06 Mar Sunday, March 6, 2022
There are certain scripture passages I refuse to repeat. Why? Because they give false impressions that may lead to false conclusions. For example, on Ash Wednesday, the lectionary readings prescribed the responsorial reading of Psalm 51. I specifically cut out verse 11 which reads, “Cast me not away from your presence and take not your Holy Spirit from me.”
Because the verse reflects true concerns we share with David, I wouldn’t dare edit scripture. But do I believe God would actually cast someone away or remove the Holy Spirit from them? The Bible presents much evidence to the contrary. Neither scenario is how God deals punishment in the short or long term, to lesser or greater degrees.
Segway. Ever get lyrics stuck in your head? I do. Of late it’s been one particular disco song. Thelma Houston had a 1977 hit called, “Don’t Leave Me This Way.” The lyrics reflect common themes popular in today’s music: hooking up and breaking up.
I hated that the record playing in my head kept flipping from Side A to B. Side A was, “Don’t leave me this way,” by Thelma Houston. Side B was Gloria Gaynor’s classic, “Go on now go, walk out the door, don’t hang around now, ‘cause you’re not welcome anymore.” I was about to go nuts ‘til something amazing happened.
After two weeks of torturously repeating the lines of Thelma Houston’s song over and over again, I heard the lyrics through a biblical lens. The emphasis shifted from the first three words, “Don’t leave me,” to all five, “Don’t leave me this way.” The phrase became a profound prayer through which I could admit a need for God to change me. “Don’t leave me this way. No.”
The song/prayer continues, “I can’t survive, can’t stay alive, without your love. Don’t leave me this way. My heart is full of love and desire for you. Now com’on down and do what you gotta do. You started this fire down in my soul. Can’t you see it’s burning out of control? Com’on satisfy the need in me. ‘Cause only your good lovin’ can set me free.”
Who knew fervent prayers for God were hidden in disco music? My mind that was begging for sleep but instead had lyrics spinning like a mirror ball was proverbially blown. This song isn’t S-E-X it’s about God! They told us in seminary that pastors were oftentimes weirdos who obsess over God and I guess I just proved it, lol.
The point I’m really trying to make is this. God is always present. Did you listen to the readings? God’s presence is constant and necessary. No suffering occurs without provisions being given of God’s presence in the form of the Holy Spirit and also in the form of meeting real need.
The first reading emphasized remembering without fail what the Lord has given to not only you but members of your family: freedom, land, and food. The psalm reminded us that the Lord will deliver those forced to wander, who are afflicted, under conditions of hard labor, or in any trouble. Whoever calls, searches, cries or clings to the hope of rescue, the Lord will answer.
But what about the Israelites? They suffered in Egypt and may have waited over 400 years between the promise of a Messiah and when Jesus was born.
There’s that number 40 again, a number that signifies testing, trouble or hardship. Forty years roughly equals the span of one generation. If Israelites called, searched, cried and clung to the hope of rescue while waiting for ten generations, that’s a whole lot of suffering.
What else is weird or wonderful about today’s readings? How do they make sense? Why send Jesus into land called wilderness because it’s totally barren without provisions before suffering a horrible death? Perhaps my first unit of clinical pastoral education can lend a clue.
During that time, my supervisor recommended seminary. I took the news rather disappointedly after spending two years with one focus, deeping my spiritual reserves. Wasn’t that enough? Weren’t Jesus’ spiritual reserves deep enough? What purpose would adding more trials serve?
What was seen as more hurdles were really provisions.Trials before greater trials for my benefit. Added trial was so that I’d be able to minister without getting depleted. For Jesus, trials of fasting and prayer were not hurdles to the finish line, but stops en route. They aided a strong finish and resisting temptations to come.
Jesus entered the wilderness 40 days after being baptized. Like us, he received God’s Holy Spirit and was now filled and being led. Rescue comes in the form of strength to endure and resist and in the form of angelic beings. Through the psalm we remember God offers life, satisfaction and salvation.
Who is like the Lord? Who can better encourage or empower us in forty days? A lot can change in the span of six weeks. It’s kind of a magical number. Report cards used to come out every six weeks. Does that still happen?
I remember it seemed weird not to have a follow-up doctor’s appointment until 6 weeks after delivery of my son. Up until then, I was at the doctor’s once a week. The baby was seen weekly afterward, why not me?
During the first six weeks, I couldn’t sit or dress comfortably. I had incredible trials trying to nurse my first child. Me, my body, and son experienced remarkable change in appearance and personal growth. By the time six weeks were up, there was little to complain about. We’d been through it. When the OB asked how it was going, my thought was, “Oh, sure. Now you ask, once things have straightened out. You timed this right.”
In retrospect, times of testing, trial and hardship serve a purpose. Jesus’ time of fasting and prayer was not added time of torture and temptation. It was preparation for what lay ahead. The devil always means to intercept God’s plan, steal the ball and win the game. God knows the path forward for Jesus and for us, is fraught with offensive plays and defensive linebackers.
By having Jesus’ attention, or yours or mine without distraction, the devil cannot triumph. Can you see parallels between lenten disciplines and Jesus’ time in the desert, yet? Being filled with the Holy Spirit from baptism, we are led by the Spirit to get alone with God without distraction.
We are led to experience what seems like a time of trial or deprivation which is, in fact, a period of provision, of growth, of digging a deeper foundation. So that when the tornado comes, we have more than a crawl space to shelter in. We’ll have a well stocked, full finished basement complete with a generator.
We’ll have better knowledge of Scripture. Prior to the internet or women sharing openly what to expect after childbirth, the best resource I had were books. Books that described what was normal, but weren’t much help when things didn’t go according to plan.
When we are led toward trial or deprivation, that’s when God sends angelic beings familiar with dire straits, who have experience fighting battles, who understand how to nurture the vulnerable:God’s Son and future generations.
The gospel shows how the devil tries to directly oppose God. In the psalm, God said, “I will rescue and honor them. With long life will I satisfy and show them my salvation. The first reading reminds us to never forget who supplies our bread, our freedom or the land we dwell in.
For six weeks, I mean, forty days, Jesus ate nothing at all. After the time was over, he was famished. After the initial trial of fasting and prayer, temptation began. The temptation to forego all that he and the Holy Spirit had accomplished: the build up of trust in God’s provision.
He may have been famished, but he was not depleted. In fact Jesus had been built up. When the devil said, “What about commanding this stone to become bread,” Jesus had a ready reply. He quoted scripture, saying, “One does not live by bread alone.” Another gospel text, Matt 4:4 goes on to say, “Not by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.”
Jesus didn’t need to eat cause he was already full. Even after 40 days, he was still full of the Spirit. Every word from God’s mouth had been uttered to his. When the devil says, “To you I will give glory and authority over every kingdom of the world,” the devil admits “to being able to give it to anyone I please because it’s been given to me.”
The first reading of the day used six versions of this same phrase.Everything worth having or needed comes by way of the Lord giving. Even the devil admits that power, authority and real estate fall into the category of “that which the Lord our God has given.” Jesus again, has a ready reply, “Worship the Lord your God [who gave you all that] and serve only him.”
Finally, the devil tries once more to bait Jesus. When neither his stomach or ego yielded, perhaps this Son, this God in human form will insist upon demonstrating his command of angels. When the devil quoted scripture it was just an attempt to better align the bait with the hook and disguise a plan.
The Bible often repeats words or phrases to drive home a point. Jesus says, “Do not put the Lord your God to the test.” Then scripture says, “When the devil finished every test, he departed until an opportune time.” One definition of victory is ability to claim your opponent gave up and went away. It behooves us to know that in the midst of ongoing competition, our opponent will return to challenge us again. Let us pray.
Lord, get us alone with you and your Spirit away from distractions. Make us familiar with your every word. Continue to fill the earth with provisions needed: encouragement, discipline, hope, food, land, freedom and resources. May all that is good become more able to withstand evil, more certain of victory, running toward your goals and no other. IYHNWP, Amen.