Lent 1A Genesis 2:4b-9, 15-17, 25-3:7 Psalm 51 Romans 5:12-21 Matthew 4:1-11 The Rev. J. Brian Ponder, Chaplain Church of the Resurrection, Starkville, Mississippi February 13, 2005 Almighty God, whose blessed Son was led by the Spirit to be tempted by Satan: Come quickly to help us who are assaulted by many temptations; and, as you know the weaknesses of each of us, let each one find you mighty to save; through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen. The Season of Lent has, indeed, begun. Can you feel it? The tone of our service is more subdued. Our language is more penitential. Our altar hangings and other appointments are darker-deeper. Other adornments are veiled, including our crosses. Many of us gathered here or on campus a few days ago to be reminded that we are only dust at our annual Ash Wednesday services. The night before, we gathered in festivity and celebration in the parish hall, and last Sunday, if you remember, we put the "A-word" to rest. Our mood today is a bit more focused, more somber, scaled back. It's not that the words and images aren't as rich. I'd say just the opposite. Rather, you'll notice that our words and actions seem more intentional. Can you feel it? Lent has begun. Maybe it's just me, but there's something about Lent that's about getting to the heart of the matter. There's something about Lent that goes against the idea or practice of beating around the bush. There's something about Lent that pierces the heart in ways different from some of our other seasons. It's not the same nostalgia that we experienced for several months now. Lent's not simply a time to recount the humility into which the Word was made flesh. Rather, now our intentions, our study and lessons focus on the humility into which Christ died for us-the rebuke, the passion, the blood, the sweat, the hoping that things could be different, but never the second-guessing of how things must be. Lent seems to be quite somber, even morose at times. But I am convinced that Lent is really about Love. It's about a love that conquers the doom and gloom. It's about a love that was and has been and will be for us. It's about a love that supercedes death. Indeed, our invitation is not only to a holy Lent, but to a joyful one, at that. Our lessons today speak a great deal to the reality of temptation. Our story from Genesis recounts what is "typically" referred to as the fall of man, when the first man and woman eat of the forbidden fruit, know their nakedness and hide in shame from God. Our Gospel lesson recounts the thrusting forth into the wilderness of Jesus to be tempted. After forty days there, Jesus is tempted three times by the devil-A.K.A. the tempter, or adversary. Both stories relate an encounter with an "outside" individual-this tempter, Satan, a snake-all crafty and wily. And we get from the lessons two examples-arguably, one bad and one good. But are these stories upon which we are to model our lives? Are we supposed to identify with any of the characters? I'm not quite sure. But I am sure of something that's not so subtle to either of the stories, that I think represents at least a piece of our Good News today-short, sweet and to-the-point. Both lessons, offer us some insight into human relationship with the Divine-what Paul will come to call grace, or justification by grace. In Genesis, we meet an anthropomorphic God-a God interested in the minutia of creation, down to the very limbs and digits in the creation and breathing to life of humankind. We meet a God who is concerned with the well being of human creation and sees that partnership is "good," not just in a relationship between humankind and the Divine, but also amongst humankind. We encounter a God who tangibly enters creation, kissing life into humanity-from the outset, meeting us face to face. Yet in the next scene, the man and woman mess up-royally. Instead of sharing in their part of creation, they are tempted into playing God. It's not a matter of doubting their status, it's brazenly disavowing the God-created relationship they have enjoyed to this point. Their eyes become opened. They see things they don't want to see. They see themselves for what they have become. Instead of becoming gods, they realize their own limitations-their own frailties and weaknesses. In gaining this new awareness, they lose sight of the love that has existed for them since the beginning of time. We are fragile beings, aren't we? Realizing their fragility, Adam and Eve are thrown out of the garden. The stipulations upon life become manifold, and the rules get harder to follow. But there is one thing that surpasses all of this whether they realized it or not-God's love for humanity persists. God's desire to be involved in human life continues-in a different way, yes-but it does continue. The Man and Woman mess up again and again-as do their children. But still, God longs for relationship. God continues to be present in their story for ages to come. We can, perhaps, understand most fully this desire for relationship from today's Gospel lesson. Jesus goes into the wilderness. But he doesn't simply "go" there. He's taken into, led there, by the Spirit. Matthew's Gospel never suggests that Jesus is left there alone. He is not abandoned. Rather he is guided to and through that place. Now this doesn't mean that Jesus' temptations were any less real, or diminished. That it was the wilderness suggests that it was a place of detachment, of barrenness, of solitude. But I think that there is something great to be said about relationship here. Jesus understood his relationship to God. In fact the devil tries twice in temptation to shake him from that relationship, beginning each with: "If you are the Son of God …" The greatest vice of temptation the devil wielded, was not so much temptation at all, rather it was an attempt to plant the seeds of doubt amongst the fruits of true relationship. Our Lent is really about a love story. It's recognizing and living into our part in and of the age old story, "For God so loved the world …" As one writer puts it: "O Love, how deep, how broad, how high, how passing thought and fantasy …" Our frailties and shortcomings are compounded when we are convinced into doubting our relationship with God-that we're not good enough, or that we're not perfect enough, or that God does not delight in our being, or that we are anything less than children of God. I tell you this, in order for Jesus to know that he was and to live into his calling as the Son of God, he first had to know that he was child of God. We are God's children, and we are of a God who wants the best for us and all humankind. We fall short of that love, or at least living up to the relationship of love, when we hurt each other, and when we compromise our own understanding of ourselves or others as being children of a God who loves all of us that much. Our Good News is that nothing separates us from the love of God-not our shortcomings, not our mess-ups, not our pasts, nothing-not even our part in killing the very Love that God offered us in the person of Jesus Christ. But for a truer relationship we must live into this Love by turning to God, both recognizing and rejoicing in this same relationship. In order to live into the great commandment to love others, we must first realize that God's hand was in the works of our own creation and that it is in turning towards God that we find ourselves in the hands and loving-arms of a Master Potter just waiting to reshape us, make us whole and kiss a newer life into us. Yes, our Good News is that we are so loved. May we live into the joyful news of this holy Lent. Amen.