Sermon for February 10th 2008.
Sermon for February 10th 2008.
The Revd. J. Michael Povey at St. David’s Episcopal Church, Englewood, FL
Genesis 2:15 - 3:21; Romans 5:12-21; Matthew 4:1 - 11
So we sang the Great Litany. What we prayed is a direct descendant of the first bit of the first book of Common Prayer. Henry VIIIth allowed Archbishop Thomas Cranmer to issue a Litany in English in 1544, five years before the issuing of the first Book of Common Prayer.
It’s a wonderfully rich bit of praying. When else would we pray for our enemies and slanderers? When else have we prayed for woman in childbirth. How often would we pray for those who are in danger because of their labour? The Great Litany reminds us to pray for matters which we often forget.
A rich Litany, and three super-rich bible readings. Almost too much good Scripture for one Sunday.
I love the realism of the Genesis passage. The man and the woman hiding themselves from the presence of God - as if they or we could! And the passing of the buck. The man blames the woman, and the woman blames the serpent. It’s always someone else’s fault!
Do read this passage not as a bit of history or biology. Rather see it as a penetrating commentary on our human condition. Made for glory, we crawl around our knees.
The heart of the passage is in three words. “Did God say?” The serpent, later identified as the Satan or the Devil, is the one who encourages us to doubt the faithful goodness of God.
In fact, the very term “the Satan” - and it is a title, not a name, means “the deceiver”.
Sometimes that deceit comes from within our very own selves - we call that the flesh.
Sometimes that deceit comes from the ungodly environment in which we live - we call that the world.
Sometimes that deceit comes from cruel and lying spiritual sources - we call that the devil.
That’s why we used to be asked to renounce the world, the flesh and the devil.
Did God say?
Did God say that the meaning of life is to be solely found in satisfying our bodily needs, whether that be through food, through sex or through vanity? That’s the deception of the Satan.
No, for the truly human One, that second Adam whom we name as Jesus, knew that life is more than body. Our best humanity is to be found not just in food, but in our open-ness to the word of God. “One does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God”.
Are we called to be foolish and reckless in the way we live our lives, trusting some other person or even God to clean up the mess? That’s what the deceiver would wish us to believe - throw yourself off the temple pinnacle Jesus.
No, the truly human One, that second Adam whom we know as Jesus, the one who would not be deceived, warns us against pushing God to the limits by our own unfaithfulness. “Do not put the Lord your God to the test”.
Are we to believe that life is a matter of power and prestige? That’s a particularly American belief, and we are paying a heavy price for that falsehood. The Satan, the Deceiver, wants to fool us into believing that we’ll be just fine and dandy if we have the right power and prestige. “I will give you all the kingdoms of the world and their splendour”. (Any thoughts here about American military and economic might?)
No, the truly human One, that second and true Adam whom we know as the Lord Jesus is determined that God is the only object for worship. We may not worship power. “Worship the Lord your God, and serve only him”.
“Did God say?”
We have a stark choice.
To live the lies of the deceiver.
Or to depend upon the loving faithfulness of God?
To be deceived, or to depend.
The Revd. J. Michael Povey at St. David’s Episcopal Church, Englewood, FL
Genesis 2:15 - 3:21; Romans 5:12-21; Matthew 4:1 - 11
So we sang the Great Litany. What we prayed is a direct descendant of the first bit of the first book of Common Prayer. Henry VIIIth allowed Archbishop Thomas Cranmer to issue a Litany in English in 1544, five years before the issuing of the first Book of Common Prayer.
It’s a wonderfully rich bit of praying. When else would we pray for our enemies and slanderers? When else have we prayed for woman in childbirth. How often would we pray for those who are in danger because of their labour? The Great Litany reminds us to pray for matters which we often forget.
A rich Litany, and three super-rich bible readings. Almost too much good Scripture for one Sunday.
I love the realism of the Genesis passage. The man and the woman hiding themselves from the presence of God - as if they or we could! And the passing of the buck. The man blames the woman, and the woman blames the serpent. It’s always someone else’s fault!
Do read this passage not as a bit of history or biology. Rather see it as a penetrating commentary on our human condition. Made for glory, we crawl around our knees.
The heart of the passage is in three words. “Did God say?” The serpent, later identified as the Satan or the Devil, is the one who encourages us to doubt the faithful goodness of God.
In fact, the very term “the Satan” - and it is a title, not a name, means “the deceiver”.
Sometimes that deceit comes from within our very own selves - we call that the flesh.
Sometimes that deceit comes from the ungodly environment in which we live - we call that the world.
Sometimes that deceit comes from cruel and lying spiritual sources - we call that the devil.
That’s why we used to be asked to renounce the world, the flesh and the devil.
Did God say?
Did God say that the meaning of life is to be solely found in satisfying our bodily needs, whether that be through food, through sex or through vanity? That’s the deception of the Satan.
No, for the truly human One, that second Adam whom we name as Jesus, knew that life is more than body. Our best humanity is to be found not just in food, but in our open-ness to the word of God. “One does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God”.
Are we called to be foolish and reckless in the way we live our lives, trusting some other person or even God to clean up the mess? That’s what the deceiver would wish us to believe - throw yourself off the temple pinnacle Jesus.
No, the truly human One, that second Adam whom we know as Jesus, the one who would not be deceived, warns us against pushing God to the limits by our own unfaithfulness. “Do not put the Lord your God to the test”.
Are we to believe that life is a matter of power and prestige? That’s a particularly American belief, and we are paying a heavy price for that falsehood. The Satan, the Deceiver, wants to fool us into believing that we’ll be just fine and dandy if we have the right power and prestige. “I will give you all the kingdoms of the world and their splendour”. (Any thoughts here about American military and economic might?)
No, the truly human One, that second and true Adam whom we know as the Lord Jesus is determined that God is the only object for worship. We may not worship power. “Worship the Lord your God, and serve only him”.
“Did God say?”
We have a stark choice.
To live the lies of the deceiver.
Or to depend upon the loving faithfulness of God?
To be deceived, or to depend.
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