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When we lived in Birmingham, we had a good friend who was part of the Greek Orthodox community. She was actually a Palestinian Christian, but the largest Orthodox community in Birmingham was Greek Orthodox, so that’s where her family found a home. Michelle and her husband Eddie had three daughters, so Jeff and I got to go to three Greek Orthodox baptisms. More so than Presbyterian/Protestant worship, Greek Orthodox worship is super-sensory – it engages all the senses. There’s the music of chanting and hymns, but there’s also the scent of incense, and the dazzle of rich iconography all around the Greek cathedral.
Greek Orthodox baptisms are sensory too – very embodied. There’s a lot of movement. Things are done and said three times (Trinitarian in a constant embodied way). The participants move through the holy space – often circling three times for emphasis. It’s infant baptism, but it is full immersion at the same time. A lot to see, and hear, and take in.
At the start of the Greek Orthodox baptism – the sponsors – the godparents – stand at the door of the sanctuary, with their backs turned toward the sanctuary.[1] The priest then asks them, “Do you renounce Satan and the power of evil?” And the sponsors answer – on behalf of the child and the parents: “Yes.” Three times the priest asks. Three times the sponsors answer. Then, they turn toward the sanctuary. They turn from the power of evil in the world, and they turn toward the waters of baptism, toward God, toward a way that leads toward life.
Jesus does something like that in this morning’s Scripture.[2] You may have heard it called “the temptation of Jesus” or, better, “the testing of Jesus.” Jesus is presented with three challenges, and three times, he turns from the power of evil in the world.
It is a clarifying moment – right at the start of Jesus’ ministry.
Let’s put the story in context. We have been travelling through the Gospel of Luke this year in a fairly linear way. But this morning, as we begin Lent, we go back a little bit in the story. Right before this scene in the wilderness, Jesus is baptized in the River Jordan – a voice from heaven says, “You are my Son, whom I love. (We were there in January). And then right after this wilderness scene, Jesus will proclaim what he is all about: “The Spirit of God is upon me to proclaim good news to the poor; healing for all who hurt; release for the captive; freedom for the oppressed; and the forgiveness of every debt.” (We read that in January too.) This “testing of Jesus” is right in between his baptism – and the start of his ministry “good news for the poor” – right there in the beginning of things – at the start of the journey.
Jesus is baptized, and next thing we know, he’s in the wilderness – and he has this encounter with “the devil.” Now, I’ve said before that I get nervous when the devil shows up in Scripture – because our culture has created a devil concept that’s not at all what we find in Scripture. Devils show up here and there in Scripture – like angels and demons – in different ways. Here, in this story, this devil’s role is as prosecutor, come to test and try this Jesus and the claims of who Jesus is.[3]
In some sense, what is on trial here is the claim just made in baptism – a voice from heaven – “You are my son – my beloved” – and what that might mean.
If you think about it, this is really another one of those biblical courtroom scenes. Do you remember last summer, when we talked about courtroom scenes as a type of story that appears in Scripture again and again? They have the same pattern: (1) a charge is brought; (2) a charge is answered; (3) a verdict is given – a verdict that (4) becomes the operative reality for the parties and beyond.[4] The story is told in this particular way -- as a trial – with the intention of getting to some truth.
Here, the devil brings three charges – framed as if-then challenges.[5] “If this is really true... then do this. Prove it.” If you are the Son of God... then do this. What is on trial here are the words Jesus heard in baptism – “You are my son, whom I love.” The truth we are getting to is who Jesus is, and what that means.
The first charge: “If you are the Son of God, then then tell this stone to become bread.”The devil has Jesus in a weakened condition. He’s in the wilderness for forty days and forty nights, “he has eaten nothing during those days, and he’s famished.” Jesus has entered into the fullness of our frailty. Go ahead hungry Jesus – if you are the Son of God, make this stone... bread. Jesus answers... with Scripture: “No, it is written, humans do not live by bread alone.” The devil is challenging Jesus to go it alone. “If you’re the Son of God, you don’t really need God. Make you some bread.” But Jesus turns from that challenge to live life unconnected to God, and turns toward absolute trust in God’s power and provision.
The second charge: The devil takes Jesus to a place where he can look out over all the kingdoms of the world: “Look at all this power and authority that could be yours – “Son of God” – the power of kings and kingdoms – it can be yours if you just worship me.” Jesus responds: “No. It is written, ‘Worship God only.’” The devil is challenging Jesus to embrace the power-over of kings. Jesus turns from the power-over that Rome uses to put its foot on the neck of the people,[6] and he turns toward the power of God alone.
The third charge: The devil takes Jesus to the pinnacle of the Temple. Again, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down, angels will come and lift you up.” Jesus responds, “No. It is written: ‘Do not put God to the test.’” Jesus turns from the desire to control the way the world unfolds, to control God’s hand, and he turns toward trust – what sometimes get translated faith – trust in God as sovereign of our days.
Three charges. Jesus responds to each. So, what’s the verdict?
To each charge, Jesus responds with Scripture: Trust in God’s provision. Trust in God’s power-for the whole world, more powerful than any power. Trust in God as sovereign of our days.
The verdict here is Jesus turning from the death-dealing ways of worldly power-over, and turning toward God, turning toward the way that is set before him –
the way that we know will unfold in the fullness of life,
in the complexity of the powers of the world –
the way that will lead to the cross –
a Way that trusts in the goodness and saving power of God to always bring us into life.
Jesus is turning to a way that proclaims and embodies good news to the poor; healing every hurt; release for the captive; freedom for the oppressed; and the forgiveness of every debt.”
This year, our Lenten theme is “Turning Toward the Way.” The season of Lent is a penitential season. At its heart is the call to look plainly and clearly at life, at our world, at ourselves – and to repent – to turn – to turn from dead-end ways of striving, separation, and death. This Lent as we “Turn Toward the Way” – we will travel with Jesus along The Way of Jesus – and we’ll consider this image of Turning.
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As Lent opens, with Ash Wednesday and its call to turn and repent –maybe the first image that comes to mind is the image of a U-turn. We are headed in the wrong direction. Turn. Turn. Turn. 180 degrees, turn back, and return to God.
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But often it’s not that straightforward. Maybe as we travel along that way – what opens up to us is a call to change, but with a choice of directions. Turn from the way you are going... but do we turn this way...? or that way...? or that way...?
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And sometimes the path looks like this... turning upon turning upon turning. If it’s a labyrinth, there’s a lot of turning, but at least there’s one path to travel that gets us where we are going. But if it’s a maze, every turn requires a choice – some directions lead to dead-ends – some keep us moving forward. And it can start to feel like this:
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Like we can barely see what’s coming next.
And let’s be honest. In these days, the way can start to feel like this.
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So many twists and turns that it is utterly bewildering.
The world is bewildering right now – as it has been again and again over the course of history to those who have gone before – a world of power-over that grinds away – as we seek to find a better, more loving, more healing way. For our bewildering times, we’ve been embracing those seven spiritual practices – practices learned from those who have gone before – breathing; claiming a mantra of meaningful truth; gratitude; setting intentions; praying for others; and refreshing our spirits in the sacred text of scripture.[7]
With those practices grounding us, we then (and still) need to figure out how to move through our days – to process and try to comprehend what may feel incomprehensible. We need to decide how we will live.
In this morning’s Scripture, Jesus offers us a model for that – a discernment tool for our toolbox – in his turning from and turning toward. If we think of this as a temptation story, it may feel mostly about turning from – turning from temptation. Yes, there is that. But if we look at this as a courtroom scene, where we are trying to emerge with some truth, there is an even more-important turning toward – a turning toward truth. To each of the devil’s charges, “If you are the Son of God... do this.” Jesus answers with Scripture... Jesus answers with a turning toward – a turning toward God and this Way of Jesus that we will see always leads us into life.
What might it look like – for us – to take in today’s many challenges with the help of this turning from/turning toward?
Here’s a big one for me: In our bewildering times, I don’t know about you, but over the course of any given week, I’m experiencing a broad range of emotions, with an intensity that I’ve not known before – a relentless, reactive intensity that kind of takes over, again and again. I know it’s not sustainable.
For example, I have had a particularly strong reaction to America’s betrayal of Ukraine – a hurting, beleaguered people for whom we have been praying for several years. My reaction has been rage. What we need to turn from was pretty clear, to me – turn from aggressive, lethal violence; turn from the violence of power-over. But I took a day to breathe, and asked myself, “What am I turning toward?” What are the positive values that are animating this volatile reaction? The well-being of a vulnerable people under attack. Freedom from violence and abusive power-over. Human dignity. The belief and trust that God wills healing for hurting people and respect for all persons. What if what we are turning toward... becomes our starting place? What if we name that, and live from there.
How does that play out in daily life? Well, when it comes to people with whom I disagree – if I’m turning toward respect for human dignity and non-violence and healing – if I start there – in my interactions with them, I need to turn from disrespect, from disregard for human dignity, from violent reaction – even as I stand for (and turn toward) healing for every hurt, freedom for the oppressed, and so on.
Turning from, turning toward. It is a sifting tool – sifting through the tumult of the world – to find our way. We are talking ethics here. We are talking how we find ways to live out the values that we believe and trust. We trust in Jesus. What is being tested here – the truth we are seeking here – is who we are in Christ – children of God – turning again and again toward the Way of Jesus.
One more thing before I wrap up. Notice in the wilderness Jesus is not really alone. Scripture says he is.. alone. But did you notice the Spirit. The Spirit that descended at baptism. Jesus enters the wilderness full of the Holy Spirit, and the Spirit never leaves. God is near. And right after that, Jesus declares, the Spirit is upon me, and moves out, as he gathers for the journey Companions along the Way.
How lovely that we begin this Lenten journey – Turning Toward the Way – on the same day that we are welcoming new members. We may be in the wilderness, but we are not alone. God is near. The Spirit is upon us. We are the body of Christ, and each of us a member of it. Here we are together, in the wilderness of the world, never alone. As we step out on this Lenten journey, together, we turn toward the Way that always leads toward life.
© 2025 Scott Clark
[1] For more on the role of the sponsors during a Greek Orthodox baptism, see https://steleftherios.ny.goarch.org/sacraments/baptism.html#:~:text=We%20must%20remember%20that%20the,of%20our%20Lord%20Jesus%20Christ.
[2] For general background on this Scripture and the Gospel of Luke, see For general background on these Scriptures and the Gospel of Luke, see see R. Alan Culpepper, “The Gospel of Luke,” New Interpreters’ Bible Commentary, vol. ix (Nashville, TN: Abingdon Press, 1995), pp.96-101; Justo L. González, Luke (Louisville, KY: Westminster John Knox Press, 2010); Sharon Ringe, Luke (Louisville, KY: Westminster John Knox Press, 1995); Shively T.J. Smith, Commentary in Connections, Year C, vol. 2(Louisville, KY; Westminster John Knox Press, 2018).
[3] See Ringe, p.59.
[4] See, e.g., https://www.togetherweserve.org/post/what-is-truth-john-18-28-40-8th-sunday-after-pentecost
[5] See Ringe, pp. 58-61; Culpepper, pp. 98-99.
[6] See Ringe, p.59.
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