Truth in Temptation: Luke 4:1-13 - First Sunday in Lent

¹Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the wilderness, ²where for forty days he was tempted by the devil. He ate nothing at all during those days, and when they were over, he was famished. ³The devil said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command this stone to become a loaf of bread.” ⁴Jesus answered him, “It is written, ‘One does not live by bread alone.’ ”
  ⁵Then the devil led him up and showed him in an instant all the kingdoms of the world. ⁶And the devil said to him, “To you I will give their glory and all this authority; for it has been given over to me, and I give it to anyone I please. ⁷If you, then, will worship me, it will all be yours.” ⁸Jesus answered him, “It is written,
 ‘Worship the Lord your God,
  and serve only him.’ ”
  ⁹Then the devil took him to Jerusalem, and placed him on the pinnacle of the temple, saying to him, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down from here, ¹⁰for it is written,
 ‘He will command his angels concerning you,
  to protect you,’
¹¹and
 ‘On their hands they will bear you up,
  so that you will not dash your foot against a stone.’ ”
¹²Jesus answered him, “It is said, ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’ ” ¹³When the devil had finished every test, he departed from him until an opportune time.(NRSV)

The Judean desert and the dead sea by Dany Sternfeld on Flickr. CC BY-NC-ND 2.0.

As a high schooler, I had no firm convictions about who or what I was to become as an adult. Two of my friends, however, were determined to pursue a career in the United States military. For both these young men, the military was a family tradition. One had two older brothers who were both officers.

Sadly, one friend could not pass the physical. The other was sent home less than two weeks into basic training on a medical discharge. It was devastating to have their life’s dream die because they were not physically strong enough.

I’ve always thought of Jesus’ wilderness temptation as a kind of “messianic boot camp,” where Jesus must prove his worth. For forty days, he is left to fend for himself, with no food or water, in an environment that does not forgive human weakness. It is here where Jesus must battle it out against the prince of darkness.

Notice how the devil doesn’t tempt Jesus to do bad things. The devil tempts Jesus with good things.

Is not a desperately hungry Jesus entitled to bread? Who in their right minds does not want Jesus to rule over all the kingdoms of the earth, and instantly do away with all the greed, poverty, and bloodshed? Can you imagine how easy it would’ve been for Jesus to win other people’s faith if they saw him jump off a tall building and land safely below?

All three of the temptations attack Jesus’ relationship with God. The devil’s aim is to show Jesus that God cannot be trusted, and it’s up to Jesus to save himself. God’s plans cannot be trusted—otherwise, Jesus would be ruling over all the kingdoms of the world right now, instead of starving in the desert. If God is to be trusted, God must prove worthy of that trust on Jesus’ terms—in this case, by safely jumping off tall buildings.

Know that every temptation you face attacks your relationship with God; your identity as God’s child, and the plans and purposes God has for your life.

If you’re curious about what the devil is up to in your life, start by considering your needs and wants. If you lack something you need, you will be tempted to believe that God has abandoned you, or that God can’t be trusted with your needs.

Sooner or later, you will find yourself in your own wilderness. Everything that brought security, peace, and purpose to your life is gone from you. You will be tempted: God is against you, because of the awful things you’ve done; God has failed you, because of all the awful things you’re facing. Or, God does not exist.

But temptations are not limited to crisis. A big part of the devil’s work is to keep you in a constant state of anxiety that you don’t have enough and that you are not good enough. You need more possessions, more success, more approval and esteem in order to be somebody.

And the devil works hard to pit you against neighbor. Suddenly, people who mean you no harm become your enemies.  People with whom you are at odds become devils. The devil pumps up your ego to the point that you see yourself as God’s greatest gift to the world—or he tears you down to the point that you see yourself as worthless.

Your temptations end in sin, unlike Jesus. It is your sinful nature to reject God’s presence and God’s plans and seek out some substitute that will give you what you want, what you need, when you want it. It is your sinful nature to seek a God who exists for your purposes, and not the other way around.

But Jesus doesn’t merely resist temptations. He resists them for you. You may fail when tempted, but God will not. In Christ, the devil becomes defeat-able. Death becomes defeat-able. The weapon Jesus wields against the devil is the truth.

If you’re hungry for bread, your hunger matters to God. The cries of the poor and needy never fall on deaf ears.

If everything that brought security, peace, and purpose to your life is gone from you; and fear and uncertainty rules your days, God is not against you. God is for you. You are not abandoned.

As much as your heart may desire more accomplishments, more possessions, more excitement, and more esteem, God’s plans and God’s purposes will bring you a more joyful and meaningful life.

Being safe and secure isn’t about keeping unsafe peoples at a distance and being right in all circumstances. It’s about belonging to a community of persons who bear with each other, forgive each other, and bring out the best in each other. It isn’t so hard to believe that God is faithful and that you matter to God—when you experience that love and faithfulness in others.

And when trials and temptations invariably come, hold fast to these words: you belong to Christ, in whom you have been baptized. You are forgiven. God is for you, and nothing can be against you. When all else fails and you’re all alone in the wilderness, and your faith is stretched to its breaking point—God will not fail you. God is faithful—and God is mighty to save.