Holy Communion – Sermon 262

Holy Communion 10.00am
14th February 2016
First Sunday of Lent

Prayer to start

May the words of my lips and the thoughts of our hearts be graciously received for the Glory and honour of our Lord Jesus Christ

                                        AMEN                  

Introduction

Hail Bishop Valentine, whose day this is,

All the air is thy Diocese,

And all the chirping choristers

And other birds are thy parishioners,

Thou marryest every year

The lyric Lark, and the grave whispering Dove,

The Sparrow that neglects his life for love,

The household bird, with the red stomacher;

Thou maks’t the black bird speed as soon,

As doth the Goldfinch, or the Hal-cy-on;

The husband cock looks out, and straight is sped,

And meets his wife, which brings her feather-bed.

This day more cheerfully than ever shine,

This day, which might enflame thy self, old Valentine.

St Valentine’s Day is traditionally a day for sending cards and flowers and declaring one’s love – to someone close to us –

and it may owe its existence in our calendars to the poet John Dunne- who wrote a marriage song – for Princesss Elizabeth – an ancestor of our own Queen Elisabeth – the daughter of James 1^st – for her wedding to Count Frederick Palentine on St Valentine’s Day – in 1632 –

His marriage song merged the religious commemoration of St Valentine with fertility and the spring mating of birds –

St Valentine himself – was a bishop from Terni –about 70 miles north of Rome – who was taken to Rome and martyred in 273 AD –little is known about him – except that he was a Saint that reminds us of the difficulties of living as a Christian – in a time of great persecution –

Point 1

This year Valentine’s Day is also the first Sunday in Lent – when we traditionally hear of the temptations of Jesus in the wilderness – when we too – set out on our – own wilderness journey

In Lent – many of us think about giving something up – to prepare ourselves – to identify ourselves with Jesus and his time in the desert –

But throughout His experience in the desert – Jesus considered these temptations –merely distractions – rather than preparations – distractions from worshipping and trusting in His Father – the one true God

Every moment – God calls us to know Him – love Him – and worship Him – to celebrate His presence within us – and to reflect His image to the world –

Temptations lure us away from that privilege – that invitation – they lower our gaze – shorten our horizons – encourage us to settle for second best or worst –

For Jesus – it wasn’t a question of taming or controlling the devil’s temptations – but recognizing that if He followed them –He would miss out on the best His Father has to offer

Point 2

The first temptation – played on the very strength that Jesus had received – at His Baptism – ‘You are my Son, my beloved one’, God had said to Him – ‘very well’, whispers the voice – ‘if you are the Son of God – command this stone to become a loaf of bread’ – Surely God can’t want you to go hungry when you have the power to feed yourself’

After forty days – those large flat stones of the desert must have looked like huge pieces of bread – Adam and Eve had tasted the forbidden fruit – and the devil wanted Jesus to taste it as well –

But Jesus responded with a passage from the story of Israel in the wilderness – from Dueteronomy (8:3)  – ‘Man shall not live by bread alone’

If the choice was between doing God’s work – in God’s way – or doing God’s work His own way – Jesus will choose God’s way –

Bread sustains – but doesn’t guarantee life – life is God’s gift – to those who live by His word – follow His commands – trust in His promises – This was what the people of Israel learned during their time in the desert – when God miraculously fed the people with manna – they were humbled and totally dependent on Him – and came to realise that God can provide them with much more

Turning those stones to bread – would be no compensation for the loss of the -gift of life – that God- can bring

The gifts Jesus has – which He will soon display in healing – are to be used to restore others to life and strength – and not to make His personal circumstances easier –

We face similar questions about how we should use our gifts – are we using them fully for God’s purposes – or just for our own personal comfort or gain?

So you say – said the devil – but hang on a minute – doesn’t God want you to become king of the world – that’s no easy task – I should know –‘To you I will give their glory and all this authority – if you worship me’ – and accept it on my terms-

Again Jesus responds with a passage from Deuteronony (6:13) – ‘Scripture says –Worship the Lord your God, and serve Him only’ 

The people of Israel were asked this question – in the wilderness – whether they worshiped God alone or other God’s as they did with the Golden Calf –

Jesus is committed to trusting God completely – to loving and serving God alone – the devil himself may offer undreamed of – power and popularity – but the Father – offers much more –

Jesus the Messiah had come to do His Fathers will – and His will alone – and only with the Father’s help will His mission succeed – The path of becoming the world’s true Lord – is not by seeking status and power but through humble service to God –

Like Jesus – We too need to focus ourselves exclusively on God – to give Him rights over everything we are and do –

OK – said the voice – if you don’t want to take my offer – fine – but if you want to be king – you’ll have to get yourself noticed – you’ll need to do something spectacular – something that will show people how important you are to God – ‘throw yourself down from here’ – from the top of the Temple – He will command His Angels to catch you – you know they will –

Jesus saw through the trap – He answers again with a quote from – Dueteronomy (6:16) –

‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test’

Jesus is committed to living off God’s word – trusting God completely without setting up trick tests to put Him on the spot –

The power that Jesus has will not be used for cheap stunts – but to restore others to life – His status as God’s son commits Him – not to go for prestige – but to follow the path of humility – service and finally death –

Like Jesus we too should realize that its God’s authority that needs to be noticed – It’s not about other people admiring us – we are humble servants – and we should be ready to tell of God’s greatness and power.

Point 3

Throughout His temptations Jesus remained single-minded – in His devotion to God –

He was tempted in the areas of humanities greatest needs – physical comforts – the need for security – the need to be accepted and to influence others-

The devil wanted Jesus to use His powers in a way that would compromise God’s plans for Him – But for Jesus –worshipping and receiving the love of the one He knew as the Father – was far larger and richer than anything that the devil could offer-

The Israelites – entering the promised land – knew this – and worshiped God with their first fruits – they did not take the land for granted –

Paul too reminds us that Jesus – has become Lord of the whole world – not by the tempters route – but – because of His faithfulness to God – and His vocation of suffering and death – on the cross- 

We must – acknowledge ‘Jesus as Lord’ and our belief in His resurrection from the dead – we will be tempted – not only into wrong belief –  but also into missing out on the best that God has to offer us – Like Jesus we need to keep our eyes firmly fixed on God – and trust in Him for everything-

Close

A little boy stood in a grocers shop – staring at an open box full of chocolate Easter Eggs –

Now then me Lad – said the grocer – What are you up to? – Nothing replied the Boy.

Nothing? – Well it looks to me as if you are trying to take a chocolate egg!

Your wrong mister’ said the boy, ‘I’m trying not to’

The temptations we face day by day – and at critical times – in our lives – may be very different to Jesus – but they have the same purpose – To entice us into committing sin – to detract us from the path of service and true worship –

This Valentine’s day – and in Lent – we may be tempted with a chocolate or two – but let’s make sure like Jesus – that we don’t give up on the one true love – that we all would be willing to commit our lives to .

Prayer

                              AMEN