Lessons From The Desert
Luke 4:1–13
Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the wilderness, where 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. The devil said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command this stone to become a loaf of bread.” Jesus answered him, “It is written, ‘One does not live by bread alone.’” Then the devil led him up and showed him in an instant all the kingdoms of the world. And 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. If you, then, will worship me, it will all be yours.” Jesus answered him, “It is written, ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve only him.’” Then 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, for it is written, ‘He will command his angels concerning you, to protect you,’ and ‘On their hands they will bear you up, so that you will not dash your foot against a stone.’” Jesus answered him, “It is said, ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’” When the devil had finished every test, he departed from him until an opportune time.
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There are a few things we should note in this morning's passage. First, Jesus encounters "the devil," which often means a spirit acting as an accuser or slanderer in Greek. Second, the temptations of Jesus in the wilderness run parallel with Adam's story from the Book of Genesis as they are both presented with similar obstacles. Third, the temptations that Jesus experienced are actually not that extraordinary. The series of trials Jesus overcame are the same struggles Adam faced and are still ones that tempt us today. Fulfillment, power, and identity are spheres of influence that shape us and our walk with God and one another. That being said, let's take a look at the three temptations the Tempter presents to Jesus in the wilderness.
The First Temptation: “If you are the Son of God, command this stone to become a loaf of bread.”
I love that line from that one Bill Withers song that goes, "Lean on me when you're not strong." To lean on someone or something is to fill our souls with a sense of what they are longing for inside. The parallel of Adam and Jesus' temptation is that they are told they should eat their fill of food that is forbidden. So often, we find that we are not lacking what we think we are in terms of what our hearts are desiring. God is meandering along with us through the twists and turns of life, making sure that we have everything we need. Instead of filling ourselves with bread (with material or shallow things), we should learn to trust and fill ourselves with the Spirit of God that continues to guide us. As Jesus says later in Luke 12:15, "life is more than an abundance of possessions." In resisting the Tempters' offer, Jesus turns around the curse of Adam.
The Second Temptation: “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. If you, then, will worship me, it will all be yours.”
What is it about power that drives good people to do bad things and evil people even worse things? In this parallel of Adam and Jesus, Adam is tempted by the serpent, "Don't you want to become like God?" Similarly, Jesus is asked by the Tempter if he would like power at the cost of worshiping the Evil One. When we give in to this temptation (through our words, deeds, and thoughts), we are saying that we cannot trust that following God will lead us to where we need to go. Like Adam and Eve, we were meant to live in communion with God and grow into this relationship deeper and deeper each day. However, we struggle to let go of our desire for power, and unlike Jesus, who can resist, we have days where we come out on top and others where we need to turn to grace and forgiveness.
The Third Temptation: “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down from here.”
The question of identity persists throughout the core of Scripture. Jesus himself will later ask the disciples, "Who do you say I am?" Each day we face challenges regarding our identity, and each day we are given a chance to see if we will respond in faith and trust. Adam, when desiring to affirm his self-worth, eats the forbidden fruit. Likewise, we find the Tempter questioning Jesus, "I don't believe that you're the Son of God, and I think that you're not sure if you're the Son of God as well. Why don't you test who you say you are by throwing yourself off the top of this tower?" Who do you say you are? Answering this question will grant us clarity in viewing our role in creation as God's beloved.
Let us remember how God came to dwell in our midst to bridge the broken places in our world and lives. This Lenten season, we have the opportunity to explore our spirituality and our faith in a way that cultivates a new life within ourselves as we connect with the life-giving promises of God. We can seek out the Spirit of God, which fills us with good things. We can trust in God, who continues to reveal that power for power's sake leads to nothing but despair and separation from the divine. And we can find security and comfort in our identity as the people of God, from which nothing on this earth can rend from our souls. This Lenten season, let our weary bodies and our weary hearts find comfort in following in the footsteps of Jesus, who paved the way before us.