One Like Us - Sermon for the First Sunday in Lent Year C

One Like Us

Lent 1C

March 6, 2022

Good Shepherd, Wells, MN

Luke 4.1-13

The Chronicles of Narnia is a series of books by CS Lewis. We read them several times to our daughters when they were young, which left us wondering if they were children's books for adults or adult books for children. In the country of Narnia, there are sentient, talking animals as well as talking humans. In the first book, The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, the evil White Witch has held sway over Narnia making it always winter, “but never Christmas” as one of the characters says. The main character, Aslan, is an impressive lion and a Christ figure throughout the books. Aslan is killed by the White Witch as a sacrifice for another character, but Aslan is resurrected through “a deeper magic than she knew.” Aslan then rallies the animals and other creatures to fight the White Witch and her minions. As he is preparing to do so, he remarks to other lions that “us lions have to carry those who can’t move quickly.” The other lions perk up and say, “Did you hear that? He said, ‘us lions!’” As they are preening they get loaded up with creatures to carry.

The identification of the lions with Aslan is an example of why the gospel in Luke is so vital for us. Today is the First Sunday in Lent (in it but not of it). Lent always begins with the story of Jesus’ temptation in the wilderness. It’s a little disconcerting to go back to the beginning of chapter 4, but it is critical that we do so at the beginning of Lent. You may recall that the season of Epiphany started with the baptism of Jesus in chapter 3 and ended with his transfiguration in chapter 9, the texts declaring that Jesus was God’s beloved and chosen Son. During that season the texts were answering the question, “Who is this Jesus?” As we explored that question, we can be excused for getting the impression that the divine aspect of Jesus outweighed the human aspect.

I’ve mentioned before how my Confirmation students have learned to answer “or” questions “Yes!” For example, in Holy Communion, is it bread and wine or body and blood. “Yes!” Are we saints or are we sinners? “Yes!” Was the Bible written by humans or God? “Yes!” And, of course, is Jesus God or human? “Yes!” We know in our heads that Jesus needs to be both fully God and fully human, but how much do we really believe that? I think that many of us consider Jesus to be some sort of superhuman individual who simply cannot be tempted, is incapable of making a mistake, and impervious to human foibles. But unless Jesus is one like us, susceptible to sin and failure, Lent and the cross are meaningless.

Let me elaborate. If Jesus isn’t susceptible to the forces of sin, death, and the devil, those won’t be defeated anywhere let alone the cross. If Jesus doesn’t understand brokenness, heartache, suffering, and the human condition, not to mention being able to take those things into himself to be redeemed by God, we are helpless and remain separated from God. But, in fact, Jesus is susceptible, Jesus does understand, and Jesus does take those things on for us. So, we walk the road to Jerusalem, the way of the cross, knowing that as one like us our fate is inextricably bound up with Jesus’ fate, that the powers will be defeated, and new life is coming.

There’s more, of course, because there’s always more, as Jesus is one like us. As I thought deeply about this identification as Jesus being one like us, I thought how important it is for people of color or different nationalities to see dolls like them in the stores or actors like them in TV and movies. I thought about the proliferation of art depicting Jesus as African, Asian, and other nationalities. I don’t think artists are trying to make Jesus into their own image but rather the other way around; they are trying to identify with Jesus. Like all good art, these depictions stretch our understanding of how Jesus is one like us, just as the lions identified with Aslan. Because Jesus embraced his humanity in all its fullness, we are able to do the same knowing that new life is coming just as it came for him. May you have a blessed Lent, sisters and brothers, as you journey to the cross and beyond. Amen.

My written sermons often preach differently "live." To watch the video, click here.