Lent 1 Temptation - more or less?

Luke 4:1-13 Psalm 91:1-2, 9-16

I have a confession to make. I have been a minister of the URC for nearly 29 years and I think every sermon I ever preached about Lent has been wrong.

I have tried, year after year, to understand what temptation might be about, to ask how we might resist temptation, and I’ve encouraged people to use Lent to give up something, to better appreciate all that we have when the feast of Easter comes. In lots of different ways I think I have said that Lent is about recognising that we have enough – that we should not want more.

So when a famished Jesus is tempted with bread – I have preached that he bravely says ‘no, I will resist it’ – and we too can resist those chocolates, or alcohol, or whatever  - and either give the money we save to charity or the time we free up to study and pray.

But finally, I think, I’m ready to say ‘NO’ this Lent to all that puritanically - minded stuff.

This year I have seen the temptation of Jesus in a different light.

The devil says ‘here’s bread – that would be enough to take the edge of your hunger’, and Jesus says ‘No – I want more: God promises all that we need – not just bread’.

The devil says ‘worship me, and I can make you powerful’, and Jesus says ‘No – I don’t just want to worship you or earthly power, I want to worship God, who holds all the power on earth and in heaven’.

The devil says ‘throw yourself down and test the angels, who will rescue you’ and Jesus says ‘I will not test the Lord my God – who will not just send angels, but will rescue me himself, when the time comes’.

Jesus doesn’t resist the amazing things the devil is offering by saying he has enough and he doesn’t need what is being offered. Jesus says he doesn’t just want what he is being offered – he wants more. Thanks to the grace and generosity of his Father God, Jesus is offered all he needs to live; to be part of the kingdom of the God of all; a place in the shadow of the wings of the Father, who will rescue him from death to eternal life.

It is not that the temptation is to have all these things that are bad for you – it is that wanting those things is settling for less than what God wants to give you.

So this Lent you might like to keep eating chocolate, keep drinking alcohol, keep saying yes to every cake and biscuit you are offered. But ask yourself – what does God want me to have? A healthy mind and body, I suspect – as far as possible – but also an appreciation of every mouthful, every moment, every encounter.

I have recently been reading Claudia Winkelman’s book “Quite”. She describes a school trip to Venice, studying for an A level in History of Art. After an encounter with “The assumption of the Virgin” in the Basilica Maria Gloriosa dei Frari,  she realised what great art can mean in life. She writes: 

“We accept mediocrity all the time. The pasta is edible, the music on the radio is passable, the bus was a bit late but at least there was a seat… We get by... Just sometimes we need to be reminded of gobsmacking, heart-thumping, stop-you-in-your-tracks beauty.”

This Lent, we should look for those moments – of more, not less – when we appreciate the glory and the wonder and the massive generosity of God in our lives.

Whatever we do in Lent (and beyond) should declare the good news -  that love and wonder are not rationed, or scarce, or in danger of running out. 

The love of God is huge and exuberant and generous and abundant.

But what about the times when we feel that we are not surrounded by abundance – when the gas bill arrives; when the food bill doubles; when we watch Ukraine being pummelled and bombarded. What do we do?

We cry out to God for our salvation. With the Psalmist we declare "You are my refuge and my stronghold, my God in whom I put my trust.". And we say, with Jesus, that we will resist the power and influence offered by the world in favour of a life lived fully aware of the presence and the blessing of God. We will pray and work for justice and peace for all God’s children – because we will not settle for less than all people knowing warmth and food and safety.

This Lent be bold to pray for all the blessings God gives. 

Live lives of generosity and boundless love. 

Be blessed, rejoice in God, and bring blessing to others.

To the glory to God. Amen.