Our gospel reading today is the story we hear every year for the first Sunday of Lent, Jesus being tempted or tested by the Devil. Today we heard Luke’s version of Jesus’ 40 days in the wilderness. Being tempted, as we think of it, is maybe a bit of a misnomer. We need to be clear that these are not temptations ‘to do things that are desirable but not good for him (like our ‘temptation’ to eat an extra piece of cake). Rather, these are tests to see whether even good things can lure Jesus from a focus on God’s will...”[1] Luke tells us: “Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the wilderness.” He wants his readers to know that Jesus wasn’t going into this time of testing and trial unprepared or alone, the Holy Spirit was with him, filling him with the strength of God as he was to undergo these trials. Jesus needed to go through this experience or the Spirit wouldn’t have led him into it, and it occurred right after his baptism and the Holy Spirit was going into it with him.
So, 40 days Jesus is alone in the wilderness. This is why Lent is 40 days long. In the bible, “A 40-something time period, whether days, months, or years is ALWAYS a period of testing, trial, probation, or chastisement (but not judgment) and ends with a period of restoration, revival or renewal.”[2]
The 3 tests are presented to Jesus after he had fasted for an extended period of time and I expect Jesus would have been very hungry, and maybe a weakened state. So the devil’s first try is to appeal to Jesus’ physical self, his bodily needs, so, tries to convince him to turn stones into bread. The devil is aware of Jesus’ abilities as Son of God—he could do this if he chose to. And not just for food for his hungry belly, but if Jesus could turn stones into bread for himself, well, he could do that for all the hungry people in Israel! Now there’s a tempting thought, feed all world’s hungry! Imagine! But Jesus understands the fullness of this temptation. So, what does Jesus do to strengthen his resolve not to give in? He goes to scripture, the word of God that has sustained people for generations. Quoting from a very early scripture reference, the book of Deuteronomy (8.3): “people cannot live on bread alone”. We need more than food to sustain ourselves, to truly fully live life as children of God. The temptation of bread, even for a hungry and weakened body, never mind the desire to fulfil another’s hunger—and the emotional rush and the power that could give him—those things weren’t enough to make Jesus go to the dark side, as it were.
So the devil tries again. Appealing to Jesus’ weaknesses didn’t work, so he tries appealing instead to his strength. After all, this is Jesus; he was born to be King. Maybe he could be tempted with the entire world, all the kingdoms—the cities, the countries, it could all be his, all the riches, the power -- it was in the devil’s power to grant that. The world was a mess even back then, Jesus could put it all straight, get it on track; rule it with justice-- it wasn’t so far fetched an idea! And all he had to do was change allegiance: worship the devil instead of God, and Jesus could be in charge of all of it, literally become King of the World. Smart move on the devil’s part, appealing to Jesus’ ego. But again, Jesus goes to scripture, again to Deuteronomy (10:20): Worship only the Lord your God, and serve only God.
The devil tries for the third strike, and being a pretty crafty sort, he tries to out-psyc Jesus this time. He quotes scripture right back at him; he tries to use against Jesus the very thing Jesus was using to get his strength from. The devil tries to undermine Jesus with his own book of faith, his own belief system. He takes Jesus up to the highest building, the top of the temple and says: “Ok, you say you’re God’s son, so prove it! I dare you, throw yourself off this spire. You know God won’t let you be hurt, because scripture says that God will command angels to protect you, they will bear you up, you won’t even dash your foot against a stone.” Wow, now there’s a challenge. It’s like saying: “Prove to me your faith, is your God is as good as you say God is --and does God keep to the promises God made you?” After all which Mom or Dad wouldn’t want to save their child? And again, Jesus doesn’t rise to the bait, he goes back to Deuteromony (6:16) : “Do not put the Lord your God to the test”. Jesus didn’t need to throw himself off the roof to test God’s love for him. Jesus knew God loved him. He really didn’t need to prove anything—to himself or to the devil.
This is such an interesting story. These are basic needs being appealed to, which is what makes the tests so challenging –so hard not to be taken in by. It could be so easy to fall for those temptations, how easily it would be to justify them in your mind, how appealing they could be—give into your bodily and emotional desires by feeding yourself and the world, to restore justice to the world, prove to an unbeliever that God is righteous and loving.
This story is about classic, representative human temptations, the pull of the dark side versus walking in the light of God. It’s so archetypal, the plot of countless stories over the ages. These are tests that each one of us deal with in our lives—avoiding the pull to the dark side as we try to deal with real and understandable concerns. This justification of what and how we do things and why: the decision is: does the way really justify the means? This attacks and attracts our basest of desires: our bodies and our physical yearnings, our emotional desires, our egos and the desire for power and control; our sense of self-worth and what we will worship to maintain it. Jesus’ example shows us the way we too can handle times of trial and temptation--turn towards God for strength, be receptive to God’s grace rather than turning away from God when life gets difficult.
This is the first Sunday of Lent. Lent is the time set aside in the Christian Church to take the opportunity to look into our inner selves with an eye to bringing our weaknesses, our inner darknesses, to the light, to bring them to God. It’s a good time to consider where we are vulnerable, what are the temptations that beset us? So just why we even want to do that? Because those are the issues that can and do draw us away from God, our own inner “devils” that pull us away from “the path of righteousness” to use the old fashioned terminology. And those things that tempt us, those are the things that can lead us astray. Those are the things that can be clothed in seemingly earnest intentions sometimes, and we can justify them, be convinced that the wrong way really is the right way. That’s what that crafty little devil does—that’s just what this story tells us! Here’s another of those old-fashioned expressions that sums it up nicely: “The road to hell is paved with the best of intentions.”
So, how do we know that the choices we make are the one’s God would have for us, how do we stay on the path Jesus showed us? How do we avoid falling into the devil’s trap, as it were? Well, we’re Christians, we have a secret weapon, you could say. We have the example of Jesus life, and his teachings. What did we learn from this bible story today? What did Jesus do? He went to scripture. He quoted scripture to the devil. That’s why we need to read and understand what the bible teaches us. Not so we can throw scripture verses around, to prove we are right, and show off our biblical knowledge! But when we are challenged, we have the word of the Lord to fall back on when we need some life examples to draw from. And we need to pray—just like Jesus did. Luke 4, verse 1: “Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit returned from the Jordan (after his baptism and) was led by the Holy Spirit in the wilderness.” Jesus did not face these trials alone. Nor should we. The Holy Spirit was with Jesus, strengthening him, even in his weakened state. In our times of trial we are not abandoned by God, so pray for the Holy Spirit to be with you too.
Life is full of challenges, things that try us and test us, and we don’t have to go it alone! Thanks be to God that most of us don’t have to undergo the kinds of trials Jesus did! The message here is good news for us – we are not alone! All through the gospel stories we read that Jesus went into a time of prayer before having to deal with what he knew would be difficult situations, even Jesus didn’t go it alone! When the crowds constantly thronged around him, clamouring for healing, for teaching, he took time to get away—even if only for a little while. He took time to pray. And that’s what’s so cool about the Holy Spirit--the Spirit is available to us anytime, anywhere– just for the asking! God really doesn’t expect us to go it alone, nor wants us to. That’s what coming to church does for us—reminds us that we’re not alone, we are renewed, re-filled, rejuvenated, revived, topped up, as it were, with Christ’s Holy Spirit strengthening us in our times of trial, temptation, emotional or physical upheaval or fatigue.
So as we continue through the six weeks of Lent, some words from our Ash Wednesday Service came to mind as I was writing this: “I invite you therefore, in the name of the Lord, to observe a holy Lent, by self-examination, penitence, prayer fasting and almsgiving, and by reading and meditating on the word of God.”[3] Amen.
[1] Sharon H. Ringe, in Exegetical Perspective on Luke 4. 1-13 in Feasting on the Word Year C Vol 2 (WJK Press: Louiseville, KY) 2008. 49
[2] http://belovedheart.wordpress.com/2009/11/13/the-significance-of-the-number-40-in-the-bible/
[3] Book of Alternative Services of the Anglican Church of Canada, p. 282