Lenten thoughts...

This past Sunday, the lesson from the Gospel came from Matthew 4:1-11: the story of Jesus being tested in the desert. I think this passage is particularly difficult to understand because, as my pastor pointed out, if Jesus had agreed to put God to the test, think of how many followers would have seen and believed! However, we can also see through this story that not giving in to Satan's tests enabled Jesus to understand what God wanted him to do. Following Christ becomes a focus on His missions, not our own. Yes, these tests may have garnered more followers because of the physcial proof they would have provided; however, God's will is never that simply uncovered. I had also never considered the parallels between Adam and Jesus. They are perfect foils, and of course that occurs for a reason: if man brought sin into the world, a man would have to save us from it. Both die to sin, but of course the second man defeats it. Unlike Adam's fall, however, Jesus passes the test which is a necessity for Christian faith. It really is a stronger story because Jesus withstands the tests: if He had given in, He would have been no different from Adam. Rather than focusing on not proving God's strengths, which again would have gained more for the kingdom of God, Jesus shows us the ability to withstand temptations that, at first sight, appear to be beneficial.

What really stuck out from the sermon, though, is an idea posed by the pastor: we assume we know where we've been--what if we don't? I think that is a fascinating question. Most things that I do today are based on what I do or do not want to repeat again. I know certain routines do or do not work for me in the morning. I know how to effectively assign homework for my students based on what has not worked so well in the past. In terms of personal mistakes, however, I sometimes make the same errors. Does that mean I truly have no sense of direction? Am I going forward or backward? Oftentimes it takes an irreversible occurrence to reveal that I've been going in the wrong direction after all.  Most people might say their faith serves as a compass. However, I've never been that pompous as to assume that I'm always going the right way. Not knowing where I've been is most unhelpful; however, I admit that there is some romantic notion of thinking that I've always been a rambler. I haven't always been wrong, and I haven't always been right. I mean, even Jesus struggled with accepting His fate. Some famous quotes tell us that despite moral (and often horrific) setbacks, history always bends toward the arc of justice. Most of us figure it out on the way there. And sometimes I'd like to go back by the way I came because I have some truly uplifting and redeeming memories of people and events. I'd rather think of time as a circle instead of as a line.