Deuteronomy 26:1-11, Psalm
91:1-2, 9-16, Romans 10:8b-13, Luke
4:1-13
One cannot live on bread alone.
We’ve all
heard this before, and know it to be true. Literally speaking we cannot live on
bread because our bodies cannot get enough nutrients to be healthy from eating
only bread. The complex nature of our bodies requires that we take in
more than just flour and yeast. We require much more to sustain us.
Metaphorically speaking, we cannot live on bread alone because that would
mean we are relying only on what we can create to live.
By
relying on ourselves we are under the illusion that we are in control.
This illusion provides us with the comfort that we can dictate
situations, manipulate outcomes, and that ultimately our fates rest in our own
hands. While to a degree we are indeed in control of the choices we make
there are larger forces at work. We are but a small piece of a much
larger puzzle. We must look beyond ourselves to find the sustenance needed to
live and thrive in this world.
We need God. We need to be
sustained by the spirit and fed by the body of Christ.
The
gospel story this evening says that Jesus was “full of the Holy Spirit” when he
went into the desert. From the beginning of this narrative we know that
while Jesus is in the wilderness, he is not alone. Jesus did get hungry.
Jesus was thirsty. He experienced the same human needs and desires
as we would if we found ourselves in the wilderness. But “the Spirit did
not just ‘drop him off’ in the wilderness to fend for himself; the Spirit
continued to abide with him, enabling him to grow stronger.”[1]
Jesus continued to be filled by the Spirit which helped him to continue to
trust in God and not be misled by the devil’s lies.
We too
need to trust God. I don’t mean this in a trivial way such as “God never gives
us something we can’t handle,” because there will be times when we feel
overwhelmed and unprepared. I mean that we need to trust that there is
a God who loves us and desires a close relationship with each and every one of
us, that the Spirit does abide in us, and that Jesus is always our companion on
the way.
How many
of you are familiar with the Footprints in the Sand poem? It’s a narrative poem
where a person is walking along the beach with Jesus and sees scenes from their
life. At the end of the walk the person asks Jesus why at some points during
the walk there are only one set of footprints in the sand, and assumes that
Jesus left them. Jesus replies that those were the times when he carried the
person.
I have
known this poem since I was a child, and it is the image that always comes to
mind when thinking about trusting God. This poem reminds me that trusting in
God does not mean the path will be easy. The path may not be straight.
We may not even be able to see where we are going, but it does mean that
we are not alone. You are not alone.
We will
be tempted to not trust in God. Our temptations are not likely to be as
dramatic as the gospel story today, but they are there.
For
example, during Lent people often give something up. Some give up sweets or
meat or Facebook or soda, the list goes on and on. The act of self denial is a
way to experience fasting, but the act alone is meaningless if it is done
without intention. When we give something up without intention we are easily
swayed to give in to that desire because there is no purpose to why we have
given it up. It is in those moments of temptation that we need to remember that
we are choosing to deny ourselves of something so that we can be drawn deeper
into the Lenten season, drawn into a deeper relationship with God.
Another
example is that sometimes people add devotions to their lives during Lent.
Often we add something to our daily routine to help us become more connected
with God. It is all too easy to get distracted by our busy lives and to forget
about the spiritual practice we were trying to add. If this happens, don’t be
discouraged, take up the practice again. Trust that God knows that you are
trying. Do not let your mind destroy that trust.
In the gospel,
the devil tries to convince Jesus not to trust in God. The devil tempts Jesus
by appealing to his humanity: you may
go hungry; you do not have enough; how do you know God will come through.
With each temptation Jesus replies with scripture. Why does
Jesus reply with quotes from scripture? I wonder if it’s not so much that Jesus
quotes Scripture to deflect temptation but rather that Jesus finds in Scripture the words to give
voice to his trust. Because at the heart of each reply is Jesus’ absolute trust
in – and dependence on – God for his identity and future.[2]
As Christians we are called to continue the Spirit-led
proclamation and bringing of God’s kingdom with the help of the Spirit. And we
are also tempted to abandon the task God has given us for the ways of
self-fulfillment, power, and spectacle. Unlike Jesus, we will fail at times.
Lent is the time for confessing our failures and redirecting our steps to the
way of Jesus. And through the power of the Spirit, we too, can resist the
temptation.[3]
In the
season of Lent we are invited to live an intentional life. We are invited to
reflect on our need for prayer, fasting, and almsgiving. Notice I said need not want or desire. We need
prayer, fasting, and almsgiving so that we can more clearly see who God is and
who God wants us to be. These are all ways in which we can live more
fully into our relationship with God. These are expectations that go
beyond our own needs, our own desires, and puts both God and others first.
As we begin our time of self-reflection and self-discipline, know that
you are not alone, but that God will be with you, to lift you up, to fill you
up, and to sustain you as you walk your Lenten journey over the next forty
days.
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