On this First Sunday in Lent we are looking at temptation and desire.
In our first lesson we have what has become known in Christianity as “the Fall.” The newly created man and woman are hanging out in the Garden of Eden by the tree of the knowledge of good and evil when a serpent strikes up a conversation with the woman. I imagine it went something like this, “Hey babe . . . you come here often?”
Regardless of how it actually went down, the serpent is phishing for information, thereby becoming the world's first Nigerian prince. As they talk, the serpent baits her with a promise and an appeal to her sense of self-righteous indignation.
“You won't die,” says the serpent, offering a promise of safety. “Your eyes will be opened,” offering her a promise that things will be better if she does what he says. “And you will be like God,” he finishes, implying that God is purposely keeping her ignorant and compliant, igniting her self-righteous indignation of, “Who is he to keep me down?”
The man and woman eat the fruit, their eyes are opened, and we know the rest of the story.
In the gospel reading we have the three temptations of Christ – turn stone to bread, jump off the temple so God can save you, and worship the devil in exchange for having power and control over all the kingdoms of the world. Jesus, of course, refutes every temptation and, in Matthew, was then waited on by a host of angels.
In looking at the temptations of Christ, it's probably that third one that gets us in trouble. Nobody really expects to turn stones to bread, and even the most pious religious isn't foolish enough to jump off a building hoping God's angels will protect them. But to have control over the kingdoms of the world? Now we're talking.
We see this ALL the time. We see it in the creation of empires from Babylon to the US where they strive to conquer and control other countries and people. We see it in religious wars between Christians and Jews, Christians and Muslims, Catholics and Protestants, Protestants and Protestants, Jews and Muslims, and any other combination you can think of. People of one religion feel the need to dominate and conquer other religions to prove their correctness; because, apparently, there is no greater threat to one's belief system than allowing another belief system to coexist.
And when we put these two things together – the desire to conquer and control other people with religious fanaticism – you have the rise of theocracies. These harm the people within their borders for not believing what their leaders believe, and they harm the people outside their borders because those people are seen as existential threats. That was evident in the Taliban and it's becoming more evident here with the rise of Christian Nationalism.
I'm guessing there wasn't a snake slithering up to whisper in people's ear or a pointy-horned guy in red tights with a pitchfork saying, “Worship me.” But there doesn't have to be. The desire to conquer and control runs deep in humanity's DNA. We fear outsiders. We are convinced our way is the only right way. And we have a tendency to want to remove or exterminate those who don't look like us, think like us, or believe like us. The temptation is there, “You will be like God.”
Everyone who has fallen into this trap only sees one thing – to be like God means to be all powerful.
Adam and Eve ate the fruit thinking they'd be like God – all knowing and all powerful. But they didn't understand how to be merciful. People think that having world domination will make them great, but in reality, it only makes them pathetic, weak, and looking for more to conquer because it's never enough.
Thankfully Jesus understood this. He didn't, and doesn't, need to conquer and control others. Nothing in the gospels presents Jesus as a powerful king. He lets people choose. He is gentle and humble. His yoke is easy and his burden is light.
He is a king of a very different sort than we are used to or that we imagine. This king rode into Jerusalem humble and mounted on a donkey. This king spoke not a word of retribution when attacked. This king willingly sacrificed himself for the well-being of his people. And it was through his death that his power was truly revealed.
If we want to be like God, we need to know who not to be like. Be not like Adam and Eve who looked to become powerful through shortcuts without understanding. Be not like those who desire to conquer, rule, and control others. Be not like Christian Nationalists whose view of God and country is abusive, fearful, and totalitarian.
If we want to be like God, be humble. Welcome outcasts and aliens. Care for the marginalized and abused. Feed the hungry. Work for equal justice. Break down systems that keep minorities from thriving and banish those systems that protect the rich and powerful.
Scripture is full of ways for us to be like God. So why is it that, instead of following those examples, we are so tempted to listen to and follow snakes and liars?
Amen.
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