I said tested, not tempted, for Jesus is not being seduced by Satan at the end of a forty day fast. Mark’s account is different than Matthew’s or Luke’s and is more daunting still–Jesus is in a forty day test with Satan in the wilderness. But unlike the test Job experienced, where Satan is striving to get Job to abandon his trust in God, and unlike Matthew’s and Luke’s where Jesus is being tempted to use his power for his own purposes or serve Satan to achieve his ends, Mark tell us this is a forty day test of Jesus himself–at his best. Notice Mark says nothing about fasting, nothing about Jesus’ being physically exhausted or famished, and nothing about the test being put off until the fortieth day of a fast. This is about Jesus facing the challenge of his entire life and ministry right at the beginning of his ministry.

With the water of the Jordan still dripping from his hair and clothing, Jesus is driven into the wilderness to contend with Satan and his power for forty days. From the high of hearing God’s voice name him “Beloved Son,” Jesus encounters the penultimate challenge of his entire life–this test of his power and trust in his Father. In the sermon on the mount, Jesus teaches us to pray “do not bring us to the time of trial, but rescue us from the evil one.”   The modern English translation of the Lord’s Prayer which we sing during communion renders it, “save us from the time of trial.” Another contemporary version of the prayer pleas, “do not put us to the test” meaning the very contest Jesus is engaged in with Satan.   This is not about being tempted to give up on your lenten disciplines, be less than honest in your relationships or business dealings, or abandoning chocolate for a period of time. When we pray, “save us from the time of trial and deliver us from evil” we are praying for power to withstand the evil in the world that would devour our souls and destroy our lives. Jesus not only knew that reality himself, but also the importance of you and me praying for God’s power to protect us daily amidst the beasts of our own wilderness experiences and the power of the Evil One who lies behind them.

Driven into the wilderness with Satan for this forty day contest, the cosmic battle has begun. And though Jesus must wage that battle on his own, he is not abandoned. We are told he is waited on by angels–heavenly messengers–who attend to him in his need. It is not unlike the way you carry on your own ministries of sympathy and service within this congregation.

The lesson concludes telling us that upon John the Baptist’s arrest, Jesus emerges proclaiming this good news from God: “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent, and believe in the good news.” The time of the prophetic is over. John has fulfilled his mission. He has prepared the way for the one who is now here. In Jesus, the power of God is not simply coming–it is at hand. In Jesus, the new has broken in. In him, the Beloved Son, the exercise of God’s royal power and rule is here–turn around and embrace it. For the next few chapters, Mark will tell story after story of Jesus’ exorcisms and healings, to demonstrate that Satan’s power is no match for him. To be sure, the cosmic battle is still going on. Mark is clear about that. Satan’s power of enticement and temptation is still very real among those not willing to repent, among those not willing to embrace the reign that has come, among those too proud or sophisticated to pray, “save us from the time of trial and deliver us from evil.” But the power of God is available in the temptations as well as the test, for those who will pray for it.

This lesson always appears on this first Sunday of Lent as we begin our journey to Easter, in part, as a reminder of what this season is about, and in part, so that you and I know with whom we contend in our day to day lives of faith. For as we enter this Lent, we, like Jesus, find ourselves in a wilderness surrounded by beasts, and by the voices of the one seeking our own destruction through different kinds of tests. For some, that test is to power as a means of security. For others, it is a test to war for whatever reason. For others it is the test to search for security and control over what is beyond our control. For others, that test is to deny that there is any other power in the world but our own. For others, that regardless of the consequences of our actions, our motives having been pure, we will be understood or forgiven. The battle for our own souls still goes on.   We too, must rely solely on the power of God’s Spirit to endure.

When scripture says, “He was transfigured” –what comes to your mind when you hear that? What does transfiguration mean for you? We are told that Jesus’ clothes turned dazzling white, a white so pure none had ever seen the likes of it before. Okay, his clothes are transformed. But what about Jesus himself; what does it mean that he was transfigured? The word carries with it the sense of transformation, change–as in metamorphosis: a change of physical form especially by supernatural means–and because of its association with this event, a revelation of divine glory. Jesus is transfigured, revealing the glory he shares with the Father. Yet, he is present to them in his human form as well.

Beside Jesus stand Moses and Elijah, the two premiere prophets of Israel, together the personification of both the Law and the prophets–neither of whom, did you notice, are transfigured–just present. Mark doesn’t tell us how Peter, James and John know who these other two are, nor the content of their conversation. That will be left to Luke. Instead, Mark focuses on Peter’s absurd response: let’s make three dwellings–set up three tents.   New Testament scholar Beverly Gaventa has said Peter is calling for a photo op. But can we blame him? Who of us wouldn’t have reached for our photo-phone or pocket camera to try to stop this moment long enough to treasure this glorious morning for the future? Gaventa, pointing to the irony of Peter’s action writes, “Peter, who has rejected the suffering that lies ahead, is all too eager to welcome the glory!”   But in that judgment on Peter, we also judge ourselves. Does not that same irony reside in each of us? Don’t we also want the glory without the suffering, Easter Day without a Good Friday, a resurrection without a death?

Mark tells us that Peter’s foolishness is the result of not knowing what else to say. The three are simply terrified. And well they should be. But their terror has just begun; this scene is not over. Now, that cloud and pillar of fire that led the children of Israel in the wilderness wandering, that cloud that shrouded Mt. Sinai for forty days while Moses received the law, that glorious storm that surrounded Elijah on his mountaintop,   that portion of the divine presence none save our Lord dare look upon, becomes present around the three disciples. That voice who spoke only to Jesus at his baptism, now speaks to them, and the message is much the same: “This is my Son, the Beloved…;” but there is more: “listen to him.”

When we listen to Jesus, he becomes the doorway through whom we are drawn to God; the one through whom we return to God and God comes to dwell in us. Listen to him: he is God’s Word.

As we prepare to take up our Lenten journey with Jesus to Jerusalem, let us not forget that the glory revealed on the mountaintop is the glory that was revealed on Easter Day, and is the glory that will be revealed in each of us in God’s own day. God has done what needed to be done; God is doing what needs to be done. Ours is but to listen for and to God’s word.

You know how you drive out of the driveway of the Church heading south on 17?  You stop at the end of the drive, look left and then right, look again left and then right, and then do that again; before you dare venture out onto the highway.  The other day I did just that.  There was a car at the top of the hill.  I judged that I had enough time to get out onto the highway and up to speed before that car reached the driveway of the Church.  I thought I had plenty of time.  I pulled out  onto the highway and as you have probably guessed, I looked into my rear view mirror and there it was!  Right on my back bumper.  I think he must have been speeding.  There is no way he would have traveled that fast if he was following the posted speed limit.  Now what I want you to know is that I would not have pulled out in front of that car on purpose.  And, you need to know that there was no other car in the other lane, he could have easily passed me in the other lane.  But he pulled right up behind me and blew the horn and gave me the “Hawaiian peace sign.”  Obviously angry he was moving his lips and had a stern mean look on his face.  I thought to myself, “Josiah, practice what Rev. Carriker taught you: non-anxious presence.”  I just looked ahead and kept my composure.  Still, he followed me all the way to Hoover Rd. 

Now I was going to the new McDonalds to get myself one of those carmel hot chocolates and a quarter pounder and fries.  To my surprise, when I turned in, he turned in right behind me and got in the drive thru line behind me as well.  Still gesturing and moving his lips in, from what I could tell, not exactly Sunday School language; he sat in line waiting to order.  I placed my order and waited to be served with the irately angry man behind me.  When I pulled up to the window to pay, I thought of a way to tell the man I was sorry for accidently pulling out in front of him.  I paid for my  meal, and I asked the cashier how much his meal was.  It was 4.69 and I had 4.75 left in my pocket!  I gave her the money for his meal and asked her to please tell him that I really did not mean to pull out in front of him and that I was very sorry.  

I pulled up, took my meal and circled back around so that I could exit back onto 17 heading north to the Church with the help of the stoplight at Hoover Rd.  The light changed and I made my left turn and I headed north—my car filling up with the wonderful smell of carmel hot chocolate!  Passing in front of the Go Gas station I looked up in my rear view mirror—and there he was again, following me.  Well, I did not know what to do but I knew there were still plenty of folks still at the church so I went on back to the church thinking that if no one else was there I was going to circle around through Avery’s Rd. and head back to the Go Gas station. 

Sure enough, when I turn in to the church, so does he.  Now this time he was not blowing the horn or making gestures and he was not mouthing ugly words with his mouth—but I was still a little nervous when I pulled into the parking lot. 

I could not ignore that he was there so when I parked my car I got out and stood by the door.  When he got out of his car, I said, “Sir, I am so sorry.  I did not…” –he cut me off saying, “No, I am the one who needs to apologize.  I had no business being in such a hurry.  I have gotten into a habit of not watching my speed in Hampstead.  You did not pull out in front of me, I was going too fast.  And, I am sorry for losing my temper.  And I am the one who should be paying for your lunch.  Here is your money back.”

Well, I did not want to take his money, but I thought to myself, “He was the one who was in the wrong so let me forgive him and invite him in to eat lunch with me.”  To my surprise, he accepted my invitation to eat lunch.  We had a great visit together.  I think he may even come to church this Sunday.  We talked all about Hampstead and how heavy the traffic is on 17 and how much we both enjoy fishing and hiking and camping.

As we were finishing our meal and he was getting ready to leave, he said, “Thank you for not being a hot head like me.  Had you pulled over and got out of your car or if you made a gesture back at me, there is no telling how this might have ended up—certainly you and I would not be sitting here eating lunch together.  Thank you for being you.” I was so proud of myself I could hardly stand it.

Well, all I can say is that Rev. Carriker’s “non-anxious presence” stuff really works!  Now I am not sure I will remember to be that way all the time, but I am really going to make an effort to do my best to be non-anxious a lot more often.  And, if you and me both try it—think of the difference we can make in the world!

Hope you have a great week—a week without a lot of situations where you have to be “non-anxious.” But if the occasion arises, “be cool, calm and collected!”

Peace.

Josiah

Sometimes in our day we try to reduce God’s miracles to “explainable circumstances.”  How many of us have heard  the crossing of the Red Sea being explained as nothing but a strong north wind, the stopping of the Jordan as the result of an earthquake upstream, or Jesus’ feeding of the 5,000 as simply his initiating acts of spontaneous generosity among his listeners so that they shared their hidden food with one another?  I hope you and I can reclaim miracles for what they are.  Let’s actually look at these miracle stories in the way in which the scriptures portray them–something that happened by the power and mercy of God.

Our story on Sunday is the story of men who are healed of dreaded skin diseases.  The translators have called the disease leprosy, which in antiquity referred to a whole spectrum of conditions ranging from rash to inflammation to infection, from mildew to fungus to dry rot, and could be contracted not only by people, but also houses and clothing.

Remember, these people were outcasts.  They were separated from everyone and were forbidden to touch anyone, even required to shout “unclean” to anyone who passed by so that they would be warned not to go near to them.  Imagine a life like that.

In the story, the man approaches Jesus and says, “You can make me clean if you wish” (my paraphrase).  Jesus crosses the boundaries of the culture and heals the man.

So what do we do with this story?

To be honest, it is a startling reminder of God’s sovereignty. We who are so ready to constrain God and God’s grace to our own conceptions of how God should behave, we who are so ready to claim God as our own, and only our own, are reminded that God shows favor upon those God chooses, for reasons that are often known only to God. God is beyond the constraints of our puny conceptions–independent and gracious far beyond the boundaries God’s people try to place on God.

This is a story that always reminds me that we can not box God in and that God’s love is without limits.  In our day I think it is important for us to name those who are outcasts, modern day lepers who live “beyond the boundaries.”  I believe these are the people to which have been called.  Like Jesus, we are called by God to reach out beyond the cultural boundaries and offer healing and God’s love to all, thus our tag line:  “Sharing the love of Christ with all people.”

Can we do any less than love as Christ loved?

Hope you are having a good week and I look forward to seeing you on Sunday.  Remember the First Worship Service is 8:15 am, Sunday School is at 9:15 am and the Second Service remains at 10:30 am.

Peace.

Rev. Carriker

This past week I went to Bible Study as I always do.  I admit that I went just get a good hot cup of coffee.  I was also hoping that someone brought a cake or some cookies.  I had not read the lesson or the Bible and I was going to slip in right before the class started and get my coffee and run—but Rev. Carriker started the class before I could slip out—and as luck would have it, there were no cookies or cake.

He started reading stuff from Deuteronomy like:

Deuteronomy 6:17  You must diligently keep the commandments of the LORD your God, and his decrees, and his statutes that he has commanded you.

Deuteronomy 8:11  Take care that you do not forget the LORD your God, by failing to keep his commandments, his ordinances, and his statutes, which I am commanding you today.

Rev. Carriker then talked about how we must always be “careful” to follow where God leads and how we have to “fence in” our faith to be intentional about keeping it. And he said, “When we find ourselves on the wrong side of the fence we need to cross back over and mend the fence so we won’t be tempted to cross over again.”  I think he found out what had happened because he was looking straight at me.

The bottom line, I felt so bad about how I acted.  Walking back home after Bible Study I realized how far I had strayed in my faith and commitment to God and the church—and my best friend.

Yesterday when my new friends called and wanted me to go out with them, I found the courage to tell them that I did not want to go.  They were “up to no good” and I did not want to be part of it.  Instead, I went and spent time with Obadiah—who has always been there for me and shares my faith and supports me in my values.

Then I went back to the waitress and gave her back the extra money she accidently gave me.  She was so thankful.  She had to make up the difference the other day and was so grateful to me for being honest.  I “sort” of felt good about myself for returning the money.  It was the right thing to do; I just should not have waited.  I should have given it back before I left that day.

Well, let me just say this.  If you have not read the book of Deuteronomy recently, it may be something you want to read.  It has sure changed my life and caused me to get myself back on track.  But, let me say how much better I feel now that I have taken the steps I needed to take.

And, I did one more thing.  Since I missed Sunday’s sermon, I watched it online.  Wow, add that sermon to the Bible Study—I am on “faith cloud nine.”  God’s love for us is so amazing.  I know for a fact that God has enabled me to “walk and not be weary, run and not faint.”

Hope your week has not been like mine!  –unless of course, you also needed to make a few adjustments to your life.

Peace.

Josiah