Temptation
A Sermon for the First Sunday in Lent
February 26, 2023
The Rev. Robin Teasley
Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. He fasted forty days and forty nights, and afterwards he was famished. The tempter came and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread.” But he answered, “It is written, ‘One does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’” Then the devil took him to the holy city and placed him on the pinnacle of the temple, saying to him, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down; for it is written, ‘He will command his angels concerning you,’ and ‘On their hands they will bear you up, so that you will not dash your foot against a stone.’” Jesus said to him, “Again it is written, ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’” Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor; and he said to him, “All these I will give you, if you will fall down and worship me.” Jesus said to him, “Away with you, Satan! for it is written, ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve only him.’” Then the devil left him, and suddenly angels came and waited on him. Matthew 4:1-11
Tonight we’re having dinner with friends and each couple is bringing a part of the meal. Several days ago the host couple sent a group text asking if the Teasleys would bring dessert, unless we were all giving up dessert for Lent. I replied that I did not give up dessert for Lent, but that if others did, I would not want to tempt them. In short order, the other three couples texted back that they had NOT given up dessert for Lent! Another in the group then jokingly texted that we give up anchovies or liver or capers for Lent. And then one lone group member replied, “no, not capers, I love capers!”
This funny text exchange between friends shows us something important about temptation, that what tempts one person does not necessarily tempt another. Perhaps more importantly, I think it shows us something more crucial, something deeper about the practice of giving up things for Lent.
It’s been what, just four or five days since Ash Wednesday, since the start of Lent? Many of us are practicing some sort of Lenten discipline, whether that is giving up something or taking on something, either of these in an attempt to grow stronger in our faith. Have you been tempted yet? Tempted to sneak a cookie, a glass of wine? Read a book rather than weed the flower border or clean out the closet? Enticed to scroll social media instead of finishing that homework assignment or that project due at work? It’s almost like God knew we were going to need a lesson about temptation on this first Sunday in Lent.
So if you are not doing so well with your Lenten disciplines, or if you have ever been tempted in any way (and I am pretty sure we all have been!) you are not alone. Temptation has been going on since Adam and Eve. It seems none of us are exempt from temptation, and the things that tempt us can often prevent us from developing a trusting relationship with God.
Jesus experienced temptation. Immediately after hearing the voice from heaven say, “This is my Son, the Beloved, with whom I am well pleased,” Jesus was led up by the Spirit, still dripping with the waters of baptism, into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil.
First, Jesus was tempted to perform a miracle – “command these stones to turn to bread.” Next the devil tempted Jesus to call on God for special protection – “throw yourself down from the temple.” Finally, Jesus was tempted to take control of all the kingdoms of the world – “All these I will give you, if you will fall down and worship me.”
In each of these temptations, the adversary is suggesting that Jesus deserves these things, that he should not be hungry, not endure suffering, not have access to power and control, if he is indeed the beloved Son of God. The devil wants Jesus to question his identity, an identity he heard spoken at his baptism. Jesus knows he is God’s beloved, and in that knowledge, Jesus trusts God and can reject the devil’s temptations.
We too are God’s beloved, living in a world of temptation. We long for a relationship with God but there are so many distractions. Think about what distracts you, what gets between you and God? The forty days of Lent can help us name our distractions, the things that separate us from God and I suspect they are larger things than dessert, liver, anchovies, or even capers!
One temptation we face today is the glut of information, and most of us can admit that we can be distracted by it. Whether it’s in the form of social media, nightly news, or advertising, we are constantly bombarded by images of temptation. The world tells us we need to know more, we need to have more material things, we need more power and control. The world tells us over and over that we are not enough. All the while, we have been distracted by the world and separated from the one who has all knowledge, who provides all that we need, and whose power is an all-encompassing love.
All the things that prevent us from trusting God are the real temptations, and each of us must discern what our own temptations are, and then do some introspective work to understand why. And the reasons we have for all of our various temptations, will likely distill down to our identity. Do we believe we belong to God, that we are beloved, that God is well pleased with us?
Notice that in those three temptations faced by Jesus, the real choice was who or what would determine his actions. Would it be the devil or God? The world’s temptations or his identity as beloved Son of God? Are we not facing that same choice? Whether we are tempted to slide in our Lenten discipline or tempted to actions having far more serious consequences, how will we respond? Whose voice will we hear?
Jesus shows us that the best defense against temptation is to remember our identity in our relationship with God. When we remember our Baptism, trusting that we have been marked as Christ’s own forever, and that our real identity is as beloved children of God, we can hold fast through temptation.
And on those days when we do give in to temptation, and we will, on those days when we define ourselves in terms of what we think we need, rather than in terms of our relationship with God who provides all that we need, God is faithful when we cannot be, and there is grace. Because there is no wilderness where we are alone, and no place where God is not present.
Title Image: Get thee behind me, Satan, Ilya Repin
Comments
Post a Comment