21 February 2021 Saint Athanasius Lutheran Church
The First Sunday in Lent Vienna, VA
“The Battle to Repent and
Believe”
Text:
Mark 9:2-9; James 1:12-18; Genesis 22:1-18
Grace, mercy, and peace to you from God our
Father, and from our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen.
I |
f Mark was writing his
Gospel today, he would have put it this way: The Spirit immediately threw
Jesus to the wolves. Or, to use an even more modern saying: The Spirit
immediately threw Jesus under the bus. The giant bus, that is, driven by satan, seeking to run us over and
take away our spiritual lives. Or, the satanic wolf, with his
foul death-breath and his large fangs seeking to grab hold of you and not let
you go.
That’s what Mark wants
you to know. Unlike Matthew and Luke, he doesn’t give us any details about
Jesus’ temptations while out there in the wilderness. But he does use that much
more violent-sounding verb. Matthew and Luke say that Jesus was “led out” into
the wilderness. Sacrificial
language. Maybe from Isaiah. Like a lamb led
to the slaughter (Isaiah 53:7). Not Mark. For him it is
a fight. A fight to the finish. Our English
translation said that the Spirit drove Jesus out into the wilderness.
The Greek actually says that Jesus was thrown out there. Thrown out there to fight. For you.
Mark doesn’t even tell us
how it ended. Jesus got angels in His corner, though, Mark tells us. But they’re
not fighting like we hear on All Saints Day - Michael and his angels fighting
against the dragon and his angels (Revelation 12:7).
No, this is no heavenly battle, but an earthly one. And one that Jesus must
fight alone. The angels are ministering to Him, but this is Jesus
thrown to the wolf, thrown under the bus, thrown into the wilderness to
be tempted. For you.
He must have won, though.
Because next Mark tells us that Jesus shows up in Galilee, preaching. Proclaiming
that the time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is
at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.
The time has come. The King is here. We no longer hear of satan, though we will. He’s not done yet. But for
now, the King emerges
from the wilderness in tact. Victorious. So repent and
believe in the gospel. Repent and believe this good news. That Jesus
has come to fight for us, and wins.
Perhaps Mark doesn’t give
us more details because this isn’t the feature presentation in His Gospel. This
episode is more like the movie trailer - just giving you enough details to whet
your appetite. To read on for the main event, as the battle continues, Jesus
casting out demons and unclean spirits, until the climactic battle that takes
place on Golgotha. Interestingly, the shorter ending of Mark’s Gospel doesn’t
tell us who won that battle either. Only that the tomb is empty. But we already
know, don’t we? And Jesus shows up in Galilee again. Victorious.
But here, at the
beginning of this Lenten season, we focus on the beginning of the battle. Not
so much that Jesus is tempted as we are. But that Jesus is victorious. That
He comes out of the wilderness in tact. This is what
Mark wants you to know. And believe. And rejoice in.
Because we don’t,
right? Emerge from our temptations in tact and
victorious. At least, I know, I don’t! And I’m not even in the wilderness! But
in my cushy house with my cushy life and really, having it pretty easy, having
all I need. And yet how often do I succumb to satan’s temptations? How often do I put me first,
above God and others? How often do I do what pleases me, not God? How often do
I cave to pride, anger, or jealousy? And how quickly! Matthew and Luke tell us
that Jesus was in the wilderness for 40 days being tempted, but how often does satan not even need 40 hours, or
40 minutes, or 40 seconds with me! And I suspect you, too. To
get you to disobey your parents, or rebel against or disrespect authority.
To get you to hate and lash out in anger. To get you to lust and blow your chaste and decent life out of the
water. Or to not love your spouse as you should. To
take what is not yours, or to resent your neighbor getting more than you.
To use your tongue to gossip, to tear down others, to hurl barbs of criticism,
to speak what is not helpful or good. To put what you want first and let others
fend for themselves. And all the while calling yourself
a Christian. Having Christ’s name on you but not praying as you should, not
speaking of Him as you should, not spending as much time in His Word as you
should. Putting yourself first, that is, making yourself God and expecting
others to serve you and do your bidding.
Sound about right?
So it really is pretty
good news - very good news! - that what Adam
could not do and what we cannot do, Jesus did. He was thrown to the wolf,
thrown under the bus, thrown out into the wilderness, and came out in tact. Victorious. So repent
and believe in the gospel.
This Gospel, as James put
it for us today: that Blessed is the man who
remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive
the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him.
But wait a second,
Pastor! You just said that’s not you and that’s not us! That we don’t remain steadfast. So why is this
good news for us?
Because
while you are not the man, Jesus is.
He is the blessed one. He remained steadfast under trial. He withstood the
test. And He received the crown of life . . . which God has promised to
those who love him! Did you hear that? It didn’t say: which God
has promised to those who win, but to those who love Him;
to those who love, who believe in, Jesus. The crown of life that Jesus won
is promised to those who love, who believe in, Him.
That’s
how we receive it! James goes on to say where sin and death comes from
for us. From our own sinful, disordered desires, our own
sinful inclinations that we are born with. And he’s right. So, he says, do
not be deceived. Do not be deceived into thinking you can do it, or
that it comes from you. Every good gift and every perfect gift is from
above. From your Father. Who brought
you forth - that’s birth language - by the word of truth.
By your baptism. For that’s where you were born from
above to be a child of your heavenly Father and receiving then and there the
crown of life that Jesus won for you when the Spirit threw Him to the wolf,
threw Him under the bus, for you. Jesus, another good and perfect gift that came
down from heaven, that came from the Father, for you.
So repent and believe in the gospel. Repent of all that you have
done, and believe in all that Jesus has done, for you. And then you too have
life. A new life. A victorious life.
A . . . could we say . .
. Abraham life?
The story that we heard
about him and Isaac today is astounding. And is, to be honest, a story we do
not understand. Why God would tell him to do that. How Abraham could do that!
This is a test the magnitude of which I hope neither you nor I ever have to
endure. I mean, being a martyr, offering yourself, is
one thing. But a loved one? Someone holds a knife to
your neck and asks if you are a Christian is one thing. But hold that same
knife to my son’s neck, or my spouse’s neck, or my Mom or Dad’s neck, and ask
me if I’m a Christian . . . ?! It’s a First Commandment test, isn’t it? Do I
fear, love, and trust in God above all things? Or do I love my child more? Do I
fear losing a loved one more? Do I trust in myself and what I can do to get out
of this situation more?
Some people do lose
children. Maybe not in this way, but to violence, mass
shootings, drugs, cancer, suicide. And it causes some to lose faith. To turn away from God rather than to Him for help.
Satan using things like these - and more - to convince us that God is not
a good Father. That He is, in fact, not good at all.
Because satan doesn’t want
God to be your Father. He wants to be your daddy.
But Abraham didn’t listen
to those doubts and fears, those temptations to turn against God. Against the
God who miraculously gave him this son (another good and perfect gift from
above), even though he thought it impossible - that he and Sarah were just too
old. God had done the impossible. And Abraham believed he would now, too. The
book of Hebrews tells us that. That even if he had to go through with it, that
he believed that God was able even to raise him from the
dead, from which, figuratively speaking, he did
receive him back (Hebrews
11:19). For Abraham had already give up Isaac
in his heart, even though God did not make his hand go through with it.
But today we heard that
God’s did. God did not stop His own hand, did not spare His own Son, but threw
Him to the wolf, threw Him under the bus, threw Him onto the cross, for you.
And then not figuratively, but really and truly, received Him
back in the resurrection. Victorious. All for you. To give you that crown of life that only Jesus
could win.
That
you too begin to live an Abraham life. Not that Abraham
was perfect. He had his share of failures. But a life that believes the words
and promises of God. That what God says and promises, He will do. Even if it doesn’t make sense to us. Even
if it seems impossible. For as the Scriptures also tell us, nothing
is impossible with God (Mark 10:27; Luke 1:37).
And when we think so, or doubt, or fear, to repent and believe in the
Gospel. To turn to Jesus and not to our own efforts or strength, for
only He can give us the forgiveness, faith, strength, and life we need.
So this First Sunday in
Lent reminds us once again of the battle in our hearts and for
our hearts. A real battle, and yet one we need not fear. For we know how it
turned out, and how it will turn out for us. Because we know
the Blessed one. The one who remained steadfast for
us. The one who won the crown of life for us.
The one crucified for us, risen from the dead for us,
and now given to us here in His Body and Blood. Satan wants to be your daddy,
but you already have a Father, who gives you always - and only - good and perfect
gifts. The Father who gave His only-begotten Son for you.
The Son who gave His life, laid down His life, for
you. And the Spirit who threw Him and His life to the wolf
for you, and yet was also with Him every step of the way.
The time is fulfilled,
and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.
And if Mark were writing his Gospel today, he’d say the exact say thing. For
then and now, it is the same. Turn to Him, believe His words and promises, and
live. It’s not easy. It’s a battle every day. But the Spirit, a good and
perfect gift from above, given you in your Baptism, is with you
too. To fight with you. To fight for
you. Every step of the way.
In the Name of the Father, and of the (+)
Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Now the peace of God which passes all understanding, keep your hearts and minds through faith in Christ Jesus, our Lord. Amen.