Handling Stress the Jesus Way
Indianapolis First Friends Quaker Meeting
Pastor Bob Henry
January 29, 2023
Good morning, Friends and welcome to Light Reflections. Our scripture reading for today is Matthew 3:16-4:11 from the New Revised Standard Version.
And when Jesus had been baptized, just as he came up from the water, suddenly the heavens were opened to him and he saw God’s Spirit descending like a dove and alighting on him. And a voice from the heavens said, “This is my Son, the Beloved, with whom I am well pleased.”
Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tested by the devil. He fasted forty days and forty nights, and afterward he was famished. The tempter came and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread.” But he answered, “It is written,
‘One does not live by bread alone,
but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’”
Then the devil took him to the holy city and placed him on the pinnacle of the temple, saying to him, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down, for it is written,
‘He will command his angels concerning you,’
and ‘On their hands they will bear you up,
so that you will not dash your foot against a stone.’”
Jesus said to him, “Again it is written, ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’ ”
Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory, and he said to him, “All these I will give you, if you will fall down and worship me.” Then Jesus said to him, “Away with you, Satan! for it is written,
‘Worship the Lord your God,
and serve only him.’”
Then the devil left him, and suddenly angels came and waited on him.
Last week we looked at a specific aspect of Jesus’ water baptism – that being “fire” and the qualities that fire presents to the reader, 1. illumination, 2. warmth, and 3. purification – This was also something that the early Quakers focused a great deal on, calling it the Refiner’s Fire.
This morning, we continue on in the biblical story and look at what happen immediately following Jesus’ baptism. Often this story is known as the Temptation of Jesus in the Wilderness. Some call it “The Great Testing,” and still others name it “The Calling of Christ.”
As I did last week by focusing on the refiner’s fire, this week I want to take another angle and not look so much at Satan or Temptation – but really hone in on an area that I think is extremely applicable for us, today – that being STRESS.
It seems in our hurry-up, no-time-for breaks, “I have too many things to do” society – we all know something about stress.
Just in the last week, I noticed that many people – even some of you – have been posting quotes or memes on social media about stress. I decided to compile them and as David Letterman used to do, here is my top ten list (and since we are in Meeting for Worship, I only chose mostly clean ones:
10.Everyone thinks I’m overly dramatic when I am stressed. When an octopus is stressed, it eats itself. Now that’s overdramatic.
9. Stress is nothing more than a socially acceptable form of mental illness.
8. When I get a headache, I take two aspirin and keep away from children just like the bottle says.
7. My stress stresses me out to the point where I’m too stressed to deal with stress.
6. So, you mean a stress ball is not for throwing at people who stress me out?
5. Can’t decide if I need a hug, an XL coffee, 6 shots of vodka, or 2 weeks of sleep.
4. I am going to put an “Out of Order” sticker on my head and call it a day.
3. I deserve a medal for making it through this week without stabbing someone with a fork.
2. Some people manage stress with yoga, meditation, and long walks. I manage stress with food, sarcasm and swearing.
1. Did you know “stressed” spelled backwards is desserts? Coincidence? I think not!
Obviously, we are experiencing a lot of pressure in our world. This pressure comes from so many different places, people, and experiences and each place a different demand on us. At times, it almost feel like the stress of life is going to literally pull us apart.
When I was studying the many nuances of conflict in ministry and the impact it has on ministry professionals for my doctoral dissertation, I spent some time looking specifically at how Jesus addressed the stresses in his life and ministry.
Obviously, Jesus was under a variety of pressures and stressors.
· There was growing up in Nazareth (a place known for being where “nothing good could come from.”
· There was also his family’s economic and social status in their community after that wild start to parenthood.
· There was the fact that Jesus was seen as different, odd, at times the teacher’s pet, and at other times an annoyance.
· As he grew older, he gathered crowds for his teachings, but he also drew trolls and protesters – some his own family and his own religious leaders.
· The stress would continue to build until the gospel writers find him sweating blood in the Garden of Gethsemane.
Sure, there were the breaks Jesus took on the hill side to be alone or the nap on the boat, but honestly – by our standards, Jesus life was kind of a living hell.
And finally, there was the pursuit and public trial where his own people turned their back and chose a criminal to be released and proceeded to shout for him to be crucified – until they got what they wanted.
In many ways – this could play out in our news today – just add social media, the news sources, tabloids, and the paparazzi and you have Jesus headlining the news and heading to a rehab facility for help.
So, what can we learn from Jesus in our day and age. Here are some of the insights I want to highlight that may be helpful to you.
This is where we pick up the story from last week. No sooner had God confirmed Jesus’ identity and mission at his water baptism than the Adversary or devil calls it into question in the wilderness - as we heard read in our scripture for this morning.
Temptation and testing can be seductive stress. However, it is Jesus’ response that is very important. He returns to history, the scriptures, and even the law of the land to support him and help give him strength in his rebuttal of the Adversary’s temptations.
Jesus was being put on trial, but he had done his homework. He didn’t make assumptions or listen to those around him, instead he studied and knew what he was talking about.
Too often our stress comes from being ill prepared or making assumptions about what we believe. Jesus was able to be confident and stand strong because he was prepared. He had mediated on the Scriptures, studied his history, and knew the law and how to combat the temptations.
As Jesus returns from the wilderness he enters a ministry of teaching, healing, and seeking to meet the needs and demands of others placed on him which grew and grew every day.
This became a stress of overwhelming demands – something many of us can relate to - too much to do and too little time to do it.
Jesus again faced this stressful situation without despair by moving forward and seeking ways to serve. He dealt with one situation or person at a time – because he knew his limits. This kept him calm and in control and able to see the path ahead.
When the tasks seemed too enormous to bear, he prioritized his actions. In Jesus’ most important sermon he shows the significance of this by proclaiming, “seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness.” He did not let trivial things obscure the vital things that he was doing in the present moment.
For us, stress can come from an overactive mind and an underactive body. God has promised to guide us each step of the way and gives us strength for each challenge confronting us, but we must prioritize, make wise choices, and stay focused on the task at hand.
Some cities which saw Jesus the most refused to follow his lead or do what he had encouraged them to do. This is considered the stress of disappointing results.
Yet, Jesus' response was a joy-filled heart and a prayer to God.
When our agenda crashes, our hopes wither and our plans fail, we must rest in the knowledge that the work in not finished, it just may not be our work anymore. Sometimes we need to move on and seek places where people will respond to the challenge.
Jesus often moved on and even encouraged us to “dust off our sandals” and continue the journey. Often, this type of stress builds over time because we get stagnant and do not seek fresh perspectives.
Later, when word came that John the Baptist, Jesus' cousin, forerunner, and friend, had been beheaded, Jesus went out in a boat to a lonely place by himself, apart from all human company. He needed some space to clear his head and grieve.
To cope with the stress of tragedy, Jesus made time for meditation, solitude, and silence before God. He drew strength, direction, and discernment in this time.
Also, when the clamoring crowds tried to make Jesus a political king, Jesus refused the stress of popular pressure by going "on the mountain by Himself to pray and meditate".
This same powerful resource of prayer and meditation is ours today. Prayer and meditation can relieve the stress we face and soothe our soul. It can also give us an opportunity to reflect and rest.
But folks, let’s be honest, often life reveals no quick answers, no simple solutions, no ready escapes from the stresses of life.
Yet, I believe God is always faithful. What we may forget is that that faithfulness may come through the lives of those around us.
As Quakers who believe there is that of God in each person we meet, God works through the lives and relationships we have with others. God’s care comes through those we love and trust, and on occasion people we may not even expect.
That means, you and I may be the ones being called to be God-in-the-flesh to our neighbors and to help relieve them of their stress. Now, there is a thought.
Instead of pointing out the stress in others – maybe we should see how we can help them, encourage them, even relieve their stress.
Jesus spoke to this in a bold way when he added to the Great Shema of the Hebrew Faith saying,
“Love your neighbor…as you love yourself.”
From both a spiritual and psychological perspective, it may be helpful to sometimes observe your own internal narrative and the ways that you tend to speak to yourself.
How do I do that, you ask? Maybe start by asking yourself a couple personal queries before engaging others:
“Would I be speaking in a loving or charitable way and not creating more stress for my neighbor, if I were I to say this to my neighbor?”
or “Would I feel more stressed if someone said or did this to me?”
The more we learn to effectively do this, the more likely we are to mature both psychologically and spiritually. By doing this we become more aware. I believe it will help us feel less stressed in our relationships and conversations, as well as helping our neighbor feel less stressed.
So, to close this sermon on dealing with stress, I want to share with you a blessing by John O’Donohue. Rebecca Liming gave me a copy of blessings by John that I love and this one seems appropriate to conclude with this morning. It is called “For Presence.”
Awaken to the mystery of being here and enter the quiet immensity of your own presence.
Have joy and peace in the temple of your senses.
Receive encouragement when new frontiers beckon.
Respond to the call of your gift and the courage to follow its path.
Let the flame of anger free you of all falsity.
May warmth of heart keep your presence aflame.
May anxiety never linger about you.
May your outer dignity mirror an inner dignity of soul.
Take time to celebrate the quiet miracles that seek no attention.
Be consoled in the secret symmetry of your soul.
May you experience each day as a sacred gift woven around the heart of wonder.
With those words on our hearts and minds, let us center down into waiting worship. To help us process some of what I have said this morning, I have provided the following queries:
· How am I responding to the stresses of overwhelming demands, disappointing results, and tragedy?
· Who helps me relieve the stress in my life? How might I help a neighbor relieve stress in their life?
· Where might it be time for me to move on?