At first they tried to kill Polycarp and Lucy by burning them alive but when that failed they stabbed them to death with a swords.
The apostle James, then later Justin and Alban were tortured and then beheaded.
Perpetua was publicly executed by the sword in the arena.
Cecilia was stoned to death, Sebastian was shot with arrows and then beaten to death.
These were some of the first Christian martyrs. Back then, being a follower of Jesus was no easy thing. It meant positioning yourself over against the very powerful Roman Empire, refusing to worship Caesar and the Roman gods, refusing to live according to many Roman values of the day.
Because baptism pitted you against the Empire, it was not something you casually walked into. It could cost you something, it could cost you your life.
In that context, the church started the season we have now begun, the season of Lent. Since baptism could have enormous consequences for an individual, the early Christians developed a three-year formation process in which you as a convert could ponder, discuss, pray over the potentially risky decision of getting baptized.
Lent was the final stretch of that process, a time to switch up the prayer and preparation before finally taking the plunge, literally, into the waters of baptism at the Easter Vigil.
So Lent is about converts preparing for baptism. But it's also about those of us already baptized. At the Easter Vigil we will gather at that font in song and celebration to renew those noble and foolhardy vows we once said or that were said on our behalf at our baptisms.
And during this Lenten season, in preparation for that Easter Vigil moment, we wrestle with what our own baptisms mean to us this year, at this stage in our journeys. This wrestling involves both individual soul-searching as well as time together as a community.
The readings of Lent are chosen primarily with converts in mind, but they also give the rest of us plenty to chew on. Take, for example, today's gospel that wants us to remember who we are, what it means, and does not mean, to be God's beloved daughters and sons.
Jesus has just been baptized and has heard the voice from heaven, "This is my Son, the beloved, in whom I am well pleased." But what does it mean to be the Beloved Son in whom God is well pleased? The spirit leads Jesus into the desert so he can wrestle with what all this means, the implications it might have for his life.
There in the desert, the tempter will have some suggestions of his own about what it means.
The first temptation begins by calling into question whether Jesus really is the beloved child of God. Notice the IF: “IF you are the Son of God”, and IF God really does love you, then command these stones to become loaves of bread. The implication is that being God's beloved son means never going hungry, means always being full. This fullness will be supplied by supernatural means. The laws of planting and harvesting will be suspended.
But Jesus rejects this idea that being loved by God means that you will always be filled. Instead, he remembers the word he heard that day in the Jordan. That word was Beloved. Nothing could change the reality and power of that word.
At some times he may be full and at other times he may be hungry, but the word remains true in either case. There may be times when he goes hungry, but Jesus will still be the Beloved Son.
In the second temptation, the devil implies that if you really are God's beloved child, then you will always be physically safe. You can leap from the pinnacle of the temple. The laws of gravity will be suspended for you. Angels will break your fall. You won't even injure your foot.
But Jesus thinks this whole way of understanding God's loving care is wrong-headed. You do not put yourself in danger so God can protect you and show others that you are truly God's beloved child.
In the course of Jesus' life, there will be times when he is not safe. Jesus will be hurt, but even then the word he heard on the day of his baptism in the Jordan will still be true: He will still be God’s beloved son.
Finally, in the third temptation, the devil tells Jesus that if he worships the devil and adopts his ways, he will have control over the kingdoms of this world. The assumption is that the kingdoms of this world are controlled by the devil and political power is his to give.
But Jesus, who is a Jew of the first commandment, worships only "the Lord your God". He refuses to worship the devil and live according to the devil’s values, and that means he will not have political power.
But although, from a political point of view, Jesus will be powerless, the word he heard that day in the Jordan remains true: he will still be God's beloved son.
So Jesus is very clear about who he is. "I am God's beloved son and there will be moments when I am hungry, moments of pain, moments when I am powerless and helpless in the face of all the political oppression. But through it all, I will still be God's beloved son.
Jesus is very clear about who he is. This clarity gives him the insight of how to respond to each of the temptations the devil throws at him.
I remember the story of Martin Luther, the great reformer. Whenever he was feeling discouraged or confused or lacking confidence, he would do some self-talk, he would say: “Martin, Martin, you are baptized!” This remembrance of his own deepest identity gave him a renewed strength and clarity to move through the confusion and to discern the path he needed to take.
Jesus may have been conscious of his true identity in a clear and immediate way, but for most of us, this kind of clarity comes after some reflection and spiritual work. This spiritual work is what we do during Lent. It’s why we take on the ancient practices of extra prayer, some fasting, and giving alms.
I have a couple of questions for you, and I’ll close with these:
Today, on this first Sunday of Lent 2014, what joys and struggles, what clarity and what craziness are going on right now in your life?
In your life at this moment, as you look at that font, what difference would it make to remember that you are baptized, that you are God’s beloved daughter, God’s beloved son? Would that change anything? How might your life be different if you allowed yourself to really believe this incredible truth about you?
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