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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.
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