Country singer Lari White sings about temptation but she doesn't need any help from the devil. “Lead me not into temptation I already know the road all too well. Lead me not into temptation I can find it all by myself.” Of course she’s singing about a “good looking thing” that caught her looking at him, but she’s the one who will tell him to “get thee behind me and I’ll show you the way.” That is true for us as well. We know the road all too well and despite the best of intentions we make choices based on our hunger, real or imagined, that demands to be filled. We believe the lie because it promises everything and even though the lie never delivers we are willing to take whatever crumbs it offers. Tempted to live for self we turn stones into bread but are hungry still. Lusting after power and wealth and possessions we sell our soul but are hungry still. And when in the practice of faith we look for proof of God in emotional experiences or carefully constructed theologies, or lives of rigid rules with self righteousness as our reward, we are hungry still. That is the truth about our lives. The first step in a different direction is admitting we know the old road all too well. Honesty stills the voice of our hunger, real or imagined, so that we hear the voice of Jesus singing a different song from another road that one day will be the only road we know. “Get thee behind me" Jesus says, "and I’ll show you the way.”
Thursday, February 14, 2013
Lent 1 C - Luke 4:1-13
Country singer Lari White sings about temptation but she doesn't need any help from the devil. “Lead me not into temptation I already know the road all too well. Lead me not into temptation I can find it all by myself.” Of course she’s singing about a “good looking thing” that caught her looking at him, but she’s the one who will tell him to “get thee behind me and I’ll show you the way.” That is true for us as well. We know the road all too well and despite the best of intentions we make choices based on our hunger, real or imagined, that demands to be filled. We believe the lie because it promises everything and even though the lie never delivers we are willing to take whatever crumbs it offers. Tempted to live for self we turn stones into bread but are hungry still. Lusting after power and wealth and possessions we sell our soul but are hungry still. And when in the practice of faith we look for proof of God in emotional experiences or carefully constructed theologies, or lives of rigid rules with self righteousness as our reward, we are hungry still. That is the truth about our lives. The first step in a different direction is admitting we know the old road all too well. Honesty stills the voice of our hunger, real or imagined, so that we hear the voice of Jesus singing a different song from another road that one day will be the only road we know. “Get thee behind me" Jesus says, "and I’ll show you the way.”
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