A Portrait of Temptation

February 17, 2010

Dear St. Paul’s Family,

If Luke had commissioned an artist to paint a portrait of the temptation of Jesus, he may have chosen contemporary American painter Rohann Zulienn. Most paintings of the temptation show both Jesus and Satan, battling in a study of contrasts. Often Jesus is portrayed as shimmering with holiness, projecting confidence. Satan is usually a wretched creature, haggard and human-like. The visual distinctions are stunning.

But that’s not the case for Zulienn’s Temptation of Christ. Like most of Luke’s gospel, this painting is raw, visceral, and evidently human. It shows only a close-up of Jesus, who looks fatigued rather than confident, troubled rather than triumphant. And instead of brushing the devil aside, Jesus is cupping a stone with his famished fingers, pondering the possibilities, debating whether to give in.

As disconcerting as this portrait might be to some, Luke would have us linger over it, as it reminds us of just how human Jesus was, and how ongoing temptations are to human existence. Whereas Matthew and Mark imply that these three encounters were only part of Jesus’ forty days, Luke implies that the temptation was constant throughout the time he was in the wilderness (“for forty days he was tempted by the devil.”) In fact, only Luke suggests that once this experience ended, there remained the possibility for the devil to return at a more “opportune time.”

For Luke, Satan’s presence was incidental to the ongoing reality of Jesus’ temptation. Their three conversations were merely the crystallizing moments to the persistent inner struggles happening within Jesus’ mind and heart.

But with the same precision that Luke diagnoses the human condition, he offers the remedy. He reminds us of two things: while Jesus was in the wilderness, he fasted and he was led by the Spirit. He poses these in dynamic tension, saying that while Jesus’ stomach was empty, he was “full of the Holy Spirit.” This is, in fact, one of Luke’s favorite phrases, appearing recurrently throughout the book of Acts. Both Stephen and Barnabas were characterized in this way: the former was the first martyr, and the latter served a people who were first called Christians. For Luke, being filled with the Spirit inaugurated a new movement in history, when something dramatic and significant would be introduced to the world.

It is appropriate, then, that the first Sunday of Lent begins with this text and this challenge: be filled with the Holy Spirit, engage the struggles of life, and start a new journey. The greatest temptations for some are periodic; for others, they are more frequent. Regardless, we should remember that spiritual preparation must be constant. For though the temptations come and go, they only “depart until an opportune time.”

This Sunday, I invite you to join us as we begin a Lenten journey guided by a sermon series titled, “Facing Life with Faith.” Each week, we will take another step toward the cross and learn how following Jesus calls us to deeper commitment and enables us to withstand life’s toughest battles. We start this week with a sermon titled, “How to Be Temptation Tough.”

Come, Lenten pilgrims, and let us be led by the Spirit.

Magrey

Facing Life with Faith:
Lenten Lessons from Luke

February 21
“How to Be Temptation Tough”
Luke 4:1-13

February 28
“How to Stay Forward Focused”
Luke 13:31-35

March 7
Guest Preacher

March 14
“How to Be Freely Forgiven”
Luke 15:1-3, 11-32

March 21
“How to Live a Cross-Shaped Life”
John 12:1-8

March 28
“How to Be Passion Prepared”
Luke 19:28-40

April 1
Maundy Thursday Service
7:00pm

April 2
Good Friday Tenebrae Service
7:00pm

April 4
“How to Be Resurrection Ready”
Luke 24:1-12

PANCAKE RACE UPDATE
What a great night! We had over three dozen racers compete in the second annual Great Cherokee Pancake Day Race. Congratulations to Liza Fuller, for her first place finish. To see the official results, visit www.pancakerace.com. More importantly, proceeds from the day resulted in $1,000 , which will be evenly split between our two local food pantries. Be sure to check out all the media coverage from the event, including the Cherokee Chronicle, Sioux City Journal, KCHE radio, and KTIV television news. And yes, given the starting temperature of 23.5 degrees, we will be submitting this event to the Guinness Book of World Records as the world’s largest frozen pancake race. Great thanks to John Cook and members of the adult class for their outstanding leadership, and countless hours of volunteer support. You all truly, truly put God’s love into action.

RENOVATION UPDATE
The Building Committee is eager to show you all of the preliminary drawings of the next renovation and get your comments. This Sunday, February 21, after the worship service, you are invited to attend a feedback session downstairs in the Fellowship Hall to see all the plans. At that time, the Committee can answer any questions you might have, including timelines for the renovation and the next capital campaign.

MAGREY PUBLISHED
The United Methodist publication Circuit Rider has asked me to write the “Sermon Starters” articles for the six Sundays of Lent. These will assist preachers in their preparations for their sermons over the next several weeks. To view the articles (and to get a taste of our new sermon series), visit http://www.umph.org/pdfs/circuitrider/BBMT001808PDF000.pdf.