Who are we?
This sermon can be listened to here.
Gate Pa – Year A, 1st Sunday in Lent
Readings:
Psalm Psalm: 32
First Reading:
Gen 2:15-17,
3:1-7
Second Reading: Rom 5:12-19
Gospel:
Matt
4:1-11
What I want to say:
Jesus spent 40 days
determining what it meant to be “Son of God” and how he would live that out –
what values he would live out, how others would see him, what his legacy would
be. He invites us this lent to do the same – what does it mean for us to be “Sons
and Daughters of God – followers of Jesus the Beloved”?
What I want to happen:
People to reflect on what Lent offers them this year
The Sermon
1. Introduction:
In pairs – take it in turns to ask “Who are
you?”
Thoughts or observations?
That question is really what todays gospel is
about
And what lent is about
2. “You are my son, the Beloved”
What heard this morning comes straight after
And should be read in conjunction with
His Baptism
Where voice says
“This is my Son, the beloved, My favour rests
on him”
Presumably this is God speaking
Wonder
-
What
do we understand that phrase to mean when hear – this is my son?
(responses)
What do you think people of his time would
have understood?
Way to explore that is to ask
-
who
else carried title “son of God”?
(responses)
ü - title of Caesar Tiberius – son of God
So for Jesus to be called “son of God is
dangerous
Treasonous
Speaks
of rebellion – armed uprising.
It
is a subversive title
-
Who
else?
ü Davidic Kings were all “sons of God”
Carries with it hope and expectations of
Overthrow Rome
Re-establishment
of Davidic Kings
Re-establishment
Golden age of David and Solomon
(although to be fair – real question
marks over how golden Solomon really was)
ü Few notable others
All these uses title carried with them huge
expectations
how Jesus would act,
how he would respond to groups like Romans,
whole raft assumptions about who he was
3. Driven to the Desert
Immediately taken by Spirit of God into the
wilderness – desert
Traditional place where throughout bible
people went to anchor themselves in who God said they were
Moses
Hebrew
people
Prophets
John
the Baptist.
Jesus goes place
Live out of that identity
There he wrestles with what it means to be son
of God, the beloved, on whom God’s favour rests.
At Lent we are invited to join Jesus in this
time of wrestling and reflection
Who are we?
Who are we as sons and daughters of God?
What are our priorities?
What
is our agenda?
How
much time and energy do we devote to this
In our answering the question “who are you”
Where does child of God, follower of Jesus the
beloved come?
4. The Test
End of that time the Devil tests him.
often say tempted
-
Not
tempting like not eating chocolate cake
This is testing of his identity
What
he understands by that
Which
of above expressions he will take to himself
Usually read Devils opening line as – “if you
are the Son of God”
But the Greek here is translated in other
places as “since”
The test is not whether Jesus is Son of God
It is since you are – how to do understand that
Which model of being son of God will you
operate of
o Rome – all their power, military might
o Davidic kings in all their splendour
What
are your priorities?
What
is your agenda?
How
will you achieve this?
Big questions
Whole lot of ways you can read this story
Think each commentaries had different take
What can see is that Jesus is being tested to
assume one of the common understandings of title – son of God
With
all their expectations and assumptions
He rejects them all
-
Rejects
way of grand signs and wonders that
dazzle and amaze people
-
Rejects
use military force and imperial power
-
Rejects
kingly authority as expressed by every king in Davidic line
-
Rejects
displays of wealth and power
Jesus is living out new understanding of Son
of God
Not based on power, might, force, wealth,
prestige
New Identity that some have called an identity
of protest
His
ministry is marked by protest against the norms of his time
Traditional
understandings of God
What
means to be sons and daughters of God
We can see that in his first teaching
After this Jesus picks first disciples,
minsters in Galilee
offers his first block of teaching which
begins with Beatitudes
protest against how society operates
who the most important
people are
blessed, honoured no longer wealthy, powerful
and pious
blessed, honoured become the poor in spirit,
those who mourn,
the meek,
those who hunger and thirst for God’s justice,
the pure in heart,
the peacemakers,
What happens in the wilderness sets the tone
for the rest of his ministry.
Where he lives out God’s compassion, generosity,
justice, aroha
5. What about us?
Lent is time for us to join
Jesus in this task
what does it mean for us to
be “Sons and Daughters of God – followers of Jesus the Beloved”?
May you spend this Lent
praying, wrestling, through this
What need
to anchor ourselves in this identity
How does
it affect our priorities
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