It is quite ironic that that the world renowned actress Elizabeth Taylor would pass away in the same week we that the lectionary reading is about Jesus meeting a woman who was married almost as many times as Elizabeth was. Now the author of the gospel of John was all about irony. Irony abounds in many of the stories of John’s gospel. Biblical scholars note that “Irony presupposed a distinction between appearance and reality. What appears to be true is indeed true, but it is only a partial truth and not the full truth. Because of this distinction between appearance and reality, irony often takes the form of either humor or tragedy—or both” (1) I imagine that in heaven Elizabeth Taylor and John the Evangelist are right now giving a high five to each other in preachers like myself sermonize about woman at the well – another woman whose personal history has been held suspect.
It’s hard for some to get beyond the marital history of both of these women. Like Elizabeth Taylor, it seems the story about the woman at the well stops at Jesus’ mention of her five marriages and her living in sin with her current boyfriend. Much ado “has been made of her sinfulness, her shady past, her dubious morals, her promiscuity.” (2) And preachers have expounded upon how Jesus was able to forgive this woman of her past in order that she may be saved. The great sixteenth century theologian John Calvin imagined this unnamed woman to be a difficult and disobedient wife who forced her husbands to divorce her and speculates that Jesus brought up her past in order to get this woman to shut her mouth. (3) I love Calvin but I think this time he got it wrong.
Just as there is much more to the story of Elizabeth Taylor, such as her extraordinary acting career, her philanthropy, most especially her work in raising money for AIDS research and her business smarts, so too there is also much more to the woman in the well than just her marital history. Even though Jesus mentions her marriages the text does not show Jesus condemning her or even forgiving her for having multiple marriages. Instead Jesus embarks on the longest conversation that he has had with anyone in the Bible. Most of Jesus’ conversations in the Bible quickly turn into monologues of Jesus preaching but in this text there are thirteen exchanges between Jesus and the woman. There is give and take throughout their conversation.
The conversation itself is forbidden according the social conventions of Jesus’ day. Jesus chose to speak to an outsider who with three strikes against her, she’s a woman, she’s a Samaritan and she has had bad luck with husbands. Jewish men were forbidden from talking to women that they didn’t know and Jews were forbidden from talking to Samaritans. The Samaritans in Jesus’ time were reviled by the Jewish community of which Jesus was a part of. The Jews and the Samaritans shared a common heritage but differed from each other in worship practices and cleanliness laws.(4) Often the Jews referred to the Samaritans with terms such as foreigners or intruders so as to distance themselves from this group of people that were not like them. The Samaritan woman was well aware of this when she said to Jesus, "How is it that you, a Jew, ask a drink of me, a woman of Samaria?" (4:9) Jesus replies that if she knew who she was really talking to, knew who Jesus really was, that she would be asking him for living water. Now we as the audience know that Jesus is the son of God, the Messiah, but this woman hasn’t caught on yet. To the Samaritan woman, Jesus is just some crazy Jewish guy “who had no business being there, no business speaking to her and no business asking her for a drink of water from the well.” (5)
However Jesus presses on, he continues the conversation. In her book “More Bad Girls of the Bible” theologian Barbara Essex states, “Theirs is no idle chitchat-they engage in a deep and wondrous theological discussion. She asks questions and points out her understandings and Jesus seems genuinely intrigued by her. So delighted is he with her theological savvy, he discloses himself to her—he is the Messiah that the Jews have been anticipating. His disclosure deepens her belief and she can’t wait to go and tell others. She [becomes] the first evangelistic missionary!” (6) This woman who was a part of a despised people is the first person whom Jesus reveals himself to be the Messiah, and this Samaritan woman is the first disciple empowered by Jesus to spread the good news to her entire village.
This irony was not lost on the first century people who were the first to hear the Gospel of John. This story to them was highly symbolic. Amongst this group were debates over whom they should evangelize too. Was salvation only for those of Jewish lineage or did it go beyond to the Gentiles, the Pagans, or even God forbid, those heretical Samaritans. The woman in this story represents the Samaritan presence within that first century community. The conversation she has with Jesus is a theological debate between Jewish custom and Samaritan custom which included the proper place to worship. This was the biggest conflict between the Jews and the Samaritans. The place of worship was where believers thought God dwelled. The Samaritans worshiped on Mt. Gerezim, the mountain that the woman and Jesus’ conversation was taking place. whereas the Jews worshiped in Jerusalem. However Jesus doesn’t make a big deal about customs or even place of worship. Instead he tells her, “Woman, believe me, the hour is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem. You worship what you do not know; we worship what we know, for salvation is from the Jews. But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father seeks such as these to worship him. God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth." (4:21-24) Jesus asserts that the spirit of God is not bound to any one location or any one people. Any believer is able to worship God “in spirit and truth.” anywhere!
The disciples come back and they are concerned about Jesus. They are astonished that he is speaking to a woman but they seem to not make a big deal about her being a Samaritan. As the woman leaves for her village, the disciples urge Jesus to eat but he refuses their food. He tells them that he is already fed by doing the will of God, by building the Kingdom of God through empowering people like the Samaritan woman to spread the good news. As always, the disciples don’t get it. Their heads are still wrapped around physical food where as Jesus is talking about spiritual food. “Do you not say ‘Four months more, then comes the harvest.’” Jesus then points to the multitude of Samaritan people coming towards them led by the woman. “But I tell you, look around you, and see how the fields are ripe for harvesting…I sent you to reap for which you did not labor. Others have labored, and you have entered into their labor” (4:35-38)
The invitation that Jesus extends to the woman, to the Samaritans and most especially to the disciples is extended to us as well. We who have been witnesses to the good news of God’s love and grace freely given are called to share this message with those who need to hear it. We are called to follow Jesus’ example of transcending our discomfort and reaching out to those who are different from ourselves. It can be frightening, it’s certainly strange, but in the end we will be fed by the food of the will of God who sent Jesus, and who sends us to complete God’s work here on Earth. May it be so. Amen.
(1) George Stroup, “John 4:5-42: Theological Perspective” Feasting on the Word, 94
(2) Frances Taylor Gench, Encounters with Jesus., 34
(3) Ibid., 34.
(4) James D. Purvis, “Samaritans” The Harper Collins Bible Dictionary, Paul J Aichtenmeier Gen. Ed (San Francisco: Harper Row Publishers, 1985), 898-899.
(5) Barbara Essex, “More Bad Girls of the Bible.” 97
(6) Essex, “Bad Girls” 96.
Saturday, March 26, 2011
Saturday, March 19, 2011
from where will my help come?
As I read psalm 121, I remember a tender scene in the movie “The Sound of Music.” Near the end of the movie we find the Von Trapp family trying to escaping the Nazi Brown Shirts by hiding in the convent where Maria had served as a novitiate. The scene becomes quite intense as we see the Reverend Mother scuttling the Von Trapp family through the convents graveyard towards the dark mausoleum behind the gate whilst the heavy footsteps of the Nazi soldiers can be heard in the distance. Maria breathlessly apologizes to the Reverend Mother for putting the abbey in such danger but the Reverend Mother assures her that it was right for her and her family to be there. Captain Von Trapp asks the Reverend Mother if he can borrow the caretaker’s car but the Reverend Mother tells him that it would be useless. She had heard on the radio that the borders had just been closed. Then the Captain looks over his shoulder and sees the mountains in the distance and tells her that they will drive up into the hills and go over the mountains on foot. Maria is concerned about the children but the children assure her that they will be ok. As the Reverend Mother starts closing the mausoleum gate Maria steps towards the her and the Reverend Mother looks into her eyes and says, “Maria. You will not be alone. Remember: ‘I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills from whence cometh my help?’” A few scenes later we see the Von Trapp family at the mountaintop crossing into safety with the song “Climb Every Mountain” swelling in the background.
I have to give the Reverend Mother her props for picking the most theologically appropriate psalm verse to comfort Maria. Psalm 121 is part of a group of psalms called the “Song of Ascents.” The Hebrews used these psalms as liturgy as they journeyed to Jerusalem on pilgrimage. It is possible that the hills that they were looking to in the distance was Mount Zion. On Mount Zion was built the sanctuary of which the pilgrims believed to be dwelling place of God the creator of all things.
The journey to Jerusalem especially ascending up the mountains was treacherous. The stones under foot could slip and cause the person travelling on foot to fall. Throughout their long journey these pilgrims needed protection from the heat of the sun and the dangers of darkness. It is in the midst of this danger we can see the psalmist looking towards the hills of Jerusalem and crying out “from where will my help come?” and then the response, “My help comes from the LORD, who made heaven and earth.” On a visceral level we know what it means to lift our eyes to the hills in search of help. We’ve all made this cry in the challenging times of our lives. We also hear these cries from all over the world, most especially now from the people of Japan who are recovering from a devastating earthquake that happened a little over a week ago and we wonder once again how a loving God could allow this to happen.
“He will not let your foot be moved; he who keeps you will not slumber. He who keeps Israel will neither slumber nor sleep.” (121:3-4) I don’t know about you, but it is hard for me to not wonder if this time God was asleep on the job because tectonic plates have shifted and a big chunk of the world has moved.
Some will try to explain this away with easy answers. They try to ease our anxiety by telling us that God was testing the faith of the Japanese or that God was sending a warning to the world through the destruction of Japan. Yes there are Bible stories about God destroying Israel, Judah and Jerusalem due to the people not obeying the laws of God. However, in the end it is written that God also bestows his mercy upon these cities in spite of their wrongdoing. What is missing in these easy answers is that God’s mercy and grace is always present especially in the face of human suffering. Our God is an in-carnational God. A Creator who so loved the world that he sent his only begotten son Jesus to know first hand the brokenness of our human condition. And during the season of Lent we remember that Jesus set his face to Jerusalem and went on a journey there that led to the cross. God has given humankind and even the the earth the gift of free will. God will not control the forces of nature to keep us from danger. However, God knows our pain because God has felt our pain and God is weeping with us now as we try to grapple with what happened in Japan.
In this psalm we hear the word keep six times. He who keeps you, he who keeps Israel, The Lord is your keeper, The Lord will keep you from all evil; he will keep your life, the Lord will keep your going out and your coming in. The word keep in the NRSV translation of the bible comes from the Hebrew word shamar which means to guard, to watch, to be a guardian to, to preserve. Reread this mind it is easier for us to understand what the psalmist was trying to say, “The Lord is your guardian; the LORD is your shade at your right hand…The LORD will guard you from all evil, he will guard your life; The LORD will guard your going out and your coming in from this time on and forevermore.” (121:5-8)
The keeping, the guarding, the watching, the shamar of God over creation is like how a parent keeps, guards, watches over their children. As parents you will do anything to keep yourr children safe from harm. But you also know that you do not own your children. As the poet Kahlil Gibran puts it, “Your children are not your children. They are the sons and daughters of Life’s longing for itself. They come through you but not from you, and though they are with you yet they do not belong to you.” (1)
There comes a time when you need to allow your children their freedom and independence as they get older. As you give your children more freedom you realize that you can’t be with them 24/7 guarding, watching and keeping them. When your child does get hurt, it is hard for you as a parent not blame yourselves for not being protective enough but realistically you know that your protection can only go so far. You can choose to be the super overprotective parent by tying your child to yourself with a rope until they graduate from college, or you can teach your children the things they need to know to be safe, to do what is right and to let them know that you love them unconditionally and that you will always be there for them. You hope that with your love and everything you’ve taught your child that they will be able to make the right choices and be safe but you also know that you have to let go and let them make their own way.
So too it is with God and creation. God created the heavens and the earth and everything on it and yet God has gives all of creation free will. God chooses not to control humankind and even the forces of nature like a puppeteer would controls his marionettes. Instead God has given us the freedom to make the choice to go the way of God or to move away from God. However like a loving parent, God teaches us the things we need to know to do the right thing and is always there for us, loving us nconditionally.
“The LORD will keep you from all evil; he will keep your life. The LORD will keep your going out and your coming in from this time on and forevermore.” (121:7-8)
May it be so. Amen.
[1] Kahlil Gibran “On Children”
I have to give the Reverend Mother her props for picking the most theologically appropriate psalm verse to comfort Maria. Psalm 121 is part of a group of psalms called the “Song of Ascents.” The Hebrews used these psalms as liturgy as they journeyed to Jerusalem on pilgrimage. It is possible that the hills that they were looking to in the distance was Mount Zion. On Mount Zion was built the sanctuary of which the pilgrims believed to be dwelling place of God the creator of all things.
The journey to Jerusalem especially ascending up the mountains was treacherous. The stones under foot could slip and cause the person travelling on foot to fall. Throughout their long journey these pilgrims needed protection from the heat of the sun and the dangers of darkness. It is in the midst of this danger we can see the psalmist looking towards the hills of Jerusalem and crying out “from where will my help come?” and then the response, “My help comes from the LORD, who made heaven and earth.” On a visceral level we know what it means to lift our eyes to the hills in search of help. We’ve all made this cry in the challenging times of our lives. We also hear these cries from all over the world, most especially now from the people of Japan who are recovering from a devastating earthquake that happened a little over a week ago and we wonder once again how a loving God could allow this to happen.
“He will not let your foot be moved; he who keeps you will not slumber. He who keeps Israel will neither slumber nor sleep.” (121:3-4) I don’t know about you, but it is hard for me to not wonder if this time God was asleep on the job because tectonic plates have shifted and a big chunk of the world has moved.
Some will try to explain this away with easy answers. They try to ease our anxiety by telling us that God was testing the faith of the Japanese or that God was sending a warning to the world through the destruction of Japan. Yes there are Bible stories about God destroying Israel, Judah and Jerusalem due to the people not obeying the laws of God. However, in the end it is written that God also bestows his mercy upon these cities in spite of their wrongdoing. What is missing in these easy answers is that God’s mercy and grace is always present especially in the face of human suffering. Our God is an in-carnational God. A Creator who so loved the world that he sent his only begotten son Jesus to know first hand the brokenness of our human condition. And during the season of Lent we remember that Jesus set his face to Jerusalem and went on a journey there that led to the cross. God has given humankind and even the the earth the gift of free will. God will not control the forces of nature to keep us from danger. However, God knows our pain because God has felt our pain and God is weeping with us now as we try to grapple with what happened in Japan.
In this psalm we hear the word keep six times. He who keeps you, he who keeps Israel, The Lord is your keeper, The Lord will keep you from all evil; he will keep your life, the Lord will keep your going out and your coming in. The word keep in the NRSV translation of the bible comes from the Hebrew word shamar which means to guard, to watch, to be a guardian to, to preserve. Reread this mind it is easier for us to understand what the psalmist was trying to say, “The Lord is your guardian; the LORD is your shade at your right hand…The LORD will guard you from all evil, he will guard your life; The LORD will guard your going out and your coming in from this time on and forevermore.” (121:5-8)
The keeping, the guarding, the watching, the shamar of God over creation is like how a parent keeps, guards, watches over their children. As parents you will do anything to keep yourr children safe from harm. But you also know that you do not own your children. As the poet Kahlil Gibran puts it, “Your children are not your children. They are the sons and daughters of Life’s longing for itself. They come through you but not from you, and though they are with you yet they do not belong to you.” (1)
There comes a time when you need to allow your children their freedom and independence as they get older. As you give your children more freedom you realize that you can’t be with them 24/7 guarding, watching and keeping them. When your child does get hurt, it is hard for you as a parent not blame yourselves for not being protective enough but realistically you know that your protection can only go so far. You can choose to be the super overprotective parent by tying your child to yourself with a rope until they graduate from college, or you can teach your children the things they need to know to be safe, to do what is right and to let them know that you love them unconditionally and that you will always be there for them. You hope that with your love and everything you’ve taught your child that they will be able to make the right choices and be safe but you also know that you have to let go and let them make their own way.
So too it is with God and creation. God created the heavens and the earth and everything on it and yet God has gives all of creation free will. God chooses not to control humankind and even the forces of nature like a puppeteer would controls his marionettes. Instead God has given us the freedom to make the choice to go the way of God or to move away from God. However like a loving parent, God teaches us the things we need to know to do the right thing and is always there for us, loving us nconditionally.
“The LORD will keep you from all evil; he will keep your life. The LORD will keep your going out and your coming in from this time on and forevermore.” (121:7-8)
May it be so. Amen.
[1] Kahlil Gibran “On Children”
Saturday, March 12, 2011
Temptation in the Desert sermon for March 13 2011
Matthew 4:1-11
Shortly after I was laid off from my position as associate pastor several years ago I visited the Franciscan Renewal Center in the middle of the desert in Arizona for a spiritual retreat. This retreat center was built so that people could be apart from the world in a desert place so that they could connect with God in the sand, cactus and quiet of this center. Inspired by the many wilderness stories of the Bible and knowing that career wise I was in the wilderness, the first morning I was at the center I decided to take a walk away from the main buildings and go deep into the desert walkways in hopes of connecting with God in the midst of the wilderness. Now the wilderness of the retreat center was a very controlled setting because a fence was built around the perimeter of the property. I knew that if I got lost all I had to do was walk towards the fence and it would guide me back to the main buildings. But this did not keep me from becoming anxious as I walked deeper and deeper into the desert. You see, the further I walked away from the main buildings, the quieter my surroundings became. The chattering voices, the music in the background, the footsteps of other people dissipated until all I could hear was the sound of my own breathing and the pounding of my heart beat. I could literally hear the hum of my own electricity.
It was then that I got really scared, not because I thought I was going to get lost, not because I thought I was going to get physically harmed. No I became scared because in the middle of the desert I was completely and utterly alone. Without the distractions of computers, cell phones, tvs, background noise and other people, I was in a place where I had to finally face my inner demons. My first inclination was to run.
Today’s gospel takes place after Jesus’ baptism in the murky waters of the river Jordon and before his public ministry. We remember that at his baptism the spirit of God descended upon Jesus in the form of a dove and that he heard God’s voice from heaven said, “This is my son, the Beloved, with whom I am well pleased.” (3:17) And what was the first thing that Jesus did after this mind blowing event? He followed the Holy Spirit into the wilderness. In her sermon “The Wilderness Exam”, Barbara Brown Taylor says that Jesus went from that “one spectacular moment to a long, lonely time in the wilderness, during which he may have wondered if he had imagined the whole thing. For forty days and forty nights there was no sign of God at all. The sky stayed shut. There were no doves. No voice from heaven spoke reassuring words. There was just him, the desert, and finally the devil.” (1)
In the middle of the desert without my cell phone, without my computer, without even my mp3 player, I was unable to drown out the voice of my inner demons. That devilish voice that plays on my insecurities, those old tapes that play in my head telling me that I’m not lovable, that I’m not worthy, that the jig is up, who do I think I am. Then the devilish voice would become relentless by playing on my greatest fears telling me that I was going to end up destitute going down the path I’m going. That ministry was not a financially feasible career for me to continue. This devilish voice was tempting me to sell out on my call to ministry in exchange for a job that would give me financial security. Maybe if I gave up on my pipedream of being a woman of faith working toward social justice, maybe just maybe I’d finally be able control of my today, tomorrow and the day after that.
Forty days into his retreat, starved, thirsty, unable to stand up on his own two feet, Jesus meets an amazingly biblically literate devil in the desert. Just an aside from Barbara Brown Taylor, “Just because someone knows the Bible chapter and verse does not necessarily mean that this person is up to any good.” (2) But I digress. Sensing Jesus’ vulnerability the devil tempts Jesus with nourishment, “If you are the son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread.” (4:3) Some note that the devil trying to tempt Jesus into using his miraculous power for feeding himself rather than trusting God to satisfy his need. Jesus sees through this deception and replies quoting scripture “It is written, ‘One does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.” (4:4) Jesus is telling the devil was that he will not abuse his God given power of performing miracles for his own personal gain. (3)
But the devil doesn’t give up as he continues his relentless pursuit to tempt Jesus. He takes Jesus to the pinnacle of the temple and says to him, “If you are the son of God, throw yourself down; for it is written” (remember this devil knows his bible) “for it is written ‘he will not command his angels concerning you’ and ‘On their hands they will bear you up, so that you will not dash your foot against a stone.’” (4:6) The devil tempts Jesus to use his powers to meet test God and he uses scripture (out of context mind you) to prove that God agrees. However Jesus refutes the devil by bringing this scripture back into context, “Again it is written, ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test’” (4:7) Some note that in this verse Jesus is telling the devil that scripture does not endorse the testing God’s protective grace for the sake of self-assurance. Jesus will not misuse his God given power to test God. (4)
Then the devil tries to seduce Jesus with something many people of this world crave, the ability to have control over all the kingdoms and the splendor of the world. “’All these I will give you, if you fall down and worship me.’ And Jesus said to him, ‘Away with you Satan! For it is written, ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve only him’” (4:10) Jesus refuses to ally himself with the devil for control over the world and most especially control over his own destiny. Jesus refuses to misuse his power to build up influence and domination.(5) “Then the devil left him and suddenly angels came and waited on him.” (4:11)
In the desert I encountered a similar pressure from the devil suggesting that I deserved better than what God was giving me. In her sermon Barbara Brown Taylor states that we Christians are sometimes tempted to believe “that we deserve bigger and better than what we have. That the devilish voice in our heads says things like, ‘If you are a child of God, should things be going a bit smoother for you? If you are really a Christian, I mean-shouldn’t you be happier, healthier, richer, safer.” (6) More self actualized and self confident. She goes on, “You know what to say back now, right? ‘Away with you Satan, I would rather be a hungry child of God than a well-fed player on your team.” (7) So in the middle of the desert, in the midst of sand, cactus and deafening silence I was able to say “Away with you Satan, Away with your taunts of emotional in-security, Away with your seduction for me to sell out on my call, Away with your shame! I am a beloved Child of God, a woman called to serve in ministry and you will not make me misuse or even me dis-use my God given gifts for ministry.” And it was then that I could finally hear the small still voice of God say, “Well done good and faithful servant…in you I am well pleased.”
May it be so. Amen.
(1) Barbara Brown Taylor “The Wilderness Exam” Bread of Angels (Cambridge, Mass: Cowley Publications, 1997.), 38.
(2) Barbara Brown Taylor “Remaining Human” Christian Century February 7-14, 1996. 127.
(3) Robert Bryant, “Matthew 4: 1-11 – Exegetical Perspective” Feasting on the Word, Preaching the Revised Common Lectionary Year A, Vol. 2 (Louisville: Westminster John Knox Press, 2010), 48.
(4) Ibid., 49.
(5) Ibid., 49.
(6) Taylor, “Wilderness Exam”, 40
(7) Ibid., 40.
Shortly after I was laid off from my position as associate pastor several years ago I visited the Franciscan Renewal Center in the middle of the desert in Arizona for a spiritual retreat. This retreat center was built so that people could be apart from the world in a desert place so that they could connect with God in the sand, cactus and quiet of this center. Inspired by the many wilderness stories of the Bible and knowing that career wise I was in the wilderness, the first morning I was at the center I decided to take a walk away from the main buildings and go deep into the desert walkways in hopes of connecting with God in the midst of the wilderness. Now the wilderness of the retreat center was a very controlled setting because a fence was built around the perimeter of the property. I knew that if I got lost all I had to do was walk towards the fence and it would guide me back to the main buildings. But this did not keep me from becoming anxious as I walked deeper and deeper into the desert. You see, the further I walked away from the main buildings, the quieter my surroundings became. The chattering voices, the music in the background, the footsteps of other people dissipated until all I could hear was the sound of my own breathing and the pounding of my heart beat. I could literally hear the hum of my own electricity.
It was then that I got really scared, not because I thought I was going to get lost, not because I thought I was going to get physically harmed. No I became scared because in the middle of the desert I was completely and utterly alone. Without the distractions of computers, cell phones, tvs, background noise and other people, I was in a place where I had to finally face my inner demons. My first inclination was to run.
Today’s gospel takes place after Jesus’ baptism in the murky waters of the river Jordon and before his public ministry. We remember that at his baptism the spirit of God descended upon Jesus in the form of a dove and that he heard God’s voice from heaven said, “This is my son, the Beloved, with whom I am well pleased.” (3:17) And what was the first thing that Jesus did after this mind blowing event? He followed the Holy Spirit into the wilderness. In her sermon “The Wilderness Exam”, Barbara Brown Taylor says that Jesus went from that “one spectacular moment to a long, lonely time in the wilderness, during which he may have wondered if he had imagined the whole thing. For forty days and forty nights there was no sign of God at all. The sky stayed shut. There were no doves. No voice from heaven spoke reassuring words. There was just him, the desert, and finally the devil.” (1)
In the middle of the desert without my cell phone, without my computer, without even my mp3 player, I was unable to drown out the voice of my inner demons. That devilish voice that plays on my insecurities, those old tapes that play in my head telling me that I’m not lovable, that I’m not worthy, that the jig is up, who do I think I am. Then the devilish voice would become relentless by playing on my greatest fears telling me that I was going to end up destitute going down the path I’m going. That ministry was not a financially feasible career for me to continue. This devilish voice was tempting me to sell out on my call to ministry in exchange for a job that would give me financial security. Maybe if I gave up on my pipedream of being a woman of faith working toward social justice, maybe just maybe I’d finally be able control of my today, tomorrow and the day after that.
Forty days into his retreat, starved, thirsty, unable to stand up on his own two feet, Jesus meets an amazingly biblically literate devil in the desert. Just an aside from Barbara Brown Taylor, “Just because someone knows the Bible chapter and verse does not necessarily mean that this person is up to any good.” (2) But I digress. Sensing Jesus’ vulnerability the devil tempts Jesus with nourishment, “If you are the son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread.” (4:3) Some note that the devil trying to tempt Jesus into using his miraculous power for feeding himself rather than trusting God to satisfy his need. Jesus sees through this deception and replies quoting scripture “It is written, ‘One does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.” (4:4) Jesus is telling the devil was that he will not abuse his God given power of performing miracles for his own personal gain. (3)
But the devil doesn’t give up as he continues his relentless pursuit to tempt Jesus. He takes Jesus to the pinnacle of the temple and says to him, “If you are the son of God, throw yourself down; for it is written” (remember this devil knows his bible) “for it is written ‘he will not command his angels concerning you’ and ‘On their hands they will bear you up, so that you will not dash your foot against a stone.’” (4:6) The devil tempts Jesus to use his powers to meet test God and he uses scripture (out of context mind you) to prove that God agrees. However Jesus refutes the devil by bringing this scripture back into context, “Again it is written, ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test’” (4:7) Some note that in this verse Jesus is telling the devil that scripture does not endorse the testing God’s protective grace for the sake of self-assurance. Jesus will not misuse his God given power to test God. (4)
Then the devil tries to seduce Jesus with something many people of this world crave, the ability to have control over all the kingdoms and the splendor of the world. “’All these I will give you, if you fall down and worship me.’ And Jesus said to him, ‘Away with you Satan! For it is written, ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve only him’” (4:10) Jesus refuses to ally himself with the devil for control over the world and most especially control over his own destiny. Jesus refuses to misuse his power to build up influence and domination.(5) “Then the devil left him and suddenly angels came and waited on him.” (4:11)
In the desert I encountered a similar pressure from the devil suggesting that I deserved better than what God was giving me. In her sermon Barbara Brown Taylor states that we Christians are sometimes tempted to believe “that we deserve bigger and better than what we have. That the devilish voice in our heads says things like, ‘If you are a child of God, should things be going a bit smoother for you? If you are really a Christian, I mean-shouldn’t you be happier, healthier, richer, safer.” (6) More self actualized and self confident. She goes on, “You know what to say back now, right? ‘Away with you Satan, I would rather be a hungry child of God than a well-fed player on your team.” (7) So in the middle of the desert, in the midst of sand, cactus and deafening silence I was able to say “Away with you Satan, Away with your taunts of emotional in-security, Away with your seduction for me to sell out on my call, Away with your shame! I am a beloved Child of God, a woman called to serve in ministry and you will not make me misuse or even me dis-use my God given gifts for ministry.” And it was then that I could finally hear the small still voice of God say, “Well done good and faithful servant…in you I am well pleased.”
May it be so. Amen.
(1) Barbara Brown Taylor “The Wilderness Exam” Bread of Angels (Cambridge, Mass: Cowley Publications, 1997.), 38.
(2) Barbara Brown Taylor “Remaining Human” Christian Century February 7-14, 1996. 127.
(3) Robert Bryant, “Matthew 4: 1-11 – Exegetical Perspective” Feasting on the Word, Preaching the Revised Common Lectionary Year A, Vol. 2 (Louisville: Westminster John Knox Press, 2010), 48.
(4) Ibid., 49.
(5) Ibid., 49.
(6) Taylor, “Wilderness Exam”, 40
(7) Ibid., 40.
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