Sermon Tone Analysis

Title

God does not Make Death but Life

Outline

Our world often views God as the strict judge

God is ready to pounce if we make a step sideways

God is jealous of human beings and withholds good from them

God condemns all for the mistake of one woman misled by a mythological snake

All of this denies the biblical perspective that God is the creator of life and that life is found in right worship

Genesis points out this truth in narrative form

God has given life, God has planted a temple garden and put the human there, and God has provided trees good for food - including the tree of life (apparently eternal life is sacramental) and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil

God forbids the tree of the knowledge of good and evil - he is the criterion of good and evil but has a purpose: is it so that they can make a moral choice of the good and against evil, developing true moral knowledge?

Is it that if that tree is not eaten yet there is a greater good to be had, as in C. S. Lewis’ Peralandra?

We do not know.

The snake implies a lie about the nature of God - he is withholding good - then denies that eating that fruit is deadly, asserting that the choice will make one’s self the criterion of good and evil, make oneself as God.

So the woman follows her sense of pleasure and own criteria of good and eats; the man eats too (perhaps when he sees that she does not drop dead); and death starts - they are separated from God (and thus hide), who is the source of life, and also separated from each other precisely in their generatively, their marital union - the next generation will extend this to physical death.

Yet now they will be excluded from the place of worship and the sacramental tree of life so that they may not live forever dying - more and more separation from life

Now Paul points to the reversal of this is Christ, a reversal we see in lived out in Matthew

Through fasting Jesus, as Moses and the Desert Fathers, has gone into the place of the numinous.

He has real needs and the devil tests him to choose life on his own terms: to choose pleasure, the support of life in he devil’s way, over God’s call; to choose; to choose to control God by forcing his promises and demonstrating his authority rather than following God’s providence; to worship power rather than to serve God - to set the world right the devil’s way.

Jesus passes the test, always choosing to submit to the God as the human, choosing the way of worship or service rather than of control and rule.

Of course, he will eventually rule, but the way to mount the throne will be God’s way, by mounting the cross first.

Sisters, now here we are in Lent, a time of reflection

Where are we like the woman putting making our choices the criteria of the good rather than serving/worshipping God in his good garden?

Where are we tricked into a life of separation rather than a life of worshipping together?

Where are we, like Jesus, tempted by pleasure - necessary pleasure to be sure, by authority (even of forcing God’s hand in prayer), and by power - using the way of the world to gain what we think are godly objectives.

In each case we are making our will the primary criterion rather than following the call of God or submitting to divine providence.

Sisters, the same devil is using the same temptations he used on the woman and tried to use on the new Man, Jesus.

Let us use this period to let the Spirit open our eyes so that unlike the woman we say no to where the temptations have gained a foothold in our lives and with Jesus say yes to the way of worship and submission.

That will result in the life God designed from the beginning rather than the separation and death found in the way of the devil.

Readings

FIRST READING

Genesis 2:7–9, 3:1–7

7 then the LORD God formed the man out of the dust of the ground and blew into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being.

8 The LORD God planted a garden in Eden, in the east, and placed there the man whom he had formed.

9 Out of the ground the LORD God made grow every tree that was delightful to look at and good for food, with the tree of life in the middle of the garden and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.

1 Now the snake was the most cunning of all the wild animals that the LORD God had made.

He asked the woman, “Did God really say, ‘You shall not eat from any of the trees in the garden’?” 2 The woman answered the snake: “We may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden; 3 it is only about the fruit of the tree in the middle of the garden that God said, ‘You shall not eat it or even touch it, or else you will die.’

” 4 But the snake said to the woman: “You certainly will not die! 5 God knows well that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened and you will be like gods, who know good and evil.”

6 The woman saw that the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eyes, and the tree was desirable for gaining wisdom.

So she took some of its fruit and ate it; and she also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it.

7 Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made loincloths for themselves.

RESPONSE

Psalm 51:3a

3 Have mercy on me, God, in accord with your merciful love;

in your abundant compassion blot out my transgressions.

PSALM

Psalm 51:3–6, 12–13, 17

3 Have mercy on me, God, in accord with your merciful love;

in your abundant compassion blot out my transgressions.

4 Thoroughly wash away my guilt;

and from my sin cleanse me.

5 For I know my transgressions;

my sin is always before me.

6 Against you, you alone have I sinned;

I have done what is evil in your eyes

So that you are just in your word,

and without reproach in your judgment.

12 A clean heart create for me, God;

renew within me a steadfast spirit.

13 Do not drive me from before your face,

nor take from me your holy spirit.

17 Lord, you will open my lips;

and my mouth will proclaim your praise.

SECOND READING

Option A

Romans 5:12–19

12 Therefore, just as through one person sin entered the world, and through sin, death, and thus death came to all, inasmuch as all sinned— 13 for up to the time of the law, sin was in the world, though sin is not accounted when there is no law.

14 But death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over those who did not sin after the pattern of the trespass of Adam, who is the type of the one who was to come.

15 But the gift is not like the transgression.

For if by that one person’s transgression the many died, how much more did the grace of God and the gracious gift of the one person Jesus Christ overflow for the many.

16 And the gift is not like the result of the one person’s sinning.

For after one sin there was the judgment that brought condemnation; but the gift, after many transgressions, brought acquittal.

17 For if, by the transgression of one person, death came to reign through that one, how much more will those who receive the abundance of grace and of the gift of justification come to reign in life through the one person Jesus Christ.

18 In conclusion, just as through one transgression condemnation came upon all, so through one righteous act acquittal and life came to all.

19 For just as through the disobedience of one person the many were made sinners, so through the obedience of one the many will be made righteous.

GOSPEL ACCLAMATION

Matthew 4:4b

4 He said in reply, “It is written:

‘One does not live by bread alone,

but by every word that comes forth from the mouth of God.’ ”

GOSPEL

Matthew 4:1–11

1  Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the desert to be tempted by the devil. 2 He fasted for forty days and forty nights, and afterwards he was hungry.

3 The tempter approached and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command that these stones become loaves of bread.” 4 He said in reply, “It is written:

‘One does not live by bread alone,

but by every word that comes forth from the mouth of God.’ ”

5 Then the devil took him to the holy city, and made him stand on the parapet of the temple, 6 and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down.

For it is written:

‘He will command his angels concerning you’

and ‘with their hands they will support you,

lest you dash your foot against a stone.’

”

7 Jesus answered him, “Again it is written, ‘You shall not put the Lord, your God, to the test.’

” 8 Then the devil took him up to a very high mountain, and showed him all the kingdoms of the world in their magnificence, 9 and he said to him, “All these I shall give to you, if you will prostrate yourself and worship me.” 10 At this, Jesus said to him, “Get away, Satan!

It is written:

‘The Lord, your God, shall you worship

and him alone shall you serve.’

”

11 Then the devil left him and, behold, angels came and ministered to him.

Notes

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2023 | LENT

FIRST SUNDAY OF LENT