Lectionary for Lent 1

Lectionary for Lent 1 A

Happy are the forgiven, whose sin is blotted out; let all who are faithful offer prayer to God. Psalm 32:1, 6

Collect. Almighty God, whose blessed Son was led by the Spirit to be tempted by Satan: come quickly to help us who are assaulted by many temptations; and, as you know the weaknesses of each of us, let each one find you mighty to save; through Jesus Christ your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

Reading. Joel 2:1-2, 12-17 This is the reading for Ash Wednesday but is a good introduction to the season of Lent. Joel was one of the earliest prophets recorded in the Bible but he sounds out a clear warning to God’s people, reminding them that God expects obedience and faithfulness. Joel is described as “the son of Pethuel”. No one seems to know who Pethuel was and so the prophet Joel is something of a mystery. What we do know is that he called people to take stock of how they were responding to God. Joel describes a plague of locusts that have ravaged the promised land and have caused untold misery. As a result Joel is calling the nation to repentance reminding them that if they do not change their ways an even greater disaster is likely to follow, a disaster much worse than a plague of locusts. Joel’s description of a determined, relentless adversary gives urgency to his demand that the people understand how they stand in their relationship towards God. However despite the danger Joel offers a prospect of hope, reminding the people that God is both faithful and merciful. However he also reminds them that it is not simply feeling sorry for their failures, their repentance must be from the heart. True repentance must result in a radical change in their whole relationship towards God. 

Prayer. Holy Lord, as we begin the season of Lent may we be refreshed in body mind and spirit as we remember all that Jesus has done on our behalf. Grant that we may also remember your grace and mercy towards us because of Him. Thank you that in Jesus Christ you do not hold our failures against us but restore us that we may live ready to step out more confidently into the future you have prepared on our behalf.  May the Holy Spirit continue to inspire us to a more faithful discipline. Teach us all to deal gently with all aspects of the creation. Forgive us that we find it easier to blame others than to examine our own ways. Bless all those who struggle with hard times and continue to try to keep both faithful and hopeful. May all find true fulfilment in Jesus so that in all we do we will honour your name which is above all other names. Amen

Reading. Romans 5:12-19. Paul in this short passage holds up two identities, the first Adam and the second Adam: Each of these Adams head up a kingdom. The first Adam was given the whole creation as God’s chief steward. Adam and Eve lived and enjoyed the Garden of Eden and a close intimate relationship with God. Their rebellion leads to disobedience which caused them to be expelled from the Garden. As a result they were forced to live out of harmony with God’s plan and purpose for His creation. Adam was born from the earth and so was earthly but because of his disobedience was also a broken man.

The second Adam is Jesus who was born of the Holy Spirit and so was not linked in any way to the first Adam’s rebellion. Born from heaven he remained sinless though he was fully human. Through the ministry of his death and resurrection Jesus is named as the Lord and claims his true sovereignty and majesty as the head of God’s kingdom.

As he contrasts Adam and Christ Paul is reminding his readers that there are different outcomes depending on which Adam is followed. From our perspective the two cannot exist side by side for the two Adams are opposed to each other. Thus he is reminding them that they are either in the old Adam or they are in the new Adam, Jesus Christ. We are inheritors of the first Adam by nature of our humanity. However, in Jesus Christ God is offering to us the free gift of receiving all that Jesus Christ has gained through his sinless life and sacrificial death. It is through his death that God is freely offering us a way to transition from the old Adam into the new for as scripture reminds us, “without the shedding of blood there can be no remission of sin”. (Hebrews 9:22) Paul is at pains to remind his readers of the cost of Christ’s sacrifice and he is also reminding them of how great are the benefits of accepting God’s free gift. To follow the old Adam with his fallen nature will lead to death. However to accept God’s gracious invitation and follow Jesus Christ is to be an inheritor of life in all its fullness. Karl Barth, if I may paraphrase him says that to be in the New Adam is to stand on the threshold of a new horizon for this creature is new, reconciled and redeemed.(Epistle to the Romans, p164ff)

Prayer. Lord forgive us if fear about tomorrow or fear about what others may think or say prevents us from serving you today. Gather us up together in your name, that we may retain the true nature of our Lord Jesus Christ. Set our lives on fire with the warmth of your love, make us ready to step out with you along life’s highway. Keep us in step; never let us go astray. Make our minds ready to serve you and our hearts ready to love you. Grant that our faith may be refreshed and with greater confidence may we follow our Lord Jesus Christ in true obedience. Help us to grasp that freedom that Jesus gives and so live in the reality of what is important, recognising clearly what you have done for us through Jesus. Let us live fully for each day, serving you with our whole heart, knowing that tomorrow you will again supply all our needs. In Jesus name we pray.  Amen.

Reading. Matthew 4:1-11. Being declared Son of God after his baptism Jesus is immediately led by the Spirit into the wilderness. We remember that the nation of Israel which was chosen by God to be both blessed and a blessing to the whole of creation had also been designated God’s son. (Hosea 11:1) They too had to spend time in the wilderness but rather than being obedient it was there that they began to forsake God. The moment that Jesus receives the commission to be the one who will establish God’s Kingdom, it is only natural that he will have to resist the temptations that the wilderness presents. The testing of Jesus is of vital importance. This is the first step along a journey that will end in the cross. Should Jesus fail this test then all the rest would be for nothing.  His responses to the tempter were all direct from God’s commands. This shows right from the start that Jesus was out to do God’s will.

Matthew brings in the tempter to show that the forces which work against Jesus are also the forces which are working against God. This is a natural struggle but it is also a supernatural struggle. Jesus is working for God’s victory as a man. However Jesus was not superhuman for though he was the eternal Son of God he lived his earthly life as a human being, a humble servant who was under the law like every other Jewish male. (Philippians 2:6f)

By being subject to the law Jesus was also subject to our human nature. That is to say he did not draw on any supernatural power in order to resist the testing that he was to endure while in the wilderness. The temptation was to live as the Son of God rather than as a son of man. If he was to stand in our place on the cross Jesus also had to stand in our place in the wilderness. By choosing to live as a sinless man he also chose the way of the cross constantly resisting the temptations to take the easy way out.

As we begin this season of Lent it is important to remember that Jesus lived his life in order to re-establish God’s sovereignty over the whole of creation. Rather than thinking about what we might give up for Lent, a common approach to the season, perhaps we need more to remember what Jesus gave up and what a wonderful victory was his. Through his whole life Jesus set aside his human urges and walked in obedience to God’s way and so was able to carry all our brokenness with him to the Cross. As Philip Bliss (1874) writes in his hymn, “Man of sorrows”. Hallelujah What a Saviour!  He was wounded for our transgressions,    crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the punishment that made us whole, and by his stripes we are healed. Isaiah 53:5.

Prayer. Holy Lord, we give to you all thanks and praise for you are merciful and compassionate, and have sent your Son Jesus Christ our Lord to be our Saviour. We thank you for his life of obedient service and for his dedication to you. We remember that without him we are lost but through his ministry your love for humankind is made clear. So dear Lord, we pray that through the power of your Holy Spirit you would grant that we may ever keep in mind the victory that Jesus has won. Make our minds ready to serve you and our hearts ready to love you. Grant to us the inner nature of Jesus that our whole life would be lived in obedience to you. May we never be ashamed to own that he alone is Saviour of all. May our lives reflect his goodness and grace and may we ever give praise and worship to you alone. This we pray through Jesus Christ our Lord and Saviour, now and forever. Amen

Collect. Jesus, you too were tempted, yet you remained true; save us from our foolishness, help us to face the depths of sin within; in our weakness, we may find your help and grace, for you are our Saviour, now and for ever. Amen.