Lent One, Year C. PTL
Good morning, friends and neighbors,
Watching the terrifying War news on television this early morning (it's 3:41 a.m. as I type), I am most deeply mindful of my personal experience and point of view, that for us "who are still in our pilgrimage, and who walk as yet by faith" (as a line in our Burial Rite says), life's greatest blessing is being a parent, and, when life itself seems to turn against you, a parent who is anxiously and lovingly eager and willing and able to help, even save.
Of course, from my point of view, I'm thinking as a father, a dad, as I watch people trying to escape their world that has suddenly turned upside down. What a blessing to be still alive and able to help. I'm thinking of Peter getting out of the boat and starting to sink, and Jesus reaching out to grab Peter's hand and saving him.
And also of the scene when Jesus, exhausted and trying to get some rest, sees a leper coming toward him, and the leper says, "You can heal me if you want to". What does Jesus say? More critical in the moment, what does Jesus do?
And going on, what does Jesus think? Maybe, OMG, I'm so thankful I was able to save him.
But I'm wandering, which is my bent. Going on with the day though, below, basically printed here earlier this week, is this morning's handout for Bible study in our adult Sunday School class at Holy Nativity, PC.
RSF&PTL
Tom
Deuteronomy 26:1-11
Romans 10:8b-13
Luke 4:1-13
Psalm 91:1-2, 9-16
Proper Preface for Lent
Through Jesus Christ our Lord; who was tempted in every way as we are, yet did not sin. By his grace we are able to triumph over every evil, and to live no longer for ourselves alone, but for him who died for us and rose again.
(or this)
You bid your faithful people cleanse their hearts, and prepare with joy for the Paschal feast; that, fervent in prayer and in works of mercy, and renewed by your Word and Sacraments, they may come to the fullness of grace which you have prepared for those who love you.
The Collect
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.
Old Testament Deuteronomy 26:1-11
When you have come into the land that the Lord your God is giving you as an inheritance to possess, and you possess it, and settle in it, you shall take some of the first of all the fruit of the ground, which you harvest from the land that the Lord your God is giving you, and you shall put it in a basket and go to the place that the Lord your God will choose as a dwelling for his name. You shall go to the priest who is in office at that time, and say to him, "Today I declare to the Lord your God that I have come into the land that the Lord swore to our ancestors to give us." When the priest takes the basket from your hand and sets it down before the altar of the Lord your God, you shall make this response before the Lord your God: "A wandering Aramean was my ancestor; he went down into Egypt and lived there as an alien, few in number, and there he became a great nation, mighty and populous. When the Egyptians treated us harshly and afflicted us, by imposing hard labor on us, we cried to the Lord, the God of our ancestors; the Lord heard our voice and saw our affliction, our toil, and our oppression. The Lord brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm, with a terrifying display of power, and with signs and wonders; and he brought us into this place and gave us this land, a land flowing with milk and honey. So now I bring the first of the fruit of the ground that you, O Lord, have given me." You shall set it down before the Lord your God and bow down before the Lord your God. Then you, together with the Levites and the aliens who reside among you, shall celebrate with all the bounty that the Lord your God has given to you and to your house.
The Psalm - Psalm 91:1-2, 9-16 Qui habitat
1 He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High, * abides under the shadow of the Almighty.
2 He shall say to the Lord, "You are my refuge and my stronghold, * my God in whom I put my trust."
9 Because you have made the Lord your refuge, * and the Most High your habitation,
10 There shall no evil happen to you, * neither shall any plague come near your dwelling.
11 For he shall give his angels charge over you, * to keep you in all your ways.
12 They shall bear you in their hands, * lest you dash your foot against a stone.
13 You shall tread upon the lion and adder; * you shall trample the young lion and the serpent under your feet.
14 Because he is bound to me in love, therefore will I deliver him; * I will protect him, because he knows my Name.
15 He shall call upon me, and I will answer him; * I am with him in trouble; I will rescue him and bring him to honor.
16 With long life will I satisfy him, * and show him my salvation.
Deuteronomy 30
Exhortation to Choose Life
11 Surely, this commandment that I am commanding you today is not too hard for you, nor is it too far away. 12 It is not in heaven, that you should say, “Who will go up to heaven for us, and get it for us so that we may hear it and observe it?” 13 Neither is it beyond the sea, that you should say, “Who will cross to the other side of the sea for us, and get it for us so that we may hear it and observe it?” 14 No, the word is very near to you; it is in your mouth and in your heart for you to observe.
15 See, I have set before you today life and prosperity, death and adversity. 16 If you obey the commandments of the Lord your God[b] that I am commanding you today, by loving the Lord your God, walking in his ways, and observing his commandments, decrees, and ordinances, then you shall live and become numerous, and the Lord your God will bless you in the land that you are entering to possess. 17 But if your heart turns away and you do not hear, but are led astray to bow down to other gods and serve them, 18 I declare to you today that you shall perish; you shall not live long in the land that you are crossing the Jordan to enter and possess. 19 I call heaven and earth to witness against you today that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Choose life so that you and your descendants may live, 20 loving the Lord your God, obeying him, and holding fast to him; for that means life to you and length of days, so that you may live in the land that the Lord swore to give to your ancestors, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob.
The Epistle Romans 10:8b-13
"The word is near you, on your lips and in your heart" (that is, the word of faith that we proclaim); because if you confess with your lips that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For one believes with the heart and so is justified, and one confesses with the mouth and so is saved. The scripture says, "No one who believes in him will be put to shame." For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; the same Lord is Lord of all and is generous to all who call on him. For, "Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved."
Mark 1 The Temptation of Jesus
12 And the Spirit immediately drove him out into the wilderness. 13 He was in the wilderness forty days, tempted by Satan; and he was with the wild beasts; and the angels waited on him.
Matthew 4 The Temptation of Jesus
4 Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. 2 He fasted forty days and forty nights, and afterwards he was famished. 3 The tempter came and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread.” 4 But he answered, “It is written,
‘One does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’”
5 Then the devil took him to the holy city and placed him on the pinnacle of the temple, 6 saying to him, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down; for it is written,
‘He will command his angels concerning you,’ and ‘On their hands they will bear you up, so that you will not dash your foot against a stone.’”
7 Jesus said to him, “Again it is written, ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’”
8 Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor; 9 and he said to him, “All these I will give you, if you will fall down and worship me.” 10 Jesus said to him, “Away with you, Satan! for it is written,
‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve only him.’”
11 Then the devil left him, and suddenly angels came and waited on him.
The Gospel Luke 4:1-13
The Temptation of Jesus
1 Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the wilderness, 2 where for forty days he was tempted by the devil. He ate nothing at all during those days, and when they were over, he was famished. 3 The devil said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command this stone to become a loaf of bread.” 4 Jesus answered him, “It is written, ‘One does not live by bread alone.’”
5 Then the devil led him up and showed him in an instant all the kingdoms of the world. 6 And the devil[b] said to him, “To you I will give their glory and all this authority; for it has been given over to me, and I give it to anyone I please. 7 If you, then, will worship me, it will all be yours.” 8 Jesus answered him, “It is written, ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve only him.’”
9 Then the devil took him to Jerusalem, and placed him on the pinnacle of the temple, saying to him, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down from here, 10 for it is written, ‘He will command his angels concerning you, to protect you,’
11 and
‘On their hands they will bear you up, so that you will not dash your foot against a stone.’”
12 Jesus answered him, “It is said, ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’”
13 When the devil had finished every test, he departed from him until an opportune time.
To think about:
1. When/what might be "an opportune time", and does Luke, or any evangelist, show that such opportunity came?
2. Most of Luke comes from Mark, but not this passage: where did Luke get it?
3. How does the order of the devil's three Temptations differ in Luke and Matthew, and what might be a significance of that?
4. ”Tempted but did not sin" - - was Jesus really tempted? What was "The Last Temptation of Christ" in the film?
5. What does Luke mean by Jesus was full of the Holy Spirit? Is Luke trinitarian?
6. Where does Paul get "The word is near you, on your lips and in your heart"?
7. My mother was raised Southern Baptist. A relative on her side once quoted to me, "if you confess with your lips that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved" and insisted that doing those two things was the sole requirement for salvation. What does it mean to "be saved" anyway?
8. Notice in the Psalm, that at verse 14 the voice changes to oracle, the Lord himself speaking, responding; and there's that word "salvation", what might it mean to be shown the Lord's salvation?
9. The psalm is meant to be Responsive to the Old Testament lesson: in what way is it responsive?
10. Deuteronomy: there's that famous verse, "a wandering Aramean was my ancestor". What's the meaning of it?