Lent 5

UNBIND HIM AND LET HIM GO.

Our messages this week are typical of Lent: they’re for the most part difficult to read, but they always end in hope. I think, especially during Lent when we’re in a time of self-denial, that the message of hope is critical. It’s a great way for us to focus on what really matters rather than being caught up in the minutia of day to day.
Our stories today are about bones. Physically, bones are bound by the muscles and flesh that holds them together. Spiritually, however, our ‘dry bones’ are ourselves when we become bound by earthly trappings. We have the choice to be focused on ourselves, thus dry bones existing as bound entities, or to be free from all that ails us and focus on our spiritual selves. Dry bones are humans who occasionally have a spiritual experience. Living bones are not actually concerned about the bones – because they’re spiritual beings having a temporary human experience.
The Gospel today really spells it out for us, telling us that we need to stop being so earthly bound. Jesus has just been confronted over and over again by people demanding earthly things; claiming unrealistic expectations upon him to change their trappings while here on earth. How many times do we hear “if you had been here...” How often do our prayers go in the same direction? How often are we putting expectations on God to change our earthly situation to what we think is best, rather than trying to focus on God’s work happening in God’s time?
I want to challenge us to NOT think about how we are bound to earthly trappings right now. Instead, I want to ask some very specific questions for you to think about this week.
Who do we see in our community that has been bound – by despair, by depression, by pain. Who do we see in our church that has been bound? The signs are there – smiles that don’t quite reach the eyes, seemingly odd comments that suggest that something’s not quite right. We can choose to ignore these signs, or we can choose to engage them. When we engage, we might be able to start a process of unbinding – and when that happens, God rejoices.
Now, who have YOU bound? During our Lenten prayers we specifically ask for God’s forgiveness for those whom we have injured or offended – but do we give it more thought than that? Or do we simply move on to the next intercession? Each of us has done something which has, in some way, caused another to be bound. An unkind word, or inappropriate joke, can have a very negative impact on another without is even realising it. We do not choose to bind the people we love, but it happens when we are focusing on ourselves rather than on the world around us.
So the process of binding is a human one – the process of unbinding is God’s work through human hands. Jesus has raised Lazarus, yet tells the witnesses that they are the ones to unbind him so that he might go back to his worldly place. Jesus is bringing others into God’s work, as a way to get people involved. To realise that the Kingdom of God will come about from the work of many people, not just Jesus’ appearance.
So if our work is to go out into the world and unbind people, it suggests then that God has already been at work in these people, in raising them from their own depths. God’s work is mysterious, and illogical, and perfectly wonderful. And we are being invited to be a part of that work, to recognise that God is always giving people what they need for life – and for new life – but that sometimes they need a helping hand. That their full potential to contribute to the Kingdom is still in some way being hampered by their trappings, their bindings. At any time we can walk into the world and see someone who has been raised from a type of death. And when choose to focus on our spiritual potential, we see that we can help others to be unbound. And who knows, maybe we ourselves will be a bit unbound in the process.
In this story, we church-folk are not the Lazarus people – we believe that we have already received new life, that we are a people of salvation and we do our best to remember that every moment of every day. Rather, we are the witnesses to God’s wonders. We’re the ones standing around with our mouths open in shock, even though we’ve been told to expect the unexpected. We are the group to whom Jesus is saying “Hey! You saw what I did, now it’s your turn to do something – go, unbind him, and let him go!”

Sermon, Lent 1

Matthew 4.1-11
LEAD ME NOT INTO TEMPTATION...
These days we use the word temptation a lot. Anywhere you go, you can find it being referenced. It’s a biblical term, it’s used in secular society, it’s out there. But have you given some real thought as to what it means?
We are often faced with temptation. For some of us, it means an indulgence. We’re tempted to have one more coffee, one more piece of chocolate cake, one more hour in bed. These temptations are really just an opportunity for us to pamper ourselves, to give in to some small and harmless thing that we want. This past week in Toronto for meetings, there was a Starbucks right outside the hotel. Each morning I had the bright green sign of temptation greeting me as I walked outside!
This is the level of ‘temptation’ that we hear about in advertising, it’s a tease to try to inspire us to choose to do or buy or eat something. The impression that we get from these messages is that we will feel physically rewarded for having given into the temptation – whatever it is. My succumbing to the temptation of an over-priced Starbucks coffee wasn’t just a chance to enjoy a tasty beverage, but to immerse myself in the experience of splurging for myself – the aroma, the warmth, the music in the background... Could I have lived without it? Of course – quite easily, if I’m honest. But it was such a lovely treat that the temptation, in this sense, was worth it.
For some a temptation comes in the form of a valid addiction – it may be drugs or alcohol, cigarettes, etc.. These temptations are quite a bit more serious, as they are influencing our very body chemistry. If we deny ourselves our addiction, we go into withdrawal; and when we give in our brains get a rush of serotonin and suddenly all seems right with the world again – until we need our next ‘fix’.
Here, because temptation is connected with the very chemical make-up of our bodies, it is a lot more difficult to break away from. When we have become dependent on something, our bodies literally revolt against us when we deny ourselves – for better or for worse. Watching someone go through withdrawal pains is a difficult thing to do, and as the suffering continues (often for days or weeks) the temptation to give in and return to the addiction increases. Think of someone trying to quit smoking. Even if an addict logically understands the benefits of denying temptation, the physical need is often too overpowering for them – and giving in to that temptation seems the only way for them to continue.
The worst kind of temptation, however, is what we are hearing about today in the Gospel. We are hearing about Spiritual temptation. Not simply an indulgence or physical desire, but an assault on our very souls. Here temptation has a clear voice and persona, in the form of the devil – the Greek words used literally mean the tempter, the slanderer, the accuser, the adversary. Given the personal name of Satan, Jesus faces his temptor head-on. Satan offers him the chance to not suffer through denial; to prove himself worthy and pride-fully; and to rule and control the multitudes without challenge. These are all very human temptations, and all of us have fallen trap to them at some level in our lives. We’re human – it happens.
Yet Jesus sees the real meaning in the devil’s words. By fasting, Jesus was choosing to let his body go without so that his mind and spirit might be more focused on what matters. He would have provided the bare necessities for sustenance. Satan points out to him that he could easily eat more, and break his fast, and that no one would know about it. Turning stones into bread would fill his stomach and re-build his physical strength. But Jesus knew that it would mean that he would have cheated. Cheated in his fast, cheated his spiritual journey, cheated himself. And cheated God. And he was very clear that he was not willing to do that.
When Satan tries to get Jesus to prove just what he is capable of doing physically, it is a test of pride. This is the school-yard bully challenging a kid to lick a metal pole. It’s the taunting of physical challenge, but Jesus sees in it the vanity and ill pride of responding. Were he to throw himself down and be lifted up by angels, he would be doing it for his own glory, and nothing in the action would be to the better glory of God. That would be putting himself above God, and again missing the point of his time of spiritual reflection and introspection. Which he was not willing to do.
Satan’s third challenge spoke directly to the human desire to have and to control. ‘Just worship me,’ he says, ‘and I’ll give you a bunch of stuff’. Sounds familiar to unethical bonuses that we hear about these days in some business experiences. ‘Just ignore the ethics, and we’ll give you a bonus. Just do what we need for our gain, and we’ll buy you off.’ And Jesus realises that this is not a test for human gain, but a temptation toward earthly things. Had Jesus given in to the temptation – and it was not insignificant what the devil was offering – he would have put earthly trappings ahead of God, ahead of his true being.
As we engage in our season of Lent, we are all of us reflecting on our own weaknesses. We are acknowledging our human frailty and failings, and facing our own devils. We may falter in our attempt to deny ourselves the temptations of indulgence or addiction; we are, after all, only human.
However, we must focus on seeing the negative spiritual forces in our lives that aim to draw us away from a true and deep relationship with God. Just as the devil knew how to most tempt Jesus, the devil knows how to most tempt each and every one of us. Our temptations will be different, and relate to our weaknesses – what one person craves another may have no desire for. But each of us, in this season, is being reminded of a few lessons from the Christ:
• We are reminded that temptation will find us no matter where we go.
• We know that temptation will be strongest when we are alone, without our supporting community around us.
• We know that temptation will be a repeated experience, and that each and every time we face the tempter we will be challenged anew.
• And yet, we can also celebrate that we have, deep within us, the strength and faith to remain connected to God.
• We delight in the knowledge that when we choose a closer relationship with God over earthly temptations, that we are journeying with Christ.
• We believe in the strength of hope and tradition and teachings – we have been promised all that we need through the bible, and we believe that all things necessary for salvation are to be found within the Holy Scriptures.
We have been given every tool we need to look in the face of spiritual temptation – whatever its name might be – and to deny it as strongly as Jesus did. I pray that as we continue through this time of prayer, reflection, and fasting, that we find strength from our Lord and Saviour to continually battle the forces of darkness, and thus to emerge more abundantly than ever into the true light.