The First Sunday of Lent, Year C

Into the Wilderness

Readings: Deuteronomy 26:1-11; Psalm 91:9-16; Romans 10:8b-13; Luke 4:1-13

A friend of mine, a meteorologist, has a phone message at this time of year that gives all the ingredients for the arrival of spring. He explains that the earth prepares itself long before spring actually arrives. Under the snow the earth is warming up, ready to nurture the seeds.

Although we do not usually think of it in those terms, Lent is the springtime of the church year. It is a time of spiritual renewal and preparedness. It is a wilderness time in our lives when we look for direction. Too often we think of it as a rather grim time when we should feel guilty about the things that are wrong in our lives. We think of it in terms of giving up. It is not simply about guilt for our sinfulness or giving up, although those are important things for us to consider in our spiritual journey. Rather it is about the barrenness of winter giving way to the promise of spring. Such wilderness times in our lives can be times of danger as we search for the right direction, but they are also times of growth as God makes a path through the wilderness, a path leading us home.

Following his baptism in the Jordan River, Jesus entered a Lenten time in his life. It was a time of preparation for leadership. It was common practice for people to go to a desert place to prepare themselves spiritually. It was a reminder of the forty years of wandering in the wilderness, and of their hope for liberation. So Jesus went out into the wilderness. It was a time to prepare for what lay ahead, a journey that would ultimately lead him to the cross.

There in that wilderness place he grappled with the devil. “If you are the Son of God,” the devil said to him, “make bread!” What could be the harm? After all, God provided manna for the people of Israel when they were going hungry in the wilderness. It was a subtle temptation, for Jesus often thought about how to feed the hungry. It would have brought him instant popularity amongst the poor. Jesus, however, was interested in another kind of hunger. He knew that it would take more than bread to satisfy the deep needs of humanity.

“If you are the Son of God, be a political leader!” the devil continued. Many in Israel were hoping that the Messiah would be a conqueror who would deliver them from the power of Rome. They lived in an oppressive regime; they wanted freedom. Would not Jesus have made a great king? Power can be a real temptation. Jesus knew whom he served. He knew what kind of a king he was called to be. He knew that his throne would be a cross.

“If you are the Son of God,” the devil continued, “pull a spectacular stunt. Get noticed!” What harm could there be? Would it not be for the better good? Would it not accomplish far more in the whole scheme of things?

The time in the wilderness is a defining moment in Jesus’ ministry. It defines his potential. If you are the Son of God, you do not need to prove it. You simply need to be all you are meant to be, all that God calls you to be. These are temptations which define who Jesus is and who he is not. What kind of liberator is Jesus? What kind of miracle worker? What kind of king? For he is not a liberator, a miracle worker or a king in the way of the world.

Temptations are defining moments. At least, the way we respond to them defines us. What kind of people are we? Are we all that God is calling us to be? Or do we allow ourselves to be lured away onto easier paths, in worldly directions. Our purpose is to be all that God wants us to be. The Lenten Season offers us the opportunity to explore who we are meant to be. This Lent more than any other I am aware that we need to seize the opportunity, not only as individuals, but perhaps even especially as a congregation. This Lenten season offers us opportunities, but it also offers challenges.

During Lent we embark on a journey that takes us into wilderness places. The Old Testament reading is a wilderness story. The wilderness experience for the Israelites was a fruitful one in many ways. In the wilderness they served God without being diverted by society. It was a time of closeness to God, of intimacy. So now as they enter a time of wealth and prosperity, the people are called to remember the oppression that they suffered in Egypt. They are called to remember God's deliverance. They are called to remember the experiences of wandering in the desert and of the joy of knowing that they could depend on God to meet their needs.

It is something of which I am very much aware as I prepare for our Vestry meeting this afternoon. In fact, sometimes as I look back on the past five years I am aware that we have been wandering in some rather difficult wilderness places already. These have been challenging years as we got our operating deficit under control. They have been challenging years as we considered how best to deal with the problems that arise out of our unique arrangements in the Church Centre. They have been challenging years as it became more and more obvious that the Lutherans were not able to carry their fair share of the expenses. It has become more and more challenging as we found ourselves blamed for the difficulties our partner in ministry has been going through.

Those of us who manage this congregation, our wardens, our boards, and myself, know that the wilderness journey in many ways has just begun. Over the next few months many important decisions will need to be made by this Vestry.

There will be temptations along the way. We all know from our own experience that many things tempt us as humans. There is the temptation to use God to meet our own needs and wants rather than what God has in mind for us. We may be tempted to see the testing in our lives as a sign of abandonment or failure. We can forget that it can be a sign that God's grace can enable us to accomplish whatever God has in store for us. What we may not realize is that there are also many things that tempt churches. Churches can become places for entertainment, or social empowerment, or middle class compromise. We can forget the ministry to which we are called.

As we meet for Vestry we will be asked to reflect on just that. Where is God calling our congregation? How best can we accomplish the ministry to which God is calling us? We will take our time to explore all of the options. We will study. We will pray. We will dream. We will remember God's many blessings on us in the past and of how God has sustained us through many difficult periods of transition. We will listen to one another patiently and with compassion. We will listen to where God is leading us. Most of all we will remember that our true call is to follow the way of the cross. There at the cross the power of sin and death are defeated. All too often when we are wandering through wilderness places we see the testing and not the faith. Testing is the sign that God's grace will enable us to meet whatever is in store for us. Let us remember that we move ahead in faith and that we do not do so alone. Amen.