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