Rev. Bill Kruse

Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. He fasted forty days and forty nights, and afterwards he was famished. The tempter came and said to him, ‘If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread.’ But he answered, ‘It is written, “One does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.”’ Then the devil took him to the holy city and placed him on the pinnacle of the temple, saying to him, ‘If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down; for it is written, “He will command his angels concerning you,” and “On their hands they will bear you up, so that you will not dash your foot against a stone.”’ Jesus said to him, ‘Again it is written, “Do not put the Lord your God to the test.”’ Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor; and he said to him, ‘All these I will give you, if you will fall down and worship me.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Away with you, Satan! for it is written, “Worship the Lord your God, and serve only him.”’ Then the devil left him, and suddenly angels came and waited on him. Matthew 4:1-11

Temptations come to each of us; it makes sense to take time to face them. Let the Spirit of Christ in us name the temptations which we face. The temptations give us an opportunity to choose again what are values are, and in which direction is our integrity. What temptations did Jesus face? The temptations of Jesus give us a preview of who Jesus is and what he came to do. What temptations do you and I face? Have we pushed them so far down in our consciousness that we aren't aware of them? Are we willing to take time to face the tempter? Can our temptations reveal to us once again who we are, and what work God sends us to do?  Matthew tells us that Jesus was baptized in the river Jordan, and then was led by the Spirit into the wilderness. Do you remember that scene at the river? Jesus saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and touching down on him. Then in addition to that touch, he heard a heavenly voice saying, "This is my beloved... with whom I am well pleased." We all need to have that experience, don't we? And I am convinced that we all can experience that touch of the Spirit. And we all can hear that same voice saying the same words, "This is my beloved... in whom I am well pleased." When Jesus walked into that Judean wilderness, I think he thought that he was going to be alone with God. That is what most of us want when we seek a place to be alone. We want to feel that spiritual touch, and we want to hear that gentle voice deep within us. Yet, it often happens to me -- and I suspect it happens to all of us -- that other voices come with us and seek to influence us. These voices can be seductive, and can speak to us about how we can use our gifts and talents for our own self interests, and our own grandiosity. Instead of the voice of God, telling us that we are beloved, that we are precious just as we are, a different voice urges us to do something to earn love. A loud, insistent voice suggests that if we put in more hours at work, we just might be worthy of love and admiration. Through determined efforts and a lot of hard, innovative work, we might become a "wonder worker," and we just might become acceptable. Voices like that passionately deny that love is a free gift. Love, they say, is the prize you win when you have slain the dragon. Only the warrior who has fought and conquered deserves love. In whom do we put our trust? In the small voice which whispers deep within us, that we are beloved? Or do we believe that louder voice which insists that only the warrior who has fought and conquered deserves love? By way of conclusion, I want to say the obvious: that today's readings are a fitting introduction to Lent. They underscore what Lent is all about. Lent is about following Jesus. Lent is about what Jesus did -- confront the tempter and face your own temptations. The Greek word which is here translated "temptation" is most frequently translated "to test". In the wilderness, Jesus had his calling by God tested. The choice the tempter was putting before Jesus was God's rule, or Satan's rule. Will Jesus be the Messiah for the people of God? Or, will be be a "wonder worker" for his own glory, and ultimately for Satan's victory? As a result of facing the the tempter and the temptations, Jesus developed clarity, conviction, and a passionate fire for his vocation.  Every one of us need to periodically get away from our daily routine. We need to take time to hear the still small voice within, saying, "You are my beloved. In you I am very pleased." Then we need to listen to those louder voices which speak of how we are to use our gifts and talents and powers. If every temptation is in the context of God's spiritual touch, then we are probably safe from the temptations and we can walk the Lenten wilderness with Jesus all the way to the Easter victory. It may help to remember that Christ is within you now, and he walks beside you too. He lives in your brother and sister as well, and you do not walk alone.

Jesus came to a Samaritan city called Sychar, near the plot of ground that Jacob had given to his son Joseph. Jacob's well was there, and Jesus, tired out by his journey, was sitting by the well. It was about noon. A Samaritan woman came to draw water, and Jesus said to her, "Give me a drink." (His disciples had gone to the city to buy food.) The Samaritan woman said to him, "How is it that you, a Jew, ask a drink of me, a woman of Samaria?" (Jews do not share things in common with Samaritans.) Jesus answered her, "If you knew the gift of God, and who it is that is saying to you, `Give me a drink,' you would have asked him, and he would have given you living water." The woman said to him, "Sir, you have no bucket, and the well is deep. Where do you get that living water? Are you greater than our ancestor Jacob, who gave us the well, and with his sons and his flocks drank from it?" Jesus said to her, "Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again, but those who drink of the water that I will give them will never be thirsty. The water that I will give will become in them a spring of water gushing up to eternal life." The woman said to him, "Sir, give me this water, so that I may never be thirsty or have to keep coming here to draw water." Jesus said to her, "Go, call your husband, and come back." The woman answered him, "I have no husband." Jesus said to her, "You are right in saying, `I have no husband'; for you have had five husbands, and the one you have now is not your husband. What you have said is true!" The woman said to him, "Sir, I see that you are a prophet. Our ancestors worshiped on this mountain, but you say that the place where people must worship is in Jerusalem." Jesus said to her, "Woman, believe me, the hour is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem. You worship what you do not know; we worship what we know, for salvation is from the Jews. But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father seeks such as these to worship him. God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth." The woman said to him, "I know that Messiah is coming" (who is called Christ). "When he comes, he will proclaim all things to us." Jesus said to her, "I am he, the one who is speaking to you." Many Samaritans from that city believed in him because of the woman's testimony, "He told me everything I have ever done." So when the Samaritans came to him, they asked him to stay with them; and he stayed there two days. And many more believed because of his word. They said to the woman, "It is no longer because of what you said that we believe, for we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this is truly the Savior of the world."  John 4:5-26; 39-42

Can you get a sense of how this woman was feeling? She was amazed that Jesus would even talk to her. It was not considered proper for Jews to converse with Samaritans in Jesus' day, although Jesus seems to be free of this convention. He simply says, "Give me a drink." The woman asks Jesus how it can be that he ask a Samaritan for water. Jesus then turns the subject to living water. Whoever drinks of such water, Jesus says, will never thirst again. Do you believe that? Even though we do believe that Jesus is the Son of God, and we do accept this spiritual living water, we do at times still feel thirst as Christians. We may faithfully participate in the Eucharist, eating the bread of life and drinking from the cup of salvation, but we may at times still feel a spiritual thirst. We may especially feel this thirst if we are very much caught up in the daily routine, and we do not spend time in the presence of God, through such things as daily devotions, meditation, and other spiritual exercises. In this passage, the God of the universe in the person of Jesus Christ wants to speak to this woman. He speaks to her spiritual thirst. She had a sense that Jesus was a good, holy man. The fact that she immediately goes into town and talks freely about her meeting with Jesus indicates that she experienced an inner healing. It is an inspiring story for us, one that illustrates Jesus as a Savior and Healer. Jesus identifies his healing with a redemptive mission. He had not come for those who were whole, but for those who are broken. His mission is to restore all of humanity to wholeness. Yet, so few people want to be involved in healing. The apostolic church was a healing ministry. Why do we tend to ignore this fact? Healing is not an intellectual exercise; it involves the whole self, the mind, body and spirit. It is important to actually experience healing, of yourself and of others, in addition to simply reading about it in the scriptures. Couldn't there be more people willing to learn about Jesus' healing ministry? It is a matter of practice, and it does take time to develop. But as you are seeking him, and seeking healing for yourself and others, we experience more of the kingdom of heaven.

Psalm 23
Dominus regit me

The LORD is my shepherd;
I shall not be in want.
 

He makes me lie down in green pastures
and leads me beside still waters.
 

He revives my soul 
and guides me along right pathways for his Name's sake.
 

Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I shall fear no evil;
for you are with me;
your rod and your staff, they comfort me.
 

You spread a table before me in the presence of those

who trouble me;
you have anointed my head with oil,
and my cup is running over.
 

Surely your goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days

of my life,
and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever.

The Anglican Frontier Mission focuses on the last evangelized peoples of the world. We look for places where there are no other churches. The Bible is usually not available in the local language in places such as these. There are millions of people who have absolutely no idea about Jesus being the Light of the World. The 23rd Psalm is like a gem to us as believers; when turned this way and that, it gives off so many different hues and facets. It speaks of God's goodness, his care for us, and his love for us. If we did not have these images, and looked at it in a more negative way, what would it be like? We would be on our own, without the provision of God. We would have no spiritual nourishment. We would likely follow destructive paths. We would face death in fear and despair. Our troubles and trials would overwhelm us. There would be no source of hope for our lives. We as believers can ponder the metaphors found in this Psalm, and they nourish us. Another way that we might view Psalm 23 is through the eyes of one of these people in an unreached area of the world, such as a shepherd in southwest Iran. He has no pastor, no church, no radio programs. This shepherd would be a total stranger to Psalm 23. He would be a Muslim; he hasn't rejected Christianity, it would simply have never been shared or taught to him. The Psalm begins by saying, "The Lord is my Shepherd." The shepherd would reject this. His Lord is Allah, which means oneness, or perfect. For God to have a personality would be absurd to him. None of the names for Allah convey the warmth, love or caring of a shepherd. Another metaphor found in the 23rd Psalm is "your rod and your staff, they comfort me". Again, Allah does not do this; he doesn't walk beside us or dwell with us, and he certainly would not have any son. This would mean that there is an imperfection. The rules are well-laid out for the shepherd; he hopes and prays that the good he has done during his lifetime will outweigh the bad at the time of his death. Another line in this Psalm is "You spread a table before me". We can pour out our hearts to the Almighty. He is preparing a feast to assure us of victory. The shepherd, in contrast, has very specific rules of prayer, dictating when and how he should pray. It is very ritualistic and by rote. The God of Christians is totally foreign to such people as these. They can't imagine a faith and a religion teaching these concepts. It would be rejected as offensive by most. But some would wonder, and would ponder these truths in their hearts. It is costly to work among people such as these, who are the least evangelized and are without any knowledge of Jesus Christ. It will be a long time before we see a church in their midst. But God loves these people, and knows each one of them, and he died for them. That's why we know it can be done. The Anglican Foreign Mission uses these basics. We work with all denominations, and bring as many people as possible to the table. We also strive to be the Episcopal Church's voice to the least evangelized, and to be an advocate on their behalf. We need people to go to these places, and perhaps one of them might be you. God may nudge you in this direction. It will certainly stretch your faith, your gifts, your love, and your agenda for this church. But it will bring into focus God's works amongst places such as these, and it will convince us that because of his love he is worthy, and he is with us.

When Jesus arrived, he found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb four days. Now Bethany was near Jerusalem, some two miles away, and many of the Jews had come to Martha and Mary to console them about their brother. When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went and met him, while Mary stayed at home. Martha said to Jesus, "Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. But even now I know that God will give you whatever you ask of him." Jesus said to her, "Your brother will rise again." Martha said to him, "I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day." Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. Those who believe in me, even though they die, will live, and everyone who lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?" She said to him, "Yes, Lord, I believe that you are the Messiah, the Son of God, the one coming into the world." When she had said this, she went back and called her sister Mary, and told her privately, "The Teacher is here and is calling for you." And when she heard it, she got up quickly and went to him. Now Jesus had not yet come to the village, but was still at the place where Martha had met him. The Jews who were with her in the house, consoling her, saw Mary get up quickly and go out. They followed her because they thought that she was going to the tomb to weep there. When Mary came where Jesus was and saw him, she knelt at his feet and said to him, "Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died." When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who came with her also weeping, he was greatly disturbed in spirit and deeply moved. He said, "Where have you laid him?" They said to him, "Lord, come and see." Jesus began to weep. So the Jews said, "See how he loved him!" But some of them said, "Could not he who opened the eyes of the blind man have kept this man from dying?" Then Jesus, again greatly disturbed, came to the tomb. It was a cave, and a stone was lying against it. Jesus said, "Take away the stone." Martha, the sister of the dead man, said to him, "Lord, already there is a stench because he has been dead four days." Jesus said to her, "Did I not tell you that if you believed, you would see the glory of God?" So they took away the stone. And Jesus looked upward and said, "Father, I thank you for having heard me. I knew that you always hear me, but I have said this for the sake of the crowd standing here, so that they may believe that you sent me." When he had said this, he cried with a loud voice, "Lazarus, come out!" The dead man came out, his hands and feet bound with strips of cloth, and his face wrapped in a cloth. Jesus said to them, "Unbind him, and let him go." John 11:17-44

In this passage, we find Jesus attending the funeral of a young man. Jesus is with his disciples in the north, trying to avoid the authorities who are threatened by the miracles he has performed. We get a sense that Lazarus, Mary and Martha were best friends with Jesus. He stayed in Bethany with them. We also get a sense of the intimacy between them; they sent for Jesus when Lazarus was sick, referring to him as "the one you love". The circumstances were dire, and Jesus goes to Bethany. Upon his arrival, both sisters say, "If you would have been here, this wouldn't have happened." Have you ever been in a place in your life where you feel that God has let you down? Mary and Martha felt this way. But there is something astounding in the story -- Jesus stayed two days longer before coming to Bethany, when he first received the summons. His friend was dying, he had the gift of healing, he loved him, but yet he still waited. If we look at the chronology, we see that it would have taken one day for the message to get to Jesus, the same day that Lazarus died. On days two and three, Jesus waits. On the fourth day, Jesus travels to Bethany. The Jewish people believed that the soul hovered near the body for three days, and on the fourth day the soul was completely gone. So it may have been that Jesus was waiting, so that the people would have faith when they saw that this was truly a miracle. Lent is that time in the church year when we have to examine our lives and challenge the difficult things in our lives. So Jesus waits. And even knowing that Lazarus was gone, he comes to the funeral. What about your life? Are there times when you've prayed, and struggled with some difficulty in your life, but still seem to receive no answer? Sometimes the answer is "yes," sometimes it is "no," and sometimes it is "wait." But he does always hear. On that day, the women came, poured themselves out. Martha even says, "I know that he will rise again in the resurrection." Jesus responds, "I am the resurrection and the life. Those who believe in me, even though they die, will live." Jesus knew what he was going to do. He simply said, "Believe." If you believe, God will make a difference. This is the challenge -- to believe. We are always seeking a way of dodging or escaping the difficult things. But real life doesn't give us a chance to dodge. God says to us in real life, "Believe. I'll see you through, come what may." Jesus proves this. He walks over to the tomb, even while weeping. He calls out to Lazarus, and the dead man comes alive. Do you believe? It is a true story. This moment in Jesus' life is an incredible story for all of us. In times when it seems that God doesn't care, he says "believe," and you will see how God brings you through the challenge you face.  This story can forever change our perspective on how we live today. John, as he tells this story, not only wants us to look back to the facts of the story, but he also wants us to look ahead in our lives. Lazarus had to be unbound from his burial clothes; but no one had to unbind Jesus at the resurrection. Looking forward, we see that Jesus will be raised at the resurrection, and God too will see us through.

Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus,
who, though he was in the form of God,
did not regard equality with God
as something to be exploited,
but emptied himself,
taking the form of a slave,
being born in human likeness.
And being found in human form,
he humbled himself
and became obedient to the point of death--
even death on a cross.
Therefore God also highly exalted him
and gave him the name
that is above every name,
so that at the name of Jesus
every knee should bend,
in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
and every tongue should confess
that Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father.
Phil 2:5-11

"Let this mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus."  Is that as startling to you as it is to me? It boggles my mind, and yet as I let myself think about it, it seems possible... for a few minutes at a time, at least. Sometimes, not always, when I am praying for someone, I feel like the mind of Christ is open to me. It happens when I am very relaxed, as in a meditation, and I feel detached from the outcome. I have that sense that the Spirit and mind of Christ is indeed in me. And truthfully, that sometimes frightens me. I wonder if I am falling for an ego-inflation or being seduced by a wish-fulfillment. But the apostle to the Gentiles is actually counseling you to "Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus. And in the same passage from Philippians there is an implication that we should empty ourselves. But empty ourselves of what? Could Paul mean that we are to empty ourselves of everything that would block the mind of Christ being in us? Maybe, the apostle is suggesting that we are to let go of everything. Let go of your personal desires, goals, ambitions, opinions... opinions about who you are, what your life is about, what your limitations are. Let go of what you believe the scriptures mean, and who God is. Empty yourself until you can come before your God with empty hands and a hollowed-out self. Only then, perhaps, can God fill your earthen vessel with the treasure, which is the mind of Christ. Come to think of it, didn't Paul himself, empty himself, subsequent to his encountering Christ on the road to Damascus? Saul, the zealous defender of the law -- didn't he give up all he had learned in rabbinical training? Didn't he give up his personal goals, ambitions, friends, enemies, everything -- so that he might know Christ, and him crucified? And did not Christ make of Saul a new creation?  And does Christ want less for you, or me? In your heart of hearts, do you suspect that Christ is not through with you? Is it possible, even likely, that the Lord wants to make a new creation of you, and me? Is that what Holy Week is all about? Emptying ourselves, and making ourselves available to Christ? Emptying ourselves so that we can be receptive to a new future? Opening ourselves so that we can be open to the mind of Christ once again? The question is: Are you willing to be empty? Are we willing to embrace a new and unknown future, the way Saul of Tarsus did? For this Holy Week, and all that it promises, can we come before God with empty hands, empty hearts and empty minds, so that he can fill us once again? Brothers and sisters, in the name of the church, and in the spirit which gave birth to the church, I invite you to enter into a Holy Week. I invite you to come before your God with empty hands and humble hearts. As Jesus taught so long ago, blessed are those who know their need of God, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.