Temptation and Triumph

This week, as we started our Lenten Journey, we heard some words like “Repentance” and “Fasting.” Those words are intimidating to most people. OK, all people. But they don’t need to be overwhelming to any of us. This time of Preparing our Hearts through the Lenten Journey actually should be liberating and joyous. Fasting doesn’t have to be difficult, nor should one feel guilt about failures in fasting. Fasting, far too many times becomes this “Super Spiritua” or even “Hyper-Spiritual thing…”

We treat it like, “I’m Fasting…Don’t I feel Spiritual…” Then, we find ourselves munching on a snack and feeling like a dismal failure. Or worse, find ourselves so hungry that we give in and just say, “Forget it! I’ll try again some other time!”

We look at this thing called “fasting” and we treat it as “What am I giving up?”

Let me help you. This has less to do with “What you are giving up,” and far more about “What God is bestowing upon you.”

Skip a meal, don’t skip a meal. It’s not about the food. It’s about drawing closer to God. Allowing Him to sustain you and feed you with His Holy mysteries!

God's Gracious Garden Gift

Let’s go back to the beginning. God placed Adam and Eve in the garden and listen to what He said in Genesis 2.

Genesis 2:15–17 ESV

15 The Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to work it and keep it. 16 And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, “You may surely eat of every tree of the garden, 17 but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.”

God isn’t trying to deny us sustenance. On contrary, He wants us to feast on His goodness and mercy. Food isn’t a bad thing! Too much food, well… that’s another thing, but God gave us all manner of amazing things to eat.

But… He gave us limits. Isn’t it interesting that eating - and what we eat is the very temptation Satan used in original sin.

God said, “You may surely eat of every tree of the garden but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.”

Subtle Serpent's Seduction

God gave us everything we could ever ask for. Provided for our every need. Fulfilled our every real, good desire. But…gave us a limit.

Satan may be a defeated foe, but he’s a crafty one. Let’s go further in the Genesis narrative in Chapter 3…

Genesis 3:1–7 ESV

1 Now the serpent was more crafty than any other beast of the field that the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God actually say, ‘You shall not eat of any tree in the garden’?” 2 And the woman said to the serpent, “We may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden, 3 but God said, ‘You shall not eat of the fruit of the tree that is in the midst of the garden, neither shall you touch it, lest you die.’ ”

Well… “Did God actually say, ‘You shall not eat of any tree in the garden’?” Isn’t that the way he always works?

The truth… with a twist…

Genesis 3:1–7 ESV

4 But the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die. 5 For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”

“OOH! Just try a little… You’ll really like it! YUMMMMM! It tastes so good! …And you’ll be like God…”

Genesis 3:1–7 ESV

6 So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate, and she also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate. 7 Then the eyes of both were opened, and they knew that they were naked. And they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loincloths.

Here is an interesting thing. Lust was’t originally about sex. It started with food and knowledge. “…it was a delight to the eyes…make one wise…”

So, we ate and the knowledge we gained? “Uh, oh, I’m naked…”

That’s what sin does. It exposes us to our worst vulnerabilities.

~Maybe this fasting thing is simply a reset back to our original sinless state. Denying ourselves of the food that exposed us in the firstplace… Hmmmm….

Christ's Conquering Victory

Jesus knew a thing or two about fasting. Our Gospel reading this morning told us so…

Matthew 4:1–11 ESV

1 Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. 2 And after fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry.

Friday morning, I was HUNGRY by 8. By 1123, I was STARVING! By 500, I felt like I could eat my car keys and enjoyt them. Here’s Jesus going for 40 days. Of course He’s hungry.

Matthew 4:1–11 ESV

3 And the tempter came and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread.”

You see what Satan said? “IF you are the Son of God…” Tried to have Jesus doubt His true identity.

Matthew 4:1–11 ESV

4 But he answered, “It is written, “ ‘Man shall 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 set him on the pinnacle of the temple 6 and said 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, lest you strike your foot against a stone.’ ”

Again, “If you are the Son of God…” We yield to temptation when we fail to recognize who we are and whose we are…

Matthew 4:1–11 ESV

7 Jesus said to him, “Again it is written, ‘You shall 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.”

It starts with self-doubt, it ends with worship of another than the true and living God. This is what original sin was really about.

Matthew 4:1–11 ESV

10 Then Jesus said to him, “Be gone, Satan! For it is written, “ ‘You shall worship the Lord your God and him only shall you serve.’ ”

Victory comes when we don’t yield to temptation, when we surrender to God and worship Him. Then victory manifests.

Matthew 4:1–11 ESV

11 Then the devil left him, and behold, angels came and were ministering to him.

Fasting isn’t about denial. It is about surrender.

You may say, “Well… I’m not Jesus. I’m not a strong Christian. I have this reason or that reason to not fast…” All true. Just like the Devil said to Eve in the garden and even to Jesus in the wilderness. But God, if He has called you to fast, He will sustain you. He will give you strength. He will demonstrate His Glory to YOU! Allow His Glory to become your reality!