Manna from Heaven? Exodus 16.2-9 Philippians 1.18b-30 What is temptation?

Is it that half eaten bar of chocolate in the kitchen drawer? Is it perhaps a bag of Crisps sitting invitingly in the larder. Or is it the extra bun or piece of cheese from the fridge. But what ever it is - it is easy to understand temptation in terms what we eat or try not too! And the reason for the easy temptation from food is that it talks to us of our most basic needs. Thats why if we are not careful, this consuming temptation turns into an obsession and we never lift eyes above it. As a result, we can fill our days by worrying about the quality of this in one supermarket and complaining about the quantity of that in another. And if you dont believe me about foodie fascinations, why do so many Britons exceed their daily calorie intake when many in the rest of world constantly undershoot theirs. And this was the very temptation that the Israelites were faced with. In fact, the very temptation they so wholeheartedly gave into. Since, in his mercy, God was giving them their daily need - their 2500 calories a day - if you like. But the problem was it didnt have the right product markings - it wasnt maybe the preferred brand - it possibly came in the simple striped basic range packaging. And, as an outcome, they could not see beyond their personal needs. In their blindness, they wished themselves back where they came from - they complained about moving on - they railed

against the price of freeway ahead. In fact, they were willing to remain tethered menial beasts of the field rather than moving towards the rounded humans that epitomises the very blessed children of God. Needless to say, we shouldnt be too hard on the Israelites. Since, from time to time, we all enjoy a good moan. And never more so when our creaturely needs and comforts are involved. To prove the point, when was the last time any of us missed a meal without complaint to do something different or to explore an new experience or even to discover a better place. The apostle Paul, on the other hand, suffered more than a missed meal when he chose to move on and explore new places with Christ. Since he would then be subjected to incarceration, abuse and many other dangers. A point made clear in his letter to the people of Philippi. Now doubtless you will remember it was in that city that he fell foul of what we would call a people trafficker. In fact, the type of criminals who were allegedly holding vulnerable adults in slavery that we heard of this week. As a result, he ended up in prison and then had to move on and mighty quick at that! Well years later, he found himself again in prison probably in Rome and for the last time. He then was justified to groan complain that his most basic right of freedom was unfairly being denied him. Yet he had just sufficient to be able to write letters. And it was in this very uncomfortable situation, to say the least, he resisted temptation, he did not complain or seek his creature comforts - instead he used the little leeway he had to praise God and give thanks.

And why did he do that? He did it due to his outlook which was far above his physical needs. He did it through his Godly perspective of lifes journey as more than bodily. He did it from his vista of Christ as leader of the spirit as well as protector of the body. And if you dont believe me - take his line - what has happened to me will turn out for my deliverance. In other words, Paul sees that God has moved him out of his comfort zone of physical satisfaction not out of meanness but for a purpose. In fact, he has been moved on into his own desert place because God wants and needs him there. And it is there in the strange freedom of self denial - he encounters not so much his basic need but his ultimate need. Since it is there, he has found his salvation. And who would complain about that?

There is an old rabbinic parable about a farmer that had two sons. As soon as they were old enough to walk, he took them to the fields and he taught them everything that he knew about growing crops and raising animals. When he got too old to work, the two boys took over the chores of the farm and when the father died, they had found their working together so meaningful that they decided to keep their partnership. So each brother contributed what he could and during every harvest season, they would divide equally what they had corporately produced. Across the years the elder brother never married, stayed an old bachelor. The younger brother did marry and had eight wonderful children. Some years later when they were having a wonderful harvest, the old bachelor brother thought to himself one night, "My brother has ten mouths to feed. I only have one. He really

needs more of his harvest than I do, but I know he is much too fair to renegotiate. I know what I'll do. In the dead of the night when he is already asleep, I'll take some of what I have put in my barn and I'll slip it over into his barn to help him feed his children. At the very time he was thinking down that line, the younger brother was thinking to himself, "God has given me these wonderful children. My brother hasn't been so fortunate. He really needs more of this harvest for his old age than I do, but I know him. He's much too fair. He'll never renegotiate. I know what I'll do. In the dead of the night when he's asleep, I'll take some of what I've put in my barn and slip it over into his barn." And so one night when the moon was full, as you may have already anticipated, those two brothers came face to face, each on a mission of generosity. The old rabbi said that there wasn't a cloud in the sky, yet a gentle rain began to fall. You know what it was? God weeping for joy because two of his children had gotten the point. They had realised that life is not always fair or comfortable, it is not always free and easy, it is not always pot-fulls of meat. Rather it is rooted in the necessary manna from heaven. It's rooted in Gods grace to us. And it is rooted in our graceful acceptance of his will. So if today we are to move on as a community to where God wants us to be, then we need to thrust aside temptation. We must not be tempted to be obsessed with our perceived needs instead of the needs of Christ. We must not be tempted to turn our glance back to the comfortable past instead of being inspired by a more purposeful future. In truth, we must not be tempted by the desire to complain but rather like Paul offer up praise in expectation of our salvation. For, it is only then, will manna be given to us from heaven with the blessing - by George - theyve got it.

Amen HYMN