Testing our Identity
Gate Pa – Year C 1st Sunday in Lent,
Readings:
Psalm Psalm: 91: 1-2,
9-16
First
Reading:
Deuteronomy 26:1-11
Second
Reading:
Romans
10:8-13
Gospel:
Luke 4:1-13
What
I want to say:
the story of Jesus in the wilderness is
a story of a test of identity – who is he as “son of God”? what kind of son of
God will he be? Like the Roman Emperor, Adam, David? All carry the title “son
of God”.
We too are beloved children of God. How do
we understand that and how is that identify tested?
Thoughts on how to approach lent in
light of all this from a Franciscan perspective
What I want
to happen:
People to reflect on “We too are beloved
children of God. How do we understand that and how is that identify tested?”
The Sermon
1. Introduction:
wonder what word of phrase stood out
for you in our Lectio Divina last week.
“It's who you are, not what you say
and do, that counts. Your true being brims over into true words and deeds.”
(Luke 6: 45, The Message)
This week we again hear story Jesus in
Wilderness
as do every first Sunday in Lent
which is usually titled as “Jesus being tempted in the wilderness.”
really misleading
as said in pew sheet - temptation is
defined as –
·
“ a strong urge
or desire to have or do something
·
something that
causes a strong urge or desire to have or do something and especially something
that is bad, wrong, or unwise”[i]
being tempted is about what we say or
do
It feels like we read this as Jesus is
tempted to be naughty,
when we apply it to ourselves at Lent
we are tempted to do something naughty
like eat too much
or not do what
set out to do at beginning of Lent
-
not play games on
computer
-
tempted to do on Ash
Wednesday
o
forgot that was
what giving up
Story of Jesus in Wilderness not
really story of temptation
story of Test
It's who you are, not what you say
and do, that counts. Your true being brims over into true words and deeds
Test of Jesus True Being
2. Jesus the Beloved Son of God
if put this reading back
Jesus just been baptised
“You are my son the Beloved”
what does it mean to be God’s son?
or like Adam
or like David?
would he be son of god like Roman emperor?
or?
in story just heard Jesus identity as Son
of God is not questioned
but how he is Son of God is tested
it’s who Jesus is that counts.
“His true being would brim over into
true words and actions”
at stake in this story is what it means for Jesus to be God’s Son the
Beloved.
This is a test of who he is
and how he will live that out.
3. Lent
which changes things for us at Lent
question not so much whether tempted
to act in certain ways of not
how we are tested in our identity as
beloved children of God
e.g. bit situation in TSSF
while tempted react in certain ways
real issue is how this situation is
testing my understanding of who I am as Minster General of TSSF.
My identify is bound up in being
Franciscan
some ways defined by principles
“the Society of Saint Francis is a community
of those who surrender their lives to Christ and to the service of his people
by making our Lord known
and loved everywhere, spreading the spirit of love and harmony and
living simply through prayer, study, and work in lives marked by humility,
love, and joy”
so what does it mean for you to be
beloved children of God?
how do you understand that?
how are we being tested in that
identity this Lent?
“It's who you are, not what you say
and do, that counts. Your true being brims over into true words and deeds”
4. Being Franciscan in Lent
How does Lent help me know who I am?
and how does Lent
help me live that out?
Wednesday night asked offer some
thoughts on being Franciscan and Lent
if here 2 weeks ago heard first half
here 2nd half
-
how small is my
God
-
he knew he was
deeply and proudly loved
o
knew beloved son
of God
o
led him to know
he was greatest of all sinners
§ do I really believe beloved child of God most high?
-
Do I live in
response to God’s infinite and generous compassion or do I seek to be good
enough, to be worthy of God’s forgiveness
o
really important
engage in Lenten disciplines
§ prayer
§ fasting – better person
·
know poverty
world and how my actions and life style add to that poverty
§ almsgiving out sense superiority or
·
response to
infinite generosity bestowed on my by God
-
out sense of
being loved Francis knew he was greatest of all sinners
o
am I greatest of
all sinners?
o
or really see
myself as better than or more deserving because of my life and beliefs
o
or do I see or
treat other people as less deserving
o
who do I name as
outside God’s love and compassion
-
do I honour God’s
creation or do I see it through which I experience God’s generosity
o
if so
o
how do I respond
to our deliberate destruction of the web of life on this planet through climate
change
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