St. Matthew's Evangelical Lutheran Church, Welland, Ontario, Canada

If you are unable to attend this Prayer and Coffee session in-person, contact Pastor Bart to receive an invitation and link to join ZOOM.

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SECOND SUNDAY IN LENT MARCH 16, 2025

Prayer of the Day
God of the covenant, in the mystery of the cross you promise everlasting life to the world. Gather all peoples into your arms, and shelter us with your mercy, that we may rejoice in the life we share in your Son, Jesus Christ, our Saviour and Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.

Luke 13:31-35
31 At that very hour some Pharisees came and said to [Jesus], “Get away from here, for Herod wants to kill you.” 32 He said to them, “Go and tell that fox for me, ‘Listen, I am casting out demons and performing cures today and tomorrow, and on the third day I finish my work. 33 Yet today, tomorrow, and the next day I must be on my way, because it is impossible for a prophet to be killed outside of Jerusalem.’ 34 Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it! How often have I desired to gather your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you were not willing! 35 See, your house is left to you. And I tell you, you will not see me until the time comes when you say, ‘Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord.’ ”

A Brief Reflection:
Herod (that fox) was Jewish. He also was loyal to the empire that put him on his little throne (Rome). Herod is known for his murderous rampage of children because he thought one would grow up and take his throne.

Shortly before the Pharisees warn Jesus that Herod’s gunning for him, the empire that installed Herod into office had recently killed Judeans and mingled their blood with the sacrificial rites of the cult of Caesar.

The mention of Pharisees matters. While others including many of the Saducees collaborated with Rome for both safety and financial gain, the Pharisees resisted and held fast to their religious and ethnic identity.

And Jesus chooses to focus on his life’s work of healing and opposing life depriving life degrading forces of evil. Death threats don’t stop Jesus. What’s more even though his heart’s desire is to embrace and protect his beloved city and its people it looks as though they reject him. And Jesus chooses to carry on his life’s work and even at the cost of his own life. And Luke tells us another “third day” is coming. Resurrection Day assures us that not even death stops God from the divine impulse to bless and save the world.

A few questions to think about: What is the nature and scope of Jesus’ work today? What is the church called to be and do as part of Jesus’ work—today? In what ways is the church (throughout the world) responding to that call?

If you are unable to attend the first two Prayer and Coffee sessions in-person, contact Pastor Bart to receive an invitation and link to join ZOOM.

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Worship Guide

FIRST SUNDAY IN LENT
March 9, 2025 

Prayer of the Day 
O Lord God, you led your people through the wilderness and brought them to the promised land. Guide us now, so that, following your Son, we may walk safely through the wilderness of this world toward the life you alone can give, through Jesus Christ, our Saviour and Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.

Gospel: Luke 4:1-13
1 Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the wilderness, 2 where for forty days he was tested by the devil. He ate nothing at all during those days, and when they were over he was famished. 3 The devil said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command this stone to become a loaf of bread.” 4 Jesus answered him, “It is written, ‘One does not live by bread alone.’ ”

5 Then the devil led him up and showed him in an instant all the kingdoms of the world. 6 And the devil said to him, “To you I will give all this authority and their glory, for it has been given over to me, and I give it to anyone I please. 7 If you, then, will worship me, it will all be yours.” 8 Jesus answered him, “It is written, ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve only him.’ ”

9 Then the devil led him to Jerusalem and placed him on the pinnacle of the temple and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down from here, 10 for it is written, ‘He will command his angels concerning you, to protect you,’

11 and ‘On their hands they will bear you up, so that you will not dash your foot against a stone.’ ” 12 Jesus answered him, “It is said, ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’ ” 13 When the devil had finished every test, he departed from him until an opportune time.

SERMON
Maybe you’ve had a cardiac stress test to figure out just how much the ol’ ticker can take. The word “test” as it applies to Jesus’ wilderness experience is the perfect word. How much pressure can the one called beloved son withstand before he sells out or gives in? Each of the tests operates on multiple levels and at their core, each test becomes one of integrity—is Jesus the One the Divine voice says he is? Is he truly trust-worthy? Jesus is filled with the Spirit of God and even led into the wilderness by the Spirit of God. The tests are dressed up in religious language peppered with misquoted scripture.

Jesus withstands pressure with his own resistance—Jesus quotes scripture to reaffirm his loyalty, not to win arguments or manipulate anybody. We might think a minute about the ways in which Jesus’ followers and now the church faces tests of our own. The Spirit puts Jesus in the wilderness—just like God led a liberated people through the wilderness. These places are scary. We’re vulnerable. Luke puts Jesus age at 30-considering most poor people in Jesus’ world seldom lived to see 40 tells us something. Jesus isn’t Superman…he’s already old relatively speaking and here he is in the wilderness having not eaten for a long time. Jesus’ vulnerability reminds us of our own. The tests come when we haven’t trained or prepared.

We might be cave in to the desires for quick fixes or even dusting off some of our former ways in hopes of being the thriving places we imagine or remember ourselves being. Worse, we might be succumb to the current popular practice among some calling themselves Christian to decide who’s human and who’s not and justify ourselves by twisting words of scripture.

The devil’s opportune time to retest Jesus comes at his execution. The test is mouthed by hecklers saying that if he really is the Son of God he should Houdini his way off the executioner’s scaffold. What would happen to this part of God’s agenda to bless and save the world had Jesus used his divine power and privilege to end his human suffering?

We’re not Jesus, though. We might feel the weight of the world and just want to bail. There’s a reason Jesus taught us the prayer that has the words, “save us from the time of trial—or testing. Left to our own devices, we are apt to capitulate to the current powers that hoping to find sure footing in life. Such misdirected trust leads to all sorts of actions that make things worse. Part of Lent is a rigorous gut check.

When the stress test feels overwhelming we ask of ourselves as church and as people of faith: To whom are we loyal? Really? Whom do we trust? Really?

May the Spirit of God that led and sustained Jesus likewise lead and sustain us. Amen.

STARTING SUNDAY, MARCH 9th

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