On the Way to Wonder

 First Reading: Genesis 17:1-7, 15-16

¹When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the Lord appeared to Abram, and said to him, “I am God Almighty; walk before me, and be blameless. ²And I will make my covenant between me and you, and will make you exceedingly numerous.” ³Then Abram fell on his face; and God said to him, ⁴“As for me, this is my covenant with you: You shall be the ancestor of a multitude of nations. ⁵No longer shall your name be Abram, but your name shall be Abraham; for I have made you the ancestor of a multitude of nations. ⁶I will make you exceedingly fruitful; and I will make nations of you, and kings shall come from you. ⁷I will establish my covenant between me and you, and your offspring after you throughout their generations, for an everlasting covenant, to be God to you and to your offspring after you.”

 ¹⁵God said to Abraham, “As for Sarai your wife, you shall not call her Sarai, but Sarah shall be her name. ¹⁶I will bless her, and moreover I will give you a son by her. I will bless her, and she shall give rise to nations; kings of peoples shall come from her.”

Psalm: Psalm 22:23-31

All the ends of the earth shall remember and turn to the Lord. (Ps. 22:27)

 ²³You who fear the Lord, give praise! All you of Jacob’s line, give glory.

  Stand in awe of the Lord, all you offspring of Israel.

 ²⁴For the Lord does not despise nor abhor the poor in their poverty; neither is the Lord’s face hidden from them;

  but when they cry out, the Lord hears them.

 ²⁵From you comes my praise in the great assembly;

  I will perform my vows in the sight of those who fear the Lord.

 ²⁶The poor shall eat and be satisfied,

  Let those who seek the Lord give praise! May your hearts live forever! 

 ²⁷All the ends of the earth shall remember and turn to the Lord;

  all the families of nations shall bow before God.

 ²⁸For dominion belongs to the Lord,

  who rules over the nations.

 ²⁹Indeed, all who sleep in the earth shall bow down in worship; all who go down to the dust, though they be dead, shall kneel before the Lord.

 ³⁰Their descendants shall serve the Lord,

  whom they shall proclaim to generations to come.

 ³¹They shall proclaim God’s deliverance to a people yet unborn,

  saying to them, “The Lord has acted!” 

Second Reading: Romans 4:13-25

¹³The promise that he would inherit the world did not come to Abraham or to his descendants through the law but through the righteousness of faith. ¹⁴If it is the adherents of the law who are to be the heirs, faith is null and the promise is void. ¹⁵For the law brings wrath; but where there is no law, neither is there violation.

 ¹⁶For this reason it depends on faith, in order that the promise may rest on grace and be guaranteed to all his descendants, not only to the adherents of the law but also to those who share the faith of Abraham (for he is the father of all of us, ¹⁷as it is written, “I have made you the father of many nations”)—in the presence of the God in whom he believed, who gives life to the dead and calls into existence the things that do not exist. ¹⁸Hoping against hope, he believed that he would become “the father of many nations,” according to what was said, “So numerous shall your descendants be.” ¹⁹He did not weaken in faith when he considered his own body, which was already as good as dead (for he was about a hundred years old), or when he considered the barrenness of Sarah’s womb. ²⁰No distrust made him waver concerning the promise of God, but he grew strong in his faith as he gave glory to God, ²¹being fully convinced that God was able to do what he had promised. ²²Therefore his faith “was reckoned to him as righteousness.” ²³Now the words, “it was reckoned to him,” were written not for his sake alone, ²⁴but for ours also. It will be reckoned to us who believe in him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead, ²⁵who was handed over to death for our trespasses and was raised for our justification.

Gospel: Mark 8:31-38

³¹[Jesus] began to teach them that the Son of Man must undergo great suffering, and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again.³²He said all this quite openly. And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. ³³But turning and looking at his disciples, he rebuked Peter and said, “Get behind me, Satan! For you are setting your mind not on divine things but on human things.”

 ³⁴He called the crowd with his disciples, and said to them, “If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. ³⁵For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake, and for the sake of the gospel, will save it. ³⁶For what will it profit them to gain the whole world and forfeit their life? ³⁷Indeed, what can they give in return for their life? ³⁸Those who are ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of them the Son of Man will also be ashamed when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.”

CHILDREN’S SERMON:  one of the many popular spin off TV shows from American Idol is the show “The Voice.”  People audition and the panel votes on whether they think the person could be mentored to become their better selves.  Think for a moment, Who mentored you to become your better self and what was the secret.  Share with the person next to you.

Let us pray.  May the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart be acceptable in your sight, my Rock and my Redeemer.

Sermon

Today is the second Sunday in Lent.  Two weeks ago we stood on the Mountain of Transfiguration with Peter, who put his foot in his mouth suggesting three churches be built, and he was told by the Voice from the cloud, “Listen to my Son!”  The “voice” was not our US television series featuring Reba McEntire who sang recently for the SuperBowl. The “voice” was the voice of God the Father.  During Lent we try to tune out all the static in our minds, all those other voices, and listen more carefully to Jesus speaking to us.  Sometimes it is hard. Today we stand with Peter again as Jesus teaches his followers on his journey to Jerusalem.  Again Peter puts his foot in his mouth.  Sigh.  Lord, help us to listen today.

³¹[Jesus] began to teach them

Jesus is trying to tell his disciples and us about the mind set we need to be able to handle the future.  He starts by foretelling his future, our past.  Jesus tells what will happen when they get to Jerusalem where he will suffer, will be rejected, will be killed and will resurrect.  We may argue about the reality and implications of the resurrection.  We’ll talk about that in Easter but all three of the major world religions — Judaism, Christianity, and Islam agree that Jesus was a historical person who was at least worthy of being called one of the great prophets.  The test of a prophet was whether what he said came true. It did happen as Jesus foretold.  But Peter and friends are still sorting out in their thinking before the events took place.  Perhaps you, like Peter, have questions as you listen.  God’s word about dealing with your future just don’t seem right.  

 The path to greatness does not appeal to modern people who avoid  suffering and rejection and death.  That sounds like a path to martyrdom.  Jesus in the text is foretelling his future and we who sit in the future know that indeed his predictions came true but his followers did not.  Our mentors coach us on how to succeed as we see a future calling to us but we must accept their perceptions on how it will unfold.

Peter did not like what he heard and pulled Jesus aside and rebuked Jesus.  It sounds a bit like going to the doctor and being told you have cancer and need surgery.  Your friends might ask us if you got a second opinion.  Perhaps they ask if you have tried this or that new fangled remedy.  We are conditioned to question advice that does not sound right.  Another example that touches my life right now is the ease with which people scam on the internet.  A friend in a different country asked me for help to get money to her friend facing a medical trauma. I know the problems of transferring money internationally and didn’t stop to think.  I am now poorer and wiser.  A friend of my kids is applying to work for the USPost Office and bemoaning all the hoops she has to jump through.  At times like this we often hear that little voice on our shoulder moaning that someone like Jesus who healed the sick, walked on water and raised the dead will not really have to suffer and die. That doesn’t make sense.  Our heroes are winners, not losers. That voice appeals to our desire to be winners too.  Our text today says that the path forward may not be health, wealth and prosperity.  Peter objects and often so do we.

We want the miracle, a strong God.  When we have times of suffering and rejection, Satan is also there trying to convince us that God has forgotten us and does not love us.  The truth is though that life often involves suffering, rejection and death.  The lie we must reject is that God does not see us, does not care, and does not walk with us at all times.  The mentor usually speaks the truth but we must choose to believe and obey.

Lent is a time when our stubborn self-centeredness and our survival drives are tested.  Are we listening?  Suffering, rejection and death are part of life and do not mean that God does not care, does not understand, nor has God forgotten us.  We may not be winning “The Voice” competition, winning free mentoring on how to be more successful but we must listen to the voice of God who went through all that we will face.  We may never sing with Reba McEntire.  Can we receive the times of success and blessing with gratitude and can we receive the times of trials knowing God is walking with us?

“let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.”

Jesus opens our text today giving the followers the facts of what they are going to face.  Next Jesus challenges their wills.  Knowing and doing are two different things.  I just happened to watch a charming Netflix chick flick – “Fall for Figaro.”   A more rounded figured female, not our stereotypical leading lady, walks away from her successful funds management job much to the distress of her boyfriend, to embrace her dream of becoming an opera singer.  The quick path to fame is to win a singing context, not unsimilar to “The Voice” that will result in an opera contract.  She hires an unconventional tutor who also has a male student.  For one year she follows all the advice and works hard.  He wins the contest and she looses.  Back with her boyfriend she laments.  The lesson she learned was that there is no quick way to success and she needs to keep working at her dream.  He frumps and three years later we flash forward to her singing opposite the man who won. She made the decision to work for the dream and leave the unsupportive boyfriend.  Cute.

Jesus talks about suffering, rejection, and death but then promises resurrection.  None of that made sense to Peter and certainly does not appeal to us because we do not know really what resurrection means.  Our will is challenged when Jesus says we must deny ourselves and follow him.  I can hear that other “voice” whispering in my ear that denial of self means lose of self, erasing of good life as I know it, and condemnation to long hours of misery trying to please a demanding a God who wants us to be holy.  Satan immediately paraphrases “denial of self” into a power struggle that I loose when fighting with the God of the universe rather than a partnership with a mentor who is bringing out the best in me.  My will wants that quick win and the fame and glory that we imagine goes with it.  Jesus speaks the truth.  Submitting to Jesus is a continual battle with my will that wants to do it my way and finds it hard to accept his help.  My will struggles to humble itself and walk with God.

Jesus ends this piece of truth with a very serious question, “³⁶For what will it profit them to gain the whole world and forfeit their life?”  Ouch.  Are we listening?  As we consider our choices today, are we considering the eternal consequences.   Our wills are focused on now.  Jesus encourages us to take the long view and focus on eternity.  How does this advice apply?  It slows my roll as I ponder the “insta-solutions” to life’s choices that are offered by our culture today.  Whether it be insta-cart so I can eat while I watch the SuperBowl, instant weight loss programs, or instant solutions to the pain of life, Jesus challenges us that we must deny the demands of the instant for the rewards of the eternal. 

³⁸Those who are ashamed of me…

Our text now jumps from the facts of how history will unfold to how that unfolding will confront our wills as we walk into that future and then he jumps to our emotional response, being ashamed or embarrassed about being Christians.  I suspect that if God were to reveal to us that in ten years we were going to be diagnosed with cancer, like Peter we might pull Jesus aside and explain that the better plan would be for us to die in our bed and definitely without pain and suffering for we have tried to live according to his will.  We don’t understand how resurrection works but we have seen people die and if given a chance to voice our opinion, we would vote for the quick painless death.  If told about our approaching death by cancer, our emotional attitude would be dampened too.  No one looks forward to pain, not even going to the dentist.  The Message translates this verse,

38 “If any of you are embarrassed over me and the way I’m leading you when you get around your fickle and unfocused friends, know that you’ll be an even greater embarrassment to the Son of Man when he arrives in all the splendor of God, his Father, with an army of the holy angels.” 

The word “embarrassed” grabs at our minds.  The evil voice whispers doubt into our ears, “Jesus does not want his followers to be ashamed but proud, right?”

The Internet dictionary defines “ashamed” as being embarrassed, feeling guilty, remorseful, regretful or apologetic.  Jesus seems to be saying that we can be confident as we face into the future because God will be confident of his love for us when we face him in eternity.  As the contestants go out on stage and face the judges, they are often asked what they will do if they win.  I don’t think I have ever heard a contestant apologize for being in the competition and often there is deep gratitude for the opportunity to share their talent and their cause on a world stage.  They are not ashamed.  They are nervous, yes, but they are hopeful that being chosen will be a great honor.

We are not applying to compete on some TV show, to be chosen for mentoring and fame.  We are chosen by THE Voice that spoke from heaven and we listen today to him.  The future may look imposing but the end of the story is resurrection.  The future confronts our wills and we will have to submit to him as he walks with us.  We will stand one day before “The Voice” who will not be ashamed of us but will welcome us into eternity.  We can be confident that whatever awaits us tomorrow and that challenges, that challenge will be buffered by God’s love that guides, protects and intercedes for our lives. We need not be ashamed.  Whew!  That’s better than singing with Reba at the SuperBowl.

Let the people of God say, ‘AMEN!”

This week we have looked at snippets of interchange with Jesus as reported by Mark, the man who traveled with the apostle Luke.  Jesus seems to have changed his style as he now begins to head south to Jerusalem and the approaching cross.  He is asked questions and he chooses these exchanges to teach his followers and opponents.  God’s kingdom is not about who’s greatest or least but being childlike, welcoming.  God’s kingdom is not about being in the right group but about faith. God’s kingdom pulls people of all different kinds together and seeks to include all. 

My daughter’s favorite song in high school was “Make Me a Servant.”   It reminds me of her and of the challenges of Lent this week.  Blessings.

Make Me a Servant [with lyrics] – Maranatha! Singers feat. Kelly Willard

Mark 10:9

⁹ Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate.’

Let’s return to Mark’s report in Chapter 10.  Jesus is moving south towards Jerusalem.  During Lent, we travel with him, listening to his teachings and pondering how they speak into our reality today.  As Jesus heads south, he enters Judea where he now works with questions given him by the Pharisees who are testing him, trying to trip him up and trying to find weakness in him, I suspect.  They ask if it is legal for a man to divorce his wife?  Today we would wear the shoe on either foot.  Is it legal for a wife to divorce her husband?  My mother would say, “It takes two to tango!”  It’s never a one-way street in relationships.

The Pharisees are teachers of the law and they know what Moses said and all the interpretations that had been spun through  the ages.  Even we hire lawyers when we come to issues like this!  Interestingly Jesus throws the ball back into their court.  He asks them to declare themselves.  What does Moses say?  How we define words is important.  “I’m fine,” can mean a lot of things.  The Pharisees respond that a man need only write a certificate of divorce and send her away.  Some might agree that it’s fair but others would respond, “That’s harsh!”  Jesus names it, “hardness of heart.”

Jesus goes to an authority greater than Moses.  He goes to God.  God created men and women to be helpers.  God desires that we come together, not separate,  However we define “male” and “female” we can agree there is some sort of difference when two people meet and seek to understand each other and live together.  Misunderstandings and tensions tensions always arise.  How we handle differences is important.  God’s desire was that we help each other using our differences to strengthen each other and tackle the tasks of life.  He does not desire we drive people apart.

So as I look at my heart during Lent, I must ask myself if I am working as hard to see the good that can draw me to another as I do to see differences and things that irritate.  God calls us not to be hard of heart but to work together.  Lord, Help!!!!

   Jesus and crew are traveling south by the time we start to read Mark 10.  They have entered the region of Judea.  The crowds gather and Mark reports that now the Pharisees also come to ask Jesus a question,”Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?”  Unlike the questions of the followers in Capernaum who wanted to know how to tell the good guys from the bad guys and how to live into the approaching kingdom, these  Pharisees are asking Jesus a question to test him. These men knew the Mosaic law and in fact were teachers of the law.  Their question is designed to draw Jesus out.  Let’s stop right here in our Lenten  journey to the cross as reported by Mark and reflect on how the scenarios we reading are leading us closer to the heart of God.  So far the stories reported ask questions and Jesus answers, teaching?  Jesus welcomes our questions and draws us to himself through them.  

Sometimes questions like today are asked to define issues we grapple with. The Pharisee’s question is designed to expose which side of that imaginary line in sand of an issue that Jesus stands on.  It is kind of like asking if a person is a Republican or a Democrat today.  Admitting one or the other aligns with public media stereotypes and all the garbage being thrown around verbally.  We know the verdict has been given in the hearts of those who ask even before we have a chance to answer. A bit differently, in Kenya, a greeting would include questions about which tribe the person is from to determine if they are friend or enemy, if they are of “the people.”  The next question might be to clarify which clan a person comes from.  Are we Swedish or Norwegian because those ethnic differences are big deals.  We might want to know if a person is from the North or the South?  Yup, we know some questions are asked to get someone to disclose loyalties and beliefs.  Questions are not bad.  Sometimes, though, questions are ways of asking deeper questions like if we are friends or to feel out if the person really loves me and wants to be with me.  I must also admit that I sometimes choose an evasive answer that leaves others wondering what i really think.  I think I am keeping peace in the family that has opposing opinions on any issue.

  In the context of Lent, this next section where the Pharisees ask about divorce, first challenges me about questions I bring to God during Lent.  Is there a deeper question of God’s love for me.  Questions about the death of my husband or friend may cover my sense of vulnerability and loss of identity.

One person asks a question to draw someone out into a debatable stance.  The other person might choose to answer “diplomatically” to avoid being perceived as choosing an unpopular opinion.  As you chat with God today in prayer, ponder if your questions lead to deeper issues of relationship.  Tomorrow we will think about how Jesus answers these questioners but today we want to ponder our own hearts during this Lenten season.  What do you want to ask God today?

Mark 9:50

 Salt is good; but if salt has lost its saltiness, how can you season it?  Have salt in yourselves, and be at peace with one another.’

Jesus continues talking to his followers about our problem with comparisonitis.  The followers were arguing about who would be the greatest and the least.  John changes the topic to  ask who is right and who is wrong.  The followers are still trying to draw a line in the sand.  We draw lines and those lines separate people into the haves and have-nots of whatever topic we pick.  Jesus now replies.  If our judgmentalness harms the faith of another, we are in trouble.  We would be better off to cut off that part of the body that offends, be it our eyes as we look and evaluate others, be it our ears as we listen to tasty morsels of gossip, or be it our pocketbook as we evaluate people by their houses, income, or resources.  Following false gods will lead us away from God and will not be love for all.

I heard a brilliant sermon on this passage.  The pastor talked about watching the Olympics and then watching the following Olympics for those with physical limitations, who were all missing parts of their body for whatever reason.  He then had his daughter who has Down’s Syndrome stand and show the gold metal she had won in a competition.  The whole church stood and applauded her as she beamed.  The point is not what we have or don’t have but what we do with the abilities we are given.  We can be like salt bringing out the best in the other but it is when our eyes turn onto ourselves that our salt looses its saltiness.

Our quote concludes advising us to have salt within ourselves and be at peace with others.  Our Lenten reflection to day is to ask ourselves what is salt in your life that brings out the good in you?  Perhaps there is someone you need to be at peace with, forgive, for that thorn in your side robs you of saltiness and peace?  Dear Lord, shine the light of your Spirit on my heart my heart today and show if there be any evil way in me.

Mark 9: 38-41

⁴¹ For truly I tell you, whoever gives you a cup of water to drink because you bear the name of Christ will by no means lose the reward.

Our context is that Jesus and followers are in Capernaum, on their way to Jerusalem and Jesus is trying to teach them what to expect.  We are listening in to these conversation.  Jesus has asked about what they were arguing about on the road and seems to be correcting their thinking.  John changes the topic.  It is still somehow on the same theme of who will be great in the kingdom but a slightly different angle.  John asks about those others guys who are driving out demons in Jesus’ name but are not part of their group.  How do we think about other denominations or flavors of Christianity that don’t do faith the way we do?

Jesus responds telling them not to worry and be childlike.  We can ponder when Jesus tells the followers to be childlike and not fight for power but what about those who we think are just plain wrong. John counters, What about the guys who use your name and are not one with us?  We might phrase it today as a question about that other denomination that is so irritating and sees faith differently than us, or about that other ethnicity that doesn’t worship like us, or that other gender that feels superior to us, or that other fancy church that has all the fancy programs and is so popular unlike us.  Perhaps we might need an attitude adjustment but certainly there are good guys and bad guys, the right and the wrong!

Jesus focuses the critique on faith.  Others doing miracles based in faith cannot be unbelievers even if they express that faith differently than ourselves.  Put simply it might be the song, “you say potato and I say potaaato.”  The issue is not the outward name or label but the inner faith of our hearts that motivate our actions.  Anyone can give a cup of cold water but deeds done in the name of Jesus will be rewarded.  In other words, don’t worry about the labels of others but find the common ground of faith.

Lord, I confess that sometimes I am distracted by my differences with others rather than seeking to share the faith we have in common.  May I see with your eyes those who need a cup of cold water today and not be distracted by labels.

Mark 9:33-36

³⁵ He sat down, called the twelve, and said to them, ‘Whoever wants to be first must be last of all and servant of all.’  Verse 35

Jesus and crew are on the move towards Jerusalem but still traveling in northern Israel.  They came to Capernaum.  Back in Mark Chapter 1, Mark started talking about Jesus in his first report that he told after Jesus chose his disciples. Jesus casted out a demon in Capernaum.  Now Jesus enters Capernaum not as a healer but as a teacher headed to the cross and imparting his last thoughts to his followers.  We ask ourselves if we are listening.

The followers have been discussing among themselves who will be greatest.  They seem to realize that Jesus is trying to teach them about the Kingdom, the KIngdom of Heaven, that they are anticipating but they can only envision it in images of their present earthly kingdom.  There will be the great and the less great, the ruler and the oppressed, the rich and the poor, the able and the not so able — all those categories they and we use to categorize people and make ourselves feel good that we are better than “them.”  Not only do the followers not understand what he is saying about his approaching death, they do not understand the core of his message. So Jesus confronts them.  “What were you arguing about on the road?”

Now there is a question.  We argue, we discuss, we take sides on end times, and on the book of Revelation.  We want to see ourselves as one of the “good guys”, perhaps not perfect, but at least on the right side of the lines we draw in the sand.  Jesus challenges us.  The first shall be last.  He calls for a little child. 

³⁷ ‘Whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me welcomes not me but the one who sent me.’

Are we listening?  There are two words to ponder today, childlikeness and welcoming.  As I ask God to shine his flashlight on my soul during Lent, my prayer for today would be that he reveal any attitudes of superiority that might be marring my relationships and to pray that I would be a welcoming presence this Lent.  Welcome:  W is for _____, E is for _____, L is for _____, C is for _____, O is for _____, M is for _____, and E is for _____.  Blessings as you listen.

First Reading: Genesis 9:8-17

⁸God said to Noah and to his sons with him, ⁹“As for me, I am establishing my covenant with you and your descendants after you, ¹⁰and with every living creature that is with you, the birds, the domestic animals, and every animal of the earth with you, as many as came out of the ark. ¹¹I establish my covenant with you, that never again shall all flesh be cut off by the waters of a flood, and never again shall there be a flood to destroy the earth.” ¹²God said, “This is the sign of the covenant that I make between me and you and every living creature that is with you, for all future generations: ¹³I have set my bow in the clouds, and it shall be a sign of the covenant between me and the earth. ¹⁴When I bring clouds over the earth and the bow is seen in the clouds, ¹⁵I will remember my covenant that is between me and you and every living creature of all flesh; and the waters shall never again become a flood to destroy all flesh. ¹⁶When the bow is in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is on the earth.” ¹⁷God said to Noah, “This is the sign of the covenant that I have established between me and all flesh that is on the earth.”

Psalm: Psalm 25:1-10

Your paths, O Lord, are steadfast love and faithfulness. (Ps. 25:10)

 ¹To you, O Lord, I lift up my soul.

 ²My God, I put my trust in you; let me not be put  shame, nor let my enemies triumph over me.

 ³Let none who look to you be put to shame; rather let those be put to shame who  are treacherous.

 ⁴Show me your ways, O Lord, and teach me your paths. 

 ⁵Lead me in your truth and teach me, for you are the God of my salvation ; in you have I trusted all the day long.

 ⁶Remember, O Lord, your compassion and love,for they are from  everlasting.

 ⁷Remember not the sins of my youth and my transgressions; remember me according to your steadfast love and for the sake of your goodness, O Lord.

 ⁸You are gracious and up-right, O Lord; therefore you teach sinners in your way. 

 ⁹You lead the lowly in justice and teach the lowly your way.

 ¹⁰All your paths, O Lord, are steadfast love and faithfulness to those who keep your covenant and your testimonies. 

Second Reading: 1 Peter 3:18-22

¹⁸Christ also suffered for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, in order to bring you to God. He was put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the spirit, ¹⁹in which also he went and made a proclamation to the spirits in prison, ²⁰who in former times did not obey, when God waited patiently in the days of Noah, during the building of the ark, in which a few, that is, eight persons, were saved through water. ²¹And baptism, which this prefigured, now saves you—not as a removal of dirt from the body, but as an appeal to God for a good conscience, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, ²²who has gone into heaven and is at the right hand of God, with angels, authorities, and powers made subject to him.

Gospel: Mark 1:9-15

⁹In those days Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. ¹⁰And just as he was coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens torn apart and the Spirit descending like a dove on him. ¹¹And a voice came from heaven, “You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased.”

 ¹²And the Spirit immediately drove him out into the wilderness. ¹³He was in the wilderness forty days, tempted by Satan; and he was with the wild beasts;  and the angels waited on him.

 ¹⁴Now after John was arrested, Jesus came to Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God, ¹⁵and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has come near; repent, and believe in the good news.”

CHILDREN’S SERMON:   One of the famous quotes that I remember from high school comes from Charles Dickens’ book A Tale of Two Cities.  He writes, “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times…”. Turn to your neighbor and share what you find really good about life today.  Then share what is the most challenging aspect of your life.  The good and the challenging often come together as we will see in our text today.

Let us pray.  Lord, may the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart be acceptable in your sight, my Rock and my Redeemer.

SERMON

Today is the first Sunday in Lent. Our focus changes for the next six Sundays from the Jesus who incarnated and  lived among us teaching, healing, and performing miracles to the Jesus who walked through suffering and death for us.  The next 40 days many of us will give up something like chocolate while others will add something like more time in prayer, but whether we give up or add to our normal spiritual routines, we will be pondering Biblical texts that accept the reality of lament in the midst of life.  

“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of reason, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of light, it was the season of darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair.”

― Charles Dickens, A Tale of Two Cities

With our text today we will look at similar themes: it was a time of baptism and it was a time of wilderness, it was a time with Satan and a time with angels, it was a time in the Kingdom of God while living in the Kingdom of this World.  Let’s dig in.

 ¹²And the Spirit immediately drove him out into the wilderness. 

The season of Lent always starts with a return to the baptism of Jesus.  For us normal people, that is where the story starts. We know we cannot believe in Jesus by our own reason or strength.  We need the help of the Holy Spirit.  It is at our baptism, as our parents carry us forward or for those who were older people, that we confess our faith and the Holy Spirit is given to reside in us and help us on our spiritual journey.  Jesus did not need the Holy Spirit because he was God so his baptism was a kind of “coming out,” a declaration of his identity, true-God and true-man, identifying with his creation in their struggle with sin.  The presence of God, as the voice of the Father or the Holy Spirit as a dove, did not prevent Jesus from experiencing the wilderness.  In fact, the Holy Spirit led Jesus into the wilderness.  Baptism and wildernesses go together.

We know this tension too.  As Christians we confess faith in a God who can move mountains, heal the blind, and cure the lame.  He raised the dead.  We confess our faith in a God who lives with us and cares about us.  We come to church and hear that we are called “child of God.”  We know that God can do all things.  Yup, and then that voice of Evil that loves to whisper doubts into our hearts accuses God of being MIA as we face the wildernesses of our life.  Not only is God MIA, the doubts of whether God really loves us enters our hearts.  Our text calls it “temptation.”

Jesus knows that temptation. Martin Luther encouraged his followers that every morning they should remember their baptismal vows. Baptism into faith is not just a one time event but a daily tension we live in.  We need to remember that we are baptized.  Each day needs to be grounded in our faith in Christ. 

 Our Old Testament reading comes from the life story of Noah.  Noah and his family survive the flood, the destruction of life as they knew it, and the dove returns to the ark with an olive branch, the symbol of peace.  God speaks into the mess with a covenant.  The rainbow is placed in the sky to remind God and remind us that even as we live in the challenges of life, God is committed to us and will not abandon us.  Perhaps it is a walk in nature that lifts your spirits.  Perhaps it is a tune that comes to mind or the visit of a friend that brings the courage to face tomorrow.  God promises to be with us at our baptism.

Suffering and temptations are part of life as we know it but it is not the end of the story.  The story went on for Noah and it goes on for us.  God has covenanted to never abandon us and God has a future for us, even on our darkest days.  A rainbow will appear.

the angels waited on him.

Our text reminds us that not only are there good times mixed with challenging times, there are also opposing forces working in our lives: evil and good.  Satan tempted Jesus but the angels waited on, ministered, to Jesus.  Temptation and ministering are lightning poles we can hold up to test the voices we hear whispering at us.

If we go back to the story of Adam and Eve, I think we see that temptation is the temptation to doubt God’s word, God’s will and God’s way.  Questions like “Did God really say,” “Surely God doesn’t want you to die,” and “God knows if you do this, you’ll be wise like him.”  These whispers lead us to doubt the character, the concern, and the wisdom of God. We are all tempted in the wildernesses of our lives. 

Our psalm reading for today ends with the reminder, “¹⁰All your paths, O Lord, are steadfast love and faithfulness to those who keep your covenant and your testimonies.”  The angels ministered to Jesus.  I would suggest that means they turned Jesus’ heart toward the steadfast love and the faithfulness of God.  I would also suggest that the text affirms that there are godly resources available to us beyond what our senses experience.  I believe there are angels that are not just glorified humans or a resurrected dog that is guiding faithfully as it did in life.  The text says there were actually angels that ministered to Jesus.  The text does not say if Jesus saw these beings but I do know that sometimes whether through music or prayer or scripture reading or friends or nature, my spirits are lifted to God’s truth by perhaps an angel or perhaps by seeing that rainbow.  My heart is lifted from defeat to faith.  We learn to turn from the temptations of evil to the truth of God.

the kingdom of God has come near;

We live in the tension of being tried by our times of wilderness supported by our baptism.  We live in the tension of being tempted but ministered to by God’s angels and all his resources. We live in the tension between the Kingdom of God and the Kingdom of this World.

The Kingdom of God has come near and we live with one foot in that reality of faith and one foot in the world of our everyday lives.  We seek to forgive our enemies, love our neighbors, share our blessings and live a life pleasing to all our aha insights from Epiphany.  But we also live as citizens of this world in bodies that age, struggling with systems that often feel unjust, observing wars and rumors of war, and struggling to make ends meet.  We try to live like Epiphany in a world of Lent.  People like John the Baptist are unjustly beheaded.  Martyrs die for their faith daily. We are citizens of two kingdoms.  

Our text tells us to repent and believe the good news.  We do sin but we can seek forgiveness so there is hope for tomorrow.  Our story need not end with a list of failures. The good news is that Jesus is the Son of God with whom God was pleased.  We are not alone or abandoned as we walk through this life.  The Holy Spirit walks with us, guiding us and advising us.  God’s unseen angels walk with us too.  The Kingdom of this World is only temporary.  As we go through Lent, as we live in the worst of times, in the age of foolishness, in an epoch of incredulity, in a season of darkness and in the winter of despair, may we remember that because of Jesus it is the best of times, an age of reason, a epoch of belief, a season of light and the spring of hope.  We are people of hope during Lent for we walk with the good news of the Kingdom of God.

Let the people of God say “Amen!”

The report of the Transfiguration that closes the season of Epiphany, the time when we look at the character of Jesus, ends with the Father speaking from the clouds, “This is my beloved Son, listen to him.”  Lent that started this Wednesday with ashes and the confession of our mortality is also a commitment to try and listen and draw nearer to God in the next forty days.  God is always present but we are not always focused and paying attention.  And even if we pay attention, we don’t always understand and often afraid to admit our confusion.  I love the song that is sung by many different artists, “Open Our Eyes.”  I go back to the version by Maranatha Singers from my young adult years.  Blessings as you listen.

Open Our Eyes – Maranatha Singers

Jesus comes down from the Mount of Transfiguration and heads towards Jerusalem.  But first he stops and heals a man’s son as we read yesterday.  He then continues but is focusing on teaching his disciples.  The Father spoke from the cloud on the mountain and told Peter to “listen.”  We read today that Jesus is speaking, the disciples are listening, but they are not understanding.

³¹ because he was teaching his disciples. He said to them, “The Son of Man is going to be delivered into the hands of men. They will kill him, and after three days he will rise.” ³² But they did not understand what he meant and were afraid to ask him about it. (Mark 9: 31-32)

We who live in 21st century USA, read these words and wonder what the problem was.  For the second time in Mark, Jesus is predicting his death.  We know what happened but they did not.  It seems to me that life and faith are like that.  We want to believe but often we just don’t understand.  Jesus tells us not to worry about death because it is the doorway to eternity — but we don’t understand.  Jesus tells us not to worry about what we are going to eat or drink — but we don’t understand and we do worry.  Jesus tells us to forgive, to share, to rejoice in trials, to love our enemy and it just does not make sense in our world.  We don’t understand and we are afraid of how it will work out if our worst fears take place.

Lent is a time when we intensify our spiritual disciplines to help ourselves listen. So often, though, we are afraid to ask God to explain what we hear.  I once was challenged to read the same passage of scripture every day for a period, say 40 days.  One possibility for Lent is to read a favorite psalm, like Psalm 51, a psalm of repentance, or even Mark chapters 9-16 that focus on the end of Jesus’ earthly life.  Read the same passage every day for the next 40 days.  Perhaps keep track of what words jump out to you daily.  Then spend 5 minutes closing our eyes and listening for the Spirit to speak into our context.  Blessings as you give it a try.  Lord, help us understand — that’s our word for today!