Reflections...

A sermon preached at Kowloon Union Church on Lent 1 6 March 2022, by Revd. Judy Chan. The scripture readings that day were Psalm 91, and Luke 4:1-13 

The Temptations of Jesus are traditionally the Gospel reading for the first Sunday in Lent. The story is found in three of the Gospels, which fits neatly into the three-year lectionary cycle - Year A we read Matthew’s version; Year B, Mark’s version; and today in Year C, Luke’s version. 

Lent lasts 40 days before Easter not counting Sundays. This mirrors the 40 days Jesus spent in the wilderness after his baptism and before he begins his public ministry. 

As you’ve heard, our theme at KUC this season is “Grace Through the Darkness”. Note, it’s not Grace in the Darkness, but Grace Through the Darkness. Why? Because darkness is not always negative. In fact, those dark times and places can be a source of God’s hidden blessing.

One prime example is Jesus’ temptations in the wilderness. We tend to think of this as a sad and lonely time for the Savior. The barren landscape, the isolation, the deprivation, the confrontation with Evil personified. Yet, notice what Luke says: Jesus was led by the Holy Spirit into the wilderness where he was tempted by the Devil. That doesn’t mean God was leading him into temptation (heaven forbid).  God never tempts us to be disobedient to his commands. God was, however, using this occasion to test Jesus…not just to see whether Jesus would obey his commands, but more importantly how he might go about it. In other words, would he do the right thing in the right way?

And that’s exactly what the Devil wanted to find out too – but his goal was to tempt the Son of God to do the right thing in the wrong way. Because that was the only way he was going to get Jesus to sin. It’s fascinating then how the Devil plays with Jesus’ mind and heart. Notice how sly he is. He never asks Jesus to deny his identity or mission. The Devil knows exactly who Jesus is and what Jesus had come to do. But Jesus was both divine and human, so the Devil knew he could attack him on both fronts. 

So, just at the time when Jesus was most humanly vulnerable - hungry, exhausted and by himself - the Devil makes his entrance with offers almost too good to be true. Now they would be for us. We can’t turn stones into bread. No one would give us all the kingdoms of the world. And we wouldn’t dare jump off that rooftop, even for God. (At least, I wouldn’t, not even from KUC’s rooftop!)

But for Jesus, these were all very possible and very tempting. So why not?

That’s what the Devil says over and over. 

Why not use your divine power to get things done the easy, fast and smart way? After all, you are the Son of God, for goodness sake!

First, you could save yourself. Why not command this stone to become a loaf of bread before you starve?

Next, you could save the world. Why not let me give it you on a silver platter? 

Finally, you could save God’s face. Why not jump off the top of the Temple so God can protect you just like Psalm 91 promised? 

Why not?

Why not? Because, Jesus says, If I didn’t know it before, I know it now. I won’t take shortcuts. I won’t cheat to win. I won’t abuse my privilege as the Son of God. Of course, Jesus says it more exquisitely by quoting Scripture from Deuteronomy. But the meaning is clear: There is no easy, fast, smart way to be faithful in the Kingdom of God. That’s just our human desire for ‘instant discipleship’ when what’s really required is way more time and effort. It’s what Eugene Peterson calls “a long obedience in the same direction”.  A long obedience in the same direction. And for Jesus that direction would always be away from the Devil and towards his Heavenly Father. So, when the Devil saw he was defeated in this round, the Scripture says he departed until a more opportune time.

There’s a saying attributed to the ancient Chinese sage Mencius that’s very apt here: “Before a man can do things there must be things he will not do.” That’s what Jesus had to find out in those 40 days in the wilderness. What things he would never do in order to accomplish the things he must do. Grace through the darkness. A hidden blessing indeed.

What about us? What do the next 40 days more or less hold in store for you and me and KUC? 

There’s been the trend lately at least in the West to stop talking about giving something up for Lent. I understand. After all, what are our little sacrifices compared to what Jesus did for us on the Cross? Anyway, as one minister remarked “Every day feels like Lent” recently with COVID and a world in turmoil. Yet, Christians traditionally give up something they enjoy for these 40 days in solidarity with Jesus. Still others choose to do something more instead - more prayer, Bible study, meditation, worship and service. Definitely all these are worthwhile too. Either way is fine. You can choose to do less of something or to do more, or some of each. The most important thing is that these 40 days are different from what you do the other 325 days of the year. And they draw you closer to God.

Let me leave you with some thoughts for Lent from Christian writer Frederick Buechner. This passage is pretty famous. But I think it’s worth hearing this time every year so we might see what progress we’ve made in that long obedience in the same direction with Jesus Christ. Hear what Buechner says:

 After being baptized by John in the river Jordan, Jesus went off alone into the wilderness where he spent forty days asking himself the question what it meant to be Jesus. During Lent, Christians are supposed to ask one way or another what it means to be themselves.  

Buechner then asks a series of questions:

Of all the things you have done in your life, which is the one you would most like to undo? Which is the one that makes you happiest to remember? 

Is there any person in the world, or any cause, that, if circumstances called for it, you would be willing to die for?

If you had … one last message to leave to the handful of people who are most important to you, what would it be? 

If this were the last day of your life, what would you do with it? 

Buechner says when you try to answer questions like these, you begin to hear something not only of who you are, but of both what you are becoming and what you are failing to become. It can be pretty discouraging, all in all. But he concludes, “if sackcloth and ashes are at the start of it, something like Easter may be at the end.” And I’m confident he’s right – Easter will always be waiting for us at the end of Lent. Because the Holy Spirit also leads us into the wilderness if we are willing, not to make us weak but to make us strong. Not to watch us fail but to help us succeed. Not to see if we fall but to invite us to rise up. Grace through the darkness. This is our prayer, in Jesus’ name. Amen.