2/29/04

Deuteronomy 26:1-11

Romans 10:8b-13

Luke 4:1-13

I don't know about you, but for years I approached the season of Lent with a guilty conscience over those sins, real or imagined, that I'd committed, those temptations, insidiously seductive, to which I had succumbed. We are supposed to remember during this season the trials and temptations Jesus faced - and overcame. But when we measure ourselves up against Jesus and his perfect obedience, his perfect commitment to God, his perfect faith, we see how far short we fall, and a natural reaction is to feel guilty about our short-comings. Traditionally during Lent, Christians have assuaged their guilty feelings by giving up something - giving up some pleasure, some so-called sinful habit, like eating chocolates, as sort of a way of balancing the ledger. This may make us feel morally better, but it is not the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Jesus' battle was not with the sins of sinners per se - otherwise he wouldn't have spent so much time in the company of sinners. Rather, his struggle was with evil, or if you prefer, with the Evil One, who makes wrong things appear as right and proper. Evil masks its intentions with the appearance of good, and that's why it is so deceptive. What attracts people to sinful acts is not the evil in them, but the good that seems to be there seen with a distorted perspective. The good we see in something sinful is only the bait in a trap. When we reach out to take it, the trap is sprung, and we're left with something much less than we had anticipated. Those of us who succumb to our temptations have a distorted world view, a view filled with betrayal, illusion, and deception. (i)

Temptation is an enticement to upward mobility. The snake in the Garden of Eden didn't ask, "Do you wish to be as the devil?" but, in effect, "Do you wish to be as God?" Evil doesn't entice us with personal, domestic, or social ruin - that's only found in the fine print at the bottom, and we don't often read the fine print. Up front evil masks itself as good, while striking at the essence of our humanity; temptation masquerades as something positive - stones to bread, power in the world, privilege and popularity. But appearances can be deceiving. This is the nature of evil, and learning about Jesus' struggle with evil in the wilderness, and how he confronted and overcame it, can help us in our struggles, in our times of trial and temptation.

Before we get into our text, we need to acknowledge that temptation is always specific - Jesus' temptations are not the same as those we face. No matter how delirious we might be from hunger, we're not apt to be tempted to try to turn stone into bread. We know it's not within our realm of capabilities. And except for fleeting moments when the Enron executives may have felt like they were on top of the world, most of us know we really can't have it all. And except for occasional superhero fantasies, most of us wouldn't venture to the steeple of Pilgrim Church, take a flying leap off, and expect to survive. These temptations were specific to Jesus, and ours are specific to us, (ii) yet even saying this, reality is, there is some universality in all trials and temptations. Here's a temptation many of us can relate to. A businessman decided it was time to lose weight. He took his Atkins diet very seriously, even changing his route to work each day so he wouldn't have to drive past his favorite bakery. But one day he arrived at work carrying a huge coffee cake. He explained it to his co-workers this way: "This is a special coffee cake. I accidentally drove past the bakery this morning and there in the window were lots of coffee cakes. I knew it was no accident that I accidentally drove by the bakery, so I prayed to God, 'Lord, if you want me to have one of those delicious-looking coffee cakes, let me find a parking space directly in front of the bakery.' And sure enough, the fourth time I drove around the block, there it was!" (iii)

Jesus' first temptation is to turn stones into bread, mostly an appeal to his own physical hunger. Remember, he's been fasting for six weeks and has to be ravenously hungry. When one is that hungry one's imagination often plays tricks. Maybe in Jesus' mind the rounded Judaen foothills begin to look like luscious loaves of bread. "Go ahead," invites the tempter, "turn this stone into bread. You're God's Son aren't you? What are you waiting for?" (iv) Also part of the temptation may be that Jesus sees the opportunity to relieve humanity of its hunger. Food for the hungry of the world - how can that possibly be wrong? ut Jesus refuses to be tempted. Life is more than feeding physical needs. If he gives in, Jesus would be elevating the physical needs of humanity as an end in themselves, and not as means to a higher end. (v) When we're faced with similar temptations, we're also deceived into believing that happiness and salvation are inseparably linked to a full stomach, or to whatever our most pressing desire is - from a full bank account to a house full of possessions to whatever. Jesus taught, by his words and by how he resisted temptation, that faithful living consists in more than satisfying our every desire, that the faithful person will not necessarily have abundance measured by earthly standards, and that an attitude of not expecting a reward creates an opportunity for one to receive the true Bread of Life. (vi)

The second temptation that Jesus faces is for power and glory, a chance to rule the world. This is a temptation somewhat familiar to us. We all yearn for recognition and authority, we usually like to be in control, to exercise power - if not over others, then at least over our own situations in life. This temptation also appeals to Jesus' dedication to the calling he is about to embark upon - bringing people into God's kingdom. What a job he could do if he had all worldly authority! But of course there's a catch; a trap has been laid. "All you gotta do, boy, is worship me," says the devil. Hidden in this temptation for power, which Jesus certainly could use for good, is the essential question of humanity: "Whom do you worship?"

This is a question that none of us can avoid. Jesus is tempted to compromise his loyalty to God, and we're also faced with many similar temptations. Any number of false gods vie for our loyalty. But Jesus shows that there can be no compromise with evil. For the faithful followers of Jesus who earnestly desire to do God's will, there can be no compromise, no deal struck, no happy medium. (vii) "Worship the Lord your God and serve only him."

Finally, Jesus is taken to the pinnacle of the temple in Jerusalem, and is told to jump, and that God's holy angels, as promised in scripture, will catch him. What a great way to win people to the kingdom, with spectacular and sensational acrobatics. "Show them your power, Jesus. Give them something to talk about for years to come. Overwhelm them with an unbeatable program and your charismatic personality. Make them believe in you by matching their image of a real superman - and for openers, why not jump from the steeple of the temple and have the angels swoop in and save you?" (viii) This is a temptation for privilege. Jesus can accomplish what he wants and he doesn't have to suffer all the violence to be thrust upon him - as Mel Gibson has apparently so gruesomely portrayed in his film.

Again Jesus refuses to succumb to the temptation, though it would have meant a short-cut to glory bypassing the cross. His response - "Do not put the Lord your God to the test." God is not to be put on trial, not to be tested. This is God's prerogative, not ours. But we fall for this one also. We're often tempted to put God on trial when we say or pray things like: "God, if you truly care, then do such and such," or "If you are really there, Lord, then do this." Or we bargain: "God, if you'll only do this, then I promise I'll do that." Jesus models for us faithful obedience; he trusts God. To test God is the opposite of trusting God. Perhaps all sin is ultimately a failure to trust God. Temptation is present throughout our lives, certainly changing form as we mature, but still there, forcing us to constantly struggle, to constantly resist the powers of evil.

The mistake many of us make is to invite temptation in, just for a brief stay of course, so we can enjoy the attractions it offers. But once it gains a foothold, watch out. Maybe you've heard the story of the Arab who slept in his tent in the desert one cold night and was awakened by a camel who thrust his nose under the flaps of the tent and looked in. "Master," said the camel, "let me put my nose in your tent, for it is cold and stormy out here." "By all means, and welcome," said the Arab, and he turned over and went back to sleep. A little later he awoke and discovered that the camel had not only put his nose in, but his head and neck as well. The camel, turning his head from side to side, said, "If I could put my forelegs inside, it will take but little more room." The Arab agreed. Soon the camel was asking, "May I not stand wholly inside? I keep the tent flap open standing as I do." Again, the Arab agreed. Crowded as it was, with difficulty he finally went to sleep again. The next time he awoke, the camel was sleeping contentedly inside the tent, and he was outside in the cold.

Unlike the Arab and the camel, Jesus did not let temptation even get a foot in the door. He slammed the door on each temptation and chose to obey God's will. He chose to trust in God, and his trials and temptations were turned into victory. Enduring the trials and temptations we find in the wilderness places of our lives will lead us also to the kingdom which God alone can give. God in Jesus Christ is trustworthy, worthy of our fullest trust, but most important, God empowers us - in our times of trial and temptation - God empowers us to be strong enough to resist evil, strong enough to slam that door and endure whatever comes our way. This is the good news of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Amen.

The Pilgrim Church of Duxbury

Rev. Kenneth C. Landall

i Thomas Merton, Word & Witness, 2/20/83.

ii Allyson MacLeod, Preaching Word & Witness, 2/29/04.

iii Ibid.

iv John Killinger, "The Gospel of Contagious Joy," p. 31.

v Darris K. Doyle, Word & Witness, 2/20/83.

vi W & W, 2/20/83.

vii The Clergy Journal, 5-6/82, p. 17.

viii Ibid.