Wednesday of the week of Lent 2

So, beginning on the first Sunday in Lent the readings from the gospel of Luke we hear in Sunday worship remind us that there is a power at work in the world threatening to dismantle and destroy the goodness, truth, and beauty God has made.  This power distorts the truth and conceals what is real.
Beginning with Jesus' forty days in the wilderness, where he fasts and prays, we see an oppositional force at work.  Jesus is confronted by Satan in a story that seems more mythical than historical.  Satan compels Jesus to use his spiritual powers as God's Son to turn a stone into bread.  Satan promises the world to Jesus, as if it is his to give away, if only Jesus would worship Satan.  Satan invites Jesus to jump off the pinnacle of the temple, trusting God's divine promise to send angelic protection to save God's beloved, chosen one.
Jesus refuses to use his power for selfish purposes, depending on God's creation as it comes to Him, for sustenance and life.  A stone is a stone.  A stone is not bread.  Palestine is a stony ground.  And a stone was a weapon of judgment upon those who broke the law.  Turning a stone into bread could be seen as a swords into plough shares type expression.  Was the devil inviting Jesus to transform punishment into nourishment?  Jesus will not avoid punishment to feed his own stomach.
Jesus refuses to devote himself to any other master.  He serves and loves only one GOD.  And Jesus knows who rules the world, whose world this is.  This is God's world and no one else's.  Jesus is not threatened by someone who claims to have power he does not have.
Finally, Jesus refuses to twist God's Word to justify foolish behavior that threatens his fragile mortal body.  Jumping off a skyscraper because someone promises you that you won't die is a test that denies what is real.Truth is, even Jesus cannot fly.  Jesus is restricted, confined to the limited powers of the human body.  Despite the truth of his identity, he is not invulnerable.
The powers at work in this world that threaten to distort the truth about who we are, what we're capable of, what we can and ought to do for ourselves, how far we ought to go and how high...these powers are busy and active.  We don't call the power satan or the devil so much, mainly because of the weak mythology attached to the figure.
I've seen these powers at work in and outside the church.  As a result, I am learning to pray in ways I never knew before.  Prayer can be a shield of protection.  And I am learning to hide in the shadow of God's wings.