Lent: an Invitation to Incarnation

Last updated on: June 10, 2015 at 1:46 pm by Theology of Work Project

Lent: an Invitation to Incarnation 2015-06-10T13:46:39-05:00 Theology of Work Project

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Many Christians use the 40 days of Lent to honor the 40 days of fasting and temptation Jesus endured before the start of his work (Luke 3:23). If we examine Jesus’ time in the wilderness, we discover an invitation to experience more of his partnership in our own work.

In Luke’s account of Jesus’ temptation, his very identity is challenged. Twice Satan attempts to provoke him with the phrase, “If you are the Son of God (italics ours).”

“The devil said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command this stone to become a loaf of bread.” Luke 4:3

“Then the devil took him to Jerusalem, and placed him on the pinnacle of the temple, saying to him, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down from here…” Luke 4:9

Jesus is also tempted to reach out and take for himself that which God has already promised him.

“Then the devil led him up and showed him in an instant all the kingdoms of the world. And the devil said to him, “To you I will give their glory and all this authority; for it has been given over to me, and I give it to anyone I please. If you, then, will worship me, it will all be yours.” Luke 4:5-7

Similarly, in our work, we are most often tempted to 1) live outside of our identities as sons and daughters of the living God, and 2) strive in our own power to obtain that which God has already secured for us. This manifests in multiple ways. It might mean inattentiveness to the nature of the work itself (who it serves, its impact) or disregard for how you do your work (neglecting to honor God and others). We might look to work as the ultimate means to various ends, such as self-actualization or security. As a result, our work may be marked by fear, relentless striving or broken relationships. Perhaps we don’t even realize that God cares about what we do when we’re not doing “church” activities. These are all indicators that we’ve separated God–and the reality of our identities in Christ–from the realm of work.

So how can we integrate our faith and our work, the sacred and the “secular?” Nathan Roberts from The High Calling aptly describes integration as a call to holistic, incarnational living. He says, “Perhaps we should stop trying to shoehorn ‘Sunday’ into ‘Monday’ or struggling to integrate ‘faith’ into ‘work,’ and take the conversation in a new direction: recovering the spirit of God incarnate in every single..act.”—If that is to be our approach, then we must overcome the temptation to leave behind our fullest selves when we enter the workplace.

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We need to be reminded of who we are, when, in the wilderness of our work, we are tempted to forget. God publicly affirmed Jesus’ identity before his work began. He was reminded of his Father’s unconditional and faithful love. He was assured of his sonship.

“…when Jesus also had been baptized and was praying, the heaven was opened, and the Holy Spirit descended upon him in bodily form like a dove. And a voice came from heaven, “You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased.” Luke 3:21-22

We need this assurance, too. This Lent, let’s soak in the truth that we are beloved sons and daughters and heirs of God’s promises. God is pleased with us before we even start our day. We too can be filled with the Holy Spirit and transformed by the truth of our Father’s words spoken over us. Only then can we live wholly and freely out of who we are, experiencing Jesus’ presence and power in our work.

You can read the Theology of Work Project’s full commentary on Luke 4:1-13 for free online.

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