Mar 1, 2020                     Temptation                                

         In our gospel lesson this morning, we find the three temptations of Jesus. This lesson is most appropriate for the beginning of the season of lent. Lent is a season of discipline, of turning from our worldly ways, and seeking to grow in our relationship with God and one another. The lesson tells us that that was exactly what Jesus was doing, as he was wandering and fasting in the wilderness. And at the end of that time, when Jesus is at his weakest, that is when Satan comes to test him.

         The first temptation is this,…“If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.” Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’” For those in the Jewish tradition, this temptation recalls the Israelites in the wilderness crying out for bread and God giving them the manna. Actually, they were crying out for more than bread, what they wanted was to return to Egypt where they had their boiling pots and all kinds of meat and food to eat.

         In the wilderness, God teaches the Israelites, that there is more to life than things, more to life than food, more to life than our experiences, more to life than satisfying our hungers, whatever they may be. This reminds me of the prophet Isaiah’s famous quote, “Why spend money on bread that does not satisfy? Trust in the Lord, and you shall be satisfied.” Or Matthew’s teaching later on in the gospel, “Why worry about what you will eat, or drink, or wear, trust in God to provide all these things.”

         As I have probably mentioned numerous times before, we are awash in a consumer society. Every radio station and television program has up to 20 minutes an hour of ads telling us how our lives will be better and more complete if we buy something. Lent is a season for us to recognize when we are living solely to consume the bread of this world, and seek instead a spiritual life, that trusts in and is devoted to God. For the promise is, we will have all these things, plus something better – life in the Spirit of God.

         The second temptation is this,  Then the devil took him to the holy city and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. “If you are the Son of God,” he said, “throw yourself down. For it is written: ‘He will command his angels concerning you, and they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.’” Jesus answered him, “It is also written: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’”

         You have often heard me lament the way in which politicians and businesses take God’s name in vain for their own purposes. And even more than that, I regularly run into people who have confused their politics with their religious faith, and that’s the kind way of putting. The temptation in the garden of Eden, was to be like God, knowing Good and Evil. At least our own brand of Good and Evil. As fleshly creatures, we all want to be God - to have and to use God’s power for our own and to have others acknowledge that God is with us, God is on our side. It gives us power over one another. 

         But Jesus knew, that a faith based on a show of power was a corruption of faith. He knew that faith based on a spectacle would fail us. He knew that tempting God, would end in disaster. Lent is a season for us to observe the way in which Jesus went about his ministry, and to see how in weakness, he triumphed over evil, and was raised to life. In his life, we are shown the glory and the power of God, to overcome the powers of sin and death in our own lives. And despite our weakness, God will be there for us.  

         The third temptation was this,… Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor.  “All this I will give you,” he said, “if you will bow down and worship me.” Jesus said to him, “Away from me, Satan! For it is written; Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only’”

         In college, I took a class in social movements. And one of the exercises divided us up into rulers, soldiers, and peasants. We were all given monopoly money, and the rulers told the soldiers to go collect taxes from the peasants.

As peasants we were told to change that dynamic. So we decided to not give taxes to the soldiers, and to revolt, but what we did not know, until we became the rulers, is that we had expenses that we had to pay for, so we sent the soldiers out to collect taxes. The point of the exercise was that nothing had changed except the players.

         And that is the what Satan is hoping that Jesus would do. He was hoping that Jesus would worship the system of power and exploitation of the world, and become just another king and kingdom under Satan’s power. The only way to break this endless cycle of violence is to recognize it, and we have been given a powerful symbol of how to do that in the life, death, crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Who emptied himself and became a servant, and who in weakness, won the victory over the powers of sin and death. And that is the Good News of Jesus Christ!