I'd like to think if I was tested I would pass

This has been a busy, busy month and it's been a while since I've had the time and opportunity to post this second recent message from a service at the facility. This was recorded for the first Sunday in March.  

 Luke 4:1-13

4:1 Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the wilderness, 4:2 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. 4:3 The devil said to him, If you are the Son of God, command this stone to become a loaf of bread. 4:4 Jesus answered him, It is written, One does not live by bread alone. 4:5 Then the devil led him up and showed him in an instant all the kingdoms of the world. 4:6 And the devil 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. 4:7 If you, then, will worship me, it will all be yours. 4:8 Jesus answered him, It is written, Worship the Lord your God, and serve only him. 4:9 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, 4:10 for it is written, He will command his angels concerning you, to protect you, 4:11 and On their hands they will bear you up, so that you will not dash your foot against a stone. 4:12 Jesus answered him, It is said, Do not put the Lord your God to the test. 4:13 When the devil had finished every test, he departed from him until an opportune time.

 Mara Upasatha Sutra

The holy one directed his steps to that blessed Bodhi-tree beneath whose shade he was to accomplish his search. As he walked, the earth shook and a brilliant light transfigured the world. When he sat down the heavens resounded with joy and all living beings were filled with good cheer. Mara alone, lord of the five desires, bringer of death and enemy of truth, was grieved and rejoiced not. With his three daughters, Tanha, Raga and Arati, the tempters, and with his host of evil demons, he went to the place where the great Samana sat. But Shakyamuni heeded him not. Mara uttered fear-inspiring threats and raised a whirlwind so that the skies were darkened and the ocean roared and trembled. But the Blessed One under the Bodhi-tree remained calm and feared not. The Enlightened One knew that no harm could befall him. The three daughters of Mara tempted the Bodhisattva, but he paid no attention to them, and when Mara saw that he could kindle no desire in the heart of the victorious Samana, he ordered all the evil spirits at his command to attack him and overawe the great Muni. But the Blessed One watched them as one would watch the harmless games of children. All the fierce hatred of the evil spirits was of no avail. The flames of hell became wholesome breezes of perfume, and the angry thunderbolts were changed into lotus-blossoms. 

 

 I’m not telling you anything new by saying words have meaning. But when we apply it to scriptures like the Bible or the Koran or Buddhist Sutras, we often use words that have come down to us from centuries of use as meaning something they no longer mean. For instance, in this scripture we hear an important word, “devil,” that conjures up an image our parents might have given it that doesn’t quite match the original word. We think of a guy in red with a pointed tail and horns and a pitchfork. 

But that’s not what’s meant by the Greek word, “diabolos.” While it does translate as devil, diabolos meant a different creature like an accuser or a trickster, one who tests the truth of a statement. Think of the devil here as The Tester, one who is fulfilling an important job, like Coyote in Native American stories or Loki in Norse myth. Think of diabolos, not as someone against Jesus or you, but someone whose job is to make sure you’re up to whatever task is ahead of you. 

Diabolos’ job is not to make Jesus transform stone to bread but to see if he’s learned to control his wants. Similarly, when Jesus is told “You can rule everywhere and everyone and all you have to do is worship me,” he controls his greed. The Tester tells him he could rival God and his response is “Only God is God.” Finally, The Tester gives Jesus an ultimate test: “Jump off this temple roof, let yourself be saved by angels. God  has a lot riding on you, God won’t let you die.” But Jesus says, “Don’t test God. Just accept.” We don’t climb to the roof of a building and jump. We know better than that. 

 When we talk about temptation, we’re talking about an urge to do something we wouldn’t normally do. The word itself comes to us from Old French out of the Latin word temptare "to feel, try out, attempt to influence."  We’re tempted sometimes to do something that helps someone. Holding open a door suddenly for someone we see behind us struggling with a box, or picking up the tab for someone we’ve joined for a drink. 

While we obviously don’t have exactly the same temptations as in Luke’s story, to say we have temptations in today’s world is an understatement. In place of commanding stones into bread, we’re tempted to claim of one thing that it’s another. Like if we’ve insulted someone and they catch us in it we’re tempted to say, “No, it’s a joke. I didn’t mean it.” Instead of worshipping Diabolos to rule the kingdoms of the world, we’re tempted to do something we don’t like or that hurts someone to make more money. Or in place of throwing ourselves from a high spot to see if God will send angels to protect us, we might be tempted to put ourselves in danger by refusing to be vaccinated or taking precautions, certain our faith will protect us.

Dickey Barrett, the singer and lyricist of the Mighty Mighty Bosstones, the band playing the song I played you earlier, has a wonderful line: “I’m not a coward, I’ve just never been tested. I like to think if I was I would pass. Look at the tested and think, There but for the grace go I. I might be a coward, I’m afraid of what I might find out.” We test ourselves constantly and sometimes, yes, we prove to be cowards. That’s all right. If you’re tempted to take a bite out of a stone or to jump off the roof, you should be a coward. You’ll only hurt yourself that way. 

Better to test yourself in small ways. This woman’s voice bothers me. Can I be kind to her anyway? My roommate is driving me crazy; can I voluntarily go somewhere I don’t have to see or hear him? I spill juice, I forget my hat sometimes, I misplace my favorite book. Can I be patient with myself about the thousands of mistakes I make daily? It’s in passing the little tests we set for ourselves that we become better people. This is what God intends for us, to become better who we are. 

 [Lord’s Prayer]

 Benediction by Wayne Arneson

“Take courage friends. The way is often hard, the path is never clear, and the stakes are very high. Take courage. For deep down, there is another truth: you are not alone.”

Are you satisfied?

 

Since I've been at my new work, I've been pressed to write and record a few homilies for replay on Sundays on the units. This is the first written for February 27th, and it's taken a while because it's required both my computer and my work computer to play nicely together when they are probably a decade apart in production, and I don't think either involved 2020 as the decade. 

SERVICE FOR FEBRUARY 27TH, 2022, AT WINNEBAGO MENTAL HEALTH INSTITUTION

First Reading Exodus 34

29 Moses came down from Mount Sinai, carrying the Ten Commandments. His face was shining brightly because the LORD had been speaking to him. But Moses did not know at first that his face was shining. 30When Aaron and the others looked at Moses, they saw this, and they were afraid to go near him. 31Moses called out for Aaron and the leaders to come to him, and he spoke with them. 32Then the rest of the people of Israel gathered around Moses, and he gave them the laws that the LORD had given him on Mount Sinai.

33The face of Moses kept shining, and after he had spoken with the people, he covered his face with a veil. 34Moses would always remove the veil when he went into the sacred tent to speak with the LORD. And when he came out, he would tell the people everything the LORD had told him to say. 35They could see that his face was still shining. So after he had spoken with them, he would put the veil back on and leave it on until the next time he went to speak with the LORD.

Second Reading Sura 7 “The Elevated Places”

144[God] said: O Musa! Surely I have chosen you above the people with My messages and with My words, therefore take hold of what I give you and be [among] the grateful ones. 145And We ordained for him in the tablets admonition of every kind and clear explanation of all things; so take hold of them with firmness and enjoin your people to take hold of what is best thereof…

I'm pretty certain we all have heard Bob Marley at one time or another. He was a great man whose death, 40 years ago, is remembered by all of us. We all have, I'm sure, our own favorite Marley song but it's generally agreed that his greatest is "Exodus" from the same titled album. I'm going to take a few minutes to play this for you. 

    

        You know, bouncing around a little up here I'm reminded of a commercial for a beer from Jamaica. The tagline is "Red Stripe and reggae, helping our white friends to dance for  seventy years." You have doubtless heard the song many times, and one phrase that comes through clearly, in tone and in meaning, are the words, “Open your eyes and look within. Are you satisfied with the life you’re living?”

            I want to turn to the scripture reading. In seminary one of the most important clues to interpreting scripture I was taught is the habit of reading the chapters before and after the selected one to put it into context. So here’s what’s happening in this selection. The Jews have left Egypt, they’re on their desert journey, God has given Moses the first set of Commandments. In his absence, the travelers have built a gold image and imbued it with their faith, and in fury Moses has flung the tablets to the ground and ground the calf to dust. Oddly, perhaps, after berating his people, Moses returns to Mount Sinai to ask God’s forgiveness and favor. Surprisingly, he finds it. God gives him another set of tablets, he returns to the travelers. Having spoken with God, his face shows a glowing difference that marks him as someone other, and he goes on to oversee the construction of the Tabernacle.

            Here’s where the song “Exodus” and the book Exodus intersect.

            Marley’s words are a reflection of a simple question we probably all ask ourselves. Does the way I’m living satisfy me? Am I doing the things I ought to be doing? Is this the life I should live? The author Jiddu Krishnamurti put it in a form I like. Does this path I’m following have a heart?

            The response, according to Moses’ people in the book Exodus, is a resounding “No.” The path they’re on might have a heart but after several decades of searching it’s really hard for them to see it. That’s why Moses climbs Mount Sinai to speak with God. God’s response is, “These are the laws you need to follow to live a good life.”

            Millenia later, we still ask that question. We all wonder what we need to do to live a good life. Our answer may lie in the tablets God gives to Moses. They’re great lessons to live by. But for most of us the day to day answer requires a response that’s a bit more complicated. We probably don’t daily have to make a choice whether or not to steal, should we kill or not. It’s likelier we’re going to ask, How should I behave in this situation? I guess it’s an old copout but it’s up to each of us individually what rules we need to follow to lead a life with heart. The sad truth is my path is not the same as yours. Buddhist monks say, “Many paths, one mountain.” So no one else can know what your path is like.

            But, for better and worse, change is our only constant. Everything can change between one day and another. As a result, don’t try to navigate your path alone because you’ll get lost. Find someone you trust and let them see you at your best and even your worst. And start small. Take your time. Smile as genuinely as you can when you see someone you like and acknowledge them. Be angry at people if you must but don’t be mean. We can’t know what’s ahead. We might live 120 years, like Moses, but die within sight of our Promised Land. We might, like Bob Marley, die at 36 from a cancer under our toenail. Whatever our path, it’s ours alone to travel. We should have good companions and comfortable places to rest.

[Lord’s Prayer]

Benediction by Wayne Arneson

“Take courage friends. The way is often hard, the path is never clear, and the stakes are very high. Take courage. For deep down, there is another truth: you are not alone.”