February 26, 2012: Lent 1. Matthew 4:1-11

Jesus’ Temptations: Matthew 4:1-11

            For those that are troubled by such things, the Lectionary text for February 26 is Mark’s account of Jesus being tempted.  Mark 1:12-13 is the whole account of the event, no more than a report of the occurrence: “And the Spirit immediately drove him out into the wilderness. He was in the wilderness forty days, tempted by Satan; and he was with the wild beasts; and the angels waited on him.”  While there are several potential preaching themes—“wilderness,” being “driven by the Spirit,” “wild animals,” “angels” (to name a few)—I’m choosing to look at the temptations themselves.  And for that, I had to go to another gospel account.  I chose Matthew.

            One of the things that many modern and post-modern folk find troubling in all these accounts is the “devil” or “Satan” reference.  Our scientific minds don’t quite know what to do with the devil, so it’s common that we relegate the whole story to folk-lore or legend.  I hope we can get beyond that dismissal.  In order to help keep this passage alive and relevant for we scientific folks, let’s look at a modern definition of a pre-scientific understanding.  Thomas Long’s definition of “Satan” is a good one.  He defines “Satan” or the devil as “a figure representing the power of evil, all that opposes the will of God. . . . Satan personifies all adversaries of God, all those who obstruct and resist what God intends for human life.” (Matthew, p. 37). 

            Given this definition, it is clear when, later in his ministry, Jesus calls one of his own disciples (Peter) “Satan” (Matthew 16:21-23).  Indeed, Long goes on to say, “A community that turns its back on needy people can be at least as ‘Satanic’ as a cult of devil worshipers.” (ibid)  So, even a church can become “satanic!”

            That now aside, what do these three temptations mean for us today?  The author of the book of Hebrews argues: “For we do not have a high priest [that is, Jesus] who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who in every respect has been tested as we are, yet without sin.” (Heb. 4:15, emphasis added)  If Jesus was tested (tempted) as we are, then the temptations the gospel writers list must have their modern-day equivalents.  What are they?  What are our temptations today . . . and how do we answer them?

The First Temptation: Changing Stones into Bread

            Have you ever tried changing stones into bread?  You know, taking a rock out of your yard, holding it up, praying that God will change it into a loaf of bread, spreading peanut butter and jelly on it, and then eating it?  No?  Good!

            Okay, so this “miracle” was Jesus temptation, not ours.  We don’t try to change stones into bread . . . or do we?

            Jesus was hungry after forty days of fasting.  He wanted and needed to ease his hunger.  There would be nothing wrong with seeking food after a long fast; indeed, eating to break a fast is absolutely necessary.  Why was this natural desire a “temptation?”

            Is the lesson for us that there is more to life than just fulfilling physical desires? Isn’t this part of the discipline of “giving up” something for Lent?  While there is nothing wrong with fulfilling our physical desires, it is terribly important that we also fulfill our spiritual (and less obvious) needs. Feeding our hunger is not a bad thing; it’s just not the only thing.

            For Jesus, this temptation was “making the nature of his work too small—satisfying hunger—and the recipients of his work too few—only one, himself.” (Long, 37)  What does this say to us?

            Focusing upon only our own selfish human needs leaves us with a ministry too small and recipients too few. But doesn’t this temptation also come to us at the corporate level: as a church? When we consider the ministry and mission of the church, are we to focus upon ourselves alone?  Is it all about the music I like and want, the preaching I like, the building I like, the work and service that I want to do?

            Of course, doing what we like (and liking what we do) is not a bad thing.  It’s just not the only thing.

            So, when we find ourselves facing this temptation (and I believe that to be ever-present), what are we to do?  Well, Jesus gives us a clue in his response to this temptation: “One does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.” (Matt. 4:4)  It’s not just about me, my wants and desires.  It’s not even just about me and my needs!  It’s about God and God’s “words.”  And not just some of God’s words, but all of them.  You see, at one level, this temptation is to take only a part of “God’s Word” and make it the Bible we live by thereby leaving the question, “what have we left out?”

The Second Temptation: Testing God’s Faithfulness

            An interesting turn in Satan’s approach here.  Since Jesus used scripture to overcome the first temptation, Satan approaches with scripture this time.  The devil’s point (playing off the first temptation), “If Jesus were living by every word of God, why wouldn’t he take a leap off the temple?” (read Ps. 91:11-12)

            After all, if you believe that God will save you (or help you, or give you ____, or whatever) why wouldn’t you test that out?  Wouldn’t this demonstrate our faith as well as God’s faithfulness?

            What about bargaining with God?  You know, that which we all do when we pray, “God, if you’ll only [do or give whatever it is I want], then I’ll [do, give or say whatever I give in return.” It might be something like, “God, if you’ll heal my cancer, then I’ll attend worship every week.”  

            What does such bargaining demonstrate: our faith or our lack of faith? Perhaps Tom Long is right: “such testing of God comes not from faith but from the lack of it. Trying out the promises of God to ‘see if they really work’ is a sign not of sure faith but of fundamental doubt.” (Long, 38-39)

            But it’s not just a lack of faith in God that leads to such testing or bargaining, it’s a fundamental elevating ourselves to the position that only God can inhabit.  Consider this: Testing God “implies that we are in God’s position; we not only know God’s promises, but we also know how, when, and where God is supposed to fulfill these divine promises.  If God doesn’t perform in just that prescribed way, either God must be a liar or there is no God. Putting God to the test dramatically reverses our relationship to God; we are in charge, and God is treated as our servant.” (Long, 39)

The Third Temptation: The Easy Way to Greatness

            In exchange for merely worshiping Satan one time, he promises to give Jesus “all the kingdoms of the world!”  Given that we’re in a rather nasty election cycle (and aren’t they all?), one has to wonder just who does have control of “all the kingdoms”?  Who controls the USA?  Russia?  Iran?  Japan?  European countries? 

            How did (or does) Satan get control of all these?  Well, this could certainly be a fun “rabbit chase,” but we’ll leave it for another time and place.  Let’s keep our attention upon what this temptation might be for us.

            In facing this temptation (and none of these happened merely “once and done” in Jesus’ life and ministry—these were his constant temptations throughout his lifetime), Jesus had to realize that all those kingdoms would be his (“thy kingdom come . . . on earth as it is in heaven” puts this cosmic dominion sometime at the “end of [our] time”), but not through the relatively easy way of bowing to Satan.  Christ’s dominion over “all kingdoms” would only come through the suffering servant, only through the cross.  There was no “easy way” even for the Son of God.

            Don’t we, both in the church and in our personal lives, too often seek the easy way?  Again, Tom Long has profoundly touched me here:

“The church faces the same temptation today when it attempts to find some easier and quicker road to travel than the way of the cross.  Whenever the ‘power of positive thinking’ gets substituted for the power of sacrificial love and costly grace, then the tempter smiles.  Whenever we bow down to that which is not God—to nation, or race, or family, or social standing—hoping that this will fill our hearts, we succumb to this temptation.  Whenever we attempt to soften the cost of discipleship and pretend that the work of Christ does not involve suffering, then we not only fall to this temptation, we take on, as Peter did later in Matthew’s Gospel (Matt. 16:23), the role of the tempter.” (Long, 39)

            The season of Lent is the season of confession and repentance.  It is the season of intentionally allowing God to examine our lives, of recognizing our own “bent to sinning,” and repenting (turning from) our sinfulness.  The “easy way” would be to ignore our own wrongdoings.  We are tempted to “overlook” the problems we cause (and have).  So often we focus on the “easy way” (have you stopped to realize that the so called “easy way” in the church is often nothing more than the way we’ve always done it, regardless of whether that way is either still appropriate or effective?) rather than the way of the cross (that is, discipleship).  Isn’t this still the temptation of the church?

            If any of this rings true for you (as it does for me), I’d say we’ve got a lot to both “give up” for Lent and to “take on” for Lent!

            Please click on the "comment" button below and leave your comments:  agreements, disagreements, suggestions (stories, movie/video clips, and other illustrative material are GREATLY appreciated!!!!), etc.  THANK YOU!