LUKE 4:1-15

Laterally Luke…Lent 1…2019

For years now I’ve been a keen follower of U.S.A. Lutheran Preacher / Teacher David Lose. First on his ‘Working Preacher’ site, &, more recently, on his ‘In the Meantime’. Three years ago, when this same passage arose, David posted, with what I consider to be extraordinary insight, ‘This passage is really about identity theft’. That’s what I’d like to explore now, & commend you to consider, too. I can’t imagine a congregation not responding to such a today issue. You may just find connecting it, as David does, with our Lord’s testing in the wilderness different but irresistible!  

In these last years ‘identity theft’ has exploded all over the world, not least here in OZ. People have had their identities stolen through online scams, telephone, bank cards, passport, credit card thefts & numerous other ways. Not long ago a home-owner in Western Australia found their house sold over their heads by someone who had stolen their identity & scammed a real-estate agent. A bit scary? As Jesus finds out there in that desert place as He battles to prevent Himself stealing an identity - Son of God & Messiah - He may not be entitled to! His resistance to the ‘devil’, though, proves He is exactly who He thinks He is! If this seems too odd a twist on our usual approaches to preaching this passage, ponder it discerningly! The risk may be rewarding!

How does the ‘devil’ - however we may understand that term - attempting to steal Jesus’ true identity from Him out there in that wilderness apply to today situations? In particular, to our own identity as disciples? 

I’m not big on devil-centred stuff. For me the devil has long been that dark side of myself which is always trying to steal my true identity as a child of God & pervert it to whatever identity I find convenient to myself at the time. Tempting me away from true discipleship to ‘turning stones into bread’, ‘ruling my world’ by any means at my disposal or, ‘pulling off stunts’ to attract followers of my own. 

Can our congregation identify with any of these present-day goings-on? In their own lives, or, maybe in ours?! It may be a testing experience in itself, for those of us who preach, to present today’s Gospel in new & living ways more relevant to our people than just repeating old ideas, or, dare I say, old sermons, about Jesus’ testings in their oft-repeated ancient context! Jesus’ answers to the devil out there remain the pattern for the responses we need to make in our own testings & temptations.

Brian 

Afterthought: I heard of a parish where sermons always seemed ‘old hat’. One day the priest left his notes in the pulpit. Some suspected he was preaching his priest-father’s old sermons. No such thing; they turned out to be his priest-grandfather’s! Jesus unashamedly preached sermons from His Father, but they were always as new as God is!