Sunday, March 10, 2019

Lead us through the wilderness




“John Milton’s epic poem Paradise Lost, a retelling of the fall of Adam and Eve and hence humanity from God’s original created perfection, is fairly well known.

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 text. 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.”[1]

Now let’s take a minute and talk about Jesus and Adam.

Luke himself invites us to make such a comparison with the Genesis fall by the way he has set the story. First, he has put the genealogy of Jesus immediately before this tale. Since Luke’s genealogy traces Jesus’ lineage all the way back to Adam, the reference to Adam immediately precedes the temptation account. Moreover, Adam is identified in the genealogy as the son of God (3:38), rather obviously inviting comparison to Jesus. The temptation story, then, fleshes out the comparison -- and the contrast!

The genealogy of Christ starts with Jesus listed as son of Joseph and goes all the way back to “Adam, Son of God.” So Long before Milton perhaps Luke saw paradise lost and now brings us to where Jesus, the son of God regains paradise for us.

The temptation story also parallels Moses and the people of Israel.  The chosen people of God roam the desert for 40 years and Jesus we are told is in the desert for 40 days.  Each one of the temptations Jesus answers with a quote from Deuteronomy.  The quotes are of what Moses said to his people.

It is interesting to me that in the temptation story we see what Jesus is not going to do in his ministry. We see what Jesus’ version of the kindom of God is not. After the temptation is the story of the beginning of Jesus ministry in the Nazareth synagogue.  That is where we will learn that “Jesus will bring “good news to the poor… release to the captives… recovery of sight to the blind… the oppressed go free… 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); thus, what Jesus describes in the synagogue is the nature of his kingdom, the kingdom of God.”[2]

Jesus’ kindom is not about the political rule of Israel but rather the reclamation of what is sacred and dear to God, us. Commentator Scott Schauf states; “So whereas 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.”[3]

Let me say this about that. I do not believe that the story of Adam and Eve are “The Gospel truth”, but a beautiful story of how we often react to God.  I do not believe that Eve is the beginning of “the fall” nor the creator of Sin! If you read the story it implies Adam is right, there alongside eve as she has a conversation with the serpent and consumes an apple or a pomegranate.

That said, I also do not believe that eating the forbidden fruit of the tree of knowledge is the sin. The sin, if you go back and read it is, they hid themselves from God. We are the only ones who can choose to separate or hide ourselves from God.

Okay that is my soap box about original sin.

So, let’s look at these temptations offered to Jesus. The First Temptation: Serving Oneself

“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 during his crucifixion that this would come to the fore again, as he is tempted by the onlookers to save himself from the cross (Luke 23:35-39). Just as there the temptation is made in a situation of tremendous personal suffering, so too here the temptation to eat comes in a time of severe hunger, with Jesus having fasted for forty days. As we have heard him announce in 4:18-19, Jesus’ ministry is always focused on others, never on himself.”[4]

“Temptation One (4:3-4): To turn stones into bread.
Response: Deuteronomy 8:3: "It is written, 'One does not live by bread alone.'"
Context in Deuteronomy: Moses reminds the people of Israel that God tested them in the wilderness by hunger, but he fed them with manna in order to make them understand that one does not live by bread alone.”[5]

How many times can food be a distraction to us in our modern ministry?  How often do we find ourselves perhaps not eating properly or knowing we could be wiser around food, how it is grown, harvested, consumed and disposed of?



The Second Temptation: Power
The second temptation hits us hard and in the face.  It is the offer of complete and utter power. “Jesus is offered the authority and glory of all the kingdoms of the world. 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 messiahship, his kingdom, is of a different nature than the common expectations.”[6]

“Temptation Two (4:5-8): To rule all the kingdoms of the world.
Response: Deuteronomy 6:13: "It is written, 'Worship the Lord your God, and serve only God.'"
Context in Deuteronomy: Moses addresses the people of Israel prior to entering the land of promise. He calls upon the people to fear and love the Lord always. He provides a creed for them, the Shema, "Hear, O Israel: The Lord your God, the Lord is One." (6:4), tells them not to forget who gave the land, and admonishes them to worship and serve the Lord.”[7]

How Many times do we often forget to just be grateful?  How many times are we like spoiled Children who are always seeking more, craving more only to let our abundance go to waste? I was recently watching an episode of undercover boss.  You know the head of some big corporation goes undercover learns of heartbreaking stories of their employees and in the end gives them huge gifts out of their abundance.

Usually the employee reaction is your kidding OMG thank you I can’t believe you’re doing this…but the other day a gentleman’s fist words were God is Good, the spirit is moving today. Then he thanked his boss, but he saw past the surface and understood where the gift given originates. 


“The Third Temptation: A Cross-Avoiding Spectacle

The third temptation (verses 9-12), jumping from the pinnacle of the temple, is the most difficult to interpret. On the surface the devil’s idea is merely an awe-inducing spectacle. In the ancient world such would likely have been interpreted as the trick of a magician. Legends developed later in the church about the apostles facing down such devil-inspired magicians (e.g. a flying Simon the Mage in the Acts of Peter).

So, in part this temptation is that of another alternative path for Jesus’ power, leading to fame and riches rather than to service and the cross. But we are likely supposed to see more here, too. The temptation, after all, occurs on the Jerusalem temple. Are we meant to see a foreshadowing and a parody of the crucifixion? on the cross Jesus is tempted to save himself from death -- are the onlookers there playing the role of the devil?”[8]

Now that is an interesting question it is an easy parallel to see.

But again, let’s look at the text and words used 

“Temptation Three (4:9-12): To throw himself down from the pinnacle of the Temple in Jerusalem. Here the devil quotes Psalm 91:11-12.

Response: Deuteronomy 6:16: "It is said, 'Do not put the Lord your God to the test.'"
Context in Deuteronomy: The setting is the same as the previous episode (Deut 6:13). Moses exhorts the people not to test the Lord as they did at Massah, a place of quarreling, where the people of Israel demanded water from Moses, which he finally obtained by striking a rock (Exodus 17:1-7).”[9]

Now I admit, I laugh at this one a little.  This idea of throwing oneself off of the highest peak in all the land and let the angels catch you.  That would not be me.  Ask Bob heights and I do not have a good relationship. But really who is even tempted to just toss all in to God’s hands and see where the dice land.

The reply Jesus gives is more to the heart of the matter. Do not put your God to the test…yet we do…all the time. It is literally part of being human and maybe most human part. How often do we try to make deals with God?  In desperation have you ever lifted a prayer if you do this lord, I’ll do A B or C?  

Somehow, we forget that simple prayer is enough.  Coming before our God in a moment of Jubilee to say thanks and or a moment of great need to say please.  There is no need to bargain.  Often times when we do not see or understand how our prayer was answered we run back to the bargaining table to make a second offer or, more often than not, we leave the table altogether assuming God does not truly care for us.

Blessings for us, God is always at the table waiting for us and God is happy with simple words, no words, screams and anger and tears and broken ness…God will take us just the way we are, and it is fine to express that in our prayer.

One commentator note about this passage that a more apt title might be Jesus is tested as opposed to tempted…

Arland Hultgren notes that; “Since the English word "temptation" has so many connotations, often referring to human appetites for things that bring pleasure, it is helpful to think of the temptation of Jesus as "the testing of God's Son." The Greek word in question is peirazomenos, which has to do with testing. That means that the wording of 4:2 could read: "[Jesus] was tested by the devil."

…Jesus was tested concerning his baptismal vocation as the Son of God. He was obedient to the course upon which he had been set at his baptism by John at the Jordan. Likewise, those who are his followers are tested concerning their baptismal vocation. Through baptism, we are called to be obedient and to serve the Lord alone. But our faith is tested in the course of our lives, from birth to death. There is comfort in knowing, however, that God remains faithful, even if we fail (Romans 3:3-4; 2 Timothy 2:13).

The connection between Jesus' testing and our own was recognized by the author of the Letter to the Hebrews: "For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who in every respect has been tested as we are, yet without sin" (4:15).”[10]

The people of Israel were tested in the desert time and again.  They failed time and again and yet God stayed with them.  We are given an example of what the kindom of heaven is not in Jesus testing and Jesus stays true to who he is, the beloved child of God. We are called daily to remember that we too are children of God Baptized into the body of Christ and we continue to seek to resist the temptations of this world.

“The connection between Israel's testing and our own is summed up beautifully in the Prayer of the Day:

O Lord God, you led your people through the wilderness and brought them to the Promised Land. Guide us now, so that, following your Son, we may walk safely through the wilderness of this world toward the life you alone can give, through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.”[11]







[1]http://www.workingpreacher.org/preaching.aspx?commentary_id=1574
[2]Ditto
[3]Ditto
[4]ditto
[5]http://www.workingpreacher.org/preaching.aspx?commentary_id=508
[6]http://www.workingpreacher.org/preaching.aspx?commentary_id=1574

[7]http://www.workingpreacher.org/preaching.aspx?commentary_id=508
[8]http://www.workingpreacher.org/preaching.aspx?commentary_id=1574
[9]http://www.workingpreacher.org/preaching.aspx?commentary_id=508
[10]Ditto
[11]Ditto

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