For Sunday
Lent 2B
Collect
O God, whose glory it is always to have mercy: Be gracious to all who have gone astray from your ways, and bring them again with penitent hearts and steadfast faith to embrace and hold fast the unchangeable truth of your Word, Jesus Christ your Son; who with you and the Holy Spirit lives and reigns, one God, for ever and ever.
Amen.
Reading
Reflection
Last week, we read about Jesus’s time in the wilderness, where he was tempted by Satan. Now we hear Jesus’s second temptation.
It is always jarring to read this story: of Peter trying to save Jesus’s life and Jesus’s response: “Get behind me, Satan!” But let us not avoid the most obvious part of the story. That Jesus sees what Peter says to him as temptation. And that, whether he intends to be or not, Peter is doing the work of the Tempter here.
Thanks to popular culture, we think of Satan as a red guy, horned head, bearing a pitchfork. And that he tries to compel us to do grossly evil things. In our imagination, these are conspicuously bad; like drugs, murder, adultery.
What we actually get from scripture, however, is temptation to power. Power over ourselves, others, and our environment. Even power over God. It is about control. Controlling our circumstances and the people around us. And it can be as innocuous as wanting to ensure the best results on a test to abusing and exploiting others.
Peter tempts Jesus with control over the divine project God has put in his hands. To remove the cup from his lips and prevent his inevitable death at the hands of Empire.
What perhaps troubles us most about this story is that Peter is doing something good: saving a life. And yet, what this action exposes, is the degree to which our instincts and values, while geared toward the good, can be corrupted. Perhaps by fear of loss. But also, as in this case, a misunderstanding of the mission. That Jesus hasn’t come to gain power over Rome. But to undermine all empires.
What temptations to power come to you as “doing good?” What control tempts you?