MIDDLETOWN REFORMED CHURCH
February 21, 2010, 1st Sunday in Lent
Sermon
GREETINGS
Every year congregations of the Reformed Church in America, are required to file a status report to our denominational headquarters. Part of this report is composed of answers to constitutionally mandated inquiries. One of these questions is: “Are the essential doctrines of the Heidelberg Catechism faithfully explained from the pulpit from time to time?
And, every year, there will be an elder or a deacon who will ask, “What’s that all about?” Then I try to explain.
The Heidelberg Catechism describes doctrine of Reformed belief in three broad divisions which are:
1. about human sinfulness
2. about God’s grace and mercy
3. about our gratitude expressed by living according to the commandments of God.
I go on to explain that we do this every Sunday morning. Every Sunday worship includes a prayer of confession, an assurance of pardon, and a reading of God’s law. So the answer is “yes”. We do explain the essential doctrines of the Heidelberg Catechism.
To some people from a different Christian background it may seem strange that we have a prayer of confession, assurance of pardon, and a reading of the law of God every Sunday, but not to me. I think it is most appropriate.
I believe that it is especially Christians who are vulnerable to sin. It is especially those who seek to do God’s will who are vulnerable to the most basic sin of all, the sin of pride. The Apostle Paul put it this way: “I find it to be a law that when I want to do what is good, evil lies close at hand.” Romans 7:21
Therefore it is appropriate that we are reminded of our sinfulness week after week. It is just as important, however, that we are reminded of God’s forgiveness each and every Sunday. That is why I always begin our time together saying: In the name of Jesus Christ, I greet you with God’s grace, God’s mercy, and God’s peace.
SERMON Timing Is Everything
Text: Luke 4:13
When the devil had finished every test, he departed from Jesus until an opportune time.
Prayer: From Psalm 19:14
May the words of my mouth and the meditations of our hearts be acceptable in your sight, O Lord, our rock and our redeemer. Amen.
In Nikos Kazantzakis' novel, The Last Temptation of Christ, every time young Jesus reaches out for pleasure, "ten claws nailed themselves into his head and two frenzied wings beat above him, tightly covering his temples. He shrieked and fell down on his face." His mother pleaded with a rabbi, who knew how to drive out demons, to help.
The rabbi shook his head. "Mary, your boy isn't being tormented by a devil; it's not a devil, it's God - so what can I do?"
"Is there no cure?" the mother Mary asked.
"It's God, I tell you. No, there is no cure."
"Why does he torment him?"
The old exorcist sighed but did not answer.
"Why does he torment him?" the mother asked again.
"Because he loves him," the old rabbi finally replied.
We may well ask the question whether it was the devil that tempted Jesus or whether it was God who tested Jesus? The text is somewhat ambiguous. One the one hand it is clear in saying that the devil tempted Jesus, and yet, on the other hand, the text also tells us that it was the Spirit of God who led Jesus into the wilderness to be tempted.
Then again, perhaps it makes no difference. What we do know is that Jesus was tempted after he was baptized by John at the River Jordan, after the voice of God was heard saying, “This is my Son, the beloved, with whom I am well-pleased.” Jesus was tempted in the wilderness and the text personifies the tempter as the devil. The text leaves absolutely no doubt that it was the devil that tempted him to make bread out of stones. It was the devil that tempted Jesus to grab power. It was the devil that tempted Jesus to take advantage of God’s protection. It was the devil that quoted scripture in order to snare Jesus.
We don’t speak about the devil very much these days. When we do, it isn’t serious. We treat the devil as if he were a cartoon figure, red all over, with horns, a long tail, and a trident. The devil is a Halloween costume, or the name of a hockey team. In a modern age we tend not to personify evil in terms of the devil, or Satan. In our present age we don’t speak very often about temptations except in the lighthearted sense of being tempted by chocolate or the libidinous sense of being sexually tempted. In our secular age we prefer so-called rational explanations for evil. Rather than talk about the devil making us do it we think that psychological phenomena will explain why people can be so evil.
In the gospel of Luke the devil is very much a real figure. He is not the figment of someone’s imagination. In Luke, the devil has real power to tempt and to lead astray. The devil is smart and sneaky. He gets to Jesus when he’s really vulnerable.
I don’t mean that when Jesus was hungry the devil came and suggested that he turn stones into bread to satisfy his hunger. The devil is not so crass and superficial. He’s smart and sneaky. It is when Jesus is really feeling good that the devil tempts him. Jesus had just gone through the experience of his baptism, the heavens had opened up and a dove descended upon him, and God says, “This is my Son, the beloved, with whom I am well-pleased.”
I look upon that experience at the River Jordon as our Lord’s ordination, the affirmation of his calling. Jesus had to be feeling good, feeling high. And at such a vulnerable time the devil comes. Timing is everything. The devil comes and says, “So, you’re the son of God? I bet you can do everything. I bet you can even turn water into wine, can’t you? If you can do a little trick like that what’s to stop you from turning stones into bread? If you are the son of God, that is? And, if you can turn stones into bread, why then you can even feed the hungering multitudes, those poor wretches who never have enough to eat, if you are the Son of God, of course.
Jesus resists. He quotes scripture, “Man does not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.” The devil is not only smart and sneaky, he is also persistent. He waits for the opportune time. Timing is everything.
The devil finds the right time, the right opportunity. “Say, if you are the Son of God, well then, you’ll be wanting to do some good things for God down here. Right? Of course! You’ll be wanting to establish the kingdom of God right here on earth. Right? Of course! You’ll be wanting to set up a kingdom where justice will reign, where there will be no more war, where people will respect and care for one another. Right? I’ll tell you what. I have some experience with being a ruler. I’ve been called a Prince. Well, I can show you how to do this thing. Just listen to me and do as I tell you.
Jesus didn’t fall for that one either. Again he quotes
scripture. 'Worship the Lord your God, and serve only him.' "
It doesn’t take the devil long to recoup, and timing is everything. “If Jesus can quote scripture,” says the devil to himself, “so can I.” “Say, Jesus, you know your Bible pretty well, don’t you? How about this verse from the Bible, Psalm 91, 'He will command his angels concerning you, to protect you,' and 'On their hands they will bear you up, so that you will not dash your foot against a stone.' If you are the Son of God, God will certainly
protect you. You can do whatever you want, God has to protect you. What do you care? You’re safe man.”But Jesus resists the temptation to test God’s love and care. Then the devil left him, so the passage says. But he didn’t really. He departed only to return at an opportune time. Timing is everything. And so I believe that Jesus was tempted time and time again. It didn’t end after those forty days and nights in the wilderness of the Jordan valley.
Time and time again Jesus had to say, “No!” to the Devil.
I believe that because Jesus was the anointed one of God, that because Jesus was the Son of Man and the Son of God, he was particularly vulnerable to temptation. It might be argued that Jesus would be targeted by the devil because, as God’s anointed one he would be such a good catch. But that’s not my line of reasoning. I think Jesus was particularly vulnerable because he was morally superior and spiritually sensitive.
If a person doesn’t care about good or evil, if a person doesn’t care about God’s will such a person would care less about temptation. Such a person wouldn’t recognize the devil, or the devil’s temptations if they tripped over them. But those who care about doing God’s will, those who want to be good and loving persons especially prone to the basic sins of pride and self-righteousness. The spiritual giants throughout history have testified to this. The devil was very real to Saint Augustine, and Martin Luther, among others. They were acutely aware of their proclivity to egotism and pride. As I quoted the Apostle Paul at the beginning of our hour of worship, so I repeat the quotation at the end of my meditation. “I find it to be a law that when I want to do what is good, evil lies close at hand.”
That is why we have our prayer of confession every Sunday, and that is why we hear the words of assurance every Sunday. It is at the heart of our faith.
We have sinned; God is merciful; let us show our gratitude toward him by living according to his will for our lives and our wellbeing.