February 29, 2004
Deuteronomy 26:1-11; Romans 10:8b-13; Luke 4:1-13
Please note that the Bible is not a story written in chronological order. The book of Deuteronomy may be viewed as a sort of summary of the life of Moses and of the developing faith of Israel prior to the death of Moses. It is a story of"looking back" to where and how they had come from, in the face of looking forward to inhabiting "the promised land. "When you come into the land which the Lord your God gives you as an inheritance, and have taken possession of it, and live in it, you shall...." In other words, after having reminded the people of where they have come from and the foundation of faith which has instructed, inspired, and empowered them to this point, they are reminded of responsibilities yet to come. In essence they are also told "Don't blow it!" Remember where you have come from and how you have made the progress you have made. Your faith in The Lord must not be forgotten but build on it! "...bring the first of the fruit of the ground which thou O Lord hast given me, and you shall set it down before the Lord your God and worship before the Lord your God and you shall rejoice in all the good which the Lord your God has given to you and to your house...." In other words, remember, be thankful, and be responsible! You have not achieved this progress alone. Every resource you have has come to you as a gift from the Lord your God. Honor God by moving forward with appreciation to take responsible advantage of the gift you have enjoyed and of the great gift which is about to be yours! Not bad advice for a ancient people!
Paul, in writing to the church at Rome emphasized the access to God experienced by every person who "believes" in Jesus Christ. "...because if you confess with your lips that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.....For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved." Whereas the Old Testament Jews were taught to believe that they were God's "chosen" people, Paul expands the boundaries of those having access to God and indicates that whether one is Jew or Gentile makes no difference. It is whether or not one believes that Jesus is Lord and is willing to make that confession that counts. Interesting questions can and should be raised here. What does it mean to "believe" in Jesus? Does it mean to believe as Paul taught, that Jesus died and rose again to atone for our sins? Does it mean to embrace that which Jesus taught concerning God as loving Heavenly Father, loving our neighbor as we love ourselves, doing unto others as we want them to do to us, expecting God's forgiveness of us to the same extent that we forgive one another, praying in our closet in secret rather than making a "show" in public, etc. The former is not difficult to "accept" when one considers the world view and primitive religious thinking of the day. It is not so easy to think of the expectations of God in that manner with our world view and the wonderful ways we experience God working with us in doing what then was understood to be miraculous. When one considers what it means to love unconditionally and when one studies what it means to love one another and do to them as we want them to do to us, the challenge the world brings to us is massive and brings the realization that the expression of a "Jesus" faith is nothing we will ever reach in perfection but is something towards which we must always strive. In a day when the human family can so quickly destroy itself and its earth home, the effort is even more necessary and challenging. Certainly we never reach the point where growth in the expression of our faith is no longer necessary. It is indeed a never ending process.
For too long the church has taught conflicting views of Jesus as God and man. The story of Jesus as told by the church makes it seem as though Jesus had no choice in becoming the kind of person he became but was destined by God to be what he became and to do what he did. This passage from Luke, at the very least, argues against the viability of that view. Jesus went into the wilderness to look inside his own soul. He spent forty days and forty nights alone, in meditation. wrestling with what he should and would do with his life. He was tempted to turn in directions which would be easy and politically correct. Yielding to those temptations would result in his not responding to the greatest needs of the world as he viewed them. Yielding to those temptations would result in him not becoming the kind of person he wanted to be and believed he could become. With sound argument, he repulsed the temptations and affirmed his faith in that which he believed to be right. After this critical struggle was over, Jesus "returned in the power of the spirit into Galilee, taught in their synagogues and was glorified by all. He went to his home town and told them of his decision. Referring to himself as one willing to fulfill an ancient prophecy of Isaiah, he learned what it felt like to have the home town folks "turn on him" and it became necessary for him to "slip" out of town.
Please note the theological progress made in these scriptures from the Old and New Testaments. Note that Paul, sincere and energetic as he was, would (and did) bring regression to Christian theology. Jesus was a human being like we are human beings. He had talents, emotions, intellect, and all other human traits. He wanted the approval of others as much as we do. He also had goals which he believed he needed to achieve. Attaining his goals did not lead him on a journey that was harmonious with the politics of those in power in his day. You know the rest of the story! The wonderful part of the unfinished story is that the story did not end with his death. His spirit lived again in his disciples. From generation to generation there have been those who have heralded his cause. And so today we seek instruction and inspiration from Jesus. He gave us principles that can be applied to specifics in any generation. How to apply them is not always clear or easy. He taught and showed us how we can have the same kind of secure and loving relationship with our Creator that he did. Such discovery is a personal journey and his example is specific and priceless. The application of life in a secure relationship with our Creator is not without bumps in the road. The process goes on! The challenge of a healthy religion, and healthy personal religious experience is eternal in nature. God is nudging us on and we do not yet see the end of the journey!