Genesis 2:15-17; 3:1-7 Matthew 4:1-11
I
have to admit that when I first read the scriptures for today, I was tempted to
talk with you about how Adam and Eve are much maligned in Christian teachings
(especially Eve). Or to talk about some
of the interesting thoughts out there that try to interpret Jesus’ temptations
in different lights … especially after Carrie mentioned Henri Nouwen’s
perspective on being relevant. Or to
talk about the metaphor of Satan and how we have defanged its power … just
about anything except the obvious topic - temptation
I suppose that I have given in to that temptation having indulged in that little detour, but I promise that I will try my best to stick the task at hand ….
When
I was a child, an important part of Sunday School being memorizing certain
scriptures – the beatitudes, the ten commandments, 1st John 4 especially
verse 7 and 8, and the 23rd Psalm come to mind. I think things have changed a little bit
since then because the curriculum that we have used during our years here have
had very little if any memorizing in them, and I have wondered about that.
I do
remember a love-hate relationship with those verses. It was great when they were pretty easy
because we got prizes for being able to reel them off in front of the
class. But when the scriptures were
particularly long or challenging, it was a nightmare, because we still had to
stand up in front of everyone and there was always someone who had managed to
get them right. And the rest of us … or
sometimes just me … felt embarrassed.
Still, I have appreciated knowing those verses over the course of my life,
and when I began to work with the middler class this year, I decided that it
would be good for them (and for me) to work on some of the big ones. So, we have gone through the Ten Commandments
and have begun to work on the Lord’s Prayer before diving into the 23rd
Psalm.
Last
week, we went through the Lord’s Prayer phrase by phrase before we put the
whole thing together. We worked out
“hallowed” and discussed what God’s Kingdom might look like and noticed that
the prayer has us ask to receive the same forgiveness we have given. When we got close to the end, we talked about
what evil means and how good it is to be delivered from it. But, we didn’t talk about temptation. Everyone seemed to know what it meant, and
there wasn’t very much time left. After
this week, I’m kind of wishing that we had at least mentioned it….
“And
immediately there came to mind the thief we all have inside ourselves, and
while I arranged the flowers, I took the cross and with just a bit of force, I
removed it,” he said, showing with his hands how he pulled the cross off the
rosary. “And in that moment I looked at him and I said, ‘Give me half your
mercy.’”
Francis said he kept the
cross in his shirt pocket for years, but that the cassock he wears now as pope
doesn’t have a pocket. He now keeps it in a little pouch underneath. “And,” he says, “whenever a bad thought comes
to mind about someone, my hand goes here, always,” he said, gesturing to his
heart. “And I feel the grace, and that makes me feel better.”[2]
I’m not sure whether that qualifies as choosing good over the best, or if Pope Francis really did wish so much for an extra measure of mercy, but it does show how tempting it can be to reach for good things in the wrong way, especially when it’s such a little thing – a cross that no one will miss.
And yet, I don’t think temptation is evil in and of itself. No, temptation is just part and parcel of free will. You can’t have the ability to choose without the option of choosing poorly. It’s been that way since the beginning, and even Jesus felt the urge to take the shorter, easier way. (Maybe that’s why the prayer he gave us goes to the extra effort of mentioning both things.)
I’m
tempted again to go into the reasons why Jesus had to be tempted and what that
says about his nature and God’s desire to be one with us even though it’s not
in my manuscript. That would be a good thing to talk about, but
I promised to stay on task. And, I think
talking about how Jesus responded would actually be closer to the best for us….
We have a tendency to dismiss Jesus’ struggle in the wilderness because he was the Son of God – God herself in human form. And what’s a little temptation to someone who is divine – who knows all things and has all the power he needs already? But, faced with his temptations, Jesus turned to the word of God as he had learned it over the past 20 years. The truth in the holy verses he had memorized became the words with which he resisted the power of The Deceiver. And that’s not particularly miraculous. It’s something all of us could do if we had the strength and the presence of mind … although I’m pretty sure I would need more than that to resist a little bread after forty days of fasting.
Jesus
was fresh from his baptism and he did
have the Holy Spirit accompanying him which certainly would have helped, but it
was not all that power that helped him resist.
It was actually that power that made his temptation more intense. Why not turn a few stones into bread or even
a more elaborate meal? No one was there
to see him. No one would have suffered
for his indulgence. And it would have
been good to prepare himself physically for the ministry he was about to begin.
Yet
he refused.
He
refused … and we can only speculate as to the why. Somehow he understood that God’s plan for the
world would not … could not be served by taking the easy way out. Eventually, he would have power over all the
kingdoms and rulers of Earth.
Eventually, Jesus would experience God’s protection (not from mere
beatings or even crucifixion, but from death itself). Eventually, he would make bread to feed
thousands appear from next to nothing.
But this was not the time or the way to do it. God’s best hopes for the world required a
different path … a longer path … a path without compromise. And with the power of the God’s word and the
Spirit’s guidance, he was able to choose the harder path.
I do
think, though, that if we change that phrase just a little bit, it would be
true. God always gives us what we need
to make it through. We have the wisdom
of scriptures. We have the teachings and
example of Jesus and others who have lived well throughout the centuries. We have the assurance of grace and love. We have the guidance and support of the Holy
Spirit who walks beside us through every trial.
I have a feeling that we might find ourselves regretting less if we paid attention more … because we have all that we need. We have the wisdom to choose God’s best (at least as well as we understand what that is). We have the strength to resist. And we have the Spirit to help us along the way … if we are willing to take the first step.
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