Temptations in the Desert: Entitled Children

The word “entitlement” got politicized in this last presidential election, thanks to a covert recording of a Mitt Romney speech about the 47%. According to Merriam-Webster, entitlement is “the belief that one is deserving of or entitled to certain privileges.” What are you entitled to? What privileges are your right, what do you deserve?

Read Psalm 32 and Luke 15:1-3, 11b-32.

With whom do you identify? The lost son, who wanders away? The older son, who faithfully serves and builds up resentment? The father, who unconditionally loves the children over and over again? Many of us in the church can all too easily identify with the older son. We faithfully show up to worship, to Sunday School, to mission activities. We bake cookies and deliver bread and pray. And yet God gives the same grace to everyone? Even though we have worked so hard? It seems so…unfair.

Both the older and the younger sons share a temptation – the temptation of entitlement. The younger son believes that he deserves his inheritance – that he has done something in his life to earn it. Asking for his inheritance early is the same as spitting in his Father’s face: “I wish you were dead!” But the fact is, as the younger son, he did not deserve any inheritance. He was entitled to nothing.

The older son also suffers from the temptation of entitlement, believing that he deserves special celebrations for the work that he is called to do as a son. The older son believes that he deserves the same things that his younger brother gets – the older son falls into the temptation of entitlement, believing that he deserves more of his Father’s love because of his faithful work over many years.

We too fall into the temptation of entitlement, believing that we deserve a special place in heaven, or our special pew in church, because of our constant and faithful attendance. We too believe that we deserve our Father’s grace and love, that we should get a gold star – unlike those people outside of our church, unlike those people who don’t know about Jesus’ love yet.

And yet, the Father refuses to fall into these temptation games – He gives a constant love and a surprising love, a grace equally offered to all who will run back into his arms. As we have talked about repentance – turning back to God – during this season of Lent, look at this parable and see how our Father responds to repentance. In the words of Psalm 32, "God holds nothing against you." See that God will run to you with open arms, ready to throw a party and share all that God has with you, because you are a beloved child of God.

Grace and peace,

Pastor Kate

Temptations in the Desert: Barren Trees

What would you do with your life if you only a year left to live? Many of us know someone these days who has had to face such a decision. What would you do - go on a long-dreamed-for vacation? Spend more time with your grandkids? Learn that foreign language, apologize to your lostlong relative, make up for time lost or wrongs done?

Read Psalm 63:1-8 and Luke 13:1-9. 

The conversation with Jesus begins by talking about two different incidents that involved tragic and sudden deaths. Already the fragility of life is front and center, as well as Jesus’ firm denial that God brings punishment upon ‘worse’ sinners. Jesus issues an urgent call to repentance in the midst of the conversation – that since we never know how long we have, we need to turn back to God now. 

And then comes the barren fig tree – a parable of divine grace following the call to repentance. During Jesus’ time (and today), good land was a precious commodity, not to be wasted on trees and crops that were not producing. The natural instinct is to get rid of those plants – what are they possibly good for? And yet the gardener – the one who knows the tree intimately – argues for one more year, a stay of execution for the fig tree. He covers the tree in manure, fertilizing and tending and caring for it. 

How often when life throws manure on us do we feel buried and barren? How often are we tempted to just give up, that whatever we do doesn’t make a difference anyway, that we can’t ever be good enough or faithful enough or smart enough? How often do we doubt God’s ability to tend to us when we are going through barren times in the desert? How often are we tempted to see life’s fragility and instead of urgently turning around, we throw our hands in the air and say 'it doesn’t matter?' 

A barren tree in the snow 'desert' at Heartland this week

During the desert times, we feel a pendulum swing between last week’s temptation – the temptation to control everything – and this week’s temptation – the temptation to give up when we feel powerless. But the oasis in the desert is the divine mercy that our Gardener offers us – that while the call to repentance is urgent, Jesus is not ready to give up on us barren trees just yet. Jesus knows that with continued care and second chances, we are capable of bearing the fruit of the Spirit, the fruit of the vine, because He is the one in control. 

Our God of second and third and fourth chances desperately wants us to bear fruit – to feed the world, for our lives to be a witness to the loving kindness of our Gardener. After this winter is over, will you bear fruit? Will you be a drink for those thirsting for knowledge of our Savior? Our God, who is our help and upholds us, is waiting patiently. 

Grace and peace, 
Pastor Kate

Temptations in the Desert: Are We There Yet?

One of our fun Presbyterian energizers* includes the refrain: “Are we there yet? I gotta go! He’s touching me – she touched me first!” Anyone who has been on a long car ride with children (and some adults) are all too familiar with those phrases. “Are we there yet?” is a cry of frustration, a cry of being dependent on someone else to get us where we are going, a cry of being not in control of the situation. 

Read Psalm 27 and Luke 13:31-35.

We don’t often read about the Pharisees being on Jesus’ side, yet here they are, purportedly trying to ‘help’ him by suggesting that he remove himself from Herod’s reach, to leave his work behind and to save his life. The Pharisees, probably in conversation with Herod, are trying to regain control of the people, of the situation, by removing this troublemaker Jesus – this troublemaker who lifts up the poor and the outcast, who heals the sick and talks about another kingdom.

The Pharisees fall into the temptation of the illusion of control. Instead of being strong, being courageous, and waiting on the Lord, they try to manipulate Jesus, believing they can control his actions. How often do we act as the Pharisees, desperately clawing at the illusion of control? How often are we tempted to bargain with Jesus, believing we can control or limit His presence and His actions?

Jesus, however, does not fear the Pharisees because He knows the Lord is His light and His salvation. Jesus is not swayed from the path to Jerusalem, the path to the cross, his divinely appointed mission. Jesus says ‘no’ to the temptation of the easy way out, escaping with his life intact.

Over and over again, we fall prey to the temptation that we are in control, that we can fix things on our own, that we can face our enemies without God’s help. Over and over again, we cry out “Are we there yet?”, a cry of frustration that God’s time is not our time, that waiting in the Lord requires…waiting.

But our mother hen wants to gather us all together again – Jesus does not see Jerusalem or us as past salvation. Rather than a call for judgment, Jesus calls out to Jerusalem and to us to repent, to return to the LORD our God. The Gospel of Luke over and over again shows who is welcome in the mother hen’s house – shepherds, prodigal sons, Good Samaritans, peasant girls who sing songs of salvation, you, and me. So let us run to our mother hen – let us be embraced by the wings of salvation, for the Lord is our light – whom shall we fear?

Grace and peace,
Pastor Kate

*Energizers are fun coordinated dances set to popular music, often used to help ‘energize’ teenagers in the mornings at camps or conferences.

Temptations in the Desert: Believing Lies

The Devil has been portrayed in different ways, but oftentimes the image of the traditional red horned creature with a pitchfork or a slithering serpent pops into our heads. Is that what the Devil looks like in your life? Is evil and temptation easy to identify, something that looks and acts very different from us?

Read Psalm 91:1-2,9-16 and Luke 4:1-13.

I wonder what the Devil looked like to Jesus. Did he look more like Peter Cook in the 1967 film Bedazzled – or Elizabeth Hurley in the 2000 remake? Or was the entire conversation between the Devil and Jesus inside Jesus' head?

Peter Cook as The Devil

If we’re honest, we know that temptation always doesn’t appear in easily recognizable forms. In fact, we make excuses and believe the little lies – that this small act is really for the greater good. Isn’t that the exact rationale that the Devil uses with Jesus? Wouldn’t the world be a better place if Jesus had accepted the power over all the kingdoms, or if Jesus had fed himself, or if Jesus had tested God and confirmed how much God loves him and cares for him? Those don’t seem like bad things.

Yet because of who was offering them, Jesus refused. In the midst of his desert time, Jesus couldn’t say yes. But we know in the end, through God’s way instead of the Devil’s way, Jesus did feed the hungry; Jesus does rule the world with justice; and Jesus serves God faithfully. Through God’s way, Jesus invites and expects us to participate in the feeding, the ruling, and the serving. Through God’s way, we are offered an oasis in the midst of the desert of life. Through God’s way, we are offered Living Water for our parched throats and hearts. Through God’s way, we are able to be an oasis for each other as we face our own temptations, as we fight the temptation to believe lies.

So join us as we travel this Lenten journey together, unpacking and facing together our “Temptations in the Desert.”

Grace and peace,
Pastor Kate

Topeka and Trinity Transfigured

Thinking of my own mountaintop experiences makes me think of Chapel at the Cross atop the highest hill at Mo Ranch, TX - an arduous climb up a slippery pebbled road, breathing asthmatic breaths long before reaching the top.  Upon approach I first see the outdoor amphitheater with graduated stone semi circular seating and geckos running around.  The spectacular view across the valley far below with the Guadalupe River winding through is punctuated by the gigantic wooden cross at the base of the fish-shaped chancel.  The cross reaches toward the heavens and eagles and hawks circle around flying at eye level. The communion table is hill country stone.  The "ruah" breath of the wind never ceases.  It is a numinous place where people gather expecting God's presence.  It is a place which embraces me and holds me holy and sacred.

In my imagination, here is where Peter, James, and John gather with Jesus (Luke 9: 28-36).  With Jesus  transcendent in dazzling white, almost too glorious to behold and with the appearance of mighty Old Testament prophets, Moses and Elijah, the disciples are enveloped by the clouds.  Perhaps the climb wore them out to account for their sleepiness and their lack of understanding about Jesus' coming death in Jerusalem.  But Peter, James, and John are aware enough of the exceptional circumstances that they want to hold onto such glory, offering to build booths so they could stay atop the mountain.

But mountaintop experiences serve to inspire, motivate, encourage, and provide sustenance for the rest of life's journey in the valleys of our every day-ness.  This transfiguration of Jesus is the prelude and foundation for what lies ahead for the disciples and all Christ followers.  For we must all come down the mountain to face our challenges. When we come down the mountain, we confront the challenges of suffering and sorrow; illness and disease; temptations and terrors.  The Transfiguration is incomplete without the rest of the story (Luke 9: 37-43a).  For in the valley Jesus encounters a desperate father seeking healing for his young epileptic son, whose seizures the disciples cannot heal.  "And all were astounded at the greatness of God" (Luke 9: 43a).

The great glory of God in Jesus transfigured cannot be separated from the needs of the world.  Life is whole when we can be astonished and astounded as we hear God's voice affirming "This is my Son!"  God commands us to "Listen to him."  In believing that Jesus is God's Son and in listening to Jesus, we can move from powerless disciples to Christ followers who seize opportunities to heal the world one act at a time, one day at a time, and in response to the cries of the world.

Grace and Peace,
Pastor Shelley