“Lead Us Not into Temptation” – Luke 4:1-13 – February 21, 2010
The Winter Olympics are currently taking place in Vancouver. For the last week we have been watching great athletes go for the gold. Each athlete has made many sacrifices to reach this level of competition. They are competing with the best athletes in the world.
In the 1994 Winter Olympic Games at Lillehammer, Norway there was a hometown favorite buy the name of Johann Olav Koss. He was a skater and he won three gold medals. Koss made a decision during those games to give all the bonus money he made to Olympic Aid, a charitable organization that helps children around the world. Koss challenged his countrymen to do the same. The reaction caused an avalanche of funds during and after the games. He entered medical school after the Olympics and he was surprised at all the fuss he had caused because of his decision to put others before himself.
Jesus put others before himself. Although he could have had anything he wanted he withstood the devil’s attempt to influence him. He said "no" to a position of privilege. His role in life was to live a life of service and compassion. Each time he was tempted he said, "no" to self and "yes" to God. This is one of the hardest lessons in life. For Jesus, however it was his life-long commitment, all the way to the cross.
Who isn’t tempted to go for gold? Every day we are tempted. Material goods are everywhere, stacked to the ceiling in department stores. All we have to do is hand over our credit cards. Why wait? If we want something all we have to do is go and purchase it. We’ll just pay for it later. We are also constantly bombarded by the media to buy a particular product. Just about anything is ours for the asking. We also have the freedom to go virtually any place we desire. Options for shopping, entertainment or dining out are endless.
Jesus however was tempted differently. He had the opportunity to turn stones into bread and leap from tall buildings. In other words, he was being tricked in abusing his power for himself rather than use it to bring glory to God. We would never be tempted in these ways but in some ways we are. For example; some are tempted to take advantage of others, dominating them with their authority or power. Some are tempted to avoid responsibility. Still others are tempted to be vindictive. They may be less dramatic than the temptations of Jesus, but they are still temptations.
When we say "no" to abuse, oppression or dominance of others we are saying "yes" to justice, kindness and love. When we say "no" to revenge or hatred, we are saying "yes" to forgiveness. When we care about our neighbors we are saying “no” to indifference and “yes” to love.
What the devil did was offer Jesus a false sense of security. Are you hungry? No problem, just turn the stone into bread. The devil also was attempting to show him that he could use his power to overcome fear. Sadly, the devil wanted Jesus to live as though God wasn’t relevant. "You don’t need God," the devil implied, "You can do or have anything you want."
May we first realize that to be tempted is to be human. We have wants, desires and ambitions. There are expectations to aspire to and dreams to follow. And since we live in a society of abundance we are conditioned that we can have just about anything we want.
In this story Jesus demonstrated that we need to have faith. Jesus obviously had faith. He was familiar with the scriptures, the lessons of the prophets and the guiding principles of God. Each time Jesus was tempted he countered that temptation by referring to the scriptures, specifically the Torah. The phrases, "One does not live by bread alone," "Do not put the Lord to the test," and "Worship the Lord your God," are all from Deuteronomy. He had knowledge of our faith history and the word of God, These provide a foundation for personal discipline and direct our thoughts in a way that will bring peace, wholeness and meaning.
Some would say Jesus had will power. Indeed he did, but it is impossible for us to defend ourselves against everything. We can’t be on guard one hundred percent of the time. If the devil can follow Jesus into the desert he can follow us.
Most importantly, Jesus endured. He was tested but he survived the struggle between doing what he wanted and what God wanted.
In the Olympics at Vancouver there is an interesting story about an American skier, named Lindsey Vonn. In 2006 she crashed on an Italian mountain. After checking out of the hospital she returned to the 2006 Turin Winter Games. Once again she got ready to ski downhill at a speed that could get her ticketed on some highways. She was favored days earlier but, bruised and battered, but finished only eighth. A couple of weeks prior to the Winter Olympics in Vancouver she smashed her shin training on an Austrian mountain. Due to some bad weather her competition was delayed until Ash Wednesday.
Determined to compete again Lindsey Von said, “I know I can grit my teeth and do it." On Ash Wednesday she raced down the mountain and won the gold metal in the women’s downhill slalom. In spite of all the setbacks she endured.
Notice that while Jesus was being tempted he traveled a great distance. He had just come from the Jordan when he was confronted by the devil. They went up a mountain then on to Jerusalem. Apparently the devil had had enough because he left. After that Jesus went back to Galilee.
What this means for me is that Jesus continued his journey. He endured. Life meant going from place to place, moving forward. He overcame temptation by remaining committed and worshipping God. During this season of Lent may we remember that as human beings we will face many tests. By living sacrificially, maintaining our faith and enduring we can withstand all the forces that tempt us.
Dr. Keith Wagner