Apologies, folks! We had an issue with the audio recording of this week’s sermon. But here is the full manuscript of the sermon that was delivered by guest preacher, Rev. Walter Steenson.
I find preaching today interesting and a bit different for me. I’ve preached sermons on occasions that warranted it like graduation, a wedding or baptism and usually a yearly sermon on stewardship. The lectionary has often been a guide or the Spirit’s leading. I had a few suggestions over the years from folk,”How come you never preach on such and such.” But no one ever gave me a certain text and said, preach on the text or verse until Dan Brockway came along. Its all good, Dan sent me loads of commentaries and articles, to read in addition to what I have.
The Lord’s Prayer has been part of my life and professional life for a long, long time.
I’m old enough to remember praying it in school, before the practice ended. I’ve also experienced the cacophony of differing version when praying it at the cemetery. At one point reminding folks we’ll use the phrase debts and debtors, when we pray. But someone will sneak in a trespass or an Episcopal will give us for ever and ever. Talking to our Air Force son about this sermon, he said you never know what you you’ll get in chapels.
And having been given an interesting phrase for my sermon the Lord’s Prayer, “but deliver us from evil or the evil one. Interesting that for our Catholic brothers and sisters this is where the version of the prayer they pray stops. Actually doesn’t quite stop, since they use the shorter Lord’s Prayer from Luke as their source. There is speculation that folks didn’t want the prayer to end with evil or the evil one, so their practice is to have the priest say a short prayer (an embolism) like, “Deliver us, Lord we beseech you, from every evil and grant us peace in our day.” Then the people respond with a similar doxology, “For the kingdom, the power and the glory are yours now and forever. Sound familiar.
Anyways, looking at the text there are two words that seemed to stand out, the first is the word “but” and the second “evil or evil one”,depending on the translation. How are these connected, if at all when we pray, but deliver us from evil.
The word but or alla is Greek is in the oldest text we have, so it is not an afterthought or space filler. I noticed some commentators made mention of it and others completely ignored it. But is a word that stops or a reversal of where you are heading in the sentence.
In using group dynamics which we do sometimes as pastors or leaders to get people to contribute ideas or input we’ll use the word and rather than but in trying not to invalidate anyone contributions.
Clearly here Jesus the rabbi teaches his disciples this prayer with the word but intended. One clue is that the previous verse we are bid to do something ourselves; we are to forgive others as we’ve been forgiven. In this kingdom living where we trust God’s promises and provision grace, forgiveness, loving action are central to who we are.
Initially I thought that the word but, was something of a reversal putting responsibility back on God which makes sense, however we have a significance role to play. For when we look at Jesus’ own encounter with the evil one we realize dealing with evil is never easy.
I read through much of what Pastor Dan sent me in preparation for my sermon, good stuff. In looking at my own commentaries on Matthew I saw a book picked up at a clergy retreat in the 80’s. Interesting a used copy of the book is still available on Amazon. My copy was signed by the author leading the retreat, Robert Luccock a professor at Boston University School of Theology, the book entitled simply Preaching Through Matthew.
He writes, concerning the temptation of Jesus in the wilderness, “Not My Temptations or Are They? It is interesting listening to Pastor Dan’s sermon of last Sunday we both tracking on the temptations Jesus encountered when confronted by the evil one. To substitute bread for faith, to use good works to test God and to exchange the glory of God for the glitter of kingdoms. What is interesting is that these still apply. So the word but for us is to stop, look around and pay attention, not just to what is happening, but what is happening with us.
So with thanks to the author we’ll use his categories of Jesus dealing with evil as our guide. Substitute bread for faith.
I don’t know about any of you, my meals are rarely skipped. When I have to fast for something the doctor ordered, it right out to breakfast as soon as I’m done. After my MRI a couple weeks ago we went right to for a big breakfast at Jay’s Diner.
To fast for forty days would be sheer agony and the stones in that part of the world would remind anyone of bread. Even in our time bread in many countries is not neat, sliced and bagged.
Our pastor reminded us a few weeks ago that bread is essential or access to it is essential for society. I’m also proud to belong to a church that feeds people at no charge and more significantly building community with the people that come through our doors. When we forget the reason we feed, help, shelter, advocated we end up just busy, tired or burnt out. I read somewhere that Mother Teresa require hers sister to spend several hours a day is prayer and contemplation. We are living in some anxious time as a country and as a world, and it is not about the bread but serving the one we call the bread of life.
I remember from early on the word bread is often a metaphor for money, success or what we do as our daily bread or as it is sometimes said, your bread and butter. As a young pastor the temptation was to count people in the pews or money in the budget and favorable comments at the door after the service as significant and it was. I’m reminded that the Apostle Paul was a tent maker by trade, yet he barely mentions it.
The question of how are you are doing spiritually, can never be equated with wealth, position or power unless there is any confusion about that. Unfortunately too many Christians of a certain ideology are confused about that.
When confronted with the temptation to turn stones into bread, Jesus’ reply are the very words Moses spoke to the people before they entered the Promised Land reminding them of the manna God gave when they were hungry and everything comes from God. God has richly blessed us.
“Remembering the long way that the Lord your God has led you these forty years in the wilderness, in order to humble you, testing you to know what is in your heart, whether or not you would keep his commandments” (Deuteronomy 8:2).
The test here is long haul faith, not the immediate need. The forty years in the desert were learning over and over there are no quick fixes. The test for Jesus come right after his baptism, his forty day and his public ministry beginning.
We may have to find our way through our current wilderness wandering. There are no quick fixes only staying faithful. The test for any of us is not about making wrong choices, but rightly choosing over and over to live the life we’re called to live.
Jesus second temptation is one that hits close to home using a good thing to test God. By jumping off the temple causing God to bear him up, as Psalm 91:12 says, “On their hands they will bear you up least you dash your foot against a stone.
We also need to be clear that how we interpret our faith and politics may be different from others. Some of the stuff I see posted on lines has about it a self righteous ring to it. We’re liberal so we’re on the right side of the faith.
Jesus response is interesting and again it is Moses. The scene is where there is no water, Moses has a potential mutiny on his hand, and the people are ready to turn back to Egypt. Moses responds, … Why do you quarrel with me? Why do you test the Lord.” Exodus 17:2. The rest of the story we remember is when Moses struck the rock as God commanded and the water came in abundance.
Not the end of the story though, if we read in Psalm 95, a wonderful Psalm that is often used as a call to worship or responsive reading that ready beautifully until verse.
7 O that today you would listen to his voice!
8 Do not harden your hearts, as at Meribah,
as on the day at Massah in the wilderness,
9 when your ancestors tested me
and put me to the proof, though they had seen my work.
10 For forty years I loathed that generation
and said, “They are a people whose hearts go astray,
and they do not regard my ways.”
11 Therefore in my anger I swore,
“They shall not enter my rest.”
“O come let us sing to the Lord; let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation..” and on it goes until around verse 7, “O that today you would listen to his voice!” Do not harden your hearts, as at Meribah as on the day at Massah in the wilderness, when you ancestors tested me and put me to proof, though they had seen my work. For forty years I loathed that generation and said, “They are people whose hearts go astray, and they do not regard my ways.” Therefore in my anger I swore, They shall not enter my rest.”
We remember that after the forty years of wandering that first generation died out and Moses only saw the Promised Land before he died.
Doing the right thing for the wrong reason would never work out. At the end the Israelite we told never test God again. Yet they did and we do.
I’m so proud to belong to a church that welcome, shelters and feeds the folks who come in our doors. Not just on the third Sunday, but we have food available all the time, we’re a code blue site too. But what we’re really all about is building community together. If it is just bragging rites or we’re doing what others are not we’ve missed the point. Pastor Dan encourages us to sit down and get to know the folks that come and we’re doing it. It is also the right thing for the right reason. Folks here don’t have to hear a sermon to have a meal.
As a veteran of church suppers, especially fund raising ones. And most of the time the math and work didn’t add up for me. All that work and effort and a small profit. Some decent pledges would handle that.
I’m reminded of another thing Jesus said in John 10:10 ”… I have come that they may have life, and have it abundantly.” We do have abundant food, folks take seconds and food shelf items. That word abundant is a big word for welcoming, care, love advocating. Here at Brockport First Baptist we called to do ministry because it is right called thing to.
I believe we are here to be a generous people, generous in spirit, gifts, love, working for justice, and to the least of these.
Lastly Jesus is offered the Kingdom of the world if he would bow the evil one, which he rejects outright, Moses giving the great commandment in Deuteronomy 6:13 “The Lord your God, ...you shall serve.” Luccock used the words here, tempted to exchange the glory of God for the Glitter of the kingdom.
I think of that when I see these TV preachers with thousands seated in their church, the book deals, the influence and wealth, they have I don’t doubt they done some good work, yet I’m reminded Jesus words on praying as to be seen,”They already have their reward.”
Lori and I barely watched the Superbowl, in part because we’re Bills fans, and we did see the last quarter when we saw Philadelphia was winning.
That was our own little protest and if the Bills were in it we surely would watch.
Also the hype over who is performing at half time, what new and clever commercials will play and the millions spent because the president attended. While agencies and groups that feed and help people all over the world have lost their funding. I couldn’t ignore the contrast.
And politicians so in love with their own power and position we have lost our system of checks and balances?
We can’t go for the glitter even though it looks and sounds great, often it is hype be it political, financial and whatever shinny object that is waved at us.
Jesus could have had the kingdoms, however he wants to build a kingdom here with us.
Good Lord... deliver us.
Deliver us from all the stuff and striving that stunts our faith and seek the true bread.
Deliver us from spiritual game playing and help us walk by faith
Deliver us from seeking the wrong kingdom and help build the one we pray for.
Amen.
