Great Expectations

1^st Sunday of Lent

Cycle C

This morning we hear once again the famous story of Jesus’ temptation in the desert. Jesus entered that desert with thirty years of life under his belt. He had grown up influenced by the beliefs of his day. His religious, social, and political views had been formed during his everyday life in Nazareth. Like his neighbors, Jesus was looking to the end times, when the Messiah would come. The Jews had certain expectations of what the Messiah would be and what he would do when he came. Jesus knew those expectations. He knew what the Jews were looking for in the Messiah, he just didn’t know how they were going to handle the reality of the Messiah.

Jesus must have been tempted to live up to the expectations of the Jews. If he gave them what they wanted, they would accept him and welcome his message. They would find comfort there and everything would be alright. Life could be easy, and isn’t that what everyone wanted?

Jesus knew that the messiah was expected to be a great king, of the line of David, Israel’s greatest king, and that his reign would never end. He knew that kings were supposed to be rich and powerful. He had read the stories of king Solomon, who was richer than any king in history. Jesus knew the people expected the messiah to have all these things and more, and he knew that he had the power to turn these very stones into…what? Anything he wanted. Jesus could have riches and material things like no one had ever seen before. When Satan tempted him to turn “these stones” into bread, what do you think was all around him? Stones as far as the eye could see. What things Jesus could have! If he had more riches than any person on earth surely people would recognize him for who we was.

Jesus knew that the people expected the messiah to be the most powerful king the world had ever seen. Kings and queens from all other nations on earth would come to Jerusalem to bow down before him. That would be the sign that Israel had taken its rightful place once again as God’s chosen people. Jesus knew he had the power to subdue the political forces of the day. He knew he had an army of angels at his beck and call. If that’s what the people wanted, he could give it to them. It would be so easy. No one could withstand his terrible glory.

Jesus knew that the people were expecting the messiah to be someone very special, someone above ordinary people. The messiah would be kind and merciful, but he would also be aloof and unapproachable, just like a king should be. Sort of a distant father figure, not like them. He would be proud and grave. Jesus could be that sort of messiah. That’s what the people expected, that’s the messiah they would respond to.

Jesus was tempted to give them what they wanted. What they got instead was unexpected. Jesus challenged their expectations. He showed them that the messiah wasn’t about riches and power and glory. He showed them that the messiah was about suffering and death, and redemption.

In place of a rich man, they got someone who didn’t accumulate material goods; in fact, he didn’t even have a place to call his own. He didn’t worry about what to eat or to wear, he didn’t care about earthly power. In place of a king with an army of angels, Jesus had twelve poor men like himself, one of whom went so far as to betray him. Instead of a proud, haughty king they got a humble carpenter who wouldn’t even defend himself at his trial. Someone compassionate who healed with a touch and gathered children around him.

Jesus turned their world upside down. Everything was backwards. How could they have been so wrong?

Things haven’t changed much. We also have certain expectations of the messiah. The messiah we seek today doesn’t ask much of us, does he, because we really don’t want that kind of messiah. Today, it seems that the messiah we seek is someone who will be there when we need him, but doesn’t challenge us very much. We pray to him for the things we need when we need them, but the rest of the time he’s just a picture on the wall or a piece of jewelry around our necks. We enjoy hearing stories about how much God loves us no matter what we do. We like to hear stories of Jesus’ miracles and compassion. It really doesn’t matter if we sin, because we’re forgiven.

We like these stories because we’ve reduced the Messiah down to a warm fuzzy friend who’s non-threatening. We fit Jesus into our individualistic lives. It’s all about me, so I like the messiah who’s all about me, but don’t ask me to truly follow him. After all, Jesus wants me to take up my cross daily. Don’t ask me to actually change my life. Don’t challenge me to turn from my sinfulness. Gimme but don’t ask me to give.

We’re often tempted the same way Jesus was, to live up to the expectations of others. The difference is that we give into our temptations, while Jesus didn’t. We work so very hard to turn our stones into bread, or plasma TVs or x-boxes. We have so much food that most of us are considered overweight. We don’t have to go without, so why should we? Society expects us to consume, so we do.

We seek power over others. We’re expected to strive to get ahead and exert our will over others, in our families, in our careers, in our communities, as a nation. We seek prestige and accolades. We all want to be the American Idol and get our fifteen minutes of fame, or infamy. We revel in the celebrity of others. It doesn’t matter if a person leads a moral life or not, just so long as they’re on TV, they’re our heroes.

Everything has been turned upside down. How could we have been so wrong?

Harsh stuff. But this is Lent, and Lent is supposed to be a time of purification and enlightenment. Purification can be painful. Enlightenment can be challenging. When you pray this Lent, what kind of Messiah will you find? When you go deep within yourself this Lent, what kind of person will you encounter?

Will either of them live up to your expectations?