When You Are Tested and Tempted
John Milton’s epic poem Paradise Lost is fairly well known even if it isn’t fairly well read. It’s a retelling of the fall of Adam and Eve and hence humanity from God’s original created perfection. Much less well known, unfortunately, is the sequel, Paradise Regained. Especially striking about the latter poem is its subject — not the birth, crucifixion, or resurrection of Jesus, but his temptation, the subject of today’s Gospel passage. Milton rightly saw that in resisting the devil’s temptations Jesus initiated the possibility for humanity to regain the paradise lost in the Eden fall.
February 24, 2013
Luke 4:1-13, When You Are Tested and Tempted
Doug Scalise, Brewster Baptist Church
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Listen to the story of Jesus’ temptation in Luke 4:1-13.
1 Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the wilderness, 2 where for forty days he was tempted by the devil. He ate nothing at all during those days, and when they were over, he was famished. 3 The devil said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command this stone to become a loaf of bread.” 4 Jesus answered him, “It is written, “One does not live by bread alone.’ “ 5
Then the devil led him up and showed him in an instant all the kingdoms of the world. 6 And the devil said to him, “To you I will give their glory and all this authority; for it has been given over to me, and I give it to anyone I please. 7 If you, then, will worship me, it will all be yours.” 8 Jesus answered him, “It is written, “Worship the Lord your God, and serve only him.’ “ 9 Then the devil took him to Jerusalem, and placed him on the pinnacle of the temple, saying to him, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down from here, 10 for it is written, “He will command his angels concerning you, to protect you,’ 11 and “On their hands they will bear you up, so that you will not dash your foot against a stone.’ “ 12 Jesus answered him, “It is said, “Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’ “ 13 When the devil had finished every test, he departed from him until an opportune time.”
Let’s begin by thinking about Jesus and Adam. Luke invites us to make a comparison with the fall of Adam in Genesis by the way he tells the story of Jesus in his Gospel. Luke puts the genealogy of Jesus immediately before the temptation. Since Luke’s genealogy traces Jesus’ lineage all the way back to Adam, the reference to Adam immediately precedes the temptation account. Adam is identified in the genealogy as the son of God (3:38), inviting comparison to Jesus. Luke then describes the very different way that Jesus responds to temptation than Adam did.
Second, the temptation story is followed by Jesus’ announcement of the nature of his ministry in the synagogue at Nazareth. A primary point of the temptation story is to show what Jesus is not going to do in his ministry. The Nazareth synagogue sermon then tells us what Jesus will do: he will bring “good news to the poor… release to the captives… recovery of sight to the blind… let the oppressed go free…and proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor” (4:18-19). Mary was told by the angel that Jesus was coming to establish his kingdom (1:33); what Jesus describes in the synagogue is the nature of his kingdom, the kingdom of God. Jesus’ kingdom is not about the political rule of Israel but rather God reclaiming the entire fallen world. The succumbing to temptation by Adam and Eve resulted in the loss of life in God’s presence. Jesus’ resistance of temptation was the beginning of the restoration of life in God’s presence.
The First Temptation: Serving Oneself
Given this comparison between Jesus and Adam, it’s perhaps significant that the first temptation (verses 3-4) relates to eating, just as the temptation in the Garden of Eden did. More broadly, the temptation is for Jesus to use his authority as the Son of God to meet his personal needs and desires. While this was no doubt a temptation for Jesus throughout his ministry, it is especially so here at the beginning and then at the end during his crucifixion when he is tempted by the onlookers to save himself from the cross (Luke 23:35-39). In both situations the temptation is made in a situation of tremendous personal suffering – on the cross and here the temptation to eat comes in a time of severe hunger, with Jesus having fasted for forty days. Jesus responds to the temptation to use his power to meet his needs by turning stones into bread and Jesus responds by quoting scripture that we don’t live by bread alone. As he announces in 4:18-19, Jesus’ ministry is focused on others, not on himself.
We can also face the temptation to serve ourselves rather than focusing on the needs of others. We can use the resources in our care only for ourselves and an expanding list of “needs” or we can be generous stewards of what we have. We can use our time for ourselves or share some of it with others. We can be so emotionally wrapped up in our own lives that we have little caring to extend. We are not Jesus; we need to responsibly care for ourselves, but we’re also to remember others and their needs.
The Second Temptation: Power
The second temptation (verses 5-8) is a direct appeal to the human desire for power. The devil offers Jesus the authority and glory of all the kingdoms of the world. Here’s something to remember when we’re tested and tempted, just because the devil says something doesn’t mean it’s true. In verses 6-7 when it says, “the devil said to him, “To you I will give their glory and all this authority; for it has been given over to me, and I give it to anyone I please. 7 If you, then, will worship me, it will all be yours.” I’ve met many Christians who have accepted this statement as true and believe it. I don’t and why should we? Just because the devil says he can do something doesn’t mean he can. Just because he says he has been given something doesn’t mean he has. Just because he promises he can do something, doesn’t mean he can or will. There’s a reason why in John’s Gospel Jesus calls the devil “the father of lies” – you can’t believe a word he says. The old saying, “If it sounds too good to be true it probably is,” holds for temptation from the evil one. For Jesus this was a temptation to embrace what many would have expected of him as the Messiah: political and military might and rule. That Jesus rejects this is a clear sign that his kingdom, is of a different nature than the common expectations. The contrast with Jesus’ announced mission in 4:18-19 is again clear: Jesus’ mission is about saving others, not about asserting worldly power.
The Third Temptation: A Cross-Avoiding Spectacle
The third temptation (verses 9-12), is jumping from the pinnacle of the temple and trusting that God would spare Jesus’ life and show he was Messiah in one painless, awe-inducing spectacle. So in part this temptation is that of an alternative path for Jesus’ power, leading to fame and riches rather than to service and the cross. But there is more here. The temptation, after all, is pictured on the Jerusalem temple. Are we meant to see a foreshadowing of the crucifixion? As I previously mentioned, on the cross Jesus is tempted to save himself from death — are the onlookers there playing the role the devil plays here? It is the same temptation – “save yourself, come down off of the cross and then we’ll believe.” If Jesus had done what those scoffers said to prove he was the Messiah, he would not have been the Messiah that he was intended to be. Also notice that the devil recognizes that Jesus is responding by quoting scripture so the evil one quotes scripture to Jesus in trying to get him to fall. Just because someone can quote the Bible doesn’t mean they are holy or a Christian, the devil can quote chapter and verse. It is obedience that matters.
The Forty Days of Lent
Jesus was tempted over a forty day period (verse 2). This is likely meant to echo the forty days Moses spent fasting while writing the covenant for the people of Israel (Exodus 34:27-28), and it also is reminiscent of the forty years the Israelites spent in the desert experiencing their own temptations. Like Adam, they failed the test that Jesus passed. It is, of course, no coincidence that Lent is a forty day period. The account of Jesus’ temptation illuminates our own forty day experience leading up to Holy Week and Easter. When we’re tested and tempted we’re wise to remember how Jesus resisted temptation – by being filled with the Spirit and relying on God’s Word.
According to Luke, just before today’s scripture, Jesus has the wonderful experience of being baptized, seeing the Holy Spirit descend on him like a dove, and hearing a voice from heaven say, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.” But there is no baptismal dinner celebration with the family, no cards or congratulations. Immediately after his baptismal experience, the Spirit of God leads Jesus into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. Sometimes it seems one of life’s great moments can be followed by one of our greatest tests. The devil tries to attack Jesus and us at the point of our identity, “If you are the Son of God…” to get Jesus and us doubting that we truly are God’s children. Jesus was uniquely God’s Son, and his future would be shaped by how he responded to this test. Have you ever had a moment in your life when you had a test on which it felt like your whole future depended? Have you ever had the experience of knowing, “This moment is going to significantly influence the rest of my life? God I hope I pass this test!” Many of us have had experiences like that, and Jesus did too. Jesus passed the test because he was full of the Spirit and trusting God’s Word and we can follow his example.
It’s important to remember it is the Holy Spirit who descended on Jesus at his baptism that leads Jesus into the wilderness. God is bringing Jesus to be tested; the devil is seeking to tempt him. In the Letter of James 1:2-4, “Whenever you face trials of any kind, consider it nothing but joy, (isn’t that the way we usually feel about trials?) because you know that the testing of your faith produces endurance; and let endurance have its full effect, so that you may be mature and complete, lacking in nothing.” This describes what happened with Jesus – he was tested, he endured, he was ready to begin a new level of life and ministry as a result of the experience.
A test comes from outside us, it occurs for reasons beyond our control, what matters is how we respond. The test can actually help us if we respond, if not with joy, at least with an understanding that our response and endurance can lead to greater clarity, maturity, completeness or wholeness. Don’t misunderstand what I am saying – a test doesn’t mean submitting to abuse with joy or putting up with physical violence. Some situations require that we remove ourselves for our own safety; this is wise and should not be construed as somehow failing a test from God. However, the tests we face in life can be the very means that God uses to mature us and make us more whole. The next time we face a test, instead of crying, “Why me?” (which is incredibly selfish and implies it would have been better or more fitting if it happened to someone else. At least merely crying “why?” is more philosophical) anyway…instead of crying “Why is God doing this to me?” try praying, “God help me to face this test with joy and endurance so you can lead me further along the path to maturity and wholeness.” That kind of prayer can make a tremendous difference in our outlook and our attitude.
Like Jesus, there will be times when we’re also tempted to abandon the task God has given us for ways of self-fulfillment, power, and spectacle. Unlike Jesus, we will doubtlessly fail at times. Lent is the time for confessing our failures and redirecting our steps to the way of Jesus. And through the power of the Spirit and relying on God’s word, we, too, can resist the temptations of the devil. Jesus responds to each temptation by quoting the Bible, “It is written…” or “It is said..” In the same way, the Bible is a great tool for us in resisting temptation and giving us strength in times of testing.
I close with two scriptures that encourage us to trust Jesus in times of testing and temptation. Hebrews 2:18, “Because he himself was tested by what he suffered, he is able to help those who are being tested.”
Romans 5:18-19, “ Therefore just as one man’s trespass led to condemnation for all, so one man’s act of righteousness leads to justification and life for all. 19 For just as by the one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners, so by the one man’s obedience the many will be made righteous.”
A Contrast between Two Gardens
Eden and Gethsemane present two different pictures of temptation.
Adam and Eve fail to trust God and then try to hide from God in a garden.
Jesus seeks God’s presence in a garden in his time of greatest temptation.
They fail to do God’s will, even when it is relatively easy.
Jesus does it, even when it could not be more difficult, praying,
“Nevertheless, not my will, but thy will be done.”
Adam and Eve fail to accept responsibility for their sinful actions.
Jesus forgives the sinful actions of those who crucify him,
“Forgive them, Father, they know not what they do.”