Luke 4 1-13
Lent 1
Luke 4:1-13
February 29, 2004
“Temptation”
Introduction: Many of you may remember Iron Eyes Cody. He is the Native American actor who did a TV spot for the Keep America Beautiful campaign in the early 70's… He was an Indian drifting alone in a canoe. As he saw how our waters were being polluted, a single tear rolled down his cheek, telling the whole story of grief at the destruction of the environment.
In 1988 Cody retold an old Indian legend in a popular magazine. It went like this: Many years ago, Indian youths would go away in solitude to prepare for manhood. One such youth hiked into a beautiful valley, green with trees, bright with flowers. There he fasted. But on the third day, as he looked up at the surrounding mountains, he noticed one tall rugged peak, capped with dazzling snow. I will test myself against that mountain, he thought. He put on his buffalo-hide shirt, threw his blanket over his shoulders and set off to climb the peak. When he reached the top he stood on the rim of the world. He could see forever, and his heart swelled with pride. Then he heard a rustle at his feet, and looking down, he saw a snake. Before he could move, the snake spoke. "I am about to die," said the snake. "It is too cold for me up here and I am freezing. There is no food and I am starving. Put me under your shirt and take me down to the valley." "No," said the youth. "I am forewarned. I know your kind. You are a rattlesnake. If I pick you up, you will bite, and your bite will kill me."
"Not so," said the snake. "I will treat you differently. If you do this for me, you will be special. I will not harm you."
The youth resisted awhile, but this was a very persuasive snake with beautiful markings. At last the youth tucked it under his shirt and carried it down to the valley. There he laid it gently on the grass, when suddenly the snake coiled, rattled, and leapt, biting him on the leg. "But you promised..." cried the youth. As the snake slithered away he turned and said, "You knew what I was when you picked me up."
So it is with temptation. It too invites us to pick it up, promiseing not to hurt us. Giving in to temptation we too receive the bite of death. What else should we expect? Temptation encompasses and surrounds as we live as Christians in this world. This may not be so for the rest of the world as they may not recognize the snakes of temptation and are willing to pick them up and put them in their shirts not realizing that death will result. We, guided by Gods Holy and life giving Word, are able to recognize temptation when it comes. We also know that its bite is lethal.
It is fitting that the Bible reading for this first Sunday in Lent focus on the temptation of our Lord Jesus Christ. The Scriptures say that He was tested in every way like we are. For forty days He was bombarded with three temptations. The old snake Satan, in a way, was telling our Lord to go ahead and pick him up, promising not to hurt him or ruin His mission. Listen to me, Satan says. Our Lord did not listen. Instead, filled with the Holy Spirit, He spoke God’s Word and relied on God’s promise and He resisted temptation. As we begin our 40 day journey through Lent we will learn about temptation and how it comes to us. We will learn how leave the snake of temptation coiled up in the grass.
The 5th Petition of the Lord’s Prayer says, "Lead us not into temptation." Sounds good, but most people have no idea what it means. You see, in the Bible there are 2 kinds of temptation, one that leads to sin and destruction, and another one that we usually speak of as ‘testing’. First, what does it mean to be tested? Quite simply, sometimes God tests us. Its not really a test, God already knows the answer. But it is a test never the less, because we don’t. God tests us in this way; circumstances may come up that show the richness of God’s love, grace and mercy. God shows us, by his grace, that with his help, things which appeared impossible are accomplished. God tests us so that we can grow in faith, and rely on him more fully. God tests us, so that we can see the victory that we have been given in Christ at work in our lives. God tests us, so that we can tell people from firsthand experience how God is faithful, and how God has been at work in our lives, and how God has provided exactly what was needed, when it was needed. This is what is meant to be tested.
Temptation is another matter altogether. When we speak about temptation, we are not talking about testing, but an enticement to evil, about lies and deception, and worst of all giving in to temptation. Temptation and being tempted should not be confused with sin itself. That which tempts us may not even be sinful. The sin is that which lies coiled in the grass beyond our vision. How is this so? See how Satan tempts our Lord. Satan simply says “your hungry, make some bread.” Trust in the Lord, He will protect you.” “All this can be yours.” So the three temptations go. And so the snake lays waiting, coiled and ready to bite.
In the first temptation making bread to eat is not the sin. Rather it is a lack of trust in God. It is the sin of self-reliance and self-dependence. This is where we are bitten. We think that we can take care of our selves. We think that it is our hard work that puts bread in our mouths. We think we can build a strong enough house to weather the storms of life. We are often like squirrels, hoarding up enough nuts for the winter, burying them in the ground and then for getting where they are. God provides for us without our help. He will always provide us with what we need. This was the lesson the Israelites learned when God sent bread from heaven in the form of manna when they wandered in the desert. Besides our physical need there is also the temptation to not trust God for what we spiritually need. The temptation is to try to get to heaven based on what we do or who we are whether it is by good works or pious life. Here too God provides for us without our help. Indeed we cannot help our selves. God sent His Son Jesus Christ to die on the cross to save us from our sins. Jesus Christ is our bread for eternal life. Satan’s first temptation is to not trust in God for our physical and spiritual needs.
Next Satan says, “Trust in God.” This doesn’t sound bad until we see the context. Satan tells Jesus to jump off the temple, after all God will protect you. In other words, recklessly trust in God. Here the sin is directly opposite to the first one. It is not a lack of trust in God. It is an irresponsible trust. How is this played out in our lives? A man who lazily lies in bed all day expecting God to provide his daily bread is a man likely to be hungry in the evening. God is not a fool and is not to be taken as one. God has ordered that man shall work and then eat. We mock God when we exceed the speed limits of life, whether it is by going to fast in a car or jumping out of a plane without a parachute. We are to trust in God and use the gifts of our brains as well. Even worse is the temptation to recklessly trust in God with regard to our spiritual lives. How is this? A reckless trust in God says, “It doesn’t matter what a person does or believes because God is going to take everybody to heaven. Scripture tells us that He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved. He that believeth not shall be damned. For us Christians there is an even greater temptation. It is the temptation to live as we darn well please because we will be forgiven anyway. It’s like saying, “Thank you Jesus for giving me the freedom to sin. This is a reckless trust in God. God is not a fool and will not be taken as one. A person living like this is in just as much danger of hell as the unbeliever. This is a reckless trust in God.
Then Satan comes with his final temptation. It is worse than the ones before it. Satan tells Jesus, “All the kingdoms and the nations can be yours”, you Jesus can have the kingdom the power and the glory. Satan offers Jesus the world. Jesus would eventually have it. What is the underlying sin? Satan tempts Jesus to gain all that he would without going to the cross. Why preach all those sermons. Why soil your hands with the sick and the sinners. Why trust your business to men and women subject to human frailty. Why die for people who are your enemies. Go for the glory right now it shouldn’t cost you your life. Bow down to me. Put the snake in your shirt it won’t hurt.
Glory comes with a cost. It cost our Savior His life. It was not His own glory that Jesus Christ was concerned about but ours. That is why the Son of God put Himself in the position of being tempted by the devil. That is why the Son of God left the glory of heaven to walk in the dust of the earth. That is why Jesus Christ walked among us and sacrificed His life on the cross. He came to restore the glory that had been taken away from us when we fell to the serpent’s temptation. On the cross Jesus Christ took the serpents bite of death in our place.
How does this temptation apply to us? Jesus said, “If anyone would follow me He must take up the cross and follow me. A part of that cross means suffering and service in this life. Satan would tempt us with false glory. He would make us think that we will not or should not suffer pains and trial in this life, especially if we think that God favors us. Satan would have us believe that in this life we should only prosper and have good fortune and have only good things happen to us. Satan would have us forget that our lives lived here shall only be lived to the glory of God and in His service, serving the people of the world with the message of salvation. In this work we will have tropubles as our Lord has reminded us. The glory of this life fades into death. Our eternal glory comes through the cross of Jesus Christ and in faithful service to Him that springs out of our faith in Him alone.
The temptations of Satan are three: to not trust in God; to recklessly trust in God; and to think that there can be glory without the cross. All three of these temptations begin with doubt. Doubt that God will provide and protect. Doubt that God really cares how we live our lives. Doubt that God will glorify us through the cross of His Son. These are the same temptations Jesus endured for us.
One thing is sure. Temptation will come to us. Martin Luther said, “We can not stop the birds from flying in the air but we can keep them from making nests in our hair. So it is with temptation. We are called upon to be vigilant and on guard. The snakes of temptation lie coiled in the grass
Speaking about the temptation, St. Paul wrote about the people of God, the Jews as they wandered in the desert as Israelites, “I do not want you to be ignorant of the fact, brothers, that our forefathers were all under the cloud and that they all passed through the sea. They were all baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea. They all ate the same spiritual food and drank the same spiritual drink; for they drank from the spiritual rock that accompanied them, and that rock was Christ. Nevertheless, God was not pleased with most of them; their bodies were scattered over the desert. Now these things occurred as examples to keep us from setting our hearts on evil things as they did. Do not be idolaters, as some of them were; as it is written: "The people sat down to eat and drink and got up to indulge in pagan revelry." We should not commit sexual immorality, as some of them did-- and in one day twenty-three thousand of them died. We should not test the Lord, as some of them did-- and were killed by snakes. And do not grumble, as some of them did-- and were killed by the destroying angel. These things happened to them as examples and were written down as warnings for us, on whom the fulfillment of the ages has come. So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don't fall!
Then he gives us this wonderful promise from God, “No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.
Do you doubt -that God will provide?
‘One does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.
Do you doubt -that God will protect?
‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test
Do you doubt -that God will glorify you?
‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve only him.’
For God has given us a free and complete salvation, God has forgiven us for all our sins, and God has promised us not only the resurrection of the dead, but a lasting glory in a perfect place. All this is ours in Jesus Christ, to Him be the kingdom and the power and the glory forever and ever. Amen.