Sermon delivered February 14, 2021.

BI: Jesus reminds us the Holy Spirit will use God’s word to strengthen us.

INTRODUCTION

I was outside the meeting hall, talking with Pastor Bill Sweeting and Roy Larsen, perhaps Pastor Zach Guyten when the President approached.  Now, before you get excited, it was the new President of Trinity International University, our denominations affiliated school.  We were scheduled to formally vote, all the church delegates, confirming his placement in this important role.  What I watched quietly at that door was truly a moment that revealed more about this guys character than any speech he was supposed to make.  You see as the new President, Nicholas Perrin did not have the right to vote any of the other maters being brought to the floor.  So he lacked the delegate lanyard that Bill and Zach and I had around our necks.  Three Trinity students, maybe sixty years between them, had been placed as sentries at the door of the auditorium.  No one with out a delegate lanyard was to be allowed in.  As the incoming President, these three students didn’t know Dr. Perrin from anybody, so they told him politely, that he was not allowed in.  Whatever, emotion, embarrassment, feelings of frustration as he was due to speak before the convention in just minutes, what I saw was gentle respect and kindness.  He simply said, “I’m sorry. I understand.”  And he left.  I know he made his way in through another entrance without trouble because he was there to do his presentation just minutes later.  But that moment of confrontation, this little temptation to exert his status, his position, his reputation which he handled so gracefully and humbly may have only been witnessed by two or three of us who were paying close attention. 

I know you are facing emotions, motivations, temptations that are both completely new and novel, but also familiar at the same time.  If you are not, then I am, and this sermon will be merely to encourage me. But I think we are together in this season. And today:

Jesus reminds us the Holy Spirit will use God’s word to strengthen us even in our temptations.

BODY

Luke, in his Gospel, is establishing an account for those who would love God and seek his path. The story of Jesus began with miracles, angelic prophecies, and people “filled with the Holy Spirit”. Jesus’ first words recorded by Luke are found in chapter two.  A young Jesus addresses his parents and speaks a deep truth about who’s son he really is.  They lost track of Jesus while traveling to Jerusalem and finding him after three days he said…

(Luke 2:49) – “Why were you searching for me?” (he asked.) “Didn’t you know I had to be in my Father’s house?” 

Side note: at the end of Luke’s work, two other Mary’s are asked three days after Jesus’ death, “Why do you search for the living among the dead?” (Lk 24:5)

but here, in Chapter 2, Jesus is found at his father’s house, the temple of God.

In Chapter 3 Jesus is baptized by his cousin John whose ministry had converted tax collectors and soldiers, farmers and fishermen. John prepares them for Jesus saying that he will bring more than water baptism: baptism with the Holy Spirit.  And as Jesus himself is baptized in the Jordan, the Holy Spirit descends on him and a voice from heaven says: “you are my son, whom I love, with you I am well pleased.” (Lk 3:22) 

Jesus begins his ministry aged approximately 30 and Luke inserts his genealogy, “He was the son, so it was thought, of Joseph,” (Lk 3:23)…

So whose son is this Jesus?  This is very much the focus of Luke as we enter Jesus’ formal ministry.  Next week we will hear Jesus’ neighbors exclaim, “Isn’t this Joseph’s son?”

Whose son is he really?

Today our text will probe our hearts with this same question: Whose child are you? Whose child am I?

Jesus will demonstrate for us: As God’s children: the Holy Spirit will use God’s word to strengthen us.

INTRO: Luke 4:1-2

“Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, left the Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness, where for forty days he was tempted (or tested) by the devil. He ate nothing during those days, and at the end of them, he was hungry.”

Wait, Pastor, how can Jesus really be tempted? He’s God.  It’s not the same thing as I experience because I am not God!  Didn’t Jesus’ half brother James write: (James 1:13-14) When tempted, no one should say, “God is tempting me.” For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; but each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed.

So if Jesus is God (and he is), then isn’t James saying Jesus can not really be tempted? Here is where it’s important for us to understand the Son of God became human, a human did not become the Son of God. This is critical. A member of Adam’s family did not acquire divine nature or ascend to become God. No. A member of the Trinity descended and became a member of Adam’s family line, a human.  

The author of Hebrews summarized this critical bit of theology in the second chapter of that book: 

(Hebrews 2:14-18) Since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their humanity so that by his death he might break the power of him who holds the power of death—that is, the devil— and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death. For surely it is not angels he helps, but Abraham’s descendants. For this reason he had to be made like them, fully human in every way, in order that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in service to God, and that he might make atonement for the sins of the people. Because he himself suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted.

You can’t kill God, but Jesus “made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death.” (Philippians 2:7,8)

God can not be tempted by evil, but Jesus “shared in our humanity, fully human in every way… because he suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted.”

So Luke shares that Jesus was in the wilderness being tempted by the Devil during a long and Biblically complete 40 days.  During these 40 days he did not eat, so through temptation and hunger, Jesus is physically and physiologically exhausted…

TEMPTATION 1: Luke 4:3-4

The devil said to him, “If you are the Son of God, tell this stone to become bread.”

Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone.’”

Like Israel’s 40 years in the wilderness, being fed manna from God, Jesus hunger could be satisfied by a divine act if he would take this suggestion. But observe the source.  The Devil is not only probing his hunger, but also his identity.  “If you are the Son of God…” prove it. Feed yourself in the wilderness like your Father fed the nation. Show your power man! You don’t have remain hungry. You don’t deserve to be exhausted.  But Jesus in not in a famine, unable to eat. He’s chosen to fast, he’s ben led by the Holy Spirit to the wilderness, and in the rivers of the Jordan, God’s voice confirmed, he is the Son of God. 

Jesus words here, in fact, all his words spoken in these three statements and first thing from his mouth next week are all quoting God’s word, scripture. This quote and his next two are from Deuteronomy. 

First, Jesus trusts his identity and God’s provision and timing because he knows God’s word. This is the way.

Jesus reminds us the Holy Spirit will use God’s word to strengthen us when we need it most.

Christian: We also have hungers and appetites, desires of the flesh, good and God-given, that the devil will exploit to tempt us. We rarely fast, and are always nourished, we feast often and are tempted into gluttony. We are parched for intimacy but are saturated in sexually suggestive songs, advertisements, and entertainment. We are tempted by lusts and cravings corrupted from God’s good gift of tender love and friendship into perverse selfishness. We strive after currency, things, travel, and toys. We are not poor by any standard, certainly not global standards, but we are tempted by idolatry as we grasp and hoard.

But Jesus reminds us our identity. Christian, we are children of God. Giver of all good things. Jesus knew his hunger was both appropriate and the core of the temptation.  Jesus is with you. The Holy Spirit strengthens you with God’s truths about your hurts, wounds, temptations, trials, about your hungers, appetites, and desires. Your Father’s word will guide you. His Holy Spirit can work to bring health and satisfaction that comes from above.  Jesus shows us that the Holy Spirit will use God’s word to strengthen us.

You can stand, Child of God, because we don’t live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.

Second…

TEMPTATION 2: Luke 4:5-8

The devil led him up to a high place and showed him in an instant all the kingdoms of the world. And he said to him, “I will give you all their authority and splendor; it has been given to me, and I can give it to anyone I want to. If you worship me, it will all be yours.”

Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God and serve him only.’”

So supernaturally, drawn into the sky or a high place, the Devil some how displays “all the kingdoms of the world” … in an instant. 

<<FAST, DRAMATIZE THE CAMERA>> 

Not unlike our modern film techniques that zoom impossibly from the atmosphere through clouds, rooftops and into the place of one scene only to pull back into the sky and descend across the earth. The audience is given a divine perspective enabling us to see what the characters in the story couldn’t possibly see. 

Jesus is shown what the Devil claims he has authority over: all the earthly kingdoms, their armies, prisons, merchants, kings and priests.

The devil tells Jesus, “I will give you all their authority and splendor; it has been given to me, and I can give it to anyone I want to.”  From the brutality of war and power through history, we might believe the devil has dominion and authority. It’s alway easy to summarize these historical kingdoms in terms of battles and territory, castles and dungeons, trade routes and diplomatic ties.  But God seems super focused on the relationships, the kinship of humanity. In the iconic Psalm 2 our Bible says: 

(Psalms 2:6-8) “I have installed my king on Zion, my holy mountain.” I will proclaim the LORD’S decree: 

 He said to me, “You are my son; today I have become your father.

 Ask me, and I will make the nations your inheritance, the ends of the earth your possession.

The devil tests Jesus’ relationship with his Father: simply kiss my ring, and I’ll give you way to bypass the cross, a path to “all people” that doesn’t require the pain, suffering, death. “If you worship me, it will all be yours.”

<<PAUSE>>

Quick to the scripture, Jesus responds: “It is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God and serve him only.’”

Earlier in our text, Luke writes that the angel told Mary (Lk 1:33) “[your son] will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; his kingdom will never end.”

Jesus refuses to take for himself what only should be given him by his true Father. His identity as the scepter of Judah is only given by the only one worthy of worship. He refuses to give the devil the one thing he craves most, to be worshiped in place of God.

Again, Jesus reminds us that the Holy Spirit will use God’s word to strengthen our resolve.

Child of God: We also fight temptations to worship the good things God has for us rather than the good God who gave them to us. Work accolades, Grades at school, a Spouse, our Reputation, Friendships… these and other blessings can become misplaced. The devil can confuse our focus.  

We may not imagine we would ever WORSHIP THE DEVIL! But perhaps we do bow to the deceiver when we “exchange the truth about God for a lie, and worship and served created things rather than the Creator” (Romans 1:25).  We listened to the serpent’s whisper, “you will be like God” (Genesis 3:4). You need to control these things in your life, you need to have power over them. You can’t trust God to continue being good. 

Saint of God, you can bow to the only good God. Jesus trusted his Father in life and in his death. Jesus shows us that placing anything before the one true God, our Father, will actually lead to loosing hold of it.  To gain life, Jesus shows us we can give our lives to God and he will raise us into life with him. Paul wrote that Jesus “disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.” and that you saint also “died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God.” (Col 2:20,3:3).

Jesus demonstrated to us that the Holy Spirit uses God’s word to strengthen us, when our will feels weak.

Third… 

TEMPTATION 3: Luke 4:9-12

The devil led him to Jerusalem and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. “If you are the Son of God,” he said, “throw yourself down from here. For it is written: “ ‘He will command his angels concerning you to guard you carefully; they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.’”

Jesus answered, “It is said: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’”

From the wilderness to the heights, now to the temple, Luke places this temptation third and focus’ on the Temple of God.  Again the devil challenges Jesus’ identity: “If you are the Son of God” and turns the tables on Jesus. “For it is written” Satan suggests Jesus needs to prove his trust in God’s Word.  Do you really believe? Then test this scripture… Quoting from Psalm 91… For it is written: Satan recites “ ‘He will command his angels concerning you to guard you carefully; they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.’”   <<PAUSE>>

How convenient the devil stops there and doesn’t include the next verse about trampling the cobra.  Maybe too close, too soon. 

The temptation Jesus faces begins with his identity again.  Who’s son are you?  Is this really your Father’s house?  Will your Father really spare your life? If you are his beloved Son, if you are the fulfillment of these “written Words of God”, then you won’t die… even if you jump…

If you are God’s anointed one, surely you won’t have to die.

Again from Deuteronomy, Jesus says, “Do not put the Lord your God to test.”  This passage he quotes from Moses’ sermon is reminding the Israel of the location where God instructed Moses to speak to the rock and God would cause water to flow for them. Instead, Moses strikes the rock with his rod. The temptation to be the focus, the source of this miracle perhaps is one that Moses gave into.  Jesus uses Moses’ words here to face a similar temptation. The “I’ll show you who I am” temptation. 

I’ve never been tempted to jump from a temple roof, but I’ve failed a million times when tempted to show off spiritually, intellectually, with some skill I’m proud of. But Jesus’ temptation isn’t merely for a small bit of pride or applause.  Jesus is taken from the Jordan river and the Father’s blessing to the rugged wilderness in fellowship with the Holy Spirit. As he is tested and pressed, the devil dangles relief from his hunger, quick results and instant authority, then finally fame, glory, perhaps even worship. Jesus looks down upon a crowd, perhaps unaware at their presence above. His ministry will eventually bring him back to this temple with only a small faithful group of followers. Such a different path toward God than the quick dive the devil is offering. 

I should note that Jesus’ reply is not only an intellectual rebuttal. “Do not put the Lord your God to the test.” This is not only Jesus refusing to put his true Father to the test. It is that. But it is also a rebuke to the Devil. “Do not put the Lord your God to test.”  Who is testing our Lord? The Devil. And Jesus rebukes him … and answers him. “Do not put the Lord your God to the test.” 

Sisters, Brothers, you can lean into trusting God without testing him.  His path for us is rarely the easiest way, it is described as the narrow gate, taking up our cross, as loosing our lives to find true life. We, the sons of Adam, the daughters of Eve, are tempted by the devil: 
“Who’s child are you?” he sneers. 
“If God loved you, why is life this hard?” he taunts.
“If you are saved, why doesn’t it feel safe?” with his haunting grin.

These aren’t small. They don’t feel trivial. This temptation isn’t a passing fad or a current event.  Brothers, Sisters, these are the temptations that have tripped up generations. Our mothers and our fathers faced these questions. For them.  For us. Jesus reminds us the Holy Spirit will use God’s word to strengthen us. God’s word can be a hedge around us, a great wall protecting us, a support when our emotions are weak and our psyche is raw. God’s word says, the Holy Spirit says: trust God, don’t test God.

CONCLUSION: Luke 4:13-15

When the devil had finished all this tempting, he left him until an opportune time.

Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit, and news about him spread through the whole countryside. He was teaching in their synagogues, and everyone praised him.

This wasn’t the last temptation of Jesus, but this battle was over. Jesus’ victory is important for us. The Son of God became fully human, and was tested just as we are.  But unlike me, unlike you, Jesus was completely victorious over sin. This is why our hope is placed in his righteousness rather than our own.  This is why Jesus has authority to say, this is my body, broken for you.  If he is not the Son of God, if he is not sinless, then he is merely a falsely convicted religious teacher. But if he is the Son of God, and he says, this is my blood, a promise with my Father, then it is indeed a new agreement. As the book of Hebrews says, “He did not enter by means of the blood of goats and calves; but he entered the Most Holy Place [the Father’s presence] once for all by his own blood, thus obtaining eternal redemption. ¹³… [this] blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself unblemished to God, cleanse[s] our consciences from acts that lead to death, so that we may serve the living God!” (Heb 9:12-14)

<<Transition directly into communion.>>

Sometimes a song will grab me and won’t release me for a while. My mind dwells within the world the words create and my heart is strung with the chords and bruised by its rhythms.

Sometimes for hours, other times for days, I walk with the ghosts that wisp silently through my actual surroundings like animated painters, augmenting my life with their philosophies and poetries.

It’s a wonder I’ve not fallen into their trance entirely and forgotten to keep stepping, watching for cars while listening for truth, seeing grief, smelling trust, fidelity, or hope. It never lets up slowly. The song wrestles my mind until it releases it, suddenly.

I’m no Jacob, no wrestler with the divine, but I know a kind of limp that slows my pace and marks my cadence. Each poet leaving a sore reminder in the hip of my soul.

I’ve been listening to this song on repeat for two or three days. I’m moved by it.

https://open.spotify.com/embed/track/2kuC5OFUyXdVdL56QcDojM

Lyrics by Adam Melchor. Performed with Emily Warren. On the “album” Two Songs For Now

There was a time
When all the doors closed
Boarded up the storefronts
Sent everyone home

No one was driving
The air was all clean
Just one of the reasons
I was grateful to breathe

What were we doing
What did we know
Before we all noticed
A hole in the boat

Sinking and swimming
Thinking were living
Ran out of lipstick to put on the pig

So don’t rock me back to sleep
Cuz i’m wide awake
And i’m done with counting sheep
I’ve had it that way
It’s not my job but it might be my turn
To get up and put in the work
This won’t have to be
The last song on earth

When there’s nothing to do
All day to do it
If you don’t use your kindness
You’re likely to lose it

It’s only human
To step outside the door
With phone keys and wallet
And a little unsure

What were we doing
What did we know
Before we all noticed
A hole in the boat

Sinking and swimming
Thinking were living
Ran out of lipstick to put on the pig

So don’t rock me back to sleep
Cuz i’m wide awake
And i’m done with counting sheep
I’ve had it that way
It’s not my job but it might be my turn
To get up and put in the work
This won’t have to be
The last song on earth

What were we doing
What’s the excuse
Can’t turn off the world
Like we turn off the news

Took off the blinders
Learned how to listen listen
Remember this feeling and hope for forgiveness

So don’t rock me back to sleep
Cuz i’m wide awake
And i’m done with counting sheep
I’ve had it that way
It’s not my job but it might be my turn
To get up and put in the work
This won’t have to be the
Last song on earth

Repent. The kingdom of God is near. – Jesus

Dwelling on this short sermon summary.

Repent. A command to retreat from aggression against God
or
Repent. An invitation to reconsider allegiance with God.
or both.

Your kingdom come, your will be done…

For our planning purposes, here is a bit of a plan:

Summary: We will be approaching the Advent season by entering into a Sermon series on 2nd Peter. This series will take us all the way to Christmas. 2nd Peter looks forward to Jesus’ second coming, which makes it a good fit for the waiting season (Advent). In addition, we will be using serveral parables related to Jesus’ return as our call to worship. We will just read them and perhaps have a congregational response of: “Let those who have ears, hear the words of the Lord.” The benedictions selected should work decently with the sermons (I hope) and I’m thinking the Advent readings could be taken from the Prophets and their prophecies about Jesus. We have a few weeks to work those out and how we will execute them, but I’m thinking about how to be strategic with these and use video for them. Here is the weekly break down so far:

46 – November 15, 2020 – 2 Peter 1:1 – 11
Scripture Reading: 2 Peter 1:1 – 11
Benediction: Romans 11:33-36
Call To Worship: Forgiven Debts Matthew 18:21-35
BI: Adding Christian Character to Christ’s Calling is Participating in God’s Redemptive Work
Worship Team: Joe C

47 – November 22, 2020 – 2 Peter 1:12 – 21
Scripture Reading: 2 Peter 1:12 – 21
Benediction: Ezekiel 17:22-24
Call To Worship: A Good Father Luke 11:5-13
BI: God Gave Scripture as a consistent voice of truth to his church Worship Team: Jackie & Maricris

48 – November 29, 2020 – 2 Peter 2:1 – 12
Scripture Reading: 2 Peter 2:1 – 12
Benediction: Titus 3:3-7
Call To Worship: Full Barns Luke 12:13 – 21
BI: False teachers / prophets are detected by character, message, and fruit. Worship Team: Joe C
Advent 1 Reading: 

49 – December 6, 2020 – 2 Peter 2:13 – 22 (COMMUNION SUNDAY)    
Scripture Reading: 2 Peter 2:13 – 22
Benediction: Isa 49:5-7
Call To Worship: Prepared Servants Luke 12:35-48
BI: The cost false teachers pay is their own separation from God’s good message and path.
Worship Team: Jackie & Maricris
Advent 2 Reading:

50 – December 13, 2020 – 2 Peter 3:1 – 9
Scripture Reading: 2 Peter 3:1 – 9
Benediction: Daniel‬ ‭7:13-18‬ ‭
Call To Worship: Prepared Revelers Matthew 25:1-13
BI: In apocalyptic times, wholesome thinking on scriptural truth and hope in Jesus return is being prepared.
Worship Team: Joe C
Advent 3 Reading:

51 – December 20, 2020 – 2 Peter 3:10 – 18
Scripture Reading:  2 Peter 3:10 – 18
Benediction: Hebrews 13:20,21
Call To Worship: Found Treasure Matthew 13:44-46
BI: Our anticipation of Jesus’ coming drives us to follow his path of sacrifice and love.
Worship Team: Jackie & Maricris
Advent 4 Reading:

52 – December 27, 2020 – Christmas Hymn Celebration???
Worship Team: ???
Advent 5 Reading:

Unity in Christ is worth fighting for (Unity in Christ is coming) – Galatians 3:15-4:7 (3:24-29 quoted, NIV)

So the law was our guardian until Christ came that we might be justified by faith. Now that this faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian. So in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith, for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.

To the churches in Galatia, a region of churches rather than a single church, Paul makes a detailed argument about the what unites Christian believers together as co-heirs. This is a terrific passage to study as a whole, but for brevity, let me focus on what value the actual, realized unity has in today’s spiritual currency.  If some of us do actually “belong to Christ” then according to Paul, there is a unity that we find in Jesus that transcends our social status, religious heritage, and gender. I think it might be fair to add age, culture, ethnicity, first language, physical ability, mental health, etc. The unity, Paul says, has made us “Abraham’s seed” which is singular.  When we are “in Christ”, we are carrying the blessing of God for the nations, which of course is the good news about Jesus.  Maybe we can earn that title of “Christian” or “little Christ” after all. 

That seems like something to work hard for; to see the nations blessed.  Jesus, speaking to his Father, indicated likewise, that the veracity of his claim to be able to save people’s souls and forgive their sins would be magnified as the world saw unity among those who followed him. “I [Jesus] in them and you [Father] in me—so that they may be brought to complete unity. Then the world will know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.” (John 17:23). This complete unity again is not a surface level unity were we try to dress the same way, or speak the same language. Jesus didn’t want to imply uniformity among those who followed him, but a unity created by a mutual love and preference for the other. If we have indeed been baptized into Christ, then we belong to him and his body. We are not our own. We are only effective in displaying this unity if we engage in the difficult work of loving other Christians in meaningful and tangible ways.  We need not worry about a PR team or news articles to publish our great and wonderful unity.  Remember Philippians 2.  No vain conceit. As my wife would lovingly remind me, “Give the Holy Spirit some breathing room turbo.”  They will know we are his disciples by our love (again, Jesus’s words). 

Now, if I’ve convinced you that a form of Christian unity, centered around humility, respect, preference for the other and self sacrifice is worth pursuing, then give me a moment to warn you about the cost and the pace of progress. 

First, our formulas for being nice enough for polite company are going to break down.  Don’t think that the Old Testament Law was trivial.  No less trivial than the cultural institutions of your family of origin.  But “in Christ”, the Law that formed the people of God toward receiving the expected Messiah was “fulfilled” (REF). From that point forward, faith in that Messiah (Jesus) is the way we enter into the family of God (John 1:9). In the image Paul uses with the Galatian believers, the Law was watching over the people of God until Jesus came.  Paul’s long discussion about the value of the Law during those years between Moses and Jesus (60 or 70 generations) found in his letter to the Romans.  Here Paul keeps to his point that by their faith in Jesus, these believers, both Jewish and non-Jewish, were ALL children of God. This “baptism into Christ” frees the people of God from the legislation that formed the people of God before Jesus.  Jesus said, “you heard it said….but I say to you…” in his famous Sermon on the Mount. In these six teachings he brings the legislation from the Old Testament into a Christocentric ethic of love. He moves from the outside boundaries of minimum social acceptance toward the heart behind these laws.  Paul seems to think that being clothed with Christ will not only fulfill the Law of the Old Testament, but allow believers to stand before God as his children, well within the behavioral and relational expectations of God’s children.

Second, our formulas for elevating ourselves above others are going to be broken down. The infamous prayer of the Pharisee, Jesus shared as an illustration in Luke 11, this religious God-follower said, “God, I thank you that I am not like other people…”. His list separating others as evil doers before his recounts why he stands boldly before a holy God. An Ancient Jewish blessing daily praised God “…who has created me a human and not beast, a man and not a woman, an Israelite and not a gentile, circumcised and not uncircumcised, free and not slave.” An Ancient Greek saying thanks the gods “that I was born a human and not a beast; a man and not a woman; a Greek and not a Barbarian.” (Thales of Miletus***). I’m sure the Roman citizens had similar prayers of thankfulness being Roman and free. You have this prayer in your heart too.  At least, I know I do.  It’s the reason we read further into tragic news stories until we find the “why not me” factor in the story.  Why were they killed, arrested, injured, etc? Was it their social status, their addiction, their skin color, or their choice of friends?  Thank God I am not, _________.  I wonder what multitude of my sins can be traced back to that root sentiment. Paul’s statement to the Galatians rather puts our thankfulness directly on that which equalizes our value in the communities we live in!  Thank God that we are in Christ and we ALL are Abraham’s promised seed! We are the blessings to the nations declared in Genesis 12 and indeed we still proclaim that blessing (the gospel of Jesus) to the nations.  Thank God we have TOGETHER become heirs according to the promise. Thank God that she is God’s child even I’m upset by her. Thank God that he is God’s child even if worships differently than I do.  Thank God for them even though they value different traditions, sing different songs, and have different ways of understanding “the good life”.  

Let me just say, it’s ok to feel like this might be too much to ask. It may seem impossible to rid our church of feelings of superiority and from structures that reenforce our human social comfort foods: thankful-self-piety potato salad, power-islands veggie dip, and social-strata layer cake. (Too Baptist perhaps?). Paul didn’t spill 4 chapters worth of ink to the Galatians because an easy fix or simple teaching was going to solve their human condition. The Apostle Paul strenuously battled with the Apostle Peter over this.  What makes me think I’m going to have an easier time than Peter with getting rid of my “Thank God I am not you” silent-prayers, hidden-thoughts, and micro-reactions?

[Need to continue and make this more practical here. How do I confront my ego with the Gospel?  How do I embrace unity that defies uniformity, indeed that glories in the beauty of the other instead of feeling threatened?]
[Maybe sum up with “the kingdom is going to be alright” ideas from Good and Beautiful, finishing with the Dallas Willard quote…]

*** Source: http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=D.+L.+1+1 Diogenes Laertius (3rd Cent AD), Lives of Eminent Philosophers, translated by R.D. Hicks “Hermippus in his “Lives” refers to Thales the story which is told by some of Socrates, namely, that he used to say there were three blessings for which he was grateful to Fortune: “first, that I was born a human being and not one of the brutes; next, that I was born a man and not a woman; thirdly, a Greek and not a barbarian.””

Tonight I received an embrace
A large and lavish embrace
A grand man large by many measure
One might say a fallen man
A reduced and sinful man 
Looking for forgiveness and acceptance 
It was a strong and uncomfortable embrace 
I was not ready to forgive

Tonight I received an embrace 
A quick and passive embrace
From a man grand in my esteem
You may call a mentor or father
A friend, now hurt, by my sin
I was looking for forgiveness and acceptance 
But it was an uncomfortable confirmation 
He was not ready to forgive. 

Unity in Christ is theologically demanded.

In fact, it could be argued that working to the point of pain and discomfort for the sake of unity in Christ may be theologically demanded by the gospel. Let’s look at a famous passage in Paul’s letter to the Philippians.

Therefore if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any common sharing in the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind. Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others. In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. – Philippians 2:1-7 (NIV)

In Philippi, things were not all polite potlucks and coffee-fueled hymn-sings. Just ask Euodia and Syntyche, the two female leaders who had worked alongside Paul and Clement but now were not getting along (Phil 4:1-3). Ask those worried sick about Epaphroditus (Phil 2:25-30). Ask those who were disagreeing with Paul (Phil 3:15) or those complaining and grumbling (Phil 2:14,15). Ask those who are going to get the privilege of suffering for their faith (Phil 1:29). The city of Philippi had a church filled with regular humans living in common circumstances experiencing everyday conflict, harmony, and community making. In the passage above, Paul seems to say, that if we are unified with Jesus (or “born again” as some prefer to say), that to make Paul’s joy complete they should be “like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind.” This also is not a call to a cult-like uniformity of thought on all topics or an abandonment of personal opinion or choice. It is specifically that they would be unified in their position of humility and their posture of putting others interest ahead of their own. This unity is a theological mandate because in our relationships with our sisters and brothers we are to imitate our master’s mindset who put our desperate need ahead of his own well being.

Over the last couple of decades I have been in two churches that have sister churches and ministries that rent or share facilities. This has never been easy, but it is always rewarding. In every situation, it is always clearest what our own preferences and needs are. My needs always seem reasonable (to me). My preferences often feel more like the only rational possibility until I meet the knuckle-head who cleaned the kitchen WRONG AGAIN! (Emphasis only in my head, I promise.) When four different languages are singing praises to God every Sunday in a church building people tell me, “It’s just like the banquet table in John’s Apocalypse (Rev 19:18). But when multiple accents, a dozen cultures, scores of personalities, and multitude of preferences share bathrooms, toiletries, kitchens, sanctuaries, parking lots, and (I hesitate to even say it) sound systems, it can feel more like being caught in the middle of Armageddon (Rev 16:16-18). Ok, perhaps I exaggerate. But whenever groups of people who are striving to be unified in Christ are actually spending time in shared space for significant time, they must all sacrifice. I’ll even say they must feel like they are sacrificing beyond the others. This is necessarily the case because we cannot possibly see all the sacrifice of the other groups, but we are painfully aware of our own. And this is theologically required of us. This is slowly making our attitude Christ-like. Over time, as we love each other deeply, with effort and exhausting patience, we start to notice that our sisters and brothers are also laboring hard to put up with us. They don’t prefer our preferences any more than we prefer theirs. They don’t like learning that evidently there are more ways of putting away chairs or managing a nursery space than made sense to them any more than we do. But they have been trying hard (much harder than you realize) to “do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit.” It turns out, it’s really hard to become more like Jesus, but theologically, it’s required. To follow Jesus, you have to actually, you know, follow. (Mark 8:34,35)

Introductory Chapter (by Samuel Wells)

Quote from p.5: “Look at what happens in the story of Jesus: the Gospel (of Luke) begins with the tearing of the heavens and the ends with the tearing of the temple curtain.”
– I liked this image.  The thunder from the baptism as the tearing of heavens.  He had referred earlier to the Father’s voice identifying both Jesus as Son and the Father as being well pleased.

Quote from p.8: “companion – literally, one who shares bread”
– Simple observation, but profound to sit with.

Quote from p.10: “Michael Ramsey once called priests to be “with God, with people on your hearts.”
– While this strikes me as a bit sentimental (negatively), I think the beauty of the idea is in the best possible sentiment of lift up people we care for toward God, in prayer, through encouragement, using liturgy, officiating sacrifice, in moments that connect heaven and earth in tangible shared experiences and moments of compassion (shared suffering).

Quote from p. 16: “Aristotle calls this right balance the mean. … If they’re struggling with lust, the answer isn’t simply to shut down physically or sensually but to discover forms of touch that aren’t sexual and forms of sexuality that aren’t all about touch. If they’re struggling with doubt, the answer isn’t to leap into fanaticism but to try to practice something in between called faith.”
– I don’t know what to think about this entirely. I remember feeling so clear about a distinction between Platonic and Aristotelian frame works and how important that distinction was to one’s philosophy.  Those days have long since past. Is the “mean” or average a better focal point than the ideal in matters of human experience?  Is neither helpful in understanding God’s referent? Or is God’s vantage point none of our business and our best hope is to find his desire for our times in his trajectory in past revelation relative to its ancient audience.

Quote from p. 19: “(Stanley) believes kindness is ‘the very character of God.’ … ‘The greatest threat to our being virtuous usually comes not from vice but from dispositions that are similar to virtue. The great enemy of kindness, for example, is sentimentality.‘”
– AMEN. Sentimentality is a dirty word.  It abuses many more than realize it’s great offense.