Tag Archives: deliver us from evil

Into the Wilderness

Featured by

“Into the Wilderness”

Matthew 4:1-11 (4:1) – February 26, 2023

            The program of recovery has a great deal of wisdom in it, including the wisdom of how addiction happens in the first place. Addiction and its close companions craving, habit, dependence and desire depend on “more.” If one is good, eight or ten is much better! One more, just one more. Does this sound familiar? One more, just one more. One more time. One more cookie. One more tv show. Does anyone here have that craving and that problem?

            Let’s take a closer look at today’s Scripture reading. Here, Satan, the devil, the Tempter tests our Lord Jesus immediately after John baptizes Jesus in the Jordan River. Matthew tells us specifically “Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil.”

            This is not comedy or a stand-up joke, like Flip Wilson used to say in the 1970’s, “The devil made me do it!” He would regularly get belly laughs and applause from the audience as a result of this ”hilarious” joke. No, the devil and his ways and wiles are sneaky and persuasive and seductive. The devil came to Jesus in the wilderness on purpose, for this exact reason.

            We can listen to lectures, lessons, speeches and even sermons. So often, all they are is words. Words, words, words streaming over us, without anything to hang them on. However, if you really want to make an impact on your audience, tell them a story. Why do you think the Rabbi Jesus used parables and stories so often? He wanted His audience to remember!

Our Scripture passage for today tells us about the early part of that greatest story ever told. This is one of the first major conflicts recorded in the New Testament. The temptation of our Lord is a really significant event that happened to Jesus. It’s huge in His life experience. And, we can gather lots of spiritual principles and several excellent biblical examples for our hearts and lives. This temptation is a heckuva story! 

            One on one, in the wilderness, these two characters from the Bible are involved in one of the classic exchanges in the whole Biblical record. It’s happening right here, right now. Jesus is fasting, all alone, sent out into a wild, semi-arid place some distance from the place where He was baptized. This story has tension, drama, conflict! And, this story has a resolution, too. But more about that, later.

            Let us consider that after the baptism, the Holy Spirit led Jesus out into the wilderness. Imagine, being in the wilderness all alone. I am not sure whether a lot of people today could survive in the wilderness, especially if they grew up in an urban area like Chicago. Perhaps Jesus was especially hardy or good at basic survival skills. We are not told much else, except that He was out there for a good long time. At some point, Jesus was tempted by Satan, the adversary. And all of us, like Jesus, have to deal with difficult times and wandering in the wilderness.

I have a really important thing to bring up, though. What about our internal difficulties? Approximately one in four Americans suffer from some sort of mental illness or mental difficulty like depression, anxiety, or some sort of compulsion, if not the more severe kinds of affliction like bipolar disorder or schizophrenia. That’s a lot of people. And, those people often feel like they are all alone. All by themselves. These people are in a great deal of internal pain.

These times of sadness, anxiety, fearfulness, even downright despair sometimes threaten to overwhelm us. These are truly times of wandering in the wilderness. 

            In the Lord’s Prayer, we specifically pray “lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.” One of the newer translations of this same petition is “save us from the time of trial, and deliver us from evil.” The key thing is that we often know very well what temptation is, and how seductive and persuasive and even sneaky temptation can be. How have you experienced temptation? Has it come back, again and again, and have you had difficulty facing it?

What did our Lord Jesus do, when He was tempted? For each of these three temptations that the devil mentioned, Jesus answered each one with a pointed quote from Scripture to answer the specific temptation that Satan brings up. Giving us a good example, Jesus shows us an effective way right here, in our Scripture reading.

We can also get familiar with the Word of God. We can read it on a regular basis, and get so well acquainted with it that we will also be able to answer the little and not-so-little temptations that come up each and every day. To quote from Psalm 119:11, “Your Word I have hid in my heart, that I may not sin against You.” Plus, reading God’s Word, the Bible, is a wonderful way of building a close relationship with our Lord. This is another tool that God gives to us, to help us along the wilderness way.

Different temptations appeal to (and tempt) different people. However, when people in recovery tell their personal stories, there is something about those stories of falling, hitting bottom, and recovery that resonate. They stick, deep down, and people can relate.

I suggest that you (and I) consider a spiritual practice for Lent, like bible reading or prayer. We can participate in prayer walks, works of service or acts of kindness. What might you do in Lent, the next 40 days plus six Sundays, to prepare for a deeper experience of the reality of Good Friday and a more joyous celebration of the truth of Easter?

            Notice, the Holy Spirit is the Comforter and Sustainer who remains with Jesus throughout His time in the wilderness. Just so, the Holy Spirit can be with all of us through our times in the wilderness. Indeed, God can be at work both for us and through us during our wilderness wanderings and difficult times.

  Certainly, we all have our own stories. Each is a day-by-day story, one day at a time. The best part is that Jesus is always by our side. That’s a promise, too. Even though life continues to happen, even though tough times continue to come, Jesus travels with us. As our personal stories continue, that’s a promise we all can trust.. Amen, and amen.

@chaplaineliza

(Suggestion: visit me at my other blogs: matterofprayer: A Year of Everyday Prayers. #PursuePEACE – and  A Year of Being Kind . Thanks!

(Thanks to Carolyn Brown and her website Worshiping with Children for the 1st Sunday in Lent, http://worshipingwithchildren.blogspot.com/2014/02/year-first-sunday-in-lent-march-13-2011.html . And thanks as well to Mark Roberts and his devotion from the series Life for Leaders, “The Dustiness of Lent,” https://depree.org/life-for-leaders/?mc_cid=37497859c9&mc_eid=6effffadbb )

God, Our Light

by

“God, Our Light”

Psalm 27:1-10 (27:1) – March 13, 2022

            When I set the theme for the Second Sunday in Lent about three weeks ago, I had no idea that there would be an actual war being waged, right now. The Russian army is attacking Ukraine as we speak, and all the horrors of modern-day warfare are a reality, all across the country of Ukraine. Psalm 27 means so much to many of the Ukrainian people right now.

            As this congregation highlights another petition of the Lord’s Prayer, “Deliver us from evil,” we are brought up sharply by the traumatic situation in our own world. We can turn on war news, from both national as well as international media. Videos and photos are – sadly – readily accessible, and the news is heart-rending. No matter which side you are on.

            Wasn’t this the case when King David wrote this psalm, so many centuries before?

            Wars, rumors of wars, battles, skirmishes, fighting – and King David writes this song of praise to the Lord, to thank the Lord for deliverance from evil.

            King David was certainly no stranger to fighting and to war. After King Saul ran David off into the Judean wilderness (a harsh and unhospitable place, the same place where Jesus went after His baptism), David stayed away from Jerusalem for years. Even though David was rightfully anointed by the prophet Samuel as king of Israel, David would not lift his hand against King Saul. At the same time, David was essentially a guerilla leader of 600 battle-hardened fighters, for years. They also would do mercenary fighting, while on the run from King Saul and the troops of Israel. And, that was just the beginning of David being a fighter.

            As we see from both 1 and 2 Samuel, David knew what he was talking about when he wrote these psalms about the Lord delivering him and his men from evil – from war, and from fighting. David was on the run from King Saul for over ten years. And, he was no coward! However, he thanked God that God watched over him and kept him from evil – kept him from being overtaken by the troops of King Saul, as well as foreign troops he was fighting against.

            You and I are not fighting battles against opposing armies, but we still can come to God, praying this psalm for our safety. You and I might consider evil to be bad stuff. Bullies who intimidate and harass. Robbers who steal purses or take cell phones or wallets. Car-jackings, vindictive anger, abusive behavior, vandals who destroy property. All of these are evil, and we can pray for God to protect us from all of these, plus many more.

            As our commentator Beth Tanner says, “With all of the violence in our world, Christians are faced almost daily with a decision to live in fear, or despite their fear, to trust in God and God’s promises.“ [1] “Deliver us from evil” is a powerful prayer! A prayer of trust and assurance in God’s provision, in God’s ability to keep us safe, whatever our situation.

            Yet, the world has had many, many wars through the centuries. Many, many periods of fighting, ethnic strife, border conflicts, and even genocides. Horrific atrocities committed, and whole societies, entire countries stricken by death and destruction. How can anyone lift up their hearts to God in such catastrophic times?

We know, too, God wants us to be hospitable, even in such times. “To choose to remain true to God’s principles of hospitality feels frightening as well. Terrorists and Refugees come from the same places. Gun violence comes out of nowhere and even those places we considered safe are safe no longer. Fear threatens to defeat the gifts of trust and hospitality.” [2]

            It is so interesting that King David seems to waver back and forth, from the sure certainty of God’s saving power to fear of some kind of situation where David’s enemies are trying to “devour his flesh,” as Psalm 27:2 tells us. Whatever the specific problems or fighting happens to be, we suspect God may turn away. Don’t you, sometimes? Even if you are usually firm in faith and fervent in prayer, sometimes…stuff happens. People fail us. Situations baffle us. How can we cope? What is there to do? God, help us!  Sometimes we need to step back, take a deep breath, and think of difficult things as a child might. The best child’s translation of this part of the prayer is “Lord, save us from all the bad stuff that happens.” [3]

And yet,” right in the middle of his expressions of fear, the Psalmist also declares his confident faith that God’s presence is like a light that keeps him safe.” [4] Our Scripture reading today, Psalm 27, remains as a beacon. This encourages us to come to God even as we find ourselves afraid. Even, afraid out of our wits.

We might find ourselves praying the Lord’s Prayer, and saying it by rote, without even concentrating on the words as they come out of our mouths. Yet – “Lent is a time to ask the deep questions of our faith. We can repeat the fears of the past, or trust a new ending to God. It is never easy, but it is the call of God on our lives. This psalm invites us to believe again that our faith in God will never desert us, no matter what happens. Life without fear is not possible, but faith can call us to live into God’s will for our life instead of reducing our lives because of our fears and insecurities.” [5]

Yes, “deliver us from evil” is a powerful prayer, indeed. Yes, we can be afraid, and yes, God can alleviate our fears. If we want to dispel the darkness of fear, we can affirm that God is indeed our light and our salvation. We can all say amen to that!

@chaplaineliza

(Suggestion: visit me at my other blogs: matterofprayer: A Year of Everyday Prayers. #PursuePEACE – and  A Year of Being Kind . Thanks!

[1]   https://www.workingpreacher.org/commentaries/revised-common-lectionary/second-sunday-in-lent-3/commentary-on-psalm-27-3

[2]   Ibid.

[3]  http://worshipingwithchildren.blogspot.com/2016/01/year-c-second-sunday-in-lent-february.html

[4]   https://thewakingdreamer.blogspot.com/2014/01/what-do-we-have-to-fear.html

“What Do We Have To Fear?” Alan Brehm, The Waking Dreamer, 2016.

[5]   https://www.workingpreacher.org/commentaries/revised-common-lectionary/second-sunday-in-lent-3/commentary-on-psalm-27-3

An Opportune Time

by

“An Opportune Time”

Luke 4:1-13 (4:13) – March 6, 2022

            Have you ever been tempted? For little (and sometimes, bigger) people, these do not need to be big temptations. Smaller, everyday temptations can be troublesome enough. Like, a plate of delicious cookies left on the counter. Or, a cool item – like a late-model smart phone, or a fancy set of ear pods – left unattended in a very public place. Or even, some test answers in such plain view that you can hardly help but see them on the desk nearby. [1]

            What do we do, with such delicious temptations practically begging us to give in?

            This is the first Sunday of Lent, and our Scripture reading today is from Luke’s Gospel: the narrative of the temptation of Jesus. Each week in Lent we will look at one of the phrases of the Lord’s Prayer. They will not be in order, but they all are there. Today’s connection is to “lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.”

            We all know what temptation is. (Don’t we?) I gave several examples just now. Sometimes people can see temptation a mile away, and do the right thing right away. Other times, the temptation can sneak up on us. Or, be overwhelming, or even seductive and alluring. And then, you all know what happens. We give in to temptation.

            As we followed the Gospel reading this morning, the reading from Luke started with Jesus being led into the wilderness to be tempted by the Devil for 40 days.    A verse from Hebrews gives us additional insight into the “why” of it. Jesus was “tempted in every way as we are,” and yet He did not sin. He had no sin. Even thought the Devil tried his best (or, worst) to tempt away at Jesus, Jesus did not succumb. Jesus did not fall prey to any of the presentations, any of the temptations.

This first Sunday in Lent we are reminded of just several days ago, when so many people around the world had ash crosses put on their foreheads. Yes, that was the visible symbol. Ash Wednesday also means self-examination, and confession, and admitting that each of us is limited, imperfect, and each of us needs to face our own mortality. Our sinfulness, too. [2]

            Face it, each of us is only here on earth for a brief time. Psalm 103 tells us that “14 for God knows how we are formed, God remembers that we are dust. 15 The life of mortals is like grass, they flourish like a flower of the field; 16 the wind blows over it and it is gone, and its place remembers it no more.”

That is the reminder of the Ash Wednesday cross, and the liturgical words said at the beginning of Lent each year: “dust you are, to dust you shall return” is what we hear as the ashes are applied to our foreheads. We are marked with mortality for this Lenten journey, and that is sobering enough for anyone. And on top of that, we are called to be self-reflective and to contemplate where we fall short. By extension, we come to the first Sunday of Lent, and are encouraged to do the same thing because we are all marked with mortality,

Our Lord Jesus was led into the wilderness, because that is where you and I commonly live. Wasn’t He a human being just as we are? Jesus was out there hungry and hurting just as we are hungry and hurting, too. Jesus was tempted in all things, just as we are, too.

Most of all, we may be tempted by shortcuts. Wasn’t Jesus tempted by the Devil by that very thing – shortcuts? Sure, all the kingdoms of the world will eventually belong to Jesus, except not just yet. But, the Devil tempts Jesus with those exact things. “All of these kingdoms will be yours right now, if you bow and worship me!” The same with the temptation of loaves of bread. “Turn these stones into bread. You know how easy it will be! Come on, you can do it!” And again, the Devil brought Jesus to the highest place on the Temple and said, “see, if you jump off, God will for sure save you. Angels will come and lift you up! You know they will – come on, I bet you won’t do it. I double dog dare you!”

Each of these temptations are shortcuts to power, glory and majesty, which are the Son of God’s by right. Except, the Devil twists them, and tries to convince us all that it’s okay. It’s what God would want…isn’t it? Just as the Devil tried to convince our Lord Jesus, tried of offer Him to claim these glorious things without suffering, without dying, the easy way. Take a shortcut. We may be tempted to take that shortcut, too! [3]   

Our reading ends with an ominous note that the Adversary went away until an opportune time. We could spend some time speculating on when that opportune time might have been for Jesus. But it might be better for us to realize that opportune times come all too often in our lives, and that the Devil can sneak up on us unaware, too.

We all need help to stay on God’s path. We all need someone who will help us to stay focused on God, and especially not to take shortcuts, as tempting as they may be. We can “find someone who can help keep us on track. Find someone who will help us think about the choices we make. Find someone who will fill us out. Better yet, find a group of someones – a community of faith that will help make sure we think with a full mind.” [4]

Won’t you continue walking with Jesus? I pray that we all can stick together and keep on the journey to the Cross. That is the best way to avoid temptation that I’ve found yet: stick close to Jesus. Amen!

@chaplaineliza

(Suggestion: visit me at my other blogs: matterofprayer: A Year of Everyday Prayers. #PursuePEACE – and  A Year of Being Kind . Thanks!

[1] http://worshipingwithchildren.blogspot.com/2016/01/year-c-first-sunday-in-lent-february-14.html

[2] https://www.umcdiscipleship.org/worship-planning/gathered-up-in-jesus/first-sunday-in-lent-year-c-lectionary-planning-notes

[3] https://www.umcdiscipleship.org/worship-planning/gathered-up-in-jesus/first-sunday-in-lent-year-c-lectionary-planning-notes

[4] Ibid.

God Delivers Us from Evil

by

“God Delivers Us from Evil”

Psa 27 1-3 afraid, fear

Psalm 27:1-3 – March 17, 2019

I often stay up late at night. My light is often burning way past midnight. (If you don’t believe me, ask Sunny. She can attest to the time stamp on many of my emails being past midnight, and some 1:00, even 2:00 am.) Imagine my huge shock and horror in the wee hours of Friday morning when I saw coming across the computer news feed that there had been a mass shooting in Christchurch, New Zealand. I was absolutely devastated. Talk about shocking me out of my security and complacency!

That is the portion of the Lord’s Prayer we are focusing on this week: deliver us from evil. Please, Lord! Right now!

So many faced such evil, such horror, and such sorrow in the town of Christchurch, and all New Zealand just two days ago. Imagine, if you will, two peaceful congregations, coming together for their midday time of prayer, abruptly torn apart by semi-automatic weapon fire. Is it any wonder many people around the world cannot even visualize such an attack? What on earth? Dear Lord! Deliver us from evil!

As soon as news of this horrific shooting started to come across my computer screen, you’d better believe I checked out my various favorite go-to news sites, including the BBC News. Yes, the news was even worse than I had heard or feared. And, the death toll was rising. So were my shock, dismay and horror at the rapidly developing story.

As we consider our Scripture reading from the Psalms this morning, we can flee to the assurance and strength of the first verse of Psalm 27: “The Lord is my light and my salvation; I will fear no one. The Lord protects me from all danger; I will never be afraid.”  I read these words and take heart. God is the source of my—our strength. God is our light, and we need no other light source. God is our protection and our protector. I—we—all of us need no one else.

But, wait, Lord! You didn’t mean that You would protect me from a domestic terrorist with a semi-automatic rifle!  Did You?

Even though the conception of a semi-automatic rifle was not even thought of at the time the psalm writer put pen to paper and wrote this psalm, that is the gist of verses 2 and 3: “When evil people attack me and try to kill me, they stumble and fall. Even if a whole army surrounds me, I will not be afraid; even if enemies attack me, I will still trust God.”

King David is said to be the author of this Psalm, and I can believe it. David certainly knew quite a bit about having evil people try to attack him. Not only when he was young, before he even met Goliath on the field of battle, he was shepherd for his family’s flocks. He knew the many dangers a sheep or goat could face in the rocky, semi-arid pastures in the country of Israel. He was their shepherd, and he would need to rescue them when they got into trouble.

Then, when David was secretly anointed king and needed to run from the previous-but-still-on-the-throne King Saul, his fear and anxiety had the opportunity to shift into high gear. King Saul wanted to kill David. Literally. Seriously. Saul sent regular armed parties into the wilderness of Israel specifically to kill David. I am amazed that David could even write these words: “even if enemies attack me, I will still trust God.”

Dr. Beth Tanner, commentator on Psalm 27, writes “With all of the violence in our world, Christians are faced almost daily with a decision to live in fear, or despite their fear, to trust in God and God’s promises. To choose to remain true to God’s principles of hospitality feels frightening as well. Terrorists and Refugees come from the same places.” [1]

Gangs of fierce, armed men hunting you down, repeatedly? Frightening, indeed.

If we consider our problems today, whatever the specific problem is, we can draw some insight from this psalm. It’s clear that the person composing this prayer—King David—is afraid. “And yet, right in the middle of his expressions of fear, the Psalmist also declares his confident faith that God’s presence is like a light that keeps him safe.  So, he seeks God’s presence in the place where the people of Israel of his day believed God could be found: in the Temple.” [2] In the same way, we can seek the Lord where we know God is to be found: in the sanctuary, with other believers, and in meditation and prayer.

A number of these peaceful people at prayer on Friday were refugees from war-torn countries. They had fled their home countries of Somalia, Syria and Iraq—just to name a few—and had finally found sanctuary in the peaceful, beautiful town of Christchurch. New Zealand has truly gorgeous scenery, and a wonderful, equitable society of friendly people.

Not the kind of place one would expect for a domestic terror attack, certainly.

Yet, to run away, to leave almost everything you found dear and loved with all your heart, to come to a foreign land, no matter how pretty, Such heartache, and such desperation. And finally, to be getting back on your feet and finding a new home, just to have your place of worship abruptly, shockingly invaded. Get all shot up.

Dear God, deliver us from Evil, personified.

Dr. Tanner goes on to say: “Gun violence comes out of nowhere and even those places we considered safe are safe no longer. Fear threatens to defeat the gifts of trust and hospitality. The feeling of the psalm is the same.” [3]  It does not matter whether we ask to be delivered from evil things or evil people, from evil personified or evil within our own hearts. This psalm gives the message that we can depend on God as our light, our safety, our security, our salvation. And, if we depend on God, what more sure defender and protector do we need?

Jesus speaks to the city of Jerusalem rhetorically in the Gospel reading from Luke today: “Jerusalem, Jerusalem! You kill the prophets, you stone the messengers God has sent you! How many times I wanted to put my arms around all your people, just as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you would not let me!” Jesus speaks of the image of a mother hen fluffing up her feathers and gathering her chicks to safety, under her wings. Such a wonderful maternal image! And, such an encouragement and comfort in times of trouble.

It doesn’t matter what evil approaches, what danger comes quickly. If we are gathered under the wings of Jesus as our mother hen, we will be safe and cared for—now, and wherever we go with our Lord.

May it be so, Lord. Amen.

[1] http://www.workingpreacher.org/preaching.aspx?commentary_id=2777

Commentary, Psalm 27 (Lent 2C), Beth L. Tanner, Preaching This Week, WorkingPreacher.org, 2016

[2] http://thewakingdreamer.blogspot.com/2014/01/what-do-we-have-to-fear.html

“What Do We Have To Fear?” Alan Brehm, The Waking Dreamer, 2016.

[3] http://www.workingpreacher.org/preaching.aspx?commentary_id=2777

Commentary, Psalm 27 (Lent 2C), Beth L. Tanner, Preaching This Week, WorkingPreacher.org, 2016

@chaplaineliza

(Suggestion: visit me at my regular blog for 2019: matterofprayer: A Year of Everyday Prayers. #PursuePEACE – and my other blog,  A Year of Being Kind . Thanks!