Retreat and dwell in the heart of God

Sermons

Rev. Karen Bridges 9 March 2025

Psalm 91: 1-2, 9-16; Luke 4:1-13

Jesus teaches us that we are not to live by bread alone. Being people of faith, we can

trust in the promise that our souls will never be thirsty or hungry again when we follow

Jesus and live by his word. When we learn to open our hearts to all the love of God;

when we learn to love as Jesus has commanded us; When we see the face of God in

every person we meet, both stranger and friend…that is truly when we are full.

What are the things in your life that are temptations leading you away from God? What

do you need to release in your life in order to fully accept and connect with people in a

deeper and more vulnerable way? The scriptures today are calling us to make an

intentional choice. We are being asked to dwell in the heart of God. To retreat from all

the distractions and simply accept the love that God offers us freely.

So what does it look like to dwell in the heart of God? How does that feel? What do we

do in order to truly dwell in the heart of God? I believe that we need to reconnect with

God. We need to return to God and let go of the beliefs that we can do this on our own.

We need to let go of our need to be independent. And we need to recognize our

temptation to believe that we alone can bring about transformation in this world, in

isolation of God’s larger vision of the common good.

Elizabeth Hinson-Hasty, a theologian, takes this one step further. She writes:

“Neither should we retreat and seek to find false refuge in theologies that have

been used in the past to disregard human responsibility for the suffering of others

and our planet. So much suffering that exists today is caused by human hands and

as we reflect on Psalm 91 during Lent, we can re-evaluate our way of thinking and

refocus our practices so we can move closer to the celebration of the day thatreminds us that our comfort and protection are found in fully participating in

God’s redemptive work in the world.”1

Jesus today is inviting us to embrace an intentional way of life. A life that dwells in the

heart of God. The word “dwell” is a verb, and it’s defined as “to live in a place”, or “to

live in a particular way”. Jesus, in this story, has chosen to dwell in the wilderness. To be

situated in one place for 40 days and 40 nights. To remove all of the distractions so that

he can prepare himself to embark on the journey that God has called him to do. We, as

faithful followers, are instead being called to live in a particular way. To follow Jesus

means that we are choosing to live by what one anonymous writer describes as the

three simple rules. We are called to do the following:

“Love needs action. Trust needs proof. Sorry needs change.” The greatest

commandment that Jesus gave us is to love one another as we would be loved. That

requires action, that requires trust, that requires forgiveness and grace. As Christians,

we face many temptations these days. We are often tempted to pass judgement on

others based on what we have learned in our faith. Sometimes we’re tempted to take a

path of least resistance when it comes to acting in our faith in what Jesus has taught us.

An example of this is to walk away from our enemies instead of loving them. We are

often tempted to focus on our individual needs and make choices that are best for us,

without considering the consequences that these choices might have on others, or the

community as a whole. We’re often tempted to hold onto our favourite scriptural

passages that fit with our beliefs, rather than grappling with the ones that disturb us or

challenge us. Being people of faith is not simple. It’s not always an easy path, and at

times, we like Jesus will face persecution and judgement, pain and suffering. We will be

tested, and we can seek refuge and comfort in the arms of God, as we heard in the

psalm today.

The season of Lent, which lasts up until Holy Week and Easter, is a time to be more

intentional. To be disciplined in our responding to trials and temptations with faith. In

faith. Trusting in God. We are invited to repent when we have caused others harm. We

are called to be pious in the sense that we are to be reverent and faithful to God and

1 Elizabeth Hinson-Hasty, Feasting on the Word, Year C, Volume 2, (Louisville: Westminster John Knox Press, 2009), p. 36.follow the commandments that Jesus gave us. And we are being called to stand with the

oppressed and the exploited and to advocate for justice and equity for all people.

If we look back at the psalmist’s words today, partway through the psalm, the psalmist

turns to third person, and we hear the voice of God say, “When they call to me, I will

answer them.” God says, “I will rescue them and honour them. With long life, I will

sanctify them and show them my salvation.” We are not alone in this. God has given us

the spiritual practice of Sabbath, for instance. Where one day a week we are to dedicate

our time, our bodies, our minds and our spirits to God through rest, through worship,

through prayer, through ceasing that which turns us away from God, and through

feasting on the living bread that Jesus offers us: the Word of God. We are called beyond

our human needs and desires and to dwell in the heart of God means to abide in God,

abide in our faith.

The truth of the matter is that we face temptation every single day. Some of us are

tempted to stay in bed, especially when the time changes. So congratulations to all of

you who came. Some of us want to stay home where we can have coffee and a leisurely

brunch because this week has been exhausting, and at times, that is what we need to

do. But we can also do that by being here and worshipping God. I don’t blame any of

you – if I had the choice today, I would have stayed in bed too. It was very difficult

getting up. Others of us may be tempted by just another cookie. It’s just sitting there,

what’s one more cookie? Even though we know we shouldn’t, we can’t help ourselves

and we dive in.

These are temptations or tests that deal with our desires, but that was not what Jesus

was facing in the wilderness. Jesus faced tests by the devil that could distract or turn

him from God. Away from his call in God’s world. Away from his call to break down the

walls that divide people as clean or unclean. To challenge past traditions and teachings

that do not show love for all people. The devil tried to tempt Jesus into testing God.

With all the conflicts that have arisen because of different governments and regulations

in our world, it’s tempting to cast judgement on others who do not hold our views or

values. When we are faced with leaders who are driven by personal gain and have little

regard for people, it’s tempting to doubt the words that we have heard in the psalmtoday, when God said, “When they call to me, I will answer them and I will be there in

times of trouble.”

Kimberly Van Driel, a theologian, states that “the text from the Gospel reading today

tells a story about how evil works on the basis on distortions and lies. The devil presents

want as need, falsehoods as truth, and distrust as faith.”2 Commercials are the easiest

examples of wants being presented as needs, but I’m sure that we’ve all fallen victim to

some of that in our lives. Politicians and leaders are often found to present falsehoods

as truths. They use propaganda to serve their purposes and desires. Some, who will

remain nameless, like to create chaos in order to disguise what their true intentions are.

But distrust as faith is something that is even more challenging. Can we be people of

faith and still have doubt? Is doubt the same as distrust? We heard in the temptation of

the wilderness that Jesus trusts in God, and in the face of temptations, Jesus chooses to

trust God and commit to his calling. I believe that in doubt, there is believing. That

doubt isn’t the same as distrust. Doubt can actually be a practice of curiosity: a way of

seeking new understanding and a new path to growth and enlightenment.

So in this season when we are called to live in a particular way. When we are called to

be more disciplined when we face temptations…how will you dwell in the heart of God

this Lent? What is it that you will commit to return back to God? To be fully committed?

Some have seen that Peter has created a Lenten calendar challenge for us. Maybe you

want to engage in that practice. Some of you may commit to praying more, listening

more, getting out of bed every single Sunday and coming to church. Some may choose

to volunteer more. To serve the world in love, as Jesus has called us. Some of us might

actually find our voice and stand up against injustice, maybe for the first time in our

lives. But whatever you do, do it with intention. Do it because you have chosen to follow

Jesus, and because you are loved, and that is how your life is going to be fed by more

than bread alone. God is truly with us, and God leads Jesus and leads us not just to the

wilderness, but through it. So trust that we will come out in the end, at Easter time,

ready to celebrate and see the risen Christ. Amen.

2 Kimberly Van Driel, Feasting on the Word, Year C, Volume 2, (Louisville: Westminster John Knox Press, 2009), p. 47.