Lent – A Testing Time

You can listen to this sermon here

 Gate Pa – Year B  1st  Sunday of Lent 2024

Readings:

Psalm                          Psalm 25:1-10                                                            
First Reading:             Genesis 9:8-17              
Second Reading:        1 Peter 3:18-22       
Gospel:                        Mark 1:9-15                           

What I want to say:

It is Lent – traditionally a time to give something up, to pray and read the bible more, and to support charities. (ask)

I want to explore the point of all that using my three questions – whose are we, who are we, what is ours to do? I want to suggest that it is a time to begin again joining in God’s disruptive work in the world

What I want to happen:

People to take the time to both give up things that hinder living as beloved children of God, and take up new practices

The Sermon

      1.    Introduction –

On Wednesday some of us received ash crosses on our heads
Began Lent
Time of – what is it a time of
What is Lent about -> talk to your neighbour for moment
è Plenary
Lent is all these things
And more
I wonder why we do all these things?

      2.    Covenants

We are offered some interesting readings to help us explore what lent might be about
First is story of Rainbow covenant
-        First of series covenants hear during Lent
Comes after story of Flood
-        To be honest little troubling
God promises that God will never again use violence to redeem violence
Importance of this covenant is that it is with all creation
God’s commitment is not just with people of God
-        Or with humanity as whole
-        But with all creation
What we do at lent isn’t just for us
But for all creation.

     

3.    Mark 1

Other reading is Mark 1
-        Where seem to have been for ever
Already heard around this twice this year
Always begin Lent with Jesus in wilderness
Mark’s version is short and pithy
-        Urgent
-        Dramatic
-        Apocalyptic
Jesus comes down from Nazareth
John baptises Jesus in Jordan
As he comes up – sees heaven ripped open
-        Divide between this world and God is ended
Spirit is let loose
-        Enters into and possesses Jesus
Hears voice
-        You are my Son,
-        whom I dearly love; - the beloved
-        in you I find happiness
Son is not about Jesus being divine or not
-        Relational
-        Just as when King David was called son of God
-        Chosen to complete a task
Spirit then casts Jesus out into the wilderness
Among wild animals
-        Either protected from them
-        Lives with them
o   as prophets often point o at time when world is as God desires
Barren place filled with danger
-        Beautiful place filled with wonder
-        Place where Israel walked for 40 years
o   Learning what meant to be people of God
-        Place of new beginnings and preparation
here Jesus is tested by Satan
maybe praying Psalm we prayed today
-        No mention of fasting here
-        Angels will care for him and serve him

      4.    Temptation or Testing Identity

When I was at college JNT – speech teacher thing about word “nice
-        Never be applied to people, only chocolate cake
-        Great fun at his last college lunch to declare him “Nice”
I feel same about temptation
Know what Jesus time in wilderness usually called
Temptation feels more like – do I eat the chocolate cake or not
-        Not what is happening here
Jesus sense of who he is being tested
What mean to be Beloved Son of God
What is task that is his to do
How will be live it out?
See that in how this story ends
After John was arrested, Jesus came into Galilee announcing God’s good news, saying,
“Now is the time!
Here comes God’s kingdom!
Let that blow your minds and change your hearts and lives,
trust this good news!”
Its on!
Jesus gets stuck straight into it as we have heard the last couple of weeks.

      5.    Lent

Last week spent some time thinking about 4 words describe Jesus
How those 4 words also describe God
Often talked about 3 questions
-        Whose are we? – four words
-        Who are we?
-        What is ours to do?
Lent then is time reflect on these questions
Be with Jesus in our won wilderness
What mean for us to be Beloved child of God
What distracts us from this that we might give up
What might we take up that would help us live this out?
Marks story is very disruptive of powers of this world
Lent then is time pay attention to how God is disrupting our world
-        And powers that be
Ask – how do we live that allows us to join this disruptive work.
-        Whose are we? – four words
-        Who are we?
-        What is ours to do?

 

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