The temptation of Jesus. In Matthew 4, we hear of Jesus' very human moment----hungry, tired, depleted, he is faced with that word: "IF....."
This is the very word that often challenges us. The world whispers in our ears and in our hearts: "If...."
If you were smarter,
If you were stronger,
If you were more capable,
If you were a better person,
If you were thinner,
If you were normal,
If you were truly a Christian......
That word "If" tries to make us forget our true identity---just like Evil tempted Jesus to forget his identity---as beloved children of God.
Instead of starting with IF, let's start with: I am sealed by the Holy Spirit in baptism and marked as Christ's own forever. Let's start with who we are and whose we are. And then we need to place practices and places in our daily lives that help us remember our true nature. We need to take time to remind ourselves of our origin and foundation so that we don't lose our way. These times and practices, these places and rituals save us from hunger, tiredness, and emptiness so that the world's whispers will not hold us in its grasp.
When it comes to our identity, there is no "IF." There is only: For God so loved the world.
No comments:
Post a Comment