I share these thoughts hoping they are of help to someone else.
Comments are always welcomed.
If you find these thoughts helpful, please share.
Comments are always welcomed.
If you find these thoughts helpful, please share.
Once More Unto the Wilderness
Since, then, we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast to our confession. 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. Let us therefore approach the throne of grace with boldness, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.
Hebrews 4:14-16 (NRSV)
Hebrews 4:14-16 (NRSV)
All of this, all of this can be yours
Just give me what I want, and no one gets hurt
From "Vertigo" by U2
Just give me what I want, and no one gets hurt
From "Vertigo" by U2
In the Gospel of Luke, we read that, when Jesus goes to the Jordan River to be baptized, He spends some time in prayer. While He is praying, the heavens are torn open. The Spirit of God takes the form of a dove and descends upon Him, and a voice from Heaven says, "You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased."1
Jesus is then compelled by the Holy Spirit to journey into the wilderness, where He spends forty days fasting.2 At some point, the devil starts trying to tempt Him. Knowing that Jesus is hungry, the devil says to Him, "If you are the Son of God, command this stone to become a loaf of bread." Not only was Jesus identified as the Son of God at His baptism, He was also endowed with the power of the Holy Spirit. Quoting the Book of Deuteronomy, Jesus replies, "It is written, 'One does not live by bread alone.'"3
The devil then shows Jesus all of the kingdoms of the world and says 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. If you, then, will worship me, it will all be yours." Quoting the Book of Deuteronomy yet again, Jesus replies, "It is written, 'Worship the Lord your God, and serve only him.'"4
The devil then whisks Jesus away to the roof of the Temple of the Lord in Jerusalem, and says, "If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down from here." Seeing Jesus' appreciation for the Hebrew Scriptures, the devil quotes the part of the ninety-first Psalm:
For he will command his angels concerning you
to guard you in all your ways.
On their hands they will bear you up,
so that you will not dash your foot against a stone.5
to guard you in all your ways.
On their hands they will bear you up,
so that you will not dash your foot against a stone.5
If the multitudes in Jerusalem could see Jesus jump off the temple and be caught by angels, they would have no doubt about who He is. Quoting the Book of Deuteronomy for a third time, Jesus replies, "It is said, 'Do not put the Lord your God to the test.'"6
Resisted three times, the devil decides to leave Jesus alone... for the time being.
The story of Jesus' forty day journey through the wilderness provides the basis for our observance for the forty-day season of fasting and penitence known as Lent. As Jesus fasted in the wilderness, we too practice self-denial, and, as Jesus stared down the tempter, we face with a spirit of repentance the ways we have given into our own temptations.
I've written about the story of Jesus' wilderness experience a number of times in the past, pointing out the ways that Jesus' temptations might reflect some of our own.
Almost eight years ago, I pointed out how Jesus' temptations reflect those faced today by the Church. The temptation to misuse divine power to turn a stone into bread reflects the temptation of leaders in the church to misuse the authority entrusted to them. The temptation to bow down to the devil in exchange for world domination reflects the temptation to take one's eyes off the one true God in pursuit of other gods like wealth, power, and fame. The temptation to take the devil's supposedly biblical advice and jump off the temple reflects the temptation to misuse Scripture in self-serving ways.
About two years later, I pointed out how Jesus' temptations were all temptations to avoid suffering by taking the easy way out. Turning a stone into bread would have been an easy way to avoid the pain of hunger. Kneeling to the devil in return for power would have been an easy way to avoid the Cross. Being caught by angels in front of the people of Jerusalem would have been an easy way to avoid the pain of rejection. As the Suffering Servant of God, Jesus was not meant to take the easy way out.
Three years ago, I drew from the teachings of Henri Nouwen and pointed out how Jesus' temptations reflect the ways we are tempted to define ourselves. The temptation to turn a stone into bread reflects our temptation to define ourselves by what we do. The temptation to take over the world reflects our temptation to define ourselves by what we have. The temptation to put on a show for the people reflects our temptation to define ourselves by what other people think of us.7 Perhaps, it was not just a knowledge of the Scriptures that enabled Jesus to resist temptation in the wilderness but also knowing His identity as the beloved Son of God with whom God is well pleased.
Of course these are only three ways we might see our own temptations reflected in the story of Jesus' temptation in the wilderness.
Scholar William Barclay suggests that Jesus' temptations were all temptations to influence people through various means. The temptation to turn a stone into bread was the temptation to influence people through bribery. The temptation to worship the devil in return for power was the temptation to influence people through compromise. The temptation to be caught by angels was the temptation to influence people through sensationalism.8
Scholar N.T. Wright suggests that Jesus resisted temptation in the wilderness in order to succeed where His own people had failed in the past. When Jesus refused to turn a stone into bread, He was placing His faithfulness to God over His physical needs. When Jesus refused to kneel to the devil in exchange for world domination, He was choosing the path of humble service over the pursuit of status and power. When Jesus refused to jump off the temple and allow angels to catch Him, He was refusing to provoke God to act by doing something extremely foolish.9
The ways we might apply the story of Jesus' temptation in the wilderness to our lives are countless. The story, however we might apply it, teaches us that, in the words of one early Christian theologian, "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."10 Maybe, during this Lenten season, we could consider how our own temptations are reflected in the story of Jesus' temptation and how we might follow Jesus' example in resisting them.
Notes:
Resisted three times, the devil decides to leave Jesus alone... for the time being.
I've written about the story of Jesus' wilderness experience a number of times in the past, pointing out the ways that Jesus' temptations might reflect some of our own.
Almost eight years ago, I pointed out how Jesus' temptations reflect those faced today by the Church. The temptation to misuse divine power to turn a stone into bread reflects the temptation of leaders in the church to misuse the authority entrusted to them. The temptation to bow down to the devil in exchange for world domination reflects the temptation to take one's eyes off the one true God in pursuit of other gods like wealth, power, and fame. The temptation to take the devil's supposedly biblical advice and jump off the temple reflects the temptation to misuse Scripture in self-serving ways.
About two years later, I pointed out how Jesus' temptations were all temptations to avoid suffering by taking the easy way out. Turning a stone into bread would have been an easy way to avoid the pain of hunger. Kneeling to the devil in return for power would have been an easy way to avoid the Cross. Being caught by angels in front of the people of Jerusalem would have been an easy way to avoid the pain of rejection. As the Suffering Servant of God, Jesus was not meant to take the easy way out.
Three years ago, I drew from the teachings of Henri Nouwen and pointed out how Jesus' temptations reflect the ways we are tempted to define ourselves. The temptation to turn a stone into bread reflects our temptation to define ourselves by what we do. The temptation to take over the world reflects our temptation to define ourselves by what we have. The temptation to put on a show for the people reflects our temptation to define ourselves by what other people think of us.7 Perhaps, it was not just a knowledge of the Scriptures that enabled Jesus to resist temptation in the wilderness but also knowing His identity as the beloved Son of God with whom God is well pleased.
Of course these are only three ways we might see our own temptations reflected in the story of Jesus' temptation in the wilderness.
Scholar William Barclay suggests that Jesus' temptations were all temptations to influence people through various means. The temptation to turn a stone into bread was the temptation to influence people through bribery. The temptation to worship the devil in return for power was the temptation to influence people through compromise. The temptation to be caught by angels was the temptation to influence people through sensationalism.8
Scholar N.T. Wright suggests that Jesus resisted temptation in the wilderness in order to succeed where His own people had failed in the past. When Jesus refused to turn a stone into bread, He was placing His faithfulness to God over His physical needs. When Jesus refused to kneel to the devil in exchange for world domination, He was choosing the path of humble service over the pursuit of status and power. When Jesus refused to jump off the temple and allow angels to catch Him, He was refusing to provoke God to act by doing something extremely foolish.9
The ways we might apply the story of Jesus' temptation in the wilderness to our lives are countless. The story, however we might apply it, teaches us that, in the words of one early Christian theologian, "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."10 Maybe, during this Lenten season, we could consider how our own temptations are reflected in the story of Jesus' temptation and how we might follow Jesus' example in resisting them.
Notes:
- Luke 3:21-22 (NRSV)
- A majority of this perspective is based on Luke 4:1-13. Quotations are taken from the New Revised Standard Version.
- See Deuteronomy 8:3.
- See Deuteronomy 6:13.
- Psalm 91:11-12 (NRSV)
- See Deuteronomy 6:16.
- Henri Nouwen. "Being the Beloved."
- William Barclay. The New Daily Study Bible: The Gospel of Luke. 2001, Saint Andrew Press. pp. 52-53
- N.T. Wright. Luke for Everyone. 2004, Westminster John Knox Press. p. 44
- Hebrews 4:15 (NRSV)
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