A RELIABLE CAR, DAYS IN WHICH THE GOOD PARTS OUTNUMBER THE BAD PARTS. WE ARE TEMPTED TO LIVE IN A COCOON OF OUR OWN MAKING, WHERE OUR FIRST PRIORITY IS TO OURSELVES AND OUR FAMILIES. WE DON'T THINK ABOUT ALL THE THINGS OVER WHICH WE HAVE SO LITTLE CONTROL; THE PEOPLE WHO ARE DYING OF HUNGER; THE PEOPLE WHO LIVE LIKE ANIMALS; THE GRADUAL DESTRUCTION OF OUR WORLD BECAUSE OF OUR GREED. WE HOPE AGAINST HOPE THAT WE CAN LIVE OUT OUR LIVES BEFORE ANY OF THESE PROBLEMS GET SO BIG THAT WE CAN'T IGNORE THEM ANYMORE; AND WHEN SOMETHING HAPPENS TO OUR LITTLE WORLD, WHEN OUR NORMALCY IS THREATENED, WE GET DEPRESSED, WE FEEL AS THOUGH OUR WORLD HAS COME TO AN END. ALL IT TAKES IS A BROKEN BONE, OR A CHILD WHO GETS IN TROUBLE WITH THE LAW, OR THE LOSS OF A JOB, AND WE COME TO REALIZE HOW TRUE IT IS THAT WHERE OUR HEARTS ARE, THERE IS OUR TREASURE.
WE ARE TEMPTED TO NORMALCY, AND WE CAN'T REALLY SEE ANYTHING WRONG WITH WANTING A NORMAL UNEXCITING COMFORTABLE LIFE. AND PART OF OUR NORMALCY IS TO SUPPORT OUR CHURCH, MAYBE TO GIVE SOME OF OUR TIME TO A GOOD CAUSE; THOSE THINGS FILL A NEED, AND MAKE US FEEL USEFUL OR VIRTUOUS. AND THAT'S NOT WRONG EITHER.
BUT I THINK ALL OF US HEAR IN OUR HEARTS NOW AND THEN, “IS THIS ALL THERE IS?” “IS THIS THE REASON GOD GAVE ME LIFE?” “AM I DRAWING CLOSER TO GOD OR FURTHER AWAY?” “AM I LIVING FOR GOD OR FOR MYSELF?”
AND MAYBE OUR REACTION IS TO PLUNGE DEEPER INTO NORMALCY SO THAT WE CAN'T HEAR THOSE VOICES, SO THAT ONE DAY FOLLOWS THE NEXT AND WE DISTRACT OURSELVES WITH OUR TOYS AND OUR GAMES AND THEN ONE DAY ITS ALL OVER. AND THE TEMPTATION TO NORMALCY HAS SUCCEEDED; ITS KEPT US FROM BECOMING WHAT GOD WANTS OF US.
JESUS RESISTED THE STRONGEST OF TEMPTATIONS, THE TEMPTATION TO LIVE A NORMAL QUIET PLEASANT LIFE, SO THAT HE COULD DO GOD'S WILL, NOT HIS OWN. SAINT PAUL TELLS US THAT EACH OF US IS LIKE A PART OF A BODY, AND THAT SOMEHOW OUR FULFILLMENT IS WHEN WE WORK WITH EACH OTHER WITH CHRIST AS OUR HEAD, DIRECTING THE WHOLE PROJECT. AND EACH OF US IS UNIQUE, EACH OF US HAS AN IRREPLACEABLE PART IN GOD'S PLAN.
SO DURING THIS LENT LET US EXAMINE OURSELVES AND SEE WHETHER WE HAVE GIVEN IN TO THE TEMPTATION TO NORMALCY, AND IF SO, WHAT CAN WE DO TO ONCE AGAIN HEAR THE VOICE OF GOD AND PUT OURSELVES AT HIS SERVICE, AND LIVE LIVES FILLED WITH MEANING, FILLED WITH THE FIRE THAT SHOULD BURN WITHIN THE SONS AND DAUGHTERS OF GOD.