Our Scripture Lesson is the Story of the First Few Temptations of Christ from Matthew 4: 1-11:
4 Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tested by the devil. 2 He fasted forty days and forty nights, and afterward he was famished. 3 The tempter came and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread.” 4 But he answered, “It is written, ‘One does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’ ”
5 Then the devil took him to the holy city and
placed him on the pinnacle of the temple, 6 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.’ ”
7 Jesus said to him, “Again it is written, ‘Do
not put the Lord your God to the test.’ ”
8 Again, the devil took him to a very high
mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory, 9 and
he said to him, “All these I will give you, if you will fall down and worship
me.” 10 Then Jesus said to him, “Away with you,
Satan! for it is written, ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve only him.’ ” 11 Then
the devil left him, and suddenly angels came and waited on him.
We do not often realize that this is
the conclusion of the baptism of Jesus. John the Baptist dips Jesus in the Jordan, the heavens open, God speaks, the bird comes down...but no splashy finish. Instead, the Spirit of God (the bird) immediately drives Him out
into the wilderness to go toe to toe with the Devil. The Devil is testing Him.
The first temptation is straight
forward. Jesus has been fasting for
forty days and forty nights. So the
Devil pushes on Jesus to use divine power to change over some rocks into
bread. (I wonder if that is similar to
converting water into wine?) But for
Jesus, the fast is done on purpose, in God’s purpose. He’s hungry but there is more to life than
eating (although that does push against my Presbyterian sensibilities I will
say).
Doesn't the second temptation feel like
the Devil wants Jesus to show off His phenomenal cosmic powers? Leap off the temple and let the angels catch
you! I picture the guy who dives off a
high platform into a tiny pool of water.
Jesus’ response is interesting. “Do
not put the Lord to the test.” In other words, “Do
not use God to show off...”?
The third temptation is a bribe, plain
and simple. Worship me and I will give
you all the kingdoms of the world and their splendors! Such is the presumption of the Devil. Jesus does not even acknowledge the Devil’s
presumption of dominating the world. He
simples tells the Devil to get lost!
That we worship God alone.
The title of the sermon this week is
“The First Few Temptations of Christ”, playing on the title of “The Last
Temptation of Christ”, a movie I remember growing up that was surrounded with
its own controversies. But then again,
when the popular culture considers Jesus, when is there NOT controversy?
There is a clincher verse (Hebrews 4:15) that follows
up this time of Jesus versus the Devil in the wilderness. It is a verse of great comfort to me. That Jesus was tempted in every way, but without
sin. He does what none of us can
do. And he uses that perfection to save
us by his death and resurrection.
Praise
the Lord,
Pastor
pete
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