25 February 2007

Luke 4:1-13

Temptation. “I can resist everything except temptation,” Oscar Wilde is reported to have said. And so we begin our Lent, once again, with thoughts of temptation; with Jesus being tempted by Satan in the wilderness.

As I searched for images to put on the front of this week’s bulletin, I came across one entitled “Jesus in the Wilderness.” It showed a flowing stream in the middle of a forest with birds flying about and small animals cavorting with Jesus sitting on a rock beside the stream. Though yes, that is the idea of wilderness for some, it’s not what I envision when I hear that Jesus was in the wilderness for 40 days and nights.

I envision an inhospitable place: rocks and sand and grit and little else. No flowing streams, no birdies or small animals, no lush greenery. It’s an austere place where temptations are held in a harsh light. Jesus’ temptations came at a time of deprivation. Jesus was in the midst of the wilderness for a long time: 40 days. But Jesus entered the wilderness as we are told, “filled with the Holy Spirit.” He was armed against the wilderness and against encountering Satan.

Let’s look at this for a bit. Jesus had just been baptized by John in the Jordan River. The last thing Jesus hears, after the Holy Spirit descends on him, is a voice from heaven, saying “You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased.” Jesus is well-armed for the wilderness. We are told that that same Spirit led Jesus into the wilderness.

There, we are told, he is tempted by the devil for all those 40 days. We hear of three specific temptations that Jesus encountered. In each case Jesus quotes his scripture in order to rebuff: “One does not live by bread alone,” he says. “Worship the Lord your God and serve only him,” he replies to the 2nd temptation & finally “do not put the Lord your God to the test.” Jesus reaches back into his holy scripture, since all three rebuffs come from the book of Deuteronomy. And Jesus relies on God to repel these advances.

Jesus is at his weakest point here. He is hungry and has been in the wilderness for 40 days. And the devil knows exactly with what to tempt him. Turn stone into bread? Most of us would do so at that point if we were able.

But Jesus is also at his strongest: he’s just come through the baptism experience and is accompanied by the Spirit. Again, the devil knows just what to tempt him with: heady with the Spirit, he is shown power and popularity.

It’s because of his weakness and his strength that Jesus is most vulnerable to the temptations that he faces. But it is relying on scripture and God that he is able to withstand the temptations and remain pure.

What temptations face us: both individually and as a church? With what does evil creep up, tap us on the shoulder and show us something shiny and new and try to lead us down a new, not so faithful, path?

We are attracted by the things our society dangles in front of us as rewards or inducements. We are naturally drawn to many things that our culture says we must have because of the very fact that we have been a part of this culture. But are they rewards or temptations? If we grasp at them are we merely giving into these temptations?

Temptations can face you in the midst of your weakness or out of your strength. Think for a moment of your weak points; things you aren’t so good about. It‘s easy to see how temptations might come when you are at your weakest point. “Here, let me strengthen you,” you suddenly hear. Instead of living through your weakness, you seek to live around it, tempted to go an easy route.

But how do temptations attack us at our strengths? Well think of your strong points. Perhaps you need a little more time to think of something. Most people would. At least to make a list of things at which they’re strong. Because most of us have been brought up to put forth modesty. Religious puritanism, of which our culture is so good, forces us to not think too highly of ourselves. And it’s just in that moment of false modesty that we are open to temptation.

And it’s the same for our church as it is for us individually. Our church is tempted just the same that each of us who belong to it are. What are our weakest points? Our size? Our introvertedness? What are our strengths? Our attention to the community outside? Our sense of mission? Our sense of community? How can we be tempted out of these weaknesses and strengths?

How do avoid these temptations, especially now that we have a visioning committee in place and we look to the future? What temptations must we avoid as we seek God’s will for us? How do we know if we’re hearing the voice of God or hearing the voice of our culture?

These are not easy questions and I won’t pretend to have the answer for them. But we can follow Jesus’ example. We can remember to return to scripture continually as we answer these questions. And we can seek to keep God a part of our deliberations.

Indeed, we are called to the wilderness, especially during this time of Lent. Lent is traditionally a time of introspection; a time to look at ourselves and see how we might be tempted to move away from our call; how we might be tempted to be popular rather than godly; how we might be tempted to be important rather than faithful. Keep faith that you will know temptation and can, with God’s help, resist it.