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Sermon - February 25th, 2007
Opportune Times
Rev. Gwen Drake
Scripture: Luke 4:1-13
Garrison Keillor, of Prairie Home Companion, National Public Radio, is a great story teller. In one of his stories, he talks about a time when he was a boy on a farm in Minnesota. He and some boys had gone to the pig pen where there were two large hogs lying in the mud. They picked up some small pebbles and were tossing them at the hogs. Garrison’s father came along and said, “What are you doing?”
“Oh nuttin, just throwin’ little rocks at the hogs.”
They were reprimanded sharply, “You don’t do that. Those hogs are not here for sport!”
About a week after that incident, Garrison’s father and two neighbors killed the hogs, dressed them and cured the meat. Garrison said, “As a boy, I could not understand what my father thought was so wrong with tossing pebbles at the hogs when he knew he was going to kill them a week later, which was WORSE. He KILLED them; I was just hitting them with rocks. I was grown before I realized what my father meant. I remember the faces of my father and his neighbors when they were killing the hogs, dressing the hogs, hanging up the meat, and curing the meat. They didn’t talk. They were very serious; it was a very sober business. My faither said, ‘This meat will feed us during the long winter here.’” Garrison said, “Killing the hogs was a ritual. WE were tossing pebbles at them. There is a world of difference.”
I understand that. I understand because my Dad used to raise one of the calves from the milk cows, fatten it up, and butcher it in the apple tree orchard, so we would have meat in the locker. It was a big event and all of us kids watched with great interest and respect. It was a ritual. It was a very important part of our lives and we all knew that and accepted it. Eventhough we had bottle-fed the calf since a few days after it was born. That was what life was about on the farm.
Maybe Garrison’s father had been a little harsh with the boys. The did not understand the depth of such things. They were just tossing those rocks to get the hogs to move from the mud. All of us at one time or another have engaged in serious things as though they were a game or a sport—when we did not really know any better.
And today I want to connect Garrison’s story to the story about Jesus being tempted in the wilderness. The story of the temptation is usually the first Sunday of Lent or at least it is once every three years. It makes sense to look at temptation during Lent. But the Gospels have the story immediately following Jesus’ baptism. Jesus is tempted in the wilderness at that opportune time.
Now, I suspect that if the subject of temptation was brought up in any group you are part of there would be a lot of nudging of each other and then somebody would probably quote Oscar Wilde, who said, “I can resist anything—but temptation.” Someone would agree and there would be much fun in shared safe things about temptation… like what really delicious, decadent dessert you were tempted to eat. We start talking about truffles, hot fudge Sundaes, pecan pie. But then the discussion could go to another level.
The test was very important, the biggest one of the semester. He didn’t study that well, so he said to himself, “I’ll just write down a few things on a small piece of paper, just in case.” He hasn’t decided to cheat, yet, but all through the exam she thinks about that piece of paper. The word temptation is not about truffles or thumping pigs anymore. It is a little deeper.
Or, the woman gets her check and on the way home she stops at the casino. She says to herself, “I could go in there and get lucky.” She is not tossing little rocks.
Another person is saying, “I’ll never drink again. It’s ruining my life. I’m losing my friends.” At the same time, he know that out in the garage is a half pint…it is not about tossing pebbles anymore. It is about temptation. It gets easier to say “yes” when we need to say “no.” After all, it’s nobody else’s business. It is a small thing, it will not amount to anything.
Then if you are willing to wade into the subject really deep, I’ll ask you to go on to the deeper end and listen to the scriptures. Jesus is tempted. We need to take this seriously even though the story is told the way it is told…the devil said this, the devil did that. If you were given the assignment of drawing a picture of what was happening, what would you draw? Jesus on one side of the paper and another figure beside him with a pitchfork and a red tail? Let me explain to you, if you make a cartoon out of this story, then it is not about temptation. Because if the devil came looking like the devil, then we could say, “Hey! Here comes the devil. Let me give him my best shot.” Even I could handle that. It is when I do not know the difference between what I am thinking and what the devil is thinking that it gets sticky. If I were drawing a picture of this text, Jesus would be the only one in the scene; he would not be alone, but all we would be able to see is Jesus.
And I hope is doesn’t bother you too much that it is Jesus. Some religious people are not okay with the idea that Jesus was really tempted. Some would rather believe that God had Jesus’ life all mapped out in detail before he was born. I believe that he was tempted in every way that we are. He was tested in every way that we are tested. Because temptation is not a measure of our weakness; temptation is a measure of our strength. The stronger you are, the more capable you are, the more opportunity you have, the more power and influence you have, the greater will be your temptation. A small person has small temptations. But Jesus…oh, my goodness! What a storm! Matthew says that Jesus was out there in the desert for forty days. Mark says that the wild beasts were with him and the angels ministered him. In other words, now, we are talking about TEMPTATION. We are not throwing little pebbles. We are not worried about eating that whole piece of cheesecake. We are not even talking about stopping at the casino with our paycheck in hand before we go home.
What we are into is something deeper. Listen to the Scriptures: “Why don’t you turn the stones into bread?” That actually sounds reasonable. Jesus was hungry, the son of God was well into a fast—more than 30 hours—and he was starving. So, why not? “After all, Jesus, you have never worked a miracle; you better practice one out here in the wilderness. You might get nervous in front of a crowd. Give it a little try. Jump off the pinnacle of the Temple. The Scripture says God will protect you; you won’t get hurt. The Scripture says that. It is in the Bible.”
You know, if he had done that, it would have made a lot of people believe. What is so wrong with doing something that will get people to believe in you? Makes sense to me. The tempter showed Jesus the kingdoms of the world. “These are yours if….these are yours IF….” Wouldn’t it have been wonderful if Jesus had said, YES, and had gained more influence over the social and political nature of our world? I could wish for that. A little more justice and fairness and equality. Peace on earth. Sounds really good to me!
Jesus was approached and tested at the point of what was reasonable, what was helpful, and what was good. Fundamentally, temptation is not about the question, “Would you like to do something wrong?” When Adam and Eve were in the garden, the voice of the tempter said, “Wouldn’t you like to be like God?” The voice did not say, “Would you like to be like the devil? I have a deck of cards and a fifth of whiskey out in my chariot.” The voice said, “Wouldn’t you love being like God?” What is wrong with that? Isn’t that what we are about? Temptation as its deepest level has nothing to do with chocolate or cheesecake. It has nothing to do with that piece of paper in a pocket with answers to a test on it. It has nothing to do with the pint in the garage. Real temptation is not when you know what is right and what is wrong. It is when you don’t know. It is a matter of asking, what is God’s will for me? That is the real test. Jesus had not yet preached a sermon, healed a sick person, or taught a lesson. He had not started his ministry. So, Jesus, what are you going to do with the rest of your life? He was still wet from his baptism, now he is facing the rest of his life. It is an opportune time.
When I do a funeral or memorial service, no matter how long the person has lived or what the circumstances of their death were, I realize each time that life is such a fleeting thing from birth to death. And what matters is what we do with the life we are given. That is the task. Maybe some of you do not think that way, and when the time comes I am sure that a lot of good things will be said about you and what you did. But we need to ask ourselves right now, “What is my life anyway?” If I sum it all up, does my life have integrity and does everything I do and say come out of this integrity?”
Jesus was around 30 years old when he faced the rest of his life in this way. The good news of the gospel is even if you have never though about the rest of your life, it is never too late. Even if you have and have messed up everything, it is never too late. Still wet from his baptism….Jesus, now what? That is the meaning of today’s gospel story, that is the example of Jesus, today is one of those opportune times. An opportune time to struggle with the will of God.
I can’t stand here and tell you what God’s will is for you. I have no suggestions to give you. I do ask you to do this, though. Ask yourself, what is your life? What are you all about? And then see if you are able to say, in twenty-five words or less, this is who I am, this is what I do.
Amen. 4