(Luke 4: 1-13)
Back when I was in private practice, I would get the occasional client who had clearly broken a law because, in a moment of weakness, they succumbed to temptation and did something they ordinarily wouldn’t do. I remember one such client who really got himself into an embarrassing jam. He was the president of one of the local youth leagues which, I can tell you, is quite a commitment. His heart was in the right place as he had taken on the position so his kids and other kids could play sports. As I recall, money was getting a little tight and he was having a hard time making ends meet. To make matters worse, all the other families were taking their kids on vacation and his kids were asking why they couldn’t go some place and have some fun. In a moment of weakness, he succumbed to temptation and used the league’s credit card to take his family on vacation fully intending to pay it back. Well, that never happens, and he was caught when the treasurer noticed the irregularities of motel and restaurant charges in Galveston. When he couldn’t immediately pay it back felony theft charges got filed and I was assigned to his defense. In our first meeting he tried to rationalize his actions by saying that everyone else was taking their families on vacation and that his wife and kids deserved a vacation too. It wasn’t fair. He knew it was wrong. He was embarrassed and ashamed. He felt great guilt for embarrassment his family was feeling and now he was facing the prospect of being branded a convicted thief. Ordinarily, he would have never done something like this, but he was caught in a moment of weakness and succumbed to the temptation to satisfy an immediate desire with no regard for the future consequences of his sin.
And it’s the temptations Jesus faced when he was at his most vulnerable that Luke is talking about in our scripture reading for today. The Apostle starts out by telling us that after Jesus returned from the Jordan River full of the Holy Spirit that he was led by the Spirit into the wilderness and there he was tempted by the devil for forty days. Think about that. What a turn of events. Jesus had just been baptized by John the Baptist in the Jordan River with the Spirit descending upon him like a dove along with a voice from heaven proclaiming: You are my Son, whom I love, with you I am well pleased. And now the Holy Spirit leads him into the desert which struck me as odd. It’s odd because sometimes we feel that if the Holy Spirit leads us anywhere, it will be beside quiet waters like in the 23rd Psalm. But, as we will learn, that’s not necessarily true. The Spirit led Jesus into the desert for a long and difficult time of testing which means that he may lead us too into difficult situations during our lifetime.
Luke tells us that while Jesus was alone in the desert, he ate nothing and was starving. At that point, the devil said to him: “Since you are God’s Son, command this stone to become a loaf of bread.” Seems pretty harmless. Who gets hurt if I turn a stone into a loaf of bread so I can feed myself? That’s what we call in the legal profession the “slippery slope.” Once you go down it is difficult to get back up. Jesus replied, “It’s written, People won’t live only by bread” quoting Deuteronomy 8: 3, where Moses reminded the Israelites how they had been humbled in the desert, given manna to eat, thereby learning the lesson that man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord. Undeterred, the devil led Jesus to a high place and showed him in a single instant all the kingdoms of the world and said: “I will give you this whole domain and the glory of all these kingdoms. It’s been entrusted to me and I can give it to anyone I want. Therefore, if you will worship me, it will all be yours.” Jesus answered, “It is written, You will worship the Lord your God and serve only him” quoting Deuteronomy 6: 13 where Moses instructed the people to fear the Lord their God serving him only and to take their oaths in his name. Moses warned them not to follow other gods, the gods of the people around them, for the Lord their God is a jealous God. By now you might see a pattern developing as Jesus meets all the devil’s temptations with God’s word as his shield and his guiding principle. Also being learned in the Scriptures the devil shifted his approach by taking Jesus into Jerusalem and standing him on the highest point of the temple. The devil then reasoned: “Since you are God’s Son, throw yourself down from here; for it is written: He will command his angels concerning you, to protect you and they will take you up in their hands so that you won’t hit your foot on a stone, quoting Psalm 91: 11, 12 where the psalmist wrote about God protecting us in the midst of danger. Jesus answered, “It’s been said: Don’t test the Lord your God” again quoting what Moses told the Israelites in Deuteronomy 6: 16. Luke then tells us that after finishing every temptation, the devil departed from Jesus until the next opportunity. The devil left saying well played Son of God, until we meet again.
So why was it necessary for Jesus to be tempted? Well, temptation is part of the human experience and for Jesus to be fully human, for him to understand us completely, he had to face temptation which is what the Apostle Paul confirmed in Hebrews 4: 15; For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are-yet is without sin. So, when Satan realized he couldn’t tempt Jesus and cause his downfall he shifted tactics to the next best thing: Jesus’ brothers and sisters. Us, you and me. And there’s nothing he won’t do to hurt us to get to Jesus. He has all sorts of tools at his disposal such as lust, greed, envy, hate, jealousy, racism, pride, addiction, immorality, and lawless behavior just to name a few. There is nothing he won’t do. In all the misery he causes us to face his goal is to tempt us to doubt Christ’s true identity. He gets us to ask ourselves how could a loving God or Son of God stand by and let so much suffering and injustice go on in the world? A loving and compassionate God would surely step in and prevent natural disasters, famine, drought, and wars. The devil knows that once we begin to question whether or not Jesus is God, it’s far easier to get us to do what he wants. And we do question God and it’s these times of questioning that can help us sort out our beliefs and strengthen our faith when, like Jesus, we turn to God’s word for guidance. If you’re dealing with doubt, realize that you are especially vulnerable to temptation, and as you search for answers, protect yourself by meditating on the unshakable truths of God’s word. Go to your quiet place and have that heart-felt talk. Remember what Jesus did when temptation reared its seductive head when he was at his most vulnerable. He relied upon the word of God to stand fast in his commitment to God alone, above all else. No matter the cost or the sacrifice, no matter how appealing the come-on, we must follow Jesus’ example and stand strong.
So, when facing your own trials, first make sure you haven’t brought them on yourself through sin or unwise choices. If you find no sin to confess or unwise behavior to change, then ask God to strengthen you for the test. And finally, be careful to follow faithfully wherever the Holy Spirit leads and when confronted with something that seems too good to be true, something you know in your heart is wrong, look at where it’s coming from, and ask yourself what would Jesus do in such a situation and then say: It’s tempting, thanks but no thanks.
Let us pray.
Precious Jesus, when we are weak, you are strong. Precious Jesus, keep us from all wrong. And through this world of toil and snares, guard us against the temptations we face in our daily lives. And we know you care when we falter and that you are there to steady us and share our burden. We pray that when our time on earth is over that you will guide us gently to thy shore where we will enter our rest and live in eternity with you. Just a closer walk with you is our plea and that we can daily walk close to thee. Let it be, dear Lord, let it be. Amen.