Power Over, Power With, Power Within

Sermon for the First Sunday in Lent – February 25, 2007
Given by Dawn Lozer, UTS Seminary Intern

Let's review the events in Jesus' life just prior to his wilderness experience. Jesus was baptized by his cousin John in the River Jordan, then God's Spirit descended on Jesus in the form of a dove, and a voice came from heaven proclaiming, "you are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased." These pronouncements and signs could not be overlooked or mistaken. Certainly something significant was about to happen. Luke then details the ancestry of Jesus, which traces back to Adam and Eve, and ultimately to God.

The next thing we know, the Holy Spirit, in the form of this dove, leads Jesus into the depths, into the wilderness. Jesus was just told he's the Beloved Child of God and the Holy Spirit leads him out into the wilderness for 40 days of famine and temptation! What's up with that? Whether or not you believe a literal "devil-person" accompanied Jesus in the wilderness along with the Holy Spirit, it is clear that Jesus' status with God does not exempt him from trials. When I say devil, think: trial, evil, wickedness, temptation, vice, earthly desire, immediate gratification, or any other concept that will help you interpret the circumstances facing Jesus. Clearly, this evil force tried to engage Jesus in a power struggle, even resorting to using the Scriptures to tempt Jesus. The devil paints a bleak picture, and then offers to "help" Jesus out of his predicament.

So we have this set of circumstances: God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit know what this evil is trying to do, and all of them, separately or working together, might want to use their power to let Jesus off the hook. But this is not what happens. While the devil attempts to persuade Jesus, win him over, get Jesus to see things his way, Jesus pretty much ignores all that and focuses on God – his understanding of God, and his relationship to with God.

How many of us, knowing that we are also beloved children of God, can and do keep this relationship in the forefront when going through a time of trial? Is our first thought about God's perspective – or do we seek an answer to the question "why" or "why me?" A piece of ancient wisdom basically says, "If we understand, the circumstances are the same. If we do not understand, the circumstances are the same." So it is not the circumstance we can alter through our understanding of it – but how often do we waste time trying to get answers?

When we're under trial or stress, do we, like Jesus, proclaim the word of God as the ultimate sustenance required for our lives? Or do we seek the quick fix, ensuring our immediate needs are met? Do we sometimes sacrifice the long-term gain – or our integrity – to relieve our own discomfort? Do we give up our power within, our choice, our spirits, our embodiment of God in order to save ourselves in the short-term?

Jesus is famished, so the devil suggests he turn a stone into a loaf of bread. It seems like a logical enough suggestion. He is in need, he is the Son of God, so he can provide for himself. Instead of engaging in a debate about whether or not Jesus has the ability to perform a miracle, or whether or not God will provide for his needs, Jesus responds, "One does not live by bread alone." As an Israelite, Jesus recalls their Exodus history. The Scripture continues, "One does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth ofGod." The wandering Israelites, hungry to the point of bickering, were given manna, which rained from the heavens; God provided.

Jesus is then shown all the kingdoms of the world, and offered them – if he will only turn from God and worship evil. He again recites Scripture – the first commandment: Worship the Lord your God; serve only God.

Is Jesus choosing between two powers, and merely choosing the known over the unknown? Or, is there more to it? It is clear that Jesus is not persuaded to choose what evil suggests, so the devil takes Jesus out of the wilderness and to Jerusalem, where he is hanged high up on the pinnacle of the Temple. And Jesus hears Scripture tempting him: He should throw himself down from the pinnacle because according to Psalm 91, which was quoted in Luke today, God's angels will bear him up, ensuring he is not harmed. Jesus responds with an Exodus text: "Do not put your God to the test." God provides, but our Creator's ability or willingness to provide should not be tested as though it were magic, or invoked to meet a demand or make a point. God provided for the cranky, proof-seeking Israelites, but was quite annoyed at their demands.

Jesus chose to put his trust in God, the God of his ancestors, the One he knew through Scripture, the Voice who called him the Beloved, the One whose presence was assured. He did not try to prove his own power or appeal to God's authority. He did not respond to evil on its own terms. Wickedness tried to define the rules for engagement and skew the circumstances, then tempted Jesus with the "easy ways" out – as if succumbing to evil could save him. Jesus refused to participate. While evil tried to assert control, Jesus would not acknowledge its power, even when the devil tried to persuade Jesus with Scripture.

Jesus claimed his identity as a beloved child of God. The Egyptians managed for many years to enslave and abuse the Israelites; however, this was not God's final answer for these people. They overcame injustice and fled for freedom, trusting God. Freedom was immediate; the "easy life" was not. The Israelites did not pass down a story from generation to generation about how their lives were miraculously changed for the better upon fleeing from slavery. Their story contained hardship, mistakes, and doubt. They turned away from God but the Creator did not turn from them.

So, what meaning can we make of Jesus' wilderness experience? We see evil trying to take power over Jesus –wanting to influence his choices, wanting to be worshiped, and wanting Jesus to prove something. It wants to become god to him. What influences our choices? What or whom do we worship? What are the vices, or what is the evil, that separates us from our Creator?

And what meaning do we make of Jesus' responses to temptations? In essence, Jesus is told that choosing what brings immediate comfort is better than waiting for God to save him. He can save himself; he has no need of God.

Jesus rested in the truth of Scripture, history, and his own identity. He showed his faith was firm by refusing to allow any other to impose power. Perhaps his wilderness experience prepared him for the day to come when he would be beaten, hung high on a cross, and mocked by his persecutors, "If you are the king of the Jews, save yourself... If you are the Son of God, come down from the cross... let him come down from the cross now, and we will believe in him... He trusts in God, let God deliver him now, if he wants to." These "if/then tests" wrongly assume that there is something requiring proof about God's love or interaction with us. We are to focus on God and be in relationship with God, presuming God's presence with us.

Does this mean God had power over Jesus, and God likewise has power over us – like the power of evil... only for the good? Luke's Gospel doesn't describe a God who asserts power – either over Jesus or evil. Is God absent then? Does God care? Did God hold mystical power over Jesus without even speaking? Was Jesus God's beloved – or God's puppet? Was Jesus used to make a point? Jesus chose God even though God's voice was amazingly silent. God entrusted the choices to Jesus. How easy it might have been for Jesus to exercise good judgment if God had only reminded him, "I AM with you!" Faith isn't always easy; there are times of trial.

You may recall a time in your own life when God's presence wasn't apparent. Maybe you were engulfed in your concerns or fears and couldn't feel that presence, or hear that "still small voice." You may have believed a person or situation controlled you, your destiny or choices. You may have felt out of control. Perhaps you surrendered or disregarded your power within, or didn't feel secure in your power with God. Maybe you wanted to be agreeable, avoid making waves, or felt outnumbered or bullied.

Some members of this community have expressed deep hurt over past abuses of power and authority. What they now realize is that they contributed to the abuse through their silence, inaction, or unwillingness to take an unpopular stand. While I cannot speak about abuse of power in this community, I can speak about it from personal experience.

This is not a tale of woe; it is a story of what is possible with God. For nearly 14 years I lived with a partner who abused me. Life was unpredictable and chaotic, and I feared saying or doing something to anger her. She asserted her will and fed her needs. If I didn't go along with her, I was wrong, stupid or crazy. Emotional abuse accompanies physical abuse, and over time I felt just as beaten down emotionally as I was physically. My power within – my spirit, dwindled to near extinction. As is true of many abusive persons, my former partner was charismatic, charming, outgoing, and she often lifted my spirits as high as she could dampen them. So I lived my life according to her rules, accepting the best she had to offer while tolerating the worst. She dictated the standards of how I was to act, what I should think, and what I should feel. In essence, she defined who I was and how I interacted in the world. If I would only do x, then y would happen. Sound familiar? She sought control not only of my actions but of my thoughts and feelings – and when I started realizing this, I began my journey out of the wilderness.

For years we fought over my desire and need to attend church. It was one thing I defended when I had allowed relationships with family, friends, and co-workers to be stressed to their limits because of her power over me. I wanted to grow in my relationship with God and it was worth doing, even when I faced abuse for it. I needed to hear the voice of God in church and through other people I met. I needed to feel God's love for me. So I had to stop paying attention to my abuser. I didn't blame God for this relationship or for her abuse. Instead, I tried to show more compassion, patience, and love for my partner – it was the "Christian" thing to do. As I got more involved in church activities and grew assured of God's love, I saw that my partnership was preventing me from developing the most intimate and life-giving relationship I could have – my relationship with God. God took a firmer hold of my spirit and thoughts, and I discovered there was no way my partner could control my power within, my power with God. My conversations with God grew more frequent and earnest!

Rather than allowing my partner to continue taking power over me, I started exercising my power within, my spirit, my birthright as God's beloved child. It was a gradual shift. I went from wishing ill on my partner and wanting that cup taken from me, to genuinely wishing her well. When I claimed the power I had with God, I gradually severed the partnership without wanting harm to come to her. My sense of worth and purpose grew as I understood I had the power of the Holy Spirit within me, and I also had power with – power with God, power with others. And I began cooperating in the work toward the common good. It sounds so simple now, but this was a major breakthrough in my way of thinking and living!

Looking back on this wilderness experience, it was difficult to reconcile that I am a beloved child of God who deserves a better life, AND – my former partner, too, is a beloved child of God who deserves a better life! For years I had focused on my own suffering, and that is where my experience most significantly differed from that of Jesus. When I focused on my lack of power, and my pain and suffering, my own spirit was diminished. I often wished for the God of miracles, the one the devil beckoned, to make the problems vanish. I sometimes wished for an untimely death – sometimes my partner's, sometimes my own. I did not lift up our beloved-ness, and I tried to combat evil on its own terms rather than refusing its authority over me. I didn't draw on my power within, and didn't know my power with God. It occurs to me now that when I felt painful blows from my partner, God witnessed and felt the pain of two beloved children – not just mine, but also my partner's pain. By drawing into a deeper relationship with God, I came to know the awesomeness of God's love – which is beyond my understanding. But I don't need to understand it to know that it IS what it is! It was not an easy or comfortable journey. It took years to end this abusive partnership. And in the end, I saw myself as God's beloved child, and with God's presence I extended our Creator's love to my partner, providing help and comfort to her in her most desperate times of need.

Friends, the good news is we are all beloved children of God. Jesus showed us the way through the wilderness. As we journey toward the cross with him during Lent, let us also choose to worship the Creator who knows us and our trials, and who wants to sustain our lives. Let us choose the Spirit of Love, and the God of choices. God has not promised us easy lives, or lives without trial, and like Jesus, we are left to choose how we will respond. Yet we are assured of God's presence and love throughout our trials, no matter what choices we make. We can allow temptation, vices, or evil to gain power over us, or we can draw on the Spirit within to give us strength and our power with God to give us true life. May it be so.