 |
| Image by Bob Wick |
A GREETING
So many are asking,
“Does good even exist anymore?”
Let the light of your face, O God, shine on us!
(Psalm 4:1)
A READING
Then the Devil took Jesus up higher and showed him all the nations of the world in a single instant. The Devil said, “I’ll give you all the power and the glory of these nations; the power has been given to me and I can give it to whomever I wish. Prostrate yourself in homage before me, and it will all be yours.” In reply, Jesus said, “Scripture has it: ‘You will worship the Most High God; God alone will you adore.’” Then the Devil led Jesus to Jerusalem, set him up on the parapet of the Temple and said, “If you are God’s Own, throw yourself down from here, for scripture has it, ‘God will tell the angels to take care of you; with their hands they’ll support you, that you may never stumble on a stone.’” Jesus said to the Devil in reply, “It also says, ‘Do not put God to the test.’”
(Luke 4:5-12)
MUSIC
Three different dancers respond to the music composed and played by Polish artist Hania Rani -- against an Icelandic landscape. How do our bodies move differently, alone and set free? How does this contrast how Jesus is handled?
A MEDITATIVE VERSE
Jesus replied, “Foxes have lairs, the birds of the sky have nests,
but the Chosen One has nowhere to rest.”
(Luke 9:57)
A PRAYER
Some days I prefer
to ignore your assurances,
pave my own path, lose my own way,
cross quicksand if I have to --
anything but
relinquish my will.
Remember the blistering, narcissistic desert,
the devil who taunted you there?
You know it well - the desire, the drive
to conceive and control, predict and prevail.
You, too, have wrestled the egoistic impulse,
the credit-hoarding greed of spirit
that flares within and keeps me,
on some days, from offering praise,
stops me from seeking your face
or following your excellent way.
I'm left to my echoing solitude,
murmuring my own name.
Jesus, teach me to pray. Lend me your hand,
Talk to me of forgiveness until
all my dear falsehoods fall way.
Mend the cracked compass of my mind,
and guide me to my true desire.
- from "All My Dear Falsehoods" in Oblation: Meditations on St. Benedict's Rule
by Rachel M. Srubas
VERSE OF THE DAY
Happiness comes to those
who reject the path of violence.
(Psalm 1:1)
†
 |
| "Christ in the Wilderness -- Foxes Have Holes," by Stanley Spencer (1939). Quoting Matthew 8 and Luke 9, this painting captures the essence of Jesus' response to would-be followers who might have thought that following him would bring them glory by association. Instead, he says, foxes and birds have places where they can rest, but if you hang your hat with Jesus, you live a life of transience. Spencer's painting was made in 1939 when, even in England, people had become gravely concerned about the rise of Hitler and the expulsion and forced relocation of many Jewish people, as well as Catholics, queer folks and artists whose work was believed to be degenerate. In Spencer's painting, the foxes are both playful and slightly menacing: they hem him in, a contrast to the painting with the hen and chicks. The positioning of Jesus' body foreshadows the Cross. |
Having failed to get Jesus to demonstrate his power in the small way of turning stone to bread, the Tempter now forcibly moves Jesus around. The body of Jesus is made airborne to a place where a vast view of surrounding kingdoms and nations is on offer. When this is not enough to convert Jesus, the Tempter moves him again, now to the pinnacle of the Temple, the highest point of the Temple's structure. He is being suspended physically between heaven and earth. From here he is being pressured to throw his physical body downward, to demonstrate in a presumed spectacle to all who may see it, that God intervenes and prevents him from harm.
The physicality of these encounters is the first evidence of how Jesus will be treated by actual human authorities. He is being bullied and coerced, just as he will be when he is before Herod and Pilate. The Tempter is giving him a glimpse of his own future -- which is perhaps one of the ways that it is a trial for Jesus. He has no interest in the actual deal being presented, but what he must endure is the physical manipulations. There is a vulnerability in the way he is pushed around. For now he is able to prevent himself from becoming a spectacle at the hands of corrupt leaders. That will change when he is crucified.
In our own time, we live in an era when powerful people are increasingly trying to shore up their power, through the physical coercion of other people. The capture and forced imprisonment of those who are innocent is playing out all over the world, and also close to home. It is before us in our news feeds, in North American cities and in the conflicts taking place in other lands. At the same time, we are also seeing resistance, the heroic efforts of those who seek justice and put their own bodies on the line for it. This is something we will explore in the coming days.
What the Tempter doesn't know is that Jesus doesn't need the power being offered. Jesus is already a part of something greater than any kind of human power. And yet, as a human being, Jesus is being forced to see such decision making through a human lens. It is an encounter with evil and with power that is at the heart of his commitment to preaching the need to release all captives. As a Galilean Jewish man in a Roman-occupied territory, and as someone who is committed to changing the way the world works, he knows that his body will be very much at risk always.
How can Jesus' strength inspire courage in us? If we believe that a spark of the Divine rests in each one of us, what is the role that spark plays in the decisions we make? We can choose to help shore up the power of others through our indifference or unwillingness to act. We can also resist, with our bodies and our words, so that others may thrive. There are also many nuanced moments of decision making inbetween. The Jesus who dwells with us and within us encourages us to be brave in the face of our wilderness devils.
What are the ways that your faith has fostered courage in you and in members of your community? Who do you know who could use support today in overcoming injustice?
†
 |
| Image by Kandukuru Nagarjan |
†
Scripture passages are taken from the Inclusive Bible.
†
LC† From Dust, Still Holy is a devotional series of Lutherans Connect, supported by the Eastern Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada and the Centre for Spirituality and Media at Martin Luther University College. To receive the devotions by email, write to lutheransconnect@gmail.com. The devotional pages are written and curated by Deacon Sherry Coman, with support and input from Pastor Steve Hoffard, Catherine Evenden and Henriette Thompson. Join us on Facebook. Lutherans Connect invites you to make a donation to the Ministry by going to this link on the website of the ELCIC Eastern Synod and selecting "Lutherans Connect Devotionals" under "Fund". Devotions are always freely offered, however your donations help support the ongoing work.
Thank you and peace be with you!
