Lent 1: Defeating Empire
Introduction
This Lent I want us to reflect on the following question: what God are we serving? And who is the Jesus that we remember during this season? Because there are many depictions of God. In many cases, those depictions are helpful, as long as we don’t hold on too tightly to any one image of God. These various portrayals of God can help us understand various facets of God’s character. For example, what does it mean when God is referred to as Father (or Mother) in Scripture?
But sometimes our images can be problematic. When we refer to God as emperor/king, are we portraying God in the image of earthly rulers-ones that oppress, rule, and slaughter? Or are we imagining a totally new kingdom-one of nonviolence and justice? Unfortunately, too many Christians depict God as a violent tyrant who endorses nationalism and war.
And who is Jesus? Is Jesus a scapegoat for God’s wrath? Is he the poster boy for divine child abuse? After all, what else can you call it but abuse that God sent “his” Son Jesus to die a horrific death in order to give humanity a chance to escape an eternity of hellfire? Is Jesus just a wise teacher? Or is Jesus beyond just a simple teacher and beyond just a scapegoat meant to abuse a blood thirsty and violent God?
Our portrayal of God and Jesus matters . Not because we are going to hell if we get God wrong, but because if we believe in a God whose attributes are violence, wrath, and abuse we will reap war, injustice, and oppression. If we believe in a Jesus who died for our individual sins and to appease a wrathful and revengeful God, we will promote an individualized faith so obsessed with avoiding hell that it is essentially worthless in dealing with a world marred by injustice, war, exploitation, and all manners of oppression. We will preach a faith-based on fear and avoiding the anger of an abusive deity.
This Lent, I will be focusing on exploring toxic and liberative images of God and Jesus.
Scripture Reading Luke 4:1-13 NRSV
To be honest, Luke 4:13 has always confused me and I find the portrayal of God to be a bit disturbing. To be honest, the idea of God actively sending Jesus to be tempted smacks of injustice. Like, does God allow injustice to occur in order to test people? That seems manipulative and sketchy AF.
However, since I no longer view the Bible as a book to be taken literally I can ask myself, “what is the author trying to say with this chapter? What truths about God’s nature is the author trying to get across, even if their method of conveying said truths are a bit problematic or have been interpreted in problematic ways? What is at the heart of this passage?
Justo Gonzalez in Luke: Belief, a Theological Commentary on the Bible, points out that the focus of this section is not to ask questions about whether or not God allows evil and why. But rather, “the purpose of God is that Jesus will undo the harm that has ensued from the sin of Adam.”
Even if one doesn’t view the fall of humanity in a literal light-the truth behind it resonates: that humanity repeatedly engages in actions that cause harm and that separate us from God and from one another. We repeatedly accept temptations from Satan (or rather, the systems of evil that Satan often represents).
Humanity’s repeated acceptance of these temptations leads to a world marred with injustice, violence, and oppression. Luke, however, seeks to demonstrate that God does not leave us alone to struggle with these powers and systems of evil, but that Jesus can and does break the hold that these systems have over humanity.
The gospels, but especially Luke, focus on presenting God as a God who cares for the marginalized and the outcasts. The kingdom of God that Jesus is ushering in, is a topsy turvy one-in which the values of empire are rejected.
And in Luke 4:1-13 is not simply a statement about how we as Christians should trust God whenever we are tempted by systems of evil, but it is a declaration of fact: these systems have already been defeated by Jesus.
For Christians who live in the West, too often Christianity has become a tool of empire. Too many Christians have accepted the temptations offered by the systems of evil in order to further what they consider just causes.
I mean, look at the ways in which the religious right has used Christianity to gain political power and to advance laws that seek to silence discussions on racism, limit the autonomy of those who identify as women, treat members of the LGBTQ+ as second class citizens, and condemn the poor and disabled to a life of misery and pain.
And yet, in this story, Jesus is proclaiming that satan-aka the systems of evil that seem to control the world do not have the last word. Luke 4:1-13 is preaching a God that rejects the violent and oppressive status quo.
Jesus is not only saying no to specific temptations regarding political power, greed, and a desire to prove one’s authority, but Jesus is saying no to the larger systems of evil and oppression whose sole purpose is to kill and destroy.
Now, I know what some of ya’ll are saying, “great. I already do that. I already worship a God that centers the marginalized. And I already know Jesus came to proclaim a kingdom that would nonviolently overthrow the dominant empire of oppression. This has nothing to do with me.”
Except, too often, those of us who consider ourselves to be agents of change, also give into the systems of empire by saying, “the ends justify the mean.” Of course, we are going to seek political power and when we have it, make compromises with the dominant system, because well how else can we make changes?
Or yes, unfettered capitalism is built on the exploitation of the poor and marginalized but if I only earn a certain amount of money then I can give back to various charities and social justice organizations.
Or yes, the US military empire is harmful and violent, but if we don’t continue to bloat our defense budget how will we protect ourselves from even greater threats?
We claim that because our motivations are good and pure, we aren’t actually giving in to the temptations offered by larger systems of injustice and oppression, but instead, we are somehow turning evil into good.
We give lip service to a Jesus and a God that rejects the systems of empire, but who in practice says, “No... well except in cases x,y, and z.
Luke is calling us not only to reject the larger systems of evil that tempt us to accept their existence but assures us we worship a God that has already defeated said systems.
