You Will Be Like God
Children's sermon
Illustration
Preaching
Sermon
Worship
Object:
Humanity as a whole has shown a tendency for desiring power, whether it is power to conquer a nation or power to master the fairway on the 16th hole. This desire is embodied in Eve's decision to eat from the forbidden tree, motivated by a desire to become "like God." Today, we see another example in the world of modern science, as we seek to take the first small steps in creating new life, seeking to again become "like God." What can we as Christians learn from all of this? How can we ensure that we always look to God rather than try to become little gods ourselves? Steve McCutchan writes the main article this week, with Barbara Jurgensen writing the response. Illustrations, a liturgy, and a children's sermon are also included.
You Will Be Like God
Steve McCutchan
THE WORLD
Both the Jewish and Christian faiths have read the creation story in Genesis 1, especially the statement in 1:28, "Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth and subdue it; and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the air and over every living thing that moves upon the earth," as a challenge to harness the power of nature to serve the perceived needs of humans. Many historians suggest that the advance in science came from a culture that chose to worship not the powers of nature, but rather a God that transcended nature. Once nature was desacralized, it became fair game to explore and to manipulate for the benefit of humanity. Each time the power of nature was unleashed in a destructive manner, it was seen as a further challenge to work harder to learn to control and channel that power.
In more recent times, with the evidence of global warming growing and the apparent refusal of nature to submit to the wisdom of humanity, the question begins to grow as to whether human arrogance may be exhibiting itself again. A New York Times article on January 29 reported that Dr. Craig Venter and colleagues had become the first to synthesize the complete DNA of a bacterium. In the process, using letters from amino acids, the scientists decided to plant a hidden message in the bacterial genome. Can you guess what secret message these scientists planted in one of the basic building blocks of life? They chose to implant the names of the researchers and their research institute. Eve in our Genesis story, is there a reflection of the temptation to be like gods? Do we want to put our name on creation and refuse to read the name of God that is already written on creation?
THE WORD
The creation story contained in Genesis 2 and 3 is meant to be a story for all of humanity. The name Adam plays on the word adamah, which can be translated dust or earth. A parallel in English would be to say that the earthling has been taken from the earth. The name Eve is translated mother of all living. This is no longer the story of an androgynous figure. Now two figures that have a similar source are defined by their genders. It is in the two genders coming together that life is created. They are placed in a garden. As Adam and Eve speak to us of all humanity, so the garden speaks to us of the gracious provision that God has made on this planet that life might flourish.
The first thing that our lectionary selection from Genesis tells us is that God has charged us with a responsibility for the tilling and caring for this garden that we call earth. The earth is a gift from God and receiving a gift carries with it a responsibility that honors both the gift and the giver. The act of working is dignified as a gift of God to humanity. After the fall, we discover the downside of working, but work itself gives life purpose and meaning.
To till the soil suggests that we are to work with this generous gift to release its life giving potential. As believers, we are liberated from any tendency to worship nature, but we are admonished to treat it in a way that honors the one who has provided it for us. We are not only to till it but also to keep it.
The interrelationship between the gift and the giver is illustrated by the limitations that are placed on humanity's response to nature. "You may freely eat of every tree of the garden; but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall die" (Genesis 2:16-17). Humans are free to probe the depth of nature to release its potential for life but they are to do it in a manner that respects the limitations of our humanity. God is God and we are to remember that we are less than God.
Up to this point the relationship between humans and God has been one of intimate trust. The couple knew that what God wanted was what they wanted as well. They could afford to "be naked and not afraid." The subtlest of corrosions that eats away at the bonds of trust in any relationship begins with a question. "Did God say...?" (Genesis 3:1). Now the couple stood back and weighed the possibilities where, before, trust had been an integral part of the experience. To have knowledge of good and evil is to assume that you have the platform from which you can objectively evaluate the situation. In everyday terms, we call this rationalization. The result, however, is that the human becomes the center of the universe, the one making the judgment, where before it was God.
Once you become the center of the universe, the rest of the universe, and even God, becomes a reality over against and potentially threatening to your well-being. "Then the eyes of both were opened, and they knew that they were naked (i.e. vulnerable) and they sewed fig leaves together and made loincloths for themselves" (Genesis 3:7). (As a humorous aside, fig leaves are sharp and prickly. Sometimes what we use to protect ourselves also makes us very uncomfortable.)
Very briefly, the gospel lesson gives us an alternate response to how to live in relationship to God and the universe. Note that it comes immediately after Jesus has been confirmed as the beloved Son of God (Matthew 3:17). Jesus restores to humanity what God intended from the beginning for all of humanity. Jesus lives in intimate, trusting relationship with God, neighbor, and universe. Yet, he does so in a sinful world. So immediately he also has to wrestle simultaneously with the tension between his trusting relationship with God and the questions raised by living in a sinful world. Note how the temptations follow the basic framework of what makes us vulnerable in our world. First, there is the economic question symbolized by bread. Next is the identity question of personal glory. Finally, there is the communal question of who holds the power. In each case, Jesus is asked to face the question of whether he can trust God in such situations or whether he has to evaluate the situation from his own perspective. Where is the center of the universe?
The fact that these are real temptations indicates that Jesus has the free will to choose his response. The corrosive power of the question, "Did God say...?" seeks to separate Jesus from God. In this case it takes the form of "If you are the Son of God..." (Matthew 4:3). Having faced such temptations, nature will again become God's gift of the possible made evident in healing, feeding, stilling storms, etc. Jesus still has to work the soil, but now it becomes fruitful and multiplies.
CRAFTING THE SERMON
There are multiple sermon possibilities from which you can choose. On this first Sunday in Lent, our lectionary passage from Genesis recounts the fall of humanity because they were enticed by the prospects of being "like God, knowing good and evil" (Genesis 3:5). From destructive hurricanes to unusual weather patterns and melting ice caps, is there evidence that nature is striking back and reminding us that we are not gods after all? The temptation story recorded in our passage from Matthew recounts Jesus resisting the temptation to worship economics, personal glory, or power. What can people of faith learn from each of these stories?
I think the genome story mentioned above would be a perfect illustration with which to begin. It taps into the issue of arrogance without being too heavy.
The next move could be unpacking the Genesis story to make clear the connection between our faith and what is happening to our environment. This could be followed by speaking of how Jesus in the temptation story helps us restore the possibility of a trusting relationship with God. It would be important to note, as Jesus' life demonstrated, that such a choice within a sinful world is not without cost.
Since this is the first Sunday in Lent, one might conclude by recognizing the invitation to overcome the destructive results of human arrogance through confession and trust in the forgiving love of God. When we honestly confess, we approach the challenge of our lives with a renewed humility. An excellent illustration of the choice before us is suggested by a recent story about the Olympic athletes who are considering training in polluted conditions in order to prepare for the Olympics in China.
The question before us is: Would we like to learn to live in a world that is increasingly polluted or should we rather refuse to be shaped by the sins of the world and choose, as Jesus did, to trust God in all circumstances?
ANOTHER VIEW
Barbara Jurgensen
What would you do if you were a chaplain on board a U.S. Army transport ship during World War II, carrying troops from the U.S. to an American base in Greenland, when suddenly an explosion rocked the vessel and the ship began taking on water?
Four chaplains, one Catholic, two Protestant, and one Jewish, had to make some quick decisions, and what they did that day, 65 years ago this month, will never be forgotten.
Earlier that evening, the ship's captain, knowing that they were moving through dangerous waters, had ordered all the men on board to sleep with their life jackets on. But many of the men, bunking deep in the ship's hold, disregarded the order because of the extreme heat from the engine. Others ignored the order because the life jackets were so uncomfortable.
Now, in the darkness, a German submarine surfaced, lined up the Dorchester in its crosshairs, and fired three torpedoes. One hit amid ship, far below the water line, and the vessel began filling with water so quickly that the captain gave orders to abandon ship.
The blast had killed scores of men and wounded many more. Survivors rushed topside, many without life jackets, and the four chaplains opened a storage locker and began distributing the jackets as they comforted the wounded and directed the men to the lifeboats.
Panicking, men jumped into the boats, overloading them to the point of capsizing, while some rafts drifted away before the men could get to them. Of the three Coast Guard cutters that were accompanying the convoy, the Comanche quickly rounded up 97 survivors, and the Escanaba 132, but the Tampa needed to continue escorting the other two ships in the group.
Then the moment came when the four chaplains had given out all the life jackets in the storage locker, and four young soldiers still stood before them. Without thinking twice, the chaplains took off their own jackets and gave them to the servicemen.
The chaplains could have said, "It's more important that we live than you. We're captains, and the nation and the church have invested a lot in our extensive training—some of you haven't even finished high school yet. We have wives and children—you're just buck privates, single guys. And besides, you should have kept your life jackets on, like the ship's captain ordered you. Why should we give up our jackets—and our lives—for you?"
But they didn't.
Steadily the ship took on more and more water, sinking lower, until the last thing survivors could see were the four chaplains, their arms linked, their feet braced on the slanting deck, singing "O God, Our Help in Ages Past" and praying for those adrift on the waters.
Jesus said, "No one has greater love than this, to lay down one's life for one's friends" (John 15:13). In our gospel lesson for today, Jesus displays this same kind of love. He's gone out into the wilderness to prepare for his life's work, and when the devil tries to get him to turn the stones scattered around him into bread (Jesus is famished after fasting for 40 days), rather than satisfy his own hunger he chooses to stick with his ministry and satisfy our need for salvation.
As Paul writes in our letter from Romans, "one man's act of righteousness leads to justification and life for all" (5:18).
We may, however, ask about a verse from our Psalm for today (32:7):
Therefore all the faithful will make their prayers
to you in time of trouble;
when the great waters overflow, they shall not reach them.
Obviously, God did not rescue these four chaplains. God did not part the waters and let them cross over on dry land (as with the Israelites), or send a large fish to carry them to safety (as with Jonah), or help them walk on the water (as with Peter).
God seems to have had other plans—maybe to show all who hear this story that our faith and trust in our Lord can help us do what our Lord Jesus would do.
The year following the incident, the Commanding General of the Army Service Forces awarded the Distinguished Service Cross and the Purple Heart posthumously to the chaplains' next of kin. Later, Congress authorized a one-time only Special Medal for Heroism that was awarded by President Eisenhower in 1961. Since then, you've seen the four chaplains on a U.S. postage stamp, and you can find more information online under "Four Chaplains Memorial."
Some acts will live forever.
ILLUSTRATIONS
The story is told of a man named Sam, who decided he was going to go on a diet. Just to make sure he would succeed, he announced his plan to all his friends and coworkers ahead of time.
Sam was one of those people who are kind of like Oscar Wilde, who remarked, "I can resist anything -- except temptation!" The coworkers were pretty good about giving Sam moral support, until the morning he walked into an office carrying a box of freshly baked donuts.
"What's with the donuts, Sam?" one of them asked. "I thought you were on a diet."
"I am," said Sam. "But I want you to know I wouldn't have gotten these donuts if it weren't for God."
Well, that remark seemed to beg for an explanation, so Sam quickly supplied one. "You see, I was driving into work, and I knew I'd have to go right past the bakery. I just couldn't get those donuts out of my mind -- so I decided to pray to God for help. I said, 'God, if you want me to have a box of hot, delicious donuts, give me a parking place right in front of the bakery.' Sure enough, I found one -- on my eighth trip around the block!"
Some of us -- truly -- can resist anything except temptation!
* * *
For many children and young adults, global warming is the atomic bomb of today. Fears of an environmental crisis are defining their generation in ways that the Depression, World War II, Vietnam, and the Cold War's lingering "War Games" etched souls in the 20th century.
Parents say they're searching for "productive" outlets for their eight-year-olds' obsessions with dying polar bears. Teachers say enrollment in high school and college environmental studies classes is doubling year after year. Psychologists say they're seeing an increasing number of young patients preoccupied by a climactic Armageddon.
"Our parents had the civil rights and antiwar movements," says Meredith Epstein, 20, who grew up in Rockville and is now a junior at St. Mary's College of Maryland. "But for us, this is what we need to take immediate action on."...
It's not just a US phenomenon: A United Kingdom survey by the Somerfield supermarket chain of 1,150 youngsters age 7 to 11 found that half felt anxious about global warming -- and many were losing sleep over it, convinced that animal species will soon die out and that they, themselves, will be victims of global warming.
-- Darragh Johnson, "Climate Change Scenarios Scare, and Motivate, Kids," Washington Post, April 16, 2007, p. A01
* * *
"In relation to the earth, we have been autistic for centuries. Only now have we begun to listen with some attention and with a willingness to respond to the earth's demands that we cease our industrial assault, that we abandon our inner rage against the conditions of our earthly existence, that we renew our human participation in the grand liturgy of the universe."
-- Wendell Berry
* * *
Fred Smith is a national consultant for large, Fortune 500 companies, specializing in conflict management, reorganization, and teamwork. He has a reputation of quickly recognizing the problem and addressing the issue in a straightforward approach. Once, when asked how he can analyze the underlining problems so quickly, Mr. Smith replied, "It's actually quite simple. I assemble all the major players of the company into one room, get them talking, and I look for the biggest ego in the room. The problem is usually right there, under the surface."
* * *
In the New Yorker, there was once a cartoon of two people talking at a party, one obviously monopolizing the conversation. The caption reads, "But enough of me talking about me. It's your turn to talk about me." How we all love an audience!
* * *
Two men were on a golf course, admiring a beautiful and large home with an enormous picture window that revealed everything inside. One asked the other, "What do you suppose? Is that window for the owner to look out or for those of us to look in?" The second golfer replied, "Neither. I think it is for him to look out to see us looking in at him." (Gary Trudeau once said, "We have moved beyond wanted to be esteemed to now wanting to be envied!")
* * *
"No text in Genesis (or likely in the entire Bible) has been more used, interpreted, and misunderstood that this text... It has been assumed that this is a decisive text for the Bible and that it states the premise for all that follows. In fact, this is an exceedingly marginal text. No clear subsequent reference to it is made in the Old Testament... The text is commonly treated as the account of 'the fall.' Nothing could be more remote from the narrative itself. This is one story which needs to be set alongside many others in the Old Testament. In general, the Old Testament does not assume such a 'fall.' Deuteronomy 30:11-14 is more characteristic in its assumption that humankind can indeed obey the purposes of God."
-- Walter Brueggemann, Genesis: Interpretation: A Bible Commentary for Preaching and Teaching (Louisville, Kentucky: Westminster John Knox Press: 1982), p. 41
* * *
"Frequently, this text is treated as though it were an explanation of how evil came into the world. But the Old Testament is never interested in such an abstract issue. In fact, the narrative gives no explanation for evil. There is no hint that the serpent is the embodiment of the principle of evil. The Old Testament characteristically is more existential. It is not concerned with origins but with faithful responses and effective coping. The Bible offers no theoretical statement about the origin of evil. And, indeed, when the question of theodicy surfaces, it is handles pastorally and not speculatively."
-- Walter Brueggemann, Genesis: Interpretation: A Bible Commentary for Preaching and Teaching (Louisville, Kentucky: Westminster John Knox Press: 1982)
* * *
"There are three ways of explaining the testing episode [in Matthew]. (a) The testing establishes how Jesus will pursue his messianic ministry. It forces him to ponder three questions. Will he be a messiah who brings only bread by means of magical powers? Will he strive to gain a following through dramatic demonstrations? Will he seek after worldly kingdoms by worldly means (compare Nero's declaration to Tiridates, king of Armenia, that he has 'the power to take away kingdoms and to bestow them.')? (b) Jesus' obedient submission to the will of God when tested after his baptism provides a model for the newly baptized disciple who can also expect trials... (c) While these first two options for understanding the testing are possible, it is more likely that a third was primary for Matthew... Jesus recapitulates the history of God's covenant son, Israel; but he proves true at the very points where Israel failed: hunger (Exodus 16), testing God's faithfulness (Exodus 17), and idolatry (Exodus 32)."
-- David E. Garland, Reading Matthew
WORSHIP RESOURCE
Litany for Lent
Leader: O Christ,
as you head to Jerusalem, you lead us
from the culture of selfishness
into the kingdom of service;
from our focus on fulfillment
into acts of radical obedience;
from a desire for esteem and honor
into a life of self-denial:
People: Save us, Lord Jesus.
Leader: O Christ, Bearer of mercy,
you set down your glory
to pick up the pieces of our broken lives
and restore us as God's children:
People: Save us, Brother Jesus.
Leader: O Christ, Fullness of grace,
you emptied yourself
that we might be filled
with the power of the Holy Spirit:
People: Save us, Bread of the world.
Leader: O Christ, Breaker of crafty death,
you are our hope in every moment,
you are the promise of God's presence,
you are One who calls us to worship:
People: Save us, Word of God.
Leader: Jesus Christ, Lamb of God:
People: have mercy on us.
Leader: Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world:
People: fill us with your grace.
Leader: Jesus Christ, gift of grace:
People: grant us your peace.
(silence is kept)
Leader: Creator God of all love:
in Jesus Christ, you have given us your very heart,
and so, we offer ourselves to you,
seeking to follow Jesus in the way
he would lead us.
We would humbly do your will,
speaking your truth to all,
as you whisper your soul to us;
giving our lives in service to all,
as you fill us with the Holy Spirit;
walking the streets of your kingdom,
even as we pray the prayer Jesus
has taught us, saying:
All: Our Father...
Call to Reconciliation
Like children, God sets boundaries for us that will
lead us into goodness. And like children, we are
stubborn enough to try to live our own way.
We become easy prey for the Evil One. But Jesus,
who trusted and believed in God, helps us to find
the will and strength to resist, and to experience the
mercy of God. Together, let us confess our sins,
that God would fill us with grace and hope.
Unison Prayer of Confession
We confess, Eden's God, that Lent makes us very
uncomfortable. We live in a culture that invites us to
worship success, and you call us to sacrifice. We
desire power, and you invite us to penitence and denial.
We live in a "feel-good" culture, and you ask us to become
aware of the suffering of our sisters, of the brokenness of
our brothers.
By your mercy, restore us, God of Hope. As we walk toward Jerusalem with Jesus, may we walk toward your truth. As we hear the hard words of sacrifice, may we hear the Spirit helping us to say "no" to all that would distract us from discipleship. As we witness to the suffering of our Lord, may we speak Christ's good news to all who are without hope and life in our world.
(silent prayers may be offered)
Assurance of Pardon
Leader: Left on our own, we would let our sin, our
rebellion, our disobedience to God control
our lives. But we have been given the gift of Jesus Christ.
People: This is the good news: the gift is freely
given; the gift brings us grace; the gift
brings us forgiveness; the gift brings us
new life and peace with God and with one
another. Thanks be to God for such a gift! Amen.
CHILDREN'S SERMON
Our knot
Object: two pieces of string and a pair of scissors
Romans 5:12-19
But the free gift is not like the trespass. For if the many died though the one man's trespass, much more surely have the grace of God and the free gift in the grace of the one man, Jesus Christ, abounded for the many. (v. 15)
Good morning, boys and girls. This is Lent and we talk a lot about sin and the way that Jesus saves us from sin. Sin is real. It makes us different people. Sin is bad. When you sin you are doing bad things or thinking bad things, or maybe you are not doing the good things when you have a chance to do good things. Last week, we talked about sin being ugly. It makes us unhappy.
I brought along a couple of pieces of string and a pair of scissors. This piece of string used to stretch all the way to heaven. It was one long string. There was a man named Adam and a woman named Eve and they wanted some things that they were told were not good for them. The more they were told they should not ask or try these things, the more they wanted them. Pretty soon Adam (show one blade of the scissors) and Eve (show the other blade of the scissors) decided to cut the string so that God could not get close to them. (cut the string in half) They separated themselves from God and they were alone. It was not good to be alone. They not only cut God off from themselves but from all of their children and their grandchildren and their great- grandchildren and all the people living in the world. They wished they had not committed their sin and cut God off, but they had to work hard to stay alive. They had pain in their bodies and they never had that before. Sometimes they were hungry and sometimes they were thirsty. Sometimes they were very cold and sometimes they were very hot. Everything was different because they were cut away from God.
Then one day God sent his own Son, Jesus. (show them the second string that is longer) God's plan was to bring his love back to the people in Jesus. Jesus taught the people about love and how God forgives people that trust and believe in him. He also showed how much God cared for people by healing them from sickness. The greatest lesson of all was when Jesus died for all the people. (tie the two pieces of string together with a big knot so that it is much longer) The knot is the day Jesus was crucified and died for all of us. He gave us his forgiveness and asked us to be forgiving. The knot was the perfect answer because it brought God and man together in a very special way.
The next time you see a knot on a string or in your shoelaces, I want you to think about the perfect knot that brought God and people back together again. Amen.
* * * * * * * * * * * * *
The Immediate Word, February 10, 2008, issue.
Copyright 2008 by CSS Publishing Company, Inc., Lima, Ohio.
All rights reserved. Subscribers to The Immediate Word service may print and use this material as it was intended in sermons and in worship and classroom settings only. No additional permission is required from the publisher for such use by subscribers only. Inquiries should be addressed to permissions@csspub.com or to Permissions, CSS Publishing Company, Inc., 517 South Main Street, Lima, Ohio 45804.
* * * * * * * * * * * * *
The Immediate Word, February 10, 2008, issue.
Copyright 2008 by CSS Publishing Company, Inc., Lima, Ohio.
All rights reserved. Subscribers to The Immediate Word service may print and use this material as it was intended in sermons and in worship and classroom settings only. No additional permission is required from the publisher for such use by subscribers only. Inquiries should be addressed to permissions@csspub.com or to Permissions, CSS Publishing Company, Inc., 517 South Main Street, Lima, Ohio 45804.
You Will Be Like God
Steve McCutchan
THE WORLD
Both the Jewish and Christian faiths have read the creation story in Genesis 1, especially the statement in 1:28, "Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth and subdue it; and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the air and over every living thing that moves upon the earth," as a challenge to harness the power of nature to serve the perceived needs of humans. Many historians suggest that the advance in science came from a culture that chose to worship not the powers of nature, but rather a God that transcended nature. Once nature was desacralized, it became fair game to explore and to manipulate for the benefit of humanity. Each time the power of nature was unleashed in a destructive manner, it was seen as a further challenge to work harder to learn to control and channel that power.
In more recent times, with the evidence of global warming growing and the apparent refusal of nature to submit to the wisdom of humanity, the question begins to grow as to whether human arrogance may be exhibiting itself again. A New York Times article on January 29 reported that Dr. Craig Venter and colleagues had become the first to synthesize the complete DNA of a bacterium. In the process, using letters from amino acids, the scientists decided to plant a hidden message in the bacterial genome. Can you guess what secret message these scientists planted in one of the basic building blocks of life? They chose to implant the names of the researchers and their research institute. Eve in our Genesis story, is there a reflection of the temptation to be like gods? Do we want to put our name on creation and refuse to read the name of God that is already written on creation?
THE WORD
The creation story contained in Genesis 2 and 3 is meant to be a story for all of humanity. The name Adam plays on the word adamah, which can be translated dust or earth. A parallel in English would be to say that the earthling has been taken from the earth. The name Eve is translated mother of all living. This is no longer the story of an androgynous figure. Now two figures that have a similar source are defined by their genders. It is in the two genders coming together that life is created. They are placed in a garden. As Adam and Eve speak to us of all humanity, so the garden speaks to us of the gracious provision that God has made on this planet that life might flourish.
The first thing that our lectionary selection from Genesis tells us is that God has charged us with a responsibility for the tilling and caring for this garden that we call earth. The earth is a gift from God and receiving a gift carries with it a responsibility that honors both the gift and the giver. The act of working is dignified as a gift of God to humanity. After the fall, we discover the downside of working, but work itself gives life purpose and meaning.
To till the soil suggests that we are to work with this generous gift to release its life giving potential. As believers, we are liberated from any tendency to worship nature, but we are admonished to treat it in a way that honors the one who has provided it for us. We are not only to till it but also to keep it.
The interrelationship between the gift and the giver is illustrated by the limitations that are placed on humanity's response to nature. "You may freely eat of every tree of the garden; but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall die" (Genesis 2:16-17). Humans are free to probe the depth of nature to release its potential for life but they are to do it in a manner that respects the limitations of our humanity. God is God and we are to remember that we are less than God.
Up to this point the relationship between humans and God has been one of intimate trust. The couple knew that what God wanted was what they wanted as well. They could afford to "be naked and not afraid." The subtlest of corrosions that eats away at the bonds of trust in any relationship begins with a question. "Did God say...?" (Genesis 3:1). Now the couple stood back and weighed the possibilities where, before, trust had been an integral part of the experience. To have knowledge of good and evil is to assume that you have the platform from which you can objectively evaluate the situation. In everyday terms, we call this rationalization. The result, however, is that the human becomes the center of the universe, the one making the judgment, where before it was God.
Once you become the center of the universe, the rest of the universe, and even God, becomes a reality over against and potentially threatening to your well-being. "Then the eyes of both were opened, and they knew that they were naked (i.e. vulnerable) and they sewed fig leaves together and made loincloths for themselves" (Genesis 3:7). (As a humorous aside, fig leaves are sharp and prickly. Sometimes what we use to protect ourselves also makes us very uncomfortable.)
Very briefly, the gospel lesson gives us an alternate response to how to live in relationship to God and the universe. Note that it comes immediately after Jesus has been confirmed as the beloved Son of God (Matthew 3:17). Jesus restores to humanity what God intended from the beginning for all of humanity. Jesus lives in intimate, trusting relationship with God, neighbor, and universe. Yet, he does so in a sinful world. So immediately he also has to wrestle simultaneously with the tension between his trusting relationship with God and the questions raised by living in a sinful world. Note how the temptations follow the basic framework of what makes us vulnerable in our world. First, there is the economic question symbolized by bread. Next is the identity question of personal glory. Finally, there is the communal question of who holds the power. In each case, Jesus is asked to face the question of whether he can trust God in such situations or whether he has to evaluate the situation from his own perspective. Where is the center of the universe?
The fact that these are real temptations indicates that Jesus has the free will to choose his response. The corrosive power of the question, "Did God say...?" seeks to separate Jesus from God. In this case it takes the form of "If you are the Son of God..." (Matthew 4:3). Having faced such temptations, nature will again become God's gift of the possible made evident in healing, feeding, stilling storms, etc. Jesus still has to work the soil, but now it becomes fruitful and multiplies.
CRAFTING THE SERMON
There are multiple sermon possibilities from which you can choose. On this first Sunday in Lent, our lectionary passage from Genesis recounts the fall of humanity because they were enticed by the prospects of being "like God, knowing good and evil" (Genesis 3:5). From destructive hurricanes to unusual weather patterns and melting ice caps, is there evidence that nature is striking back and reminding us that we are not gods after all? The temptation story recorded in our passage from Matthew recounts Jesus resisting the temptation to worship economics, personal glory, or power. What can people of faith learn from each of these stories?
I think the genome story mentioned above would be a perfect illustration with which to begin. It taps into the issue of arrogance without being too heavy.
The next move could be unpacking the Genesis story to make clear the connection between our faith and what is happening to our environment. This could be followed by speaking of how Jesus in the temptation story helps us restore the possibility of a trusting relationship with God. It would be important to note, as Jesus' life demonstrated, that such a choice within a sinful world is not without cost.
Since this is the first Sunday in Lent, one might conclude by recognizing the invitation to overcome the destructive results of human arrogance through confession and trust in the forgiving love of God. When we honestly confess, we approach the challenge of our lives with a renewed humility. An excellent illustration of the choice before us is suggested by a recent story about the Olympic athletes who are considering training in polluted conditions in order to prepare for the Olympics in China.
The question before us is: Would we like to learn to live in a world that is increasingly polluted or should we rather refuse to be shaped by the sins of the world and choose, as Jesus did, to trust God in all circumstances?
ANOTHER VIEW
Barbara Jurgensen
What would you do if you were a chaplain on board a U.S. Army transport ship during World War II, carrying troops from the U.S. to an American base in Greenland, when suddenly an explosion rocked the vessel and the ship began taking on water?
Four chaplains, one Catholic, two Protestant, and one Jewish, had to make some quick decisions, and what they did that day, 65 years ago this month, will never be forgotten.
Earlier that evening, the ship's captain, knowing that they were moving through dangerous waters, had ordered all the men on board to sleep with their life jackets on. But many of the men, bunking deep in the ship's hold, disregarded the order because of the extreme heat from the engine. Others ignored the order because the life jackets were so uncomfortable.
Now, in the darkness, a German submarine surfaced, lined up the Dorchester in its crosshairs, and fired three torpedoes. One hit amid ship, far below the water line, and the vessel began filling with water so quickly that the captain gave orders to abandon ship.
The blast had killed scores of men and wounded many more. Survivors rushed topside, many without life jackets, and the four chaplains opened a storage locker and began distributing the jackets as they comforted the wounded and directed the men to the lifeboats.
Panicking, men jumped into the boats, overloading them to the point of capsizing, while some rafts drifted away before the men could get to them. Of the three Coast Guard cutters that were accompanying the convoy, the Comanche quickly rounded up 97 survivors, and the Escanaba 132, but the Tampa needed to continue escorting the other two ships in the group.
Then the moment came when the four chaplains had given out all the life jackets in the storage locker, and four young soldiers still stood before them. Without thinking twice, the chaplains took off their own jackets and gave them to the servicemen.
The chaplains could have said, "It's more important that we live than you. We're captains, and the nation and the church have invested a lot in our extensive training—some of you haven't even finished high school yet. We have wives and children—you're just buck privates, single guys. And besides, you should have kept your life jackets on, like the ship's captain ordered you. Why should we give up our jackets—and our lives—for you?"
But they didn't.
Steadily the ship took on more and more water, sinking lower, until the last thing survivors could see were the four chaplains, their arms linked, their feet braced on the slanting deck, singing "O God, Our Help in Ages Past" and praying for those adrift on the waters.
Jesus said, "No one has greater love than this, to lay down one's life for one's friends" (John 15:13). In our gospel lesson for today, Jesus displays this same kind of love. He's gone out into the wilderness to prepare for his life's work, and when the devil tries to get him to turn the stones scattered around him into bread (Jesus is famished after fasting for 40 days), rather than satisfy his own hunger he chooses to stick with his ministry and satisfy our need for salvation.
As Paul writes in our letter from Romans, "one man's act of righteousness leads to justification and life for all" (5:18).
We may, however, ask about a verse from our Psalm for today (32:7):
Therefore all the faithful will make their prayers
to you in time of trouble;
when the great waters overflow, they shall not reach them.
Obviously, God did not rescue these four chaplains. God did not part the waters and let them cross over on dry land (as with the Israelites), or send a large fish to carry them to safety (as with Jonah), or help them walk on the water (as with Peter).
God seems to have had other plans—maybe to show all who hear this story that our faith and trust in our Lord can help us do what our Lord Jesus would do.
The year following the incident, the Commanding General of the Army Service Forces awarded the Distinguished Service Cross and the Purple Heart posthumously to the chaplains' next of kin. Later, Congress authorized a one-time only Special Medal for Heroism that was awarded by President Eisenhower in 1961. Since then, you've seen the four chaplains on a U.S. postage stamp, and you can find more information online under "Four Chaplains Memorial."
Some acts will live forever.
ILLUSTRATIONS
The story is told of a man named Sam, who decided he was going to go on a diet. Just to make sure he would succeed, he announced his plan to all his friends and coworkers ahead of time.
Sam was one of those people who are kind of like Oscar Wilde, who remarked, "I can resist anything -- except temptation!" The coworkers were pretty good about giving Sam moral support, until the morning he walked into an office carrying a box of freshly baked donuts.
"What's with the donuts, Sam?" one of them asked. "I thought you were on a diet."
"I am," said Sam. "But I want you to know I wouldn't have gotten these donuts if it weren't for God."
Well, that remark seemed to beg for an explanation, so Sam quickly supplied one. "You see, I was driving into work, and I knew I'd have to go right past the bakery. I just couldn't get those donuts out of my mind -- so I decided to pray to God for help. I said, 'God, if you want me to have a box of hot, delicious donuts, give me a parking place right in front of the bakery.' Sure enough, I found one -- on my eighth trip around the block!"
Some of us -- truly -- can resist anything except temptation!
* * *
For many children and young adults, global warming is the atomic bomb of today. Fears of an environmental crisis are defining their generation in ways that the Depression, World War II, Vietnam, and the Cold War's lingering "War Games" etched souls in the 20th century.
Parents say they're searching for "productive" outlets for their eight-year-olds' obsessions with dying polar bears. Teachers say enrollment in high school and college environmental studies classes is doubling year after year. Psychologists say they're seeing an increasing number of young patients preoccupied by a climactic Armageddon.
"Our parents had the civil rights and antiwar movements," says Meredith Epstein, 20, who grew up in Rockville and is now a junior at St. Mary's College of Maryland. "But for us, this is what we need to take immediate action on."...
It's not just a US phenomenon: A United Kingdom survey by the Somerfield supermarket chain of 1,150 youngsters age 7 to 11 found that half felt anxious about global warming -- and many were losing sleep over it, convinced that animal species will soon die out and that they, themselves, will be victims of global warming.
-- Darragh Johnson, "Climate Change Scenarios Scare, and Motivate, Kids," Washington Post, April 16, 2007, p. A01
* * *
"In relation to the earth, we have been autistic for centuries. Only now have we begun to listen with some attention and with a willingness to respond to the earth's demands that we cease our industrial assault, that we abandon our inner rage against the conditions of our earthly existence, that we renew our human participation in the grand liturgy of the universe."
-- Wendell Berry
* * *
Fred Smith is a national consultant for large, Fortune 500 companies, specializing in conflict management, reorganization, and teamwork. He has a reputation of quickly recognizing the problem and addressing the issue in a straightforward approach. Once, when asked how he can analyze the underlining problems so quickly, Mr. Smith replied, "It's actually quite simple. I assemble all the major players of the company into one room, get them talking, and I look for the biggest ego in the room. The problem is usually right there, under the surface."
* * *
In the New Yorker, there was once a cartoon of two people talking at a party, one obviously monopolizing the conversation. The caption reads, "But enough of me talking about me. It's your turn to talk about me." How we all love an audience!
* * *
Two men were on a golf course, admiring a beautiful and large home with an enormous picture window that revealed everything inside. One asked the other, "What do you suppose? Is that window for the owner to look out or for those of us to look in?" The second golfer replied, "Neither. I think it is for him to look out to see us looking in at him." (Gary Trudeau once said, "We have moved beyond wanted to be esteemed to now wanting to be envied!")
* * *
"No text in Genesis (or likely in the entire Bible) has been more used, interpreted, and misunderstood that this text... It has been assumed that this is a decisive text for the Bible and that it states the premise for all that follows. In fact, this is an exceedingly marginal text. No clear subsequent reference to it is made in the Old Testament... The text is commonly treated as the account of 'the fall.' Nothing could be more remote from the narrative itself. This is one story which needs to be set alongside many others in the Old Testament. In general, the Old Testament does not assume such a 'fall.' Deuteronomy 30:11-14 is more characteristic in its assumption that humankind can indeed obey the purposes of God."
-- Walter Brueggemann, Genesis: Interpretation: A Bible Commentary for Preaching and Teaching (Louisville, Kentucky: Westminster John Knox Press: 1982), p. 41
* * *
"Frequently, this text is treated as though it were an explanation of how evil came into the world. But the Old Testament is never interested in such an abstract issue. In fact, the narrative gives no explanation for evil. There is no hint that the serpent is the embodiment of the principle of evil. The Old Testament characteristically is more existential. It is not concerned with origins but with faithful responses and effective coping. The Bible offers no theoretical statement about the origin of evil. And, indeed, when the question of theodicy surfaces, it is handles pastorally and not speculatively."
-- Walter Brueggemann, Genesis: Interpretation: A Bible Commentary for Preaching and Teaching (Louisville, Kentucky: Westminster John Knox Press: 1982)
* * *
"There are three ways of explaining the testing episode [in Matthew]. (a) The testing establishes how Jesus will pursue his messianic ministry. It forces him to ponder three questions. Will he be a messiah who brings only bread by means of magical powers? Will he strive to gain a following through dramatic demonstrations? Will he seek after worldly kingdoms by worldly means (compare Nero's declaration to Tiridates, king of Armenia, that he has 'the power to take away kingdoms and to bestow them.')? (b) Jesus' obedient submission to the will of God when tested after his baptism provides a model for the newly baptized disciple who can also expect trials... (c) While these first two options for understanding the testing are possible, it is more likely that a third was primary for Matthew... Jesus recapitulates the history of God's covenant son, Israel; but he proves true at the very points where Israel failed: hunger (Exodus 16), testing God's faithfulness (Exodus 17), and idolatry (Exodus 32)."
-- David E. Garland, Reading Matthew
WORSHIP RESOURCE
Litany for Lent
Leader: O Christ,
as you head to Jerusalem, you lead us
from the culture of selfishness
into the kingdom of service;
from our focus on fulfillment
into acts of radical obedience;
from a desire for esteem and honor
into a life of self-denial:
People: Save us, Lord Jesus.
Leader: O Christ, Bearer of mercy,
you set down your glory
to pick up the pieces of our broken lives
and restore us as God's children:
People: Save us, Brother Jesus.
Leader: O Christ, Fullness of grace,
you emptied yourself
that we might be filled
with the power of the Holy Spirit:
People: Save us, Bread of the world.
Leader: O Christ, Breaker of crafty death,
you are our hope in every moment,
you are the promise of God's presence,
you are One who calls us to worship:
People: Save us, Word of God.
Leader: Jesus Christ, Lamb of God:
People: have mercy on us.
Leader: Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world:
People: fill us with your grace.
Leader: Jesus Christ, gift of grace:
People: grant us your peace.
(silence is kept)
Leader: Creator God of all love:
in Jesus Christ, you have given us your very heart,
and so, we offer ourselves to you,
seeking to follow Jesus in the way
he would lead us.
We would humbly do your will,
speaking your truth to all,
as you whisper your soul to us;
giving our lives in service to all,
as you fill us with the Holy Spirit;
walking the streets of your kingdom,
even as we pray the prayer Jesus
has taught us, saying:
All: Our Father...
Call to Reconciliation
Like children, God sets boundaries for us that will
lead us into goodness. And like children, we are
stubborn enough to try to live our own way.
We become easy prey for the Evil One. But Jesus,
who trusted and believed in God, helps us to find
the will and strength to resist, and to experience the
mercy of God. Together, let us confess our sins,
that God would fill us with grace and hope.
Unison Prayer of Confession
We confess, Eden's God, that Lent makes us very
uncomfortable. We live in a culture that invites us to
worship success, and you call us to sacrifice. We
desire power, and you invite us to penitence and denial.
We live in a "feel-good" culture, and you ask us to become
aware of the suffering of our sisters, of the brokenness of
our brothers.
By your mercy, restore us, God of Hope. As we walk toward Jerusalem with Jesus, may we walk toward your truth. As we hear the hard words of sacrifice, may we hear the Spirit helping us to say "no" to all that would distract us from discipleship. As we witness to the suffering of our Lord, may we speak Christ's good news to all who are without hope and life in our world.
(silent prayers may be offered)
Assurance of Pardon
Leader: Left on our own, we would let our sin, our
rebellion, our disobedience to God control
our lives. But we have been given the gift of Jesus Christ.
People: This is the good news: the gift is freely
given; the gift brings us grace; the gift
brings us forgiveness; the gift brings us
new life and peace with God and with one
another. Thanks be to God for such a gift! Amen.
CHILDREN'S SERMON
Our knot
Object: two pieces of string and a pair of scissors
Romans 5:12-19
But the free gift is not like the trespass. For if the many died though the one man's trespass, much more surely have the grace of God and the free gift in the grace of the one man, Jesus Christ, abounded for the many. (v. 15)
Good morning, boys and girls. This is Lent and we talk a lot about sin and the way that Jesus saves us from sin. Sin is real. It makes us different people. Sin is bad. When you sin you are doing bad things or thinking bad things, or maybe you are not doing the good things when you have a chance to do good things. Last week, we talked about sin being ugly. It makes us unhappy.
I brought along a couple of pieces of string and a pair of scissors. This piece of string used to stretch all the way to heaven. It was one long string. There was a man named Adam and a woman named Eve and they wanted some things that they were told were not good for them. The more they were told they should not ask or try these things, the more they wanted them. Pretty soon Adam (show one blade of the scissors) and Eve (show the other blade of the scissors) decided to cut the string so that God could not get close to them. (cut the string in half) They separated themselves from God and they were alone. It was not good to be alone. They not only cut God off from themselves but from all of their children and their grandchildren and their great- grandchildren and all the people living in the world. They wished they had not committed their sin and cut God off, but they had to work hard to stay alive. They had pain in their bodies and they never had that before. Sometimes they were hungry and sometimes they were thirsty. Sometimes they were very cold and sometimes they were very hot. Everything was different because they were cut away from God.
Then one day God sent his own Son, Jesus. (show them the second string that is longer) God's plan was to bring his love back to the people in Jesus. Jesus taught the people about love and how God forgives people that trust and believe in him. He also showed how much God cared for people by healing them from sickness. The greatest lesson of all was when Jesus died for all the people. (tie the two pieces of string together with a big knot so that it is much longer) The knot is the day Jesus was crucified and died for all of us. He gave us his forgiveness and asked us to be forgiving. The knot was the perfect answer because it brought God and man together in a very special way.
The next time you see a knot on a string or in your shoelaces, I want you to think about the perfect knot that brought God and people back together again. Amen.
* * * * * * * * * * * * *
The Immediate Word, February 10, 2008, issue.
Copyright 2008 by CSS Publishing Company, Inc., Lima, Ohio.
All rights reserved. Subscribers to The Immediate Word service may print and use this material as it was intended in sermons and in worship and classroom settings only. No additional permission is required from the publisher for such use by subscribers only. Inquiries should be addressed to permissions@csspub.com or to Permissions, CSS Publishing Company, Inc., 517 South Main Street, Lima, Ohio 45804.
* * * * * * * * * * * * *
The Immediate Word, February 10, 2008, issue.
Copyright 2008 by CSS Publishing Company, Inc., Lima, Ohio.
All rights reserved. Subscribers to The Immediate Word service may print and use this material as it was intended in sermons and in worship and classroom settings only. No additional permission is required from the publisher for such use by subscribers only. Inquiries should be addressed to permissions@csspub.com or to Permissions, CSS Publishing Company, Inc., 517 South Main Street, Lima, Ohio 45804.
