Session 1: Confession (Toothbrush)
Every night when it comes to getting the kids ready for bed, it is a challenge. We have the same routine over and over and yet every night it seems to be a huge surprise to them, when it is time to start the bedtime routine. The biggest issue seems to come down to brushing teeth. More often than not they will ask if they have to brush their teeth. Now I understand their aversion to the sometimes-monotonous drudgery of brushing teeth. Many times, if I am honest, I find myself very worn out at the end of the day and just want nothing more than to crawl straight into bed, but I know that when I go to the dentist I will regret that choice, not only with all the extra required maintenance and care, but also with the extra cost, so even on my most tired nights, I stand there at the sink brushing my teeth, knowing that those moments matter in the long run.
My children do not understand the long-term consequences and that their choices matter. So, when they ask if they have to brush their teeth, I tell them, no, you do not have to brush all of your teeth. You only have to brush the ones that you want to keep. Of course, I am met with an eye roll and a groan but immediately they go straight to the bathroom and brush their teeth.
But the point is as humans we tend to want to take the easiest route. We want to do the bare minimum. We want to avoid the mundane tasks and sometimes we find ways to justify the path of least resistance, which may not seem like that big of a deal in the moment but down the road we find ourselves paying large consequences. Like the copay of a root canal, which could have been easily avoided with just a little bit of time spent each night, faithfully not taking the easy route. But let us go deeper and think about something beyond our teeth like our hearts and faith journey. How do small compromises lead to large consequences particularly in our faith walk?
Come with me into the Lenten scripture for this week and we start out with the temptation of Christ.
Scripture
Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted[a] by the devil. 2 After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. 3 The tempter came to him and said, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.” 4 Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’[b]” 5 Then the devil took him to the holy city and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. 6 “If you are the Son of God,” he said, “throw yourself down. For it is written: “‘He will command his angels concerning you, and they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.’[c]” 7 Jesus answered him, “It is also written: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’[d]” 8 Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. 9 “All this I will give you,” he said, “if you will bow down and worship me.” 10 Jesus said to him, “Away from me, Satan! For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.]” 11 Then the devil left him, and angels came and attended him. – Matthew 4:1-11 [NIV]
Discussion Questions
1. Imagine yourself having not ate for forty days and nights, and now here is someone reminding you that you have the capability to create food out of nothing…. What would be your first thoughts? How great would the temptation be?
2. What are the three temptations listed here? What does each one offer? Why are these significant?
3. Why do you believe it was so important for Jesus to be tempted? Why in these three particular ways? Do you think there is significance in these three particular temptations? What are they?
4. After being offered food/comfort, safety and finally power Jesus resists these temptations. How does it change the magnitude of the cross? In facing the cross there was no comfort, there was no safety and there was a definite surrender of power, so does recognizing these were the temptations make the cross more significant in any way? Why or why not?
5. In what ways do we choose to do the bare minimum in our faith? What are our big consequences for small compromises? In what ways can we begin to break those compromises and live more fully into faithfulness?
The three themes of Lent are commonly prayer, fasting, and almsgiving. Through this season of Lent is there something that you can choose to sacrifice to experience these three themes more fully? Something small that you do weekly such as buying a donut or a coffee, or going out for breakfast, that you can replace with prayer and an inner examination of your heart and then use the funds you saved from not doing that thing, which can be used to purchase more items for the Human Dignity Kits. What is something you can sacrifice to look more at your own heart and to help restore the Dignity of someone else around you?
Next week you are being asked to bring a one-gallon sized zipper sealed plastic bag and a $2 donation. Oh, and maybe an extra toothbrush too so we can make more Dignity kits than just one per person.
Closing prayer
Jesus, we know that you like us were tempted and yet you did not compromise or succumb, despite the very real pangs of hunger and the knowledge of the path you came here to walk for our sake. You showed us what it means to hold fast to our faith, and through this scripture we begin to see an inkling of the depth of the love you have for us. We glimpse the extent to which you were willing to go in your desire to restore our lives, when we choose to make compromises with much bigger consequences than we acknowledge in the moment. Help us to stand fast to the faith and not compromise to those things that seem easier in the moment. Help us to remain faithful to you in all our ways. In Jesus name we pray. Amen.
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