March 6, 2022: May God’s words be spoken, may God’s words be heard. Amen.
This March marks two years of the pandemic’s impact on us all. This certainly has been an unwanted, unexpected, and difficult journey for everyone. We have all been through so much, and we will never be the same.
And while we are moving into a new stage of this time in which we begin to live within the endemic nature of this disease, when we are finally beginning to rejoice at a return to some level of normalcy – we are all once again rocked by the news of the savagery with which one nation’s dictator is annihilating an entire country – just because he feels he can. And so, we enter into another period of pain – emotional, spiritual, and financial – as we watch the news reports of the horrific violence, as we fear the possibility for nuclear war, and as prices for gas and other goods rise as we seek to fight the good fight globally against this reign of terror. This too, like the pandemic, will be a long journey for us all.
And these times in our lives, these difficult journeys, can lead us to feel we are out in the wilderness alone. We can begin to lose hope, lose our way, and find ourselves unable to imagine light ever breaking through our darkness. It is then that our personal demons, or the ones in those around us, begin to enter into our hearts to lead us further away from what will save us.
That is essentially what happened to Jesus in the Gospel story today. Jesus was moving from his private life to his public ministry, and filled with the Holy Spirit, he was led into the wilderness. This was a time for him to prepare for his public ministry, and the wilderness – whether real or proverbial, is a place of introspection, reflection, and discernment. It can also be a place where your personal demons will emerge.
Now, every once in awhile when I hear this gospel story, a comedian from long ago named Flip Wilson comes to mind. Flip had a character he would do named “Geraldine.” Geraldine loved to buy new dresses, and whenever her husband,“Killer,” would confront her about it, she’d say “The devil made me do it!”
That was the “devil” of my youth. Some sort of red character, with a long tail and a pitchfork. A boogie monster of sorts who would lure you to do bad things. And it makes for great comedy. But the truth is, while there is evil in this world – and we are certainly seeing that in the monstrous acts of Putin – the devil to be feared isn’t always something external or easily recognized – but something deep within each of us.
Within every one of us there is darkness and light – goodness and evil. It is the part that we choose to act on that defines who we are. And the fully human part of Jesus was battling his own demons in the desert. It was a journey he needed to go on, and we get to sit in the psychiatrist’s chair observing and learning as he does.
Knowing who he was – the son of God – and the power that he possessed – Jesus had to face his own desire to use that power for his own purposes, rather than that of God. And one can even imagine how Jesus would be tempted – and how we might be as well. Don’t think you would be tempted? Really? Let’s look at those temptations he faced.
Imagine – you’re Jesus, and with just one command, you could change so many rocks around the world into bread – enough bread to feed all the world – eliminating hunger. Would you do it?
Imagine that with just one command – you could unite all the world under a single peaceable kingdom that you could ensure stays that way – stopping the war in Ukraine and all wars forever more. Would you do it?
Imagine that you could, with a single act prove God’s existence, with an almighty miracle – perhaps not throwing one’s self off a peak, but maybe eliminating all pandemics now and always? And by that saving grace, the whole world would know God and the unconditional love found in relationship with our creator! Would you do it?
See – it isn’t as easy as it sounds, is it.
You see, Jesus had to walk this desert jouney because he needed to prepare for what lay ahead. He was called to feed God’s people spiritually, not put an end to world hunger. He was called to bring people to the Kingdom of God, not unite the human political kingdoms of the world. He was called to be a living example of God’s all abiding love in the world, that others may have faith in God’s grace – not take faith away and replace it with cheap certainty of a God that can do some mighty neat parlor tricks.
Jesus had to walk this journey to battle his own demons, so that he could emerge on the other side strong and ready to face all that would await him – including the temptation to avoid the final walk to Jerusalem, and to the cross. Because remember at the end of the gospel we heard today – Satan departed him…until an opportune time!
We each are asked to enter into this season of Lent as a time in our own wilderness – to strip bare our lives, to pray, and to face our own demons – the demons of our day.
The tempation to think we are in control.
The temptation to want power and wealth.
The tempation to worship the wrong things.
The temptation to blame God for what humans do.
The temptation to do nothing in the face of evil because we are afraid.
Lent offers us individully a chance to reflect on our lives, to simplify and consider what is really important. And as a worshipping community, we too have that chance. That is why we strip bare the gold and silver, and oil filled candles, and go back to simpler things – wood, ceramic, and wax. The symbolism is important, because it reminds us that God isn’t found in silver and gold, but in our hearts, in the waters of baptism, and in the body and blood of Christ in our Eucharist. It is a chance to let go of the way things have always been, and strip down to the bare essentials.
If we walk this journey of Lent with our hearts open, prayerfully asking for God to guide and strengthen us. If we allow ourselves to experience and even embrace the darkness within and around us. If we face our own demons – whatever they may be. If we walk through the desert and into Jerusalem to the cross.
Then we will truly understand resurrection.
Because one cannot experience resurrection without dying.
And we must die to all that holds us from the fullness of relationship with God.
We must die of all that separates us from each other.
We must die to worshipping the false Gods in our hearts – whatever they may be.
We must die to the quick fix, the easy answer, the desire to have things be as they have always been.
As the Episcopal priest and author, the Rev. Barbara Brown Taylor, put it, we have these “forty days to cleanse the system and open the eyes to what remains when all comfort is gone. Forty days to remember what it is like to live by the grace of God alone and not by what we can supply for ourselves.” And I would add, forty days to consider what tempts us.
We are being called to walk into the desert and face our demons – to live in darkness, knowing that God’s grace will sustain us. Lord knows, in many ways, this time of pandemic has been just that – an almost two year Lenten journey into the wilderness hasn’t it? And now with war breaking out in the world, I mean, do we really need Lent? Do we really need to face more demons – to journey in the wilderness more than we already have? I think that is a reasonable thing to ask.
Yet, it is these intentional times in our own proverbial wilderness that prepares us for the real ones that inevitably are a part of our human existence. For it is there that we come to truly feel the Spirit filling our hearts, to see Christ’s light guiding our way, and to rejoice in the grace of God who loves us beyond measure. And so yes, we do need this time – perhaps now we have come to realize this more than ever before.
On Ash Wednesday, you were invited into a Holy Lent, knowing that it is the only way to fully prepare for the death and resurrection to come, to prepare for your life in Christ. I pray you accept the invitation.
Amen.
For the audio, click below, or subscribe to our iTunes Sermon Podcast by clicking here (also available on Audible):
The Rev. Diana L. Wilcox
Christ Church in Bloomfield & Glen Ridge
March 6, 2022
Lent 1 – Year C
1st Reading – Deuteronomy 26:1-11
Psalm 91:1-2, 9-16
2nd Reading – Romans 10:8b-13
Gospel – Luke 4:1-13
