RonBlog

Sunday 13th March, 2011 First Sunday in Lent

Sentence
We do not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God Matt. 4:4

Collect
O Lord, Who for our sake fasted forty days and forty nights; give us grace to use such abstinence that, our flesh being subdued to the spirit, we may ever obey Your godly will in justice and true holiness; to Your honour and glory, Who lives and reigns with the Father and the Holy Spirit, one God, world without end. Amen

Old Testament Lesson Genesis 2: 15 – 17, & 3: 1 – 7

The LORD God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to till it and keep it. And the LORD God commanded the man, "You may freely eat of every tree of the garden; but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall die."

Now the serpent was more crafty than any other wild animal that the LORD God had made. He said to the woman, "Did God say, 'You shall not eat from any tree in the garden'?" The woman said to the serpent, "We may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden; but God said, 'You shall not eat of the fruit of the tree that is in the middle of the garden, nor shall you touch it, or you shall die.'" But the serpent said to the woman, "You will not die; for God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil."
So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate; and she also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate. Then the eyes of both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made loincloths for themselves.

Psalm 32

Blessed are those whose sin is forgiven: whose iniquity is put away
Blessed are those to whom the Lord imputes no blame: and in whose spirit there is no guile
For whilst I held my tongue: my bones wasted away with my daily complaining
Your hand was heavy upon me day and night: and my moisture was dried up like a drought in summer
Then I acknowledged my sin to You: and my iniquity I did not hide
I said, ‘I will confess my transgressions to the Lord’: and so You forgave the wickedness of my sin
For this cause shall everyone that is faithful make their prayer to You in the day of trouble: and in the time of the great water flood, it shall not come near them
You are a place to hide me in, You will preserve me from trouble: You will surround me with deliverance on every side.
I will instruct you and direct you in the way that you should go: I will fasten my eyes on you and give you counsel.
Be not like horse and mule that have no understanding: whose forward course must be curbed with bit and bridle
Great tribulations remain for the ungodly; but whoever puts their trust in the Lord, mercy embraces them on every side
Rejoice in the Lord, you righteous, and be glad: and shout for joy all you that are true of heart.

Epistle Romans 5: 12 – 21

Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death came through sin, and so death spread to all because all have sinned-- sin was indeed in the world before the law, but sin is not reckoned when there is no law. Yet death exercised dominion from Adam to Moses, even over those whose sins were not like the transgression of Adam, who is a type of the one who was to come. But the free gift is not like the trespass. For if the many died through the one man's trespass, much more surely have the grace of God and the free gift in the grace of the one man, Jesus Christ, abounded for the many. And the free gift is not like the effect of the one man's sin. For the judgment following one trespass brought condemnation, but the free gift following many trespasses brings justification.
If, because of the one man's trespass, death exercised dominion through that one, much more surely will those who receive the abundance of grace and the free gift of righteousness exercise dominion in life through the one man, Jesus Christ. Therefore just as one man's trespass led to condemnation for all, so one man's act of righteousness leads to justification and life for all. For just as by the one man's disobedience the many were made sinners, so by the one man's obedience the many will be made righteous. But law came in, with the result that the trespass multiplied; but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more, so that, just as sin exercised dominion in death, so grace might also exercise dominion through justification leading to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

GOSPEL Matthew 4: 1 – 11

Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. He fasted forty days and forty nights, and afterwards he was famished. The tempter came and said to him, "If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread." But he answered, "It is written, 'One does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.'"
Then the devil took him to the holy city and placed him on the pinnacle of the temple, 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.'" Jesus said to him, "Again it is written, 'Do not put the Lord your God to the test.'"
Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendour; and he said to him, "All these I will give you, if you will fall down and worship me." Jesus said to him, "Away with you, Satan! for it is written, 'Worship the Lord your God, and serve only him.'" Then the devil left him, and suddenly angels came and waited on him.

© New Revised Standard Version of the Bible
Copyright 1989 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the
Churches of Christ in the USA, and used by permission. All rights reserved

NOTES ON THE READINGS
Old Testament
I am still surprised – in fact I am appalled! – that there remain modern Christians who strive to keep a literal view of the Creation Stories, convinced that they are being true to the Faith and to God. I have spent the past 50 years asking such folk to look past their strange loyalty, if only on the grounds that the original owners of the stories have never understood those stories literally themselves. Almost all of the real point is lost when retaining literalism. On top of that, the original story tellers ensured that no one could be ‘literal’ for to follow that path would lead to remarkably silly dead-ends. Similar difficulties present themselves in today’s Epistle as well.
However, on such a Sunday as today it is well worth the recall to come again to the foundational expression of both what is wrong with so much of life and where the cause and responsibility for it lies. This ancient legend contains a stunning evaluation of where so much angst emerges, and even points to the remedy. What is so hugely sad is the extent to which this evaluation is neither explored nor tested by the vast majority of humans, including rather too many Christians.
The story of the Fall is not some sort of past history. It is a tale that helps me to understand me – as well as you. It must have been the result of a lot of thought, prayer and assessment by people long gone, but who in spite of their early existence in terms of human history, began to understand so much of the roots of human volition. It has nothing to do with apples or any other fruit. It has nothing to do with ‘Satan,’ unless by that you understand the story-tellers (and the rest of Scripture) to be meaning ‘my very human capacity to lead myself and you up all sorts of destructive garden paths. It has everything to do with human motives. For anyone who would like to explore this further, my Notes on Genesis are available via email.

Sadly these notes today need to be somewhat short-hand. Suffice to say that this tale conveys the harsh reality that temptation lies, quite simply and devastatingly in our terribly human refusal to be human and determination to be gods. By that is meant that common human trait of determining to get on top of whoever else is around. Add to that the capacity to enforce my will on to you. As the story unfolds here in Genesis 3, there is that tragic outcome portrayed, first by the sense of isolation mostly self-imposed, the sense of being God-forsaken (which soon proves unfounded!) and the Cain and Abel saga that underlines the second-stage rebellion that leads to murder, or destroying the ‘opposition.’ (It can never be said that Scripture attributes ‘sin’ to someone in history’s ancient past. Had that been the case, then any responsibility that I have is removed: I am reduced to a puppet on a string in that regard.)

Here lies a tremendous contribution to human self-understanding, and one – dare I say it – that remains valid even for those who deny the existence of God. I am human; I am responsible. And that is a ‘pill’ that few moderns would wish to take.


Psalm
It may come as some surprise that this psalm, also, has a great contribution to make to the balance of present-day human sanity. The process remains the same for believers or on-believers. This ancient worthy was making the point that when he faced the truth of his own short-comings, that recognition in itself provides a means of moving on from there, rather than hiding from himself, and trying to hide from others.
I have found it strange that lots of Anglicans had not realized the point, purpose and value of the Confession and Absolution in so many of our regular services. That point is not to relegate you to the state of cringing sinner, but to offer the opportunity to acknowledge, if only to yourself, that you have issues that need attention. As this old worthy experienced, the relief in so doing is tangible and redemptive. It is only when I am honest, particularly with myself, that I can cope with who I am, and from that can cope rather better with you, too!!!

Epistle
I have great sympathy with people who find St. Paul’s argument rather difficult to follow. Mind you, there was a time when he really made sense to me, but that was nearly half a century ago. One is left wondering how Paul understood ‘Adam,’ and I have to confess that I do not see the distinction Paul makes between ‘the free gift and the trespass.’ Both have the capacity to affect all humans, both Gospel and sin. The outcomes of course are totally different.

GOSPEL
Most readers of these notes will have travelled this path before. Reference to previous years’ notes will uncover all that. And it must be added that this incident in Jesus’ ministry was not to prove Him sinless, but to show that path He travelled to ensure that His life and ministry was not rendered invalid by following the Adamic pattern.
For the sake of anyone who has not travelled that path, I repeat previous commentary:

The three different sorts of questions or tests that faced Jesus revolved around the nature of His ministry and leadership. How should He priest? How should He messiah? How to gain a following, how to get the message across, how to win disciples?

That turning of stones into bread was a figurative way of operating. The Romans ruled, it is said, by means of bread and circuses. Devise ways of getting people’s attentions by diverting them from the real issues. Spin is what we call it these days, though I have a fondness for the two-syllable Aussie expression that really expresses it vividly. Jesus knew that if He filled people’s bellies, some would follow Him. But He also knew that as soon as the freebies ran out, so did the loyalty – or whatever passed for it. Obviously, this was not a valid direction to head. It avoided the real issues, and diverted people’s attention to non-issues.

Jumping off the pinnacle of the Temple is just as daft. Mind you, in our day and age, those who amuse and entertain us are lionised, grossly overpaid, and are followed by a rather mindless multitude. Shoot me down if you like, but what has any singer, or dancer or ever sportsman really done for you and others? Jesus was not stupid, and knew that if He started out that way, it may begin with the pinnacle, but would have to expand into ever more stupid and risky procedures. And in what way does that process ever get anyone to think or love their neighbour.

The last temptation is the one that gets a lot of people. What really does it mean to fall down and worship Satan? It is not a matter of magic or mumbo jumbo. It is not even a case of the occult. It is far more simple and tempting than that. It is in fact something I suspect you do often. It is a matter of watering down the truth, of making it all palatable and lovey-dovey, it is spin. It is the temptation to turn the truth into a lie and the lie into the truth. Or at least, make it look that way.

This is the way of humans, of politicians, and of all who would lead the gullible up the proverbial garden path. And it is remarkably easy to do, for whenever you know you should be clear and direct and honest with others, ……… Need I say more. Fortunately, we have a Lord with rather more integrity that that.

It would have been terribly easy for Jesus to have a made a mess of things, simply surrendering to the normal human patterns. Thank God He did not. And here comes a huge sting in the tail.

Not only was it necessary for Jesus to have made His solid and strong decision in terms of His ministry and leadership, it is also necessary for us. Not just clergy, but all the people of God. In fact all of the humans anyhow. Only when I come to close terms with the real and powerful lessons of Jesus’ testing and learn to operate that way too, that my ministry, even my humanity has a chance to reach its potential, not for me but for others.
 
ALTERNATIVE ADDRESS FOR LENT I Rather longer on the grounds that you are not
hearing this but rather reading it …….

In the light of the comment made at the start of the other option for today, may I offer an alternative sermon – this time bouncing off the Genesis story of the Fall. It is only recently that I heard from a person who has been freed from the perceived necessity of understanding the stories literally, and he was astounded at the way the very familiar tale almost blew up in his head. Hopefully the same may occur from this – if you have not travelled this way before. I have long suffered from holy ones who determine to be true to the Bible, and refuse any other approach than literal. What they do not realize is that they tend to make nonsense of the stories, and --- dare I suggest it – they make God out to be a bit of a dill in the process.

From the beginning, people of faith or no faith need to understand that these Creation Stories were not composed nor written for an audience that was naïve, stupid or gullible. Whilst people in those early days may well have needed stories rather than ‘theology,’ than only meant they were like most others of the time.
These stories were, in fact, designed to convey the possibility of a choice in understanding what it meant then (and now) to be a human alive and pondering meaning on planet earth. (I am cheeky enough to suggest that a reason for so many in our culture who have rejected this option have finished up with none. Small wonder there is so much confusion and baloney in our day and age.)
In fact, these Creation Stories, stand on the shoulders of other and previous ‘dream time stories’ (if you can cope with that idea,) – a factor most visible in Genesis 1:1 did you know. In a world then of many hundreds of choices of gods, goddesses, wizards, warlocks and other various pretend divinities, this pointed up a search that would meet everyone at their deepest level. Here is no dogmatic outline, to be believed against all odds: this is a question being offered to you, on the basis that it might, perhaps should, give you something to go on with. The more I discover in this ancient quest, the more I stand amazed at the wisdom of whoever it was in generations so long past that offered a series of tales so telling and so profound, that actually leaves modern psychology in its wake, actually.

So this is to be pondered, tossed around, questioned and then understood. It may well be that your best teacher in understanding this series may be some of Jewish faith. (Mind you, said Jewish people may, if my experience with them is anything to go by, will assure you that three Jewish people may well come up with about twelve different ways of looking at it. My best suggestion is to find and read David Kossoff.

The passage set for today is in two parts, the first section is part of the second Creation Story with its focus on humanity itself. It may well help to understand that ‘adam’ in Hebrew actually means, not a person, but humanity, or even closer: ‘adam’ is made up of ‘ish’ and ‘ishsha’ – male and female. And one does not ‘get’ adam until both male and female are present and together. Did you know that if you take this second creation story in this section through to the end of Chapter 2, that actually it had to stem from rather later in Jewish history, for it reads as a complete rebuttal of the patriarchal society where women were mere chattels. It is really explosive. The imagery is powerful – and was intended to be!

But it is the sin business that really stokes the fires. Have you been long imbued with the Christian idea that we all sin because of Adam? He mucked it all up and we are left with the consequences! Quite some correction is required before you travel that path.
Note, and note well: this tale is not about someone from a distant past – it is description of you and of every human who has walked this earth. It is designed to help you understand yourself, and more importantly, to catch sight of at least some of the answer to the question which is ‘if God made the world to be so good, where has the stuff-up come from?’ And sorry, this part of the passage suggests that answer indicates ‘that is you; and me; and everyone else who share the responsibility.
If you would like another culture shock, Chapter 4 points up the second stage of human capacity for evil, and it still comes from us. Cain and Abel. Not a pretty sight.

Now as we come to the crunch, do not get led astray like so much of the Church over the earlier centuries. The problem was not Eve in the story; the problem was not sex; so what was it? And it certainly was not about apples.

It is a simple tale, told to underline how we humans make foolish choices, try to avoid the issues, avoid the responsibilities, and thus miss the lesson there to be learnt. There they are, the three factors in the story, man, woman and snake. Now not many people find snakes all that attractive, and that included most Jewish folk, I gather. Fewer still have ever heard snakes talk! Those sorts of inserts in the story were designed, from the beginning, to ensure that NO ONE ever took things literally. Snakes are sneaky things and can be deadly dangerous. So in Hebrew thoughts, snakes represent danger, disaster, evil.

So there were our two characters in the story, given all they need to grow and flourish – and with a few sharp edges thrown in, for life tends to be like that, eh? Choices, decisions. Helmit Thielecke in his ‘How the World Began’ has a chapter titled, ‘Man, the Risk of God.’ But, is this not true, for us - like ruminants, - the grass is always greener on the other side of the fence, and when someone says you cannot or ought not, you and I are ever ready to overstep the mark.
Temptation does not, repeat not stem from outside you. Now does it! (Statement, not question.) Temptation stems from within. So don’t blame the snake; it is human greedy eyes and hearts – as the story-teller was very aware. Satan does not tempt you; in fact, in Biblical terms, Satan (and by whatever other name) is your capacity and mine to move towards evil, and whatever gets me over the top of you. Human evil. Boom!

Then notice how the lies begin to fly around. ‘You shall not die!’ You have been led up a garden path; you are not going to believe that #$%^&, are you?’ The questions arise in order for me to justify whatever course of action that I will decide. Damn the facts; let’s have the spin. Politicians, amongst others, are rather well-skilled at this, not outright lies perhaps, but that spin that drives you mad.

And when you do surrender to that urge, you tend to make sure that you are not alone in it: you make sure someone else is there to cop the flak with you, if it all comes out. In the tale, it was the woman who decided to eat, but made sure that Adam of the story is right there in the pooh with her.

The only and sad outcome of the mischief is the creation of the great divide between ‘Adam’ and ‘Eve.’ They discovered that they were naked! It has nothing to do with sex or gender: it has everything to do with hiding from each other out of shame, or being lumbered with the blame. Does this describe you, or does this describe you?

Two aspects that stem from a little further on in the tale:
When in the story, the two were walking in the garden after the event, God was looking for them, not to punish but to meet. It was they who felt the guilt: God felt the longing. No harsh judgement, do you see? Just concern, like a saddened, disappointed parent.
And stop a moment or two to see where Adam, in this tale, attributes the blame. ‘The woman you gave me, she beguiled me and I ate.’ Ponder a moment, for most need to take ten: where does Adam lay the blame? No, not on the woman, but on God. What a twit! Still lying his little heart out and doing what so many still do when things don’t go their way. God is at fault. And most of the time, a God such people do not consider to be existent.

In rather non-Biblical terms, it can be said that Scripture posits two basic approaches to life; the first is Adamic, self-centred, self-obsessed and God-denying in the end. Perhaps that might be put better if I suggest this path is setting oneself up as God. ‘You do what I demand of you!’ One is perfectly free to choose such a path, but is just as bound to encounter the results of such a choice. No I am not talking ‘hell.’ I am talking what others seem these days to call ‘karma.’ Or as a past Archbishop of Canterbury said 20 years or so ago, you were in your face, if you are over 40, the nature of the choices you have made before that time. We wear our choices, sometimes to a terrible extent. It is not God’s judgement; it is my folly.
The second alternative is Christ-like. Do NOT read that as meaning ‘religious,’ for I lay no claim to being that, not would I want to. Christ came as Saviour, certainly, and as Servant. In other words, as Philippians 2 has it, he lived the complete opposite of Adam. Self-giving, other-serving, caring, loving, risking life – so different that few leaders are ever game to follow that path of reconciliation.

That should be enough to ponder for a while. Feel free to come back at me, but I suspect that – like most Biblical stories, parables, myths or whatever, - they will come with their own stunning impact. A final story:

It was the day of our engagement party, and my soon-to-be father in law came with his boozy mates into the dining room where I was waiting. With some warm malice aforethought, Syd asked the question: “Ron, if Adam and Eve were the first two people on earth, where did their sons get wives to marry?’ The men thought that they had me, with nowhere to hide. ‘Syd,’ I responded as gently as I could, ‘That story is not history, it did not actually happen. It is a parable, a myth, designed to help us understand something about ourselves and about life.’
There was a shocked moment. Those three men, far from being Churchies, knew enough of the story to change their mocking disregard of the tale into something that blew up in their face, so to speak. In fact, I often wonder whether that may have been a starting point for Syd who later became quite ill, and gave himself the chance to think about things somewhat. He even had the local Vicar call regularly.