Emmanuel Church, Bungay, Suffolk

The Minister's Sermons

"Babies, Baptism and Lent" by Revd Bruce Waldron - 13th February 2005 Psalm 32 Matthew 4:1-11
I have two themes running through my head today. The first is that this is the start of Lent. The second is that there is a baby here, little Christopher John who has been baptized today. In a way, it quite fits because in our readings for the first Sunday in Lent, Jesus is depicted as facing the beginning of his ministry. This child who has been baptized today is beginning his journey in the Christian Church. So there is some connection. Today is about beginnings
The differences are fairly profound though. Jesus willingly started out on his journey, knowing that he had a particular mission. This little boy Christopher has very little that he is aware of as he begins his journey. He has yet to discover his mission in life. That will come later. But perhaps our reading today will give up some of its treasures to help us understand the important things that you, his parents and godparents, can give to little Christopher as he begins his journey. Perhaps also, some treasures that we can use as we begin our Lenten journey
What do the temptations in the wilderness tell us about the Christian life?
The first temptation is about Jesus being hungry and tempted to turn the stones into bred because he's hungry. It is assumed he has the power at his disposal to do it, so why not. It seems terribly sensible when you look at it from the perspective of our consumer driven culture. You have the need. You have a means. Do it.
In a wealthy culture like ours you can often have whatever you want; all you have to do is get it. Most people, if they put their mind to it, can have whatever they want. If you don't like your shape, you can have a tummy tuck. If you don't like your face you can have a face lift. Much of our culture is based on having what you want and changing what isn't according to your needs by the exchange of money. We don't ask too many questions about the ethics of how we get what we want. What value is Jesus disclosing when he says no to an easy fix?
Jesus is out there in the wilderness for a reason. Although it says the Spirit drove him out into the wilderness, he went of his own accord too. He chose to go out there and put himself through a really difficult time to try and sort out what his values, his mission, his purpose really was. He put a bit of backbone into this question.
The temptation to turn the stones into bread is the easy fix, just go and get what's easy, don't worry about sweating over what you believe or are here for, just go and get what you want.
Jesus takes the other road - the more difficult one - but the one he believes is more important, more significant.
I hope that as young Christopher grows up, you will help him to know the importance of spending time with God, reflecting on what it's all about, and finding a path, and sticking with it. God's way isn't always the easiest but it does make a difference. The other way might sort out the wants of the moment but it won't make a difference to the world for the better. Nor will it really be bread for the soul. Jesus wants to fill something in himself more permanent and lasting that a grumbling stomach. He's not into consumerism.
The second temptation is about whether or not God is really trusted. Its an interesting temptation because it implies that Jesus had some real wrestles and doubts along the way. I think that these stories of the temptation are probably a storyteller's way of letting us know the type of temptations that Jesus faced all his life. They are probably also told in such a way as to help us think about the temptations that are faced by ordinary Christians too.
These Gospels were written with a particular audience in mind so the way the story is told is also about the readers, and what they need to hear. If that's right, then the story tells us about how a person has to get on with the Christian life. Will God be with me, won't God be with me, will God look after me, will God see me through? It's all that kind of questioning that is raised by the temptation "Cast yourself down and see if God does look after you."
Jesus response makes it clear that this is not the way to live the life of faith, checking God out to see if God is real or not. Jesus lives the life of faith because he knows that that is the way to go. When James was writing to the Christian church he said:
"If any of you is lacking in wisdom, ask God, who gives to all generously and ungrudgingly, and it will be given you. But ask in faith, never doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, driven and tossed by the wind; for the doubter, being double-minded and unstable in every way, must not expect to receive anything from the Lord."
If you are going to embark on the Christian way of life, you don't hedge your bets both ways. You go for it!
To hedge by asking "God if I do it the way you want, will you be there? Can I be sure you'll look after me?" This is not the question. The question is "Show me the way God and I'll go whether or no because it is your way." As young Christopher grows up, may he learn that to do the Godly thing is an end in itself, not because we think that by it we can be sure God will make life more easy for us. There were times I'm sure, when Jesus did what he did with his heart in his mouth, but he did it. If he had faltered, we wouldn't be following him today. We would not be calling him Lord and Christ. We would not have the hope and direction that he brought us.
The third temptation is about the way we achieve the things that we think are important. As Christopher grows up, he's probably going to have a lot of opportunities to achieve, to gain position and influence, to gain the things he needs. How we go about that is as important as what we try to achieve.
Out there in the desert it's hard going, and I think Jesus already suspected that his life was going to be hard going at times.
Jesus was bound for a lot more desert moments than this one. Here, he is faced with a symbolic opportunity, a way of instant success and power, and with his charisma he could have achieved it. There are times when we have these kind of choices, to achieve what we want, even what we believe is important, but by the wrong means. Our aims and ideals might be really good but then comes a time when we are offered a way of achieving it that isn't quite right. In God's kingdom there isn't any compromise. The work of God cannot be achieved by means that aren't godly in their nature.
I think this temptation was probably with Jesus all his life. His disciples wanted him to go down that path a few times but he always rejected it. In Jesus Christ Superstar, Judas tells Jesus that he's his greatest fan, and that he could be really great if he just followed a plan - the sort of plan Judas was laying before him. In the film, Jesus rejects that type of power, and he loses the moment when his followers would have died for him and taken over. But the Jesus of Tim Rice's musical knows that he has a different type of power to pursue, and it looks silly to those around who judge things by the standards of the secular world. But in his song, Jesus cries out "you don't understand what power is. You don't understand what love is. You don't understand what God is."
Where does Psalm 32 come into our Lenten reflection, and the question of Christopher's baptism?
I only want to touch on it briefly but it is important. The psalm writer talks about how his body was drying up when he was out of sync with God. In his open hearted confession to God he found not judgement but grace, and that grace set him free from what was tearing him to bits. I think that often we live with guilt and pain, and we don't realize how it affects our physical and our mental health. The psalm writer tells how he finally came to God with that sin that was so damaging him, and found healing and renewal. May little Christopher always know that steadfast love surround those who trust in God and offer to God both their failure and their success.
Lent is that time, to bring to God the things that stand between us and God, to sort them out while the time of year provides that opportunity, to reset the direction. It is very difficult to do God's work if there is anything standing between us and God. So, like the psalmist, Jesus goes out into the desert place, and sorts it out with God. Then, and only then can he come back to the world, to do God's will.
The desert searching is a difficult time but it is important, and it isn't resolved by a quick fix of turning stones into bread, or satisfying the shallow needs of the moment.
The desert searching is a time of discovering the depths of relationship with God that allow us to go forward with real faith - not for ourselves but for God's kingdom.
The desert searching is a way of knowing what manner of Spirit is in us, and the spirit with which we pursue God's purposes. It is a precondition of a life lived in harmony with God. This is lent and as we enter it, we sing these words:
"Search me O God, and know my anxious heart. Behind me and before me, you lay your hand upon me."