Listening in the wilderness
Gate Pa – 17th February 2013
Readings:
Psalm: Psalm: 91:
1-2, 9-16
First Reading: Deuteronomy 26:
1-11
Second Reading: Romans 10: 8b-13
Gospel: Luke 4: 1-13
What I want to say:
explore Jesus in wilderness
invite people to think about how that connects to their
lives
Use john Cassian to invite understanding of repentance as developing
life giving habits
What I want to happen:
People to use lent not necessarily
as a time as time fasting but time develop one life giving habit
The Sermon
1. Introduction: - Jesus in the wilderness
Lent – what is that about? (ask)
reading we just heard - traditional
reading at start Lent
Story of Jesus being tempted or
tested in wilderness
invites us
into our own wilderness of lent
Greek word - tested rather than
tempted
not about whether
Jesus is moral enough and not eat the icecream
this is about who he is
about
identity
the big
overarching question of this and every gospel
who is
Jesus
why should
I give my loyalty, life, everything to him?
who am I ?
how might I
live this out?
as face world where maps no longer
work
it is the
big question we face
who is this Jesus
whose are we
who are we
what is ours to do
or as
diocese puts it
who is Jesus and how might we make
him known
2. Identity
in the
story Luke is telling
cool things
happened birth
story him
staying at temple as boy
baptised by
John
Spirits descends and God says “You
are my Son, the beloved, with you I am well pleased”
ancestry – establishes
lineage through David to Adam, Son of God
all of which gives him huge honour
despite lowly status
establishes that he has necessary honour
to do what he is doing
all that is
being tested by Devil
is he really all he is cracked up to
be
is
all the hype justified
not only
devil asking this
listeners are also interested in
this question
we
should be interested in this question
suspect
element Jesus testing this out himself
he is grappling with this big
question
who
am I?
time for him to own this identity
as we hear
story
we invited
to ask
who is he?
who am I?
3. The Story and Us
Spirit led
and stays
imperfect tense
Jesus
undergoes three tests
about food and comfort
wealth and
power, ruling known world
prestige, status,
honour
They are
also things test us
food and
comfort
wealth and
power
prestige, status,
honour
distract me
pull me
away from what should be concentrating on
invitation just as Jesus spent 40 days in wilderness
facing these desires
so too lent
can be for us time face our own desires
4. John Cassian
one writers
in this I have found helpful – John Cassian
7 deadly
sins based on his writing
lived in
C4th
lived among
desert fathers – people left society as Jesus did
lived lives
in desert Middle East and Egypt
out of which monastic movement comes
from
face to
face with God
Cassian brought
wisdom teaching back to western church
St. Benedict
of his teaching used write own rule and develop Benedictine way life
Cassian
paid particular attention to our thoughts,
and
how these control our actions,
and
how if left unchecked, can prevent us hearing voice of God
or translate that – prevent us knowing
Jesus, and making Jesus known
grouped
all thoughts under 8 headings – which some Pope Gregory simplified into 7
deadly sins:
body:
food
sex
things
mind
anger
dejection
soul
– motivations – thoughts about thoughts
acedia
– weariness of soul
vainglory
pride
– replace God
fit
with three tests Jesus faced
suggested
three ways dealing with these thoughts:
–ve
practice: notice and still our thoughts
+ve
practice – fill mind with traditional prayers and texts
Lectio
divina – pray scripture, reading it with heart, allowing Christ Word to speak
to our hearts.
we
can see that this is what Jesus does face testing thoughts
noticed
those thoughts
filled
his mind with traditional texts – torah
allowed
those texts speak to his heart
action come out of those texts
rather testing thoughts
5. Irish church:
Many
penitential practices traditionally used in west particularly
come from early Irish church
For
Irish, these practices weren’t penitential,
but about developing new ways of living
Unlike
our judicial system today,
Ancient Irish Justice system was much less
about punishment
and
much more about restorative justice:
Stole
something – thief would have to work to replace what they had stolen
Both
restore what was lost
Also
learn how to live without stealing
Victims
loss was taken seriously
As
was need for thief to be able to continue to live in and contribute to his
community.
Same
view point towards Christian life
All
sin and sadden God
Rather
than do things say sorry, and to be punished – which is what penitential rites
are about
God
much more interested finding ways learn live as God would have us live,
live filled with Gods life and hope,
sharing God’s generosity, love and
goodness with all those we meet –
Finding
ways as we would say in Waiapu, to know Jesus and make Jesus known.
Lent
one times this was given particular attention
6. So What?
This
lent
pay
attention to thoughts that both lead you to God and take you back to yourself
Invite
us to ask this question:
how
the way I live assists or impedes me knowing who I am in God
knowing
whose I am
know
what is ours to do
what
is one practices or habits do I could develop this Lent to do that.
Spend
time praying about that
Those
want talk to their neighbour.
If
do, invite you to be aid to each other, to encourage each other as together we
become people god would desire us all as this community to be.
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