Sermon:February 10, 2008

Marie Mattick lived a block north of the church in Conger, Minnesota.  In her 80’s and a widow for a more than a decade, she was a good cook and especially enjoyed feeding the pastor; so I stopped in often to see how she was getting along and to enjoy coffee & homemade cookies or sometimes even a noon or evening meal.  And once one met Marie, it did not take long to pick up on her unique pattern of speech.  Marie had a “theme phrase,” you might say, that followed nearly every sentence of conversation.  She would nod her head and say, “That’s a fact,, that’s a fact.”

• “It’s a cold one out there today, Marie,” one might say.  “Yes, it looks like we’re in the deep freeze.  That’s a fact, that’s a fact,” she would reply.

• “I wanted to let you know that Margaret came through her surgery in good shape and will be home soon,” one might say.  “Well, that is good news, pastor.  That’s a fact, that’s a fact.”

You get the idea…

And Marie’s theme phrase came to mind as I studied our Gospel text today, for the story of Jesus’ temptation in the wilderness is in so many ways our story as the church, that again and again as Jesus is tested, we find ourselves nodding our heads and echoing Marie – “That’s a fact.  Yes, that’s a fact.”

Jesus’ testing in the wilderness – which, in Scripture, is always an edgy and dangerous place – comes on the heels of his baptism.  He came up out of the Jordan River, the Spirit of God rested like a dove upon him, and a voice from heaven spoke, “This is my Son, the Beloved, with whom I am well pleased.”  Then, not even lifting his pen from the parchment, Matthew continues, “Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil…”  And isn’t that a fact, friends.  That’s a fact!

We are all brought to the baptismal font where God proclaims us God’s beloved children, “marked with the cross of Christ forever,” knit together into the community of faith – and then we exit these doors into the wilderness, into a world where the tempter’s voice is strong!  We return to the font & the table & the Word week after week, to receive Christ himself in Word & Sacrament, but we live in the wilderness – where all sorts of people and circumstances oppose God’s will for human life.  We encounter the tempter as individual Christians, but also as the church, as the community of faith.  And we hear Jesus’ temptation as our own.  That’s a fact, that’s a fact.

The tempter says to a hungry, indeed famished, Jesus, “If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread.”  But Jesus answered, quoting Scripture, “One does not live by bread alone but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.”  Jesus is called to a broad, sweeping ministry, to bring salvation to the whole world.  And the tempter says, “But you’re hungry!  Let’s concentrate on you and get you some lunch!”

The church, including this community of faith, falls for that seductive suggestion again and again – the suggestion to forget the breadth of our calling to be in the city and this world for good, for the sake of making Christ known in word & deed!    We limit ourselves to satisfying our own appetites, meeting everyone’s demands and complaints.  “I want more entertainment in the worship experience…I don’t like the way the church is spending its money – or the changes in the staff – or the new hymnbooks…and if you want my offering you better do something about it!”  …Though Jesus does not lose sight of the breadth of his ministry, we certainly do. We have been given a veritable banquet of God’s promises to trust as we are called to ministry, but we choose to settle for ministry that can fit in a tea cup!  …And that’s a fact!

The devil continued, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down..” for the Scripture says that the angels will catch you.  (the devil can quote Scripture with the best of them!)  And Jesus responds, “Do not put the Lord your God to the test.  God’s promises are solid!  ..”But maybe you should try them out??’ whispers the tempter.

And how many times have we followed that suggestion as the community of faith?!  We declare, “As soon as God provides us with the right pastor who will get us more new members and their offerings, then we’ll support global mission, then we’ll reach out in creative ways to the downtown community…”  Twisting the relationship of creature and Creator, of child of God and God, we put ourselves in charge and God becomes a servant whose worthiness must be tested!  …Jesus does not test God’s faithfulness.  He trusts it.  But we test God again and again.  …That’s a fact!

And then the most obscene test of all.  The devil showed Jesus all the kingdoms of the world and said, “All these I will give you if you will fall down and worship me.”  Jesus said, “Away with you, Satan!  For it is written, ‘Worship the Lord your God and serve only him.’”  The kingdoms of this world are not the tempter’s to give!  They are God’s!  And the path that Jesus must follow for the salvation of the world is the path that leads to the cross, the path of costly love.  …”But my way would be easier,” the tempter whispers as he slinks away.   And aren’t we always looking for an easier way than the way of sacrificial and costly love?!  That’s a fact!

Just this past week I read an essay in a respected Lutheran journal that was presenting a way out of costly discipleship.  The writer’s premise was that it is not necessary to begin worship with a time of corporate confession and forgiveness.  Among his many reasons for this were that “choral reading” doesn’t turn anyone’s crank these days and, besides, the whole thing is just a real “bummer!”  Ooohh!  That makes the tempter smile!  …But of course, if we don’t confess together that we have been less than faithful as a community, naming our failure to live lives of sacrificial love and costly grace, then, in time, we’ll forget that this is our true call and life will be more comfortable, to be sure!  …Jesus remains faithful, endures betrayal, suffering, death and is raised for love of the world – love of sinners like you and me!  But we are always looking for the easy way out.  …That’s a fact!

However, this story is not bout us, when one gets to the heart of it.  The deepest, truest fact here is that this is about Jesus!  And because it is about Jesus, it is Good News!

Yes, from ancient Israel to the church in every generation, God’s people have succumbed to the tempter’s voice – not just now and then, but year in & year out, generation after generation.  That’s a fact!  But Jesus did not succumb to the tempter’s power!  Utterly human, Jesus stood where we stand in the wilderness of temptation.  He heard it all, experienced it all, but he remained faith-full!  He triumphed over the tempter!  Indeed, there is a little glimpse of Easter right here on the First Sunday of Lent!  And remaining faithful, through suffering, death and resurrection for love of the whole world, Jesus ministers to us, now, in the wilderness.  We come together to acknowledge again today that we can’t, we can’t resist the tempter’s voice.  Then we hear, again, yet as if for the first time, that we are not damned, but forgiven.  We are not lost, but have been found.  The One who was tempted and remained faithful is here, now, taking away our guilt & shame with the powerful word of forgiveness, and raising us to new life for faithful ministry in this new day of grace.

That’s the best fact of all!

Thanks be to God.                                                               AMEN