Feast on Joy

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Rev. Molly F. James, PhD

Grace, Hartford

Lent 1; March 1, 2020

Genesis 2:15-17; 3:1-7; Romans 5:12-19; Matthew 4:1-11; Psalm 32

May God's Word be spoken. May God's Word be heard. May that point us to the Living Word who is Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

The other morning, as I came into the kitchen from an early morning CrossFit class, our daughter Katherine was sitting at the piano playing beautiful music. Our son, Halsted, came running down the stairs saying, “Mom, mom, mom, mom.” He jumped up and gave me a big hug. You know the kind of hug only kids can give? The one that wraps arms and legs around you with a fierceness that you didn’t realize could come from such a small body. It was a moment of delight and gratitude. A perfect way to begin the day. 

It was a moment in which I got to “feast on joy.” I have been thinking about that moment as I reflect on the readings and collect for today. Here we are at the beginning of Lent. A time when we have taken on or are still thinking about taking on, a new discipline. A time when we can focus a lot on what we should give up or what we should NOT do. Particularly with the emphasis in our readings today on temptation . . .

First, we get the classic reading from the third chapter of Genesis. The story of the Fall. That  fabulous origin story that helps to explain why life is so difficult, messy, and fragile. We aren’t in the Garden of Eden anymore. Adam and Eve disobeyed God. They listened to the wily serpent and gave into temptation. Now, we are all suffering the consequences. Clear take home lesson: “Don’t give into temptation.”

Then we get our Gospel from Matthew, where Jesus is tempted by the devil. And by tempted we mean really tempted. Jesus is offered the world, quite literally, if he will merely bow to the devil’s authority. Jesus does not give into temptation. Yet again, Jesus is the paragon of virtue, the preeminent example for us to follow. Further reinforcement of the message: “Don’t give into temptation.” 

And its Lent, so it can seem virtuous to focus our efforts on not giving into temptation, but I want to nuance this a bit. So often our focus in Lent can be on not giving into the temptation of dessert or wine or some other treat we love. I have always found it more fruitful to think about Lent as an opportunity to start a new discipline, a new habit. It is an opportunity to make a positive change that we hope to continue, even after Easter. 

There is a quote, a Lenten invitation from a former Presiding Bishop, Arthur Lichtenburger that I have found helpful in reframing how I think about Lent. It is where I got that “feast on joy” phrase that described my wonderful morning of music and hugs from our children. 

Bishop Lichtenburger invites us to:

Fast from criticism and feast on praise; 

Fast from self-pity, and feast on joy; 

Fast from ill temper, and feast on peace;  

Fast from resentment, and feast on contentment; 

Fast from jealousy, and feast on humility; 

Fast from pride and feast on love; 

Fast from selfishness, and feast on service; 

Fast from fear, and feast on faith.

If I am going to think about not giving into temptation this Lent, it is far more life giving to think about not giving into the temptations of fear or jealousy or pride. Given the harshness of our news headlines, the realities of evil and suffering in the world, the acrimony that seems ever present in our civil discourse, it could be easy to give into the temptation to let fear win. There are a lot of voices out there that would have us believe that we have much to fear. 

But we are not a people of fear. We are a people of hope. We are a people of joy. As Katherine’s music and Halsted’s hug reminded me the other morning, we all need a little more hope, a little more joy in our lives. Life is indeed difficult, messy, and fragile. And it is also beautiful, magnificent, and full of blessings. The question is, often, what are we looking for? What is our lens? What is our frame? If we choose to look for all the things that confirm our fears. If we choose to buy into a theology of scarcity, a belief that we are all in competition and there will never be enough, it will be easy to find things that confirm our fears. The devil likes nothing more than playing on our fears and convincing us that we are better off on our own, separated from God and each other. 

On the other hand, that is not the life to which God calls us. God calls us to an abundant life. To a life of joy and love, a life that is firmly guided by the conviction that there is always enough. That we are enough. That love is stronger than hate. That faith and hope are stronger than fear.

If Lent is an opportunity for us to turn over a new leaf, to reorient ourselves more fully toward God, then I invite us to do that by being on the lookout for the ways in which God’s joyful, abundant, life-giving love keeps showing up in our lives. Be on the lookout for smiles, for hugs, for laughter, for music, for opportunities to build relationship and connection. We could all use a “feast of joy” in our lives. So may our hearts be all the more open to receive those gifts when they are offered, and may we be inspired to create joy for others. AMEN.