A
Homily for I Lent All Saints’ Church, Southern Shores, NC
February 17, 2013 Thomas E. Wilson, Rector
At
last week’s convention the Bishop shared an experience of attending
a meeting which began with the following question being asked: “How
will what we do now affect the poor?” The question was followed by
two minutes of silence and then discussion for three minutes on the
question; then, and only then, could the meeting begin. This is how
we started off the Vestry retreat yesterday morning. (Or if you are
reading this before Sunday- it is how we will begin.)
The
usual procedure in church institutions is to first see to meeting the
needs of the institution, followed by the “needs” or desires of
the parishioners, and then and only then, if we have the time, we ask
how we might help the poor. The problem for us is that Jesus started
off his ministry, continued his ministry, and ended his ministry
asking how what we do here will proclaim Good News to the poor in
mind, body and spirit. Jesus didn’t spend too much time maintaining
institutions and very little making sure his disciples were
“pleased”.
Today’s
Gospel lesson from Luke is about the temptation of Jesus in the
wilderness into which Jesus was led by the Holy Spirit. Actually the
Greek word, “ago”
which most translators render as “led” can also be translated as
“driven”. Right now I am in the place where I like that variant
translation for I think that the life of faith forces us into the
lonely places where we must undergo all of the temptations that flesh
is heir to - for where Jesus goes we are faithfully driven to follow.
So,
what are we doing here today and how will what we are doing here now,
being tempted by the darker angels of our nature, help the poor? Most
of us are relatively well off, or at least present a good front. The
temptations are about entering into three kinds of poverty. The first
kind of poverty is the lack of material resources, and the temptation
is to fill any lack - to be in control and self-sufficient (turn the
stones into bread). The second kind of poverty is the lack of
influence - power over others - and the temptation is to enforce our
own political will (rule the nations of the earth). The third kind of
poverty is the poverty of marginalization where the poor aren’t
even noticed, and the temptation is to make a big splash and be
noticed (throw himself off a high place and not be harmed). All of
the temptations are about power and security, whereas poverty is
about powerlessness and vulnerability.
The
three temptations are presented as a win–lose situation by the
father of lies and false choices. The Liar, in each of us, says in
the first temptation that we live in a creation of scarcity so we
need to grab what feeds our hungers ourselves. Mother Teresa used to
tell us that, as a matter of faith, there is enough food to go around
for all people. Recent scientific studies tell us that 40% of the
food supply in this nation is wasted and discarded. We, the
relatively well off, lack the will to share, and we resist the will
to change the way we consume. The good news that Jesus gives us -
that life is more than individual consumption - could, if we listen
and follow Jesus into the lonely places, turn into Good News for the
poor - IF we will change business as usual and see ourselves as
lovers rather than only consumers.
The
Liar, in each of us, suggests that the imposition of our political
will over others is the way to peace of mind. I urge each of us to
see into past history, and indeed present events, to show the
bankruptcy of this lie. Every time we, the relatively well off,
seem to win for “our” side, we seem to set up the next fight for
control, and we use the poor as pawns, objects to be traded, to
“win”. Has it never broken through to us that co-operation with
our “opponents”, who we seem to like to call “enemies”, is
the only way out of the constant political campaigns and wars we are
waging? The good news that Jesus gives us - that peace comes when we
serve God first – could, if we listen and follow Jesus into the
lonely places, turn into Good News for the poor - IF we will change
the business as usual of the “winning at all costs” mentality.
The
Liar, in each of us, implies that the image we present is more
important than the substance of who we are. Therefore, we waste all
this energy prancing and preening as we sell out our souls for the
approval of others. Each mask, or costume or image that we layer on
our public persona contributes, not to greater invulnerability as we
hope, but to alienation from the ultimate meaning of our lives and to
the perception of others. Each role we take on keeps us from sharing
ourselves intimately with another soul. When we, the relatively well
off, look at the poor, we do not see them as full human beings, our
brothers and sisters as broken as we are, but as stereotypes on whom
we project all of our failings. The poor indeed do have problems, and
the problem WE can do something about is us. The good news that Jesus
gives us -a full vision of ourselves and our neighbor- could, if we
listen and follow Jesus into the lonely places, turn into Good News
for the poor - IF we will accept the healing of the blindness of our
egos.
There
is a fourth poverty, and it is the poverty of spirit as Jesus said,
“Blessed are the poor in spirit, those who know they need God, for
theirs is the Kingdom of the Heavens.” This is the poverty which
Jesus embraces, and it is the only poverty worth having. The
temptations which Jesus undergoes are not the isolated events of 2000
years ago, endured by a superhuman hero in the desert. The
temptations are daily events with which every human struggles: (1)
allowing care for neighbor instead of feeding our greed, (2)
replacing control with cooperation, (3) risking vulnerable intimacy
instead of hiding behind structured alienation and (4) embracing the
need to find our strength in a power greater than ourselves, as we
sing along with the Psalmist for today:
We
who dwell in the shelter of the Most High, *
abide under the shadow of the Almighty.
abide under the shadow of the Almighty.
We
shall say to the LORD,
"You are our refuge and our stronghold, *
our God in whom we put our trust."
"You are our refuge and our stronghold, *
our God in whom we put our trust."
Or if you attended
the 10:30 service, we can sing the paraphrase:
You who dwell in the
shelter of the Lord, Who abide in His shadow for life, Say to the
Lord, "My Refuge, My Rock in Whom I trust."
And He will raise
you up on eagle's wings, Bear you on the breath of dawn, Make you to
shine like the sun, And hold you in the palm of His Hand.
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