Another terrific week of dance instruction during Time with Young Disciples to set the stage for the sermon. Leigh, a former dance professor, taught the kids the tango, and we added clarinet and piano to really make it feel like a tango. We have so many talented members who make teaching the dances a lot of fun!
sort of add to preach on this text in the summer and not the first week of Lent. I think I had too many ideas and too much information for one sermon. I probably should have winnowed down the info and been more focused on one issue.
“Dancing with Jesus: the Temptation Tango”; Psalm 51; Matthew 4: 1-11; July 23, 2023; SAPC, Denton; Dr. Richard B. Culp
Matthew 4: 1-11 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.
Introduction: We continue our Dancing with Jesus series.
Over the next few weeks, we will be learning dances that are associated with stories about Jesus that we often connect with particular times in the liturgical calendar.
For example, We usually read the story of Jesus going into the desert to be tempted on the first Sunday of Lent.
As you may recall, that was Youth Sunday this year, and the youth led us through the text, calling us to “shut the door, keep out the devil,” which included the shutting of the door literally!
but now we reflect on this story in the middle of the summer - no Lent waiting for us, no 40 days of reflection to put the story into context, although with our weather right now a story in the desert might seem appropriate.
A few thoughts on
Move 1: It takes two to tango, or it temptation is always about more than just me!
a. I suspect the author of Dancing with Jesus calls this dance the temptation tango because as we see Jesus tempted, we might say he is dancing with the devil.
1. while that may be the author’s point, it seems to me that the tango, the partner dance, also reminds us that temptation is always about more than ourselves because we are in relationship with God and with each other.
1. With if Jesus does not turn away?
2. So ends his work as the Son of God who has come to save us.
3. What if Jesus does not turn away?
4. Imagine how that might radically change his relationship with God?
5. How Jesus responds when facing temptation,
how we respond when facing temptation,
speaks to our relationships with others and with God.
b. In the temptation story, we see Jesus in a solitary battle with the devil in the wilderness and often turn it into our solitary battle with whatever tempts us.
1. But temptation is more than just about us.
2. it involves those with whom we are in relationship, even God.
c. Psalm 51 is the text we usually read on Ash Wednesday, as we kick off Lent.
1. You probably remember this verse of the Psalm: 10Create in me a clean heart, O God, and put a new and right spirit within me.”
2. An appropriate reminder, especially as we begin Lent, of our new to start over, begin again with a clean heart and right spirit.
2. But back up a couple of verses: 4Against you, you alone, have I sinned,
3. Words attributed to King David.
Remember the context of those words - David has just been told a story by Nathan about a rich man taking advantage of another;
when David calls for punishment of the rich man, Nathan tells David he is that man because of how David orchestrated the death of Uriah, Bathsheba’s husband, to hide his adulterous behavior with her.
4. When David recognizes his sin, he utters those words to God: 4Against you, you alone, have I sinned,
Not “against Uriah”
Not “against Bathsheba”
But against God
5. an acknowledgment that when we are tempted, it is more than about us - it is about our relationship with God and our relationship with others.
move 2: Temptation is seductive and subtle
a. As NT scholar Maggi Dawn notes: If temptation were all about blatant wrongdoing, it would be far easier to avoid.
1. Most people do not want to commit crimes or indulge in dissolute and destructive behavior.
But what about seeing a way to achieve something good by a shortcut that just marginally blurs true integrity or allowing a gift to seem altruistic when it masks personal pride? True temptation lies in our capacity to justify the means by the end and nudge ourselves into tiny, incremental compromises.
The temptation stories are not there to make us law-abiding citizens but to search out our deepest motivations for our actions. (https://www.christiancentury.org/article/2014-02/sunday-march-9-2014?code=M93h2yNM4vxFEyMC8op9&utm_source=Christian+Century+Newsletter&utm_campaign=1127c2e027-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_SCP_2023-02-20&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_b00cd618da-1127c2e027-86182471; Maggi Dawn, 3/5/14 lectionary comments)
2. Subtle little pulls and tugs to get us moving away from who God calls us to be.
b. The devil invites Jesus to be less than himself.
1. As Milton Brasher-Cunnigham reminds us: The genius of the temptations is not that they offered Jesus a whole different life, or even a chance to run away from responsibility.
2. What they offered was a different version of himself–a lesser version. Instead of one who would use his miracles to heal and to teach, he could use them for personal gain.
Instead of speaking truth to power, he could ally with those in charge to gain power for himself. Instead of facing suffering, he could use his privilege to avoid it and be on easy street.
And the temptations were not a one-time occurrence. It was not as though Jesus never had to stare down these options again once he returned to town. We might say the temptations stayed with him for the whole tour. The tests he faced in the wilderness were examples of what he faced almost every day: to use who he was and what he could do as a way to make his life more comfortable and powerful. (https://donteatalone.com/faith/lenten-journal-and-now-the-temptations; Milton Brasher-Cunningham)
3. go back to the first temptation story - Adam and Eve - the serpent invites them to be less than what they are by suggesting they can be self-sufficient, not needing to be in relationship with God.
c. Temptations that come our way are often the same.
1. Subtle invitation to focus on ourselves
or only think about ourselves.
or ignore others in pursuit of what we want.
2. instead of a child of God, we find ourselves pursuing interests and power outside of our relationship with God.
3. Instead of brother and sister in Christ to others, we pursue riches and our own desires at the expense of our relationship with others.
4. The temptation to be less than what God created us to be
what God called us to be
that subtle temptation shows up on a regular basis in our lives.
Move 3: Final thought - we are already joined with Jesus in his overcoming temptation.
a. What is the point of this temptation story?
1. This story is not told about Jesus primarily so we can remind ourselves that Jesus was without sin;
although there is nothing wrong with being reminded that we are not God!
2. This story is not told primarily so that we can look at how Jesus turned away from temptation and challenge ourselves to do the same;
although there is nothing wrong with focusing on how we can turn away from temptation in our lives.
2. this story is not told primarily for us to create a moral compass by finding parallels between the temptations Jesus faced and temptations we might face in our lives,
although the categories in which Jesus is tempted - power,
b. the story is told to share with us Christ’s victory over the devil and temptation to remind us that Jesus invites us to share in how victory.
1. As British theologian Ian Paul notes: The focus for all three gospel writers is that Jesus has undone the failures of both Israel and Adam;
when we are incorporate into Jesus, we are incorporated into this victory, and we share in it by grace rather than by our own efforts.
2. That does not mean that we will no longer be tempted, or that we are not called to turn away from temptation,
But it does mean that we face these things knowing that Jesus conquered them, in the power of the Spirit, and that the same Spirit is God’s gift to us, and it is his presence that brings victory and enables us to be ‘more than conquerors’ (Rom 8.37; compare Rev 2.7 and parallels). (https://www.psephizo.com/biblical-studies/why-is-jesus-tempted-in-luke-4/; “Why is Jesus Tempted in Luke 4” February 28, 2022 by Ian Paul)
2. when I think of temptations, I don’t think of Temptation Tango. No, my mind goes first to “I’ve got sunshine on a cloudy day” the opening line of “My Girl” as sung by the Temptations.
in fact, I got so inspired thinking about The Temptations, I went to Recycled books and bought a used CD of The Temptations.
I’ve been listening to them this week.
Temptations lyrics: “All I Need” - it tells the story of someone who has given into tempted and broken relationship with his woman.
the final line: All, all I need is just to hear you say you forgive me, forgive me baby.
3. When we face temptation, we do so knowing that Christ has already overcome temptation for us.
He has already offered us forgiveness.
Conclusion: The temptation story is more than a call for each of us to turn away from temptation.
It is also a call for each of us to turn toward Jesus, who has overcome temptation for us
has overcome sin for us
and has overcome death for us.
turn to Jesus and receive his gift. Amen.
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