Holy Lamentation

This sermon was heard at St. Paul's Presbyterian Church in Carthage, Texas on February 24, 2013, the 2nd Sunday in Lent.

Genesis 15:1-12, 17-18

Psalm 27

Philippians 3:17-4:1

Luke 13:31-35

May the words of my mouth and the meditations of our hearts be acceptable to you, O Lord, our rock and our redeemer.  Amen

Woe. Plain and simple woe, the noun. Not the verb “whoa” you would say to a horse after a hard ride. Anguish, affliction, despair, misery, wretchedness; you know, woe. The horror and desolation of living in a world where there is poverty, crime, hunger, and North Korea has the bomb. The word woe has an ability to sum it all up pretty well.

About 25 years ago a man named Bobby McFerrin recorded a song called “Don’t Worry, Be Happy.” Then again, that was before North Korea got the bomb. I seem like a pretty cheery guy this morning, don’t I? Thank God it gets better. In fact that is our hope, our one hope, thanking God it does get better.

The Psalm I used for our Call to Worship, the 27^th Psalm, gives us the image of a great king facing the greatest dangers of his civilization. Ordained and installed as the head of the nation of Israel by the power and glory of the Lord, he still has many enemies. Evildoers have come upon him to eat up his flesh. Armies have encamped against him. He laments that his father and mother forsake him, but in the midst of this lament he knows it is the Lord who will sustain him:

For on the day of trouble the LORD shall shelter me in safety;

the LORD shall hide me in the secrecy of the holy place

and set me high upon a rock.

Even now the LORD lifts up my head

above my enemies round about me.

Therefore I will offer in the holy place an oblation

with sounds of great gladness;

I will sing and make music to the LORD.[1]

This is a Psalm of David, King David, the man who knows God’s own heart. One of the greatest kings of Israel, the father of Solomon, a leader in peace and in war; his name is mentioned over eight hundred times in the Old Testament and sixty more in the new. It’s easy to say he is one of the more important people in scripture and his life has more than it’s fair share of trouble.

There is woe, there is great danger. Herod and his ilk have been waiting at the door for thousands of years; and by the light of Christ that shines, the darkness is pierced. Jesus lives and works, praying for Jerusalem and for us in the midst of the things that cause us to lose sight of the church’s vocation.

In this, we can rest assured that in the grand scheme of life, nothing happens outside of the love and protection of the Lord God Almighty. Where before this in scripture is the story of Jesus and the devil in the wilderness, this is the story of another temptation, Jesus is invited to run for his life. Jesus cuts through the worldly political twists and turns, knowing that his time will not come today or tomorrow. Jesus is in control even when it appears to the world that he is not.

In the grand scheme, while we must let God be God who will act in God’s own time and in God’s own way; we must not allow ourselves to let this be our call to inaction. We must begin by being willing to be collected as chicks gathered by their mother, and then we must allow ourselves to be nurtured and grow into the people God calls us to be. As chicks will follow their mother hen, we must follow Christ seeking and finding the vocation of the church to share the good news with the world, using words when necessary.

When we read that Jesus calls Herod “that fox,” we can tell he means business. Let’s begin with the fact that the biblical witness on foxes is hardly favorable. The fox Jesus is sly, cunning, and voraciously destructive. Yet Jesus isn’t worried. Jesus knows what time it is and his planner is up to date with his schedule from now until Passover and beyond.

Jesus is warned that Herod wants to kill him. Jesus gives a warning in return. Jesus tells Herod and the Pharisees and the world that he will not be hindered. His work will not be impeded by Herod or by anybody else. He will cast out demons. He will cure the ill. Then on the third day, he will finish his work.

Finish, this is the same word Jesus will use upon the cross as he commends his spirit into his Father’s hands. Today he says, “On that day I finish.” On that Good Friday Jesus will say “It is finished.”

Jesus knows his fate, and he knows that today it has nothing to do with Herod Antipas. He knows it so well that he knows that his fate will be met down the road in Jerusalem.

Jerusalem, oh Jerusalem, this is a city that does not live up to its name. The Hebrew word for “City of Peace,” Jerusalem kills the prophets and stones those sent to it. This is where Naboth[2] and Zechariah[3] were stoned. This is where Stephen[4] will be stoned. This is a city that has been besieged over forty times and razed to the ground seventeen.[5] City of Peace? Not so much.

Jesus warns the Pharisees that he will not be rushed. As Jesus warns Herod and all with ears to hear that he is not finished, as he warns Jerusalem that he is coming; Jesus laments. He doesn’t lament his fate, no; he laments the city where his fate will be sealed. He laments the city where his fate will be unsealed.

In the City of David, in the City of Solomon’s Temple, in the City of God, in the City of Peace Jesus laments how often he has wanted, longed to gather the people. As a hen gathers her brood, Jesus longs to gather the children of Jerusalem. As he longs to gather the children of Jerusalem, Jesus longs to gather the children of God in this day and time.

David shares holy lament with us in his Psalms. Jesus shares a holy lament for the city that will take his life. The most important thing in these laments aren’t the complaints levied against God and man. The most important thing is the hope that even in a world gone mad there is hope that God is in control.

The Lord tells Abram that though he is advanced in age and without an heir, his progeny will be more abundant than the stars in the sky. Abram is blessed “To your descendants I give this land, from the river of Egypt to the great river, the river Euphrates.” Jesus says he will continue his work on earth. He declares “blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord.”

So here’s the deal, the most difficult deal: There is woe, there is reason to lament, and God is in control. Psalm 23 says it best, though we walk through the valley of the shadow of death (now there’s woe), I fear no evil because you, the Lord our God, you are with me. This is our hope.

During this the second week of Lent we continue to walk that path to the cross with our Lord and Savior Jesus the Christ. As Luke’s gospel reminds us, on this path he is casting out demons and performing cures today and tomorrow. On the third day his work will be finished. Jesus knows his woes, but he doesn’t let them stand in the way of today. Today and tomorrow and forever he will do as the Father commanded.

This is holy lament, acknowledging the pain, yet knowing God is in control in its midst. There is the old story about Dietrich Bonhoeffer at the hanging of two fellow prisoners in their concentration camp. The guard asks Bonhoeffer “Where is your God now?” The guard wants to hear Bonhoeffer’s lament, Bonhoeffer’s hopelessness, Bonhoeffer’s woe. His reply is that God is hanging right beside the two. Yes, there is lament, and Bonhoeffer, he who will be martyred as the Nazi retreat, Bonhoeffer leans toward hope. Just like Jesus. These are heady roll models, but God will hear our laments and our praise. Together they are holy lamentation.

There is woe in this world, and thank God it gets better. That is our hope, our one hope, in the grand scheme of life, nothing happens outside of the love and protection of the Lord God Almighty. Thank God it does get better.

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[1] Psalm 27:5-6, “The Book of Common Worship.”  Louisville, KY: Westminster John Knox Press, 1993, page 639.

[2] 1Kings 21:8-14

[3] 2Chronicles 24:20-22

[4] Acts 7:52, 58

[5] Tan, Paul Lee, “Encyclopedia of 7700 Illustrations, Sign of the Times.”  Chicago: Assurance Publishers, 1979, entry #2593.

Shannon and Joe's Wedding Homily

This evening, February 23, I presided over the celebration of marriage for Joe and Shannon Summers. This was an interesting service because (as reported in the homily) they ran into a peck of trouble on the way to the altar. They are a wonderful couple and may God bless them and their new family with much joy now and forever. Amen.

This is going to sound a little unusual, but Shannon, Joe, and everyone assembled to witness their wonderful and glorious wedding, let us take this moment and take a deep breath. You’ve been preparing for this moment for a long time and the last two days have been hectic in overdrive. So let’s take a moment and just breathe in the moment. In through the nose and out from the mouth. If it helps, close your eyes for a moment and let us rejoice, we are here.

As for how I got here, I met Shannon and Joe for the first time less than 48 hours ago at the Dairy Queen in Waskom. A little earlier a major part of their wedding plans fell to pieces. Suddenly they needed a new minister for their wedding because their minister had a family emergency, and they didn’t know anybody else. It ended up throwing a monkey wrench the size of a large gorilla into their wedding plans. Friends of friends connected us, for which I say “Praise God!”

As we chatted at the DQ, I gave them one of those little pieces of wedding advice I give all couples, “The ceremony will not go perfectly; so don’t be surprised when it happens, just roll with it.” That’s when Shannon said “You mean something else?” I kind of shrugged because, well, yes, something else. That was when she said, “Well, if God is with us…”

What a wonderful thing to say. What a wonderful faith to have. Sometimes life goes to thunder and when it does if God is with us… if God is with us who or what can possibly stand against us.

This is a very holy expression too. Our reading from the psalms confesses confidence and trust in God as our sure refuge in times of trouble. Fear has no hold on those who heed the instruction, “Be still, and know that I am God.”

Life will have its pitfalls, but that isn’t why we’re here today. Of course it’s not! We’re here to celebrate the creation of a new family. Sons and daughters come together as Shannon and Joe wed. New family bonds are borne. Teens and toddlers come together. Relationships with new aunts and uncles and new grandparents are forged. These new relationships, this new household does not begin lightly. Shannon and Joe come together in the words of the Psalmist, in the strength of the Lord.

God is our refuge and strength,
    a very present help in trouble.
Therefore we will not fear, though the earth should change,
    though the mountains shake in the heart of the sea;
though its waters roar and foam,
    though the mountains tremble with its tumult. 

Through all of the trials and tribulations the world throws your way, you still know your refuge and your strength. Yes the world changes, and in all of these changes, the Lord is your God. Through this blessing you have done more than survived, by the grace and peace of our Lord Jesus Christ and by the power of his Holy Spirit, you have thrived in your love. That is the blessing we need to take when things go sideways, that God is still in control.

Shannon, you are so right, when God is with us no one can stand against us. As the psalmist says, “The LORD of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge.” In this truth, one of the greatest truths in the gospel, this is where you make your new home.

So now, before we continue. Let’s take one more breath. Let’s rest in the outstretched arms of the loving God. And let us smile and celebrate that you make your new life as a new family in the house of the Lord.

Amen.

The First Temptation of Christ

This sermon was heard at the First Presbyterian Church in Henderson, Texas on Sunday February 17, 2013, the 1st Sunday in Lent.

Deuteronomy 26:1-11

Psalm 91:1-2, 9-16

Romans 8b-13

Luke 4:1-13

May the words of my mouth and the meditations of our hearts be acceptable to you, O Lord, our rock and our redeemer. Amen.

Written in 1951, The Last Temptation, or as it is more commonly known in America, The Last Temptation of Christ, is a novel by Nikos Kazantzakis. The central thesis of this fictional book is that Jesus, while free from sin, was still subject to every form of temptation that humans face, including fear, doubt, depression, reluctance, and lust. In the novel's preface, Kazantzakis argues by facing and conquering all human weaknesses Christ became the perfect model for our lives. He sacrificed not only on the cross, but throughout his life. He struggled to do God's will, without ever giving in to the temptations of the flesh.[1] As this book places a great emphasis on the humanity of Jesus dueling with the divinity of the Christ, you can imagine it has been on many banned book lists since its publication.

You may be more familiar with the cinematic version made by Martin Scorsese in 1988 starring Willem Defoe as Jesus. The movie version tried to address the controversial subject matter by beginning with a disclaimer explaining that, “[this movie] departs from the commonly-accepted Biblical portrayal of Jesus’ life, and that it is not intended to be an exact recreation of the events detailed in the Gospels.”[2]

This version was so controversial that it was originally banned in many cities and picketed almost everywhere. Even two years after its theatrical release, when it made its cable debut on the Cinemax premium cable channel, many systems, including the one I subscribed to in Colorado, chose to black it out. I don’t think you would find it surprising that while doing research for this sermon I was unable to find a copy at Wal-Mart.

The idea that Jesus was tempted like we are tempted is controversial. People asked, what does it mean if Jesus can be tempted like me? The simplest answer to this question is that if Jesus could be tempted by the spoils of this world then he is fully human. We also believe he is fully divine so while tempted he never yielded to its temptations.

Jesus is so fully human that he is perfectly human. In fact, more human than we could ever be.

So filled with the Holy Spirit, Jesus is in the wilderness fasting, eating nothing for forty days and forty nights. Verse two tells us that during the entire fast Jesus was being tempted by the devil.

One of the elements of fasting is that while the body abstains from food, the soul is fed. The fast becomes a period of general readjustment, of renovation from the outer sphere of life down to the roots of its innermost fibers.[3] Through the fast, prayer is reinforced and penance is paid.[4] The fast is more than the deprivation of our bodies; it is a means of spiritual preparation. But let’s face it, forty days and forty nights of temptation would be ruthless. Jesus perseveres this time of trial, preparing himself spiritually for his life to come.

So after forty days and forty nights, the devil needs to bring his best material if he is going to tempt Jesus.

Luke writes about three specific temptations. The scene begins with the devil saying, “If you are the Son of God, command this stone to become a loaf of bread.” When looking at original Greek text, there are two ways to interpret hunger. Jesus could have been hungry for bread or he could have been hungry for spiritual truth.

It kind of leaves this open for us, doesn’t it? The original text could go either way. But all translation involves interpretation, and our text says Jesus was famished. This translation implies Jesus could use a good meal.

Jesus’ response turns this interpretation on its ear. While the devil may have hoped Jesus would fall for bread alone, invoking the words of Deuteronomy 8:3, Jesus reminds us “One does not live by bread alone.” Jesus hungers for spiritual food.

The Devil offers the most human of needs, nourishment. But Jesus turns away from earthly satisfaction in favor of something more substantial. The devil offers to satisfy one hunger, Jesus proclaims satisfying the spiritual hunger to be more important. Luke teaches that the need for bread is secondary to the fact that it is God alone who gives bread.[5]

Jesus teaches that the one who gives the gift is more important than the gift itself.

The devil isn’t out of temptations yet, there is more up his sleeve. So the second temptation is offered, “To you I will give their glory and all this authority; for it has been given over to me, and I give it to anyone I please.”

There is some hinky stuff in this passage. First, with this offer, we are reminded that the devil has power in the world, power that can be delegated and allocated as he sees fit. The devil offers this power to Jesus. Imagine if you will the power to do anything you desire. For Jesus, there is a lot of good that can be done with that kind of power.

But this power is given with a catch, “If you, then, will worship me, it will all be yours.”

A catch doesn’t get catchier than this. Fly paper wishes it was this sticky.

But Jesus does not get trapped by political intrigue, human glory and authority. He denies the devil his worship in the words of Deuteronomy 6:13, “Worship the Lord your God, and serve only him.” The devil offers power over this world, a world that is temporary, a world that is limited. Jesus knows that there is a greater power than the political domain of the devil and the price of the devil’s power is too high.

Jesus rejects the devil’s demand of worship insisting that the only real power comes from God.[6]

Jesus acknowledges that the source of power is more important than power itself.

So the devil has offered Jesus something to eat and all of the power in the world. What’s left?

The devil takes Jesus to the pinnacle of the temple in Jerusalem. They are on the highest place of the high places of the Holy Land. And from there, the devil goads Jesus. “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down from here, for it is written, ‘He will command his angels concerning you, to protect you,’ and ‘On their hands they will bear you up, so that you will not dash your foot against a stone.’”

This time, it is the devil’s turn to invoke scripture, Psalm 91:11-12. Now this is a good temptation. The devil uses something good to suit his own bad intentions.

In this case, the devil literally offers the oldest trick in the book. The devil asks Jesus to doubt the Father’s sincerity. Paraphrasing Genesis 3:1-4, the serpent tests Eve saying, “Go ahead, eat from the tree in the middle of the garden. Sure, God said you will die, but do you seriously think that God will take your life?” In Luke the devil invites Jesus to throw himself down from the pinnacle of the temple because, after all, “God has promised to protect you. Do you doubt it?” Eve and then Adam and then Jesus are tempted to wonder if God’s promises are real. Adam and Eve fall for it, Jesus does not.

Jesus responds in kind to temptation shrouded in scripture. Quoting Deuteronomy 6:16, Jesus tells the devil to shove off reminding him “Do not put the Lord your God to the test.” The Old Testament reminds us that Israel tested the Lord time and time again, and in every case the Lord is faithful. It is said that scripture is best interpreted by scripture, and this is a shining example.

Jesus is invited to test the sincerity of the Lord; Jesus reminds us the Lord is not to be tested. The Father is faithful. God has passed that test time and time again.

These first recorded temptations of Jesus: physical satisfaction, political power, and testing God’s sincerity; these are the things the devil puts on the table. Jesus passes these tests. Jesus does this by knowing what is important.

Bread is not as important as the one who makes it. Power is not as important as the one who creates and gives it. Testing God’s sincerity is not as important as knowing God is earnest and faithful.

But there is more at stake than these obvious temptations.

The devil prefaces the first and last temptations with this phrase: “If you are the Son of God…” So while it is easy to say that the temptations are about bread and sincerity, there is something more sinister happening. The greater, more subtle temptation the devil tries to put in Jesus’ mind is the doubt that he is the Son of God. Yes, the devil asks Jesus if God will do what God has promised, but it is far more devastating if Jesus doubts he is the Son of God. If the devil can plant this seed of doubt, then everything else is lost.

But this seed has no purchase. Jesus will not allow the devil to define what being the Son of God means. Our Lord will not let the devil define what kind of Messiah he is, that is between Father and Son.

And as soon as we doubt that we are the children of God we are lost. Jesus reminds us that being children of God is more important than anything else. This, this relationship between creation and the father is the only source of our hope; the only source of lasting hope.

So often people wail and rent their clothes crying that they are unlovable. That’s because people believe that God can’t possibly love them because they are so horrible; they are unworthy of such great love. This is the lie the devil wants us to believe. It’s the lie the devil told Jesus, it’s the lie the devil tells us all. “If you are the sons and daughters of God…” “If you are the child of God…” When we buy this lie, and fall to this temptation, then we are lost.

When we don’t believe we deserve God’s love, we try to earn it. We know better, we know we can’t earn God’s love. We’ve seen this before in scripture, “You have been weighed on the scales and found wanting.”[7] That doesn’t keep us from trying, and it doesn’t keep us from failing either. When we doubt that we are the children of God we are lost.

The Swiss theologian Karl Barth put it this way “God does not love us despite who we are; God loves us because of who we are.” Barth’s point is that God loves us because we are the children of God. It’s who we are, not what we do. We can’t earn God’s love and that’s just fine—God loves us period. We can’t earn God’s love because it is a gift freely given.

In “The Last Temptation,” the thought that Jesus could be tempted is controversial. In real life it’s horrifying that Jesus could fall to temptation. To resist, Jesus relies on scripture and his relationship with the one who gives us scripture. To resist temptation we must rely on Jesus and the scripture and the love of God the Father by the power of the Holy Spirit.

As we approach the cross through Lent, we need to be intentional about growing in relationship with the Lord our God, just as Jesus shows us how. Jesus resisted the temptation. By the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit we can resist too. By this, that seed of temptation will find no purchase in us either. In this alone is our hope.

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[1] The Last Temptation of Christ- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_last_temptation_of_christ, accessed February 19, 2007.

[2] The Last Temptation of Christ-Film, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Last_Temptation_of_Christ_%28film%29, accessed February 19, 2007.

[3] Wesseling, Theodore, “The Cleansing of the Temple.” London: Longmans, Green, and Company, 1945.

[4] Jungmann, Josef A, S.J., “Public Worship: A Survey.” Howell, Clinton, translator. The Liturgical Press: Collegeville

[5] Cousar, Charles B., Gaventa, Beverly R., McCann, Jr., J. Clinton, Newsome, James D., Texts for Preaching, A Lectionary Commentary Based on the NRSV, Year C. Louisville, KY: Westminster John Knox Press, page 197.

[6] Ibid.

[7] Daniel 5:27 (NRSV)