Genesis 3; Matthew 4.1-11 - Lent 1- March 1, 2020
RESTRAINT!
Rev. Tiare L. Mathison, Pastor & Soul-Tender
Tell me, what is the great ? You are to answer this Lenten Season?
A shadow of doubt. “If”. If you are who you were named in your baptism, ‘Beloved Son’, then... make bread out of these stones, feed your stomach. Throw yourself off this ledge, scripture says the angels will lift you up. Bow down to my dominion. That’s all. Then all of this is yours. A single act. Satan whispers.
A crafty question: “Did God really say ‘you shouldn’t eat from ANY tree in the garden? There’s 2 trees you know, at least. The tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Come on, you won’t die—your eyes will be opened! You’ll be like God—you will know good from evil.” Who wouldn’t want that?
lets just stop here for a minute. Let’s ask these questions straight up:
#1) Why? God places this tree in the middle of Eden. Why?
#2 What is this ‘knowing of good and evil’ about anyway?
#3 What is God’s reasons for restricting this learning?
#4 How come the first humans don’t die when they eat the fruit?
These might be our questions. But they are not the questions this text answers.
It is this deep willfulness toward all things ‘me’ that defines our original condition, sin, and the Tempter understands. He cleverly whispers the right words in Eve and then Adams' ears: 'you will be like God!' Who wouldn't be tempted, at least in our own little universe? 10 centuries before Christ, there is an enemy of God recorded in Scripture; defeated certainly but still defiant until the final days. Its his job to split you off at the root from your baptism, just like he tries to do with Jesus.
This is not a scientific answer to the question of the problem of evil, based in measurable, material means. But a religious one. It is not the ‘little red suited guy running around with a pitchfork in his hand’ from the 19th century romantic period. Rather it is a fundamental recognition that the whole of existence is marred in an unnatural way. Let me say that again.
Sin is not God’s way nor God’s intention for humanity. The original creation was designed to serve and protect - Hebrew, abad - the garden, Eden. Humans are fashioned with some part of God’s mind, we often say, made in the image of God. It is what gives each and everyone of us human dignity and human worth. We were made for a purpose. This is what we forgot.
It is our worst selves, how we dehumanize each other, and ultimately, be anti-life. The language of ‘The Tempter’ or ‘demons’ or ‘evil personified’ are our metaphors of truth, if we live with a Christian world view. The word itself is drawn from the Greek - Dia and ballo - to throw across. In Matthew's gospel, the noun means to attack, mislead, deceive. We see The Devil mislead Eve and Adam away from their blessed state of intimate companionship. We see The Devil mislead Jesus away from His core commitments and the purpose God has for him. We make our confession every week for the ways we cooperate with evil and renege on our fundamental relationships with God, with one another and this marred creation. Let’s be very clear about one thing here: temptation is not co-equal to testing. Temptation destroys faith! Testing builds faith. We must remain vigilant and clear-minded about the difference.
Restraint. One answer to the great question.
Don’t get me wrong. It is very tempting. 40 days and nights with no food or water in the desert leaves one delirious, crazy in the head, as the gut caves in on itself to survive. Jesus was out there a long time - not necessarily our 24 hour days, rather, the number 40, be it days or years, symbolizes a long sojourn in Scripture.
the Prestige being offered is a beautiful thing, domination could be used for good.
" Nooooooooooo", Jesus Cries Out. Bread alone is not enough. Who are we to play God? There is only the Holy One to worship. Away with you. Until the next time, the last time, with arms pinned by nails wide on the cross, the taunt comes again. “You who would destroy the temple and build it in three days, save yourself! “If you are the Son of God, come down from the cross. (Matthew 27:40)
These are not our temptations, the spectacle, the miraculous, the power grab. The Tempter whispers different words in our head. More like Eve and Adam. “Ah come on, take a bite. Its not that big a deal. You don’t really even believe in me so whats the problem?” The talking snake couldn’t be real right? Silky tones draw us away to our own self focused desires.
We don’t want to dominate the whole world, just our little universe. “If they would only do it my way...” “How can she be so stupid?” “Whats the matter with him any way? He’s such a goody.” The bile of envy rises in our throats. “How come they get to have all that, go on that trip, drive that car?”
Lent is the season for tuning our ears, to discern the texture and quality of our own demons. We are to rend our hearts, that is, repent with our whole selves and return to God. We don’t need to be led into temptation, let’s be honest. We find ourselves there a lot of the time. Pride, self-sufficiency, apathy, even insecurity is the arena where the voices start their seductive cadence. “You can have it all and it can be all about you.”
Crafty snake exegesis is intended to make God look bad—arbitrary, demanding, unreasonable. The serpent introduces suspicion into this created, generative relationship between God and humanity and one another. As we turn from Him and one another, we bring on all the ruin of the world.
But the luscious voice in your head says “its okay, you can do what you want. Love yourself, that’s a good thing. Jesus even said, love your neighbor as yourself.” The Tempter speaks in tones that feeds your desires for what you want, even if it means breaking relationship with God and with others. Cultural pressures line up with the demonic in your head. Wealth, sex and power are the common ones. Especially for men. For women its often more about vanity, based in deep insecurity--am I prettier than her, more sexy, smarter? A constant yardstick, 24/7. The body positive movement is only for the younger women.
It is this deep willfulness toward disobedience that sends us careening off course, looking for love in all the wrong places. As Paul says in Romans 5:17: “If, because of one person’s trespass, death exercised dominion through them...
The only thing that will heal our disfigured will is love, the right kind.
Restraint. One answer to the great question.
Doubt is the wedge that has existed since the Fall. Humanity has resisted God, hid from God, distrusted God and still does. The first thing Eve and Adam did after they take a bite of that juicy, sensuous, bright red apple? They hid themselves, their nakedness now exposed to each other and to God. The beauty of Eden now marred. It is this broken harmony, as God cries out, ‘where are you? Why are you not here? You were with Me. You left your place of repose, creation. Now you are with the snake.’ God’s last act of grace is to sew clothes for Eve and Adam. (Pause)
The right answer is we don’t live by bread only, alone, or just bread. We too live by the Word pouring out of God’s mouth, still. This is an active voice of a God who seeks to be in conversation with us. Even about our doubts, our fears, our darkest cravings, our deepest desires, our shame, our guilt, our questions. Grace is a free gift, as Paul says in Romans 5:16. Love stands beside us, faces down our demons with us, one by one, speaks in tones of clarity and forgiveness, verified by the community of faith.
If there is seduction going on it is toward the good--the love of God and the love of one another and the healthy love of self. It is this Word we must know. It is why clarion calls at the beginning of Lent always ask us to meditate on Scripture in preparation for our stance, our strong stance, against evil.
The taunts don’t stop, they get louder in this season, until that final moment when Jesus says, “It is finished.” The curtain is rent, the sky goes dark, the Host of Heaven and the angels rage and weep. “If you are the Son of God, will you rise from the dead?”
Deliverance comes as the angels set the table in the wilderness. Amen
Restraint. One answer to the great question.