Lenten Perspective: Whom Are We Following?

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The following perspective contains spoilers for the television mini series Devil in Ohio.

Whom Are We Following?

Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children, and live in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.

Ephesians 5:1-2 (NRSV)

Well, it may be the devil, or it may be the Lord
But you're gonna have to serve somebody

From "Gotta Serve Somebody" by Bob Dylan

As I noted previously, Lent is the time of the year when Christians figuratively follow Christ into the wilderness in order to draw closer to God.  This roughly forty-day season of self-denial, penitence, and looking inward is based on Jesus' time in the wilderness.  In three of the Gospels, we read that, before Jesus begins His public ministry, He spends forty days fasting in the wilderness, where He is tempted by Satan.¹

In two of the Gospels, we read that, in the wilderness, Jesus has the opportunity to make a deal with the devil.  At one point, Satan shows Jesus all of the kingdoms of the world, and, according to the Gospel of Matthew, he says, "I'll give you all these if you bow down and worship me."²

It has been suggested that what Jesus is being tempted to do is to take up the sword and conquer the kingdoms of the world.³  Looking back over the history of this world, we can see a repeating cycle of violence.  Nations are established through violent revolutions, and they are defended with violent force, until they violently fall in the same way that they were founded.  Perhaps, for Jesus, bowing to Satan would mean playing the devil's game and becoming the latest in a long line of violent conquerors.

Perhaps, more generally speaking, serving Satan means sacrificing other people in order to achieve one's own goals.

I recently watched the mini series Devil in Ohio,⁴ which tells the story of a teenage girl named Mae.  Mae was born and raised in a Satanic cult, but she flees when she discovers that she has been chosen by the cult to be sacrificed to the one they worship.  Her community has fallen on hard times, and the cult believes that if she is sacrificed, they will be rewarded with prosperity.  Over the course of the series, as the cult tries to get Mae to return to them, she proves that she is no innocent lamb.  Like the cult that raised her, she is willing to sacrifice other people figuratively or even literally in order to get what she wants.

Jesus rejects the devil's bargain, saying, "Away with you, Satan! for it is written, 'Worship the Lord your God, and serve only him.'"⁵  The path Jesus has chosen will involve taking up a cross as opposed to a sword.

Later on, when it becomes clear to Jesus that His disciples are starting to believe that He is their people's long-awaited liberator, He begins to warn them that, upon reaching their destination, He will be rejected, killed, and resurrected.  One disciple, who undoubtedly expects Jesus to be a militant conqueror, takes Him aside and attempts to set Him straight.  Remembering the devil's bargain in the wilderness, Jesus says to him, "Get behind me, Satan!  You are a stumbling block to me; for you are setting your mind not on divine things but on human things."⁶

Jesus then announces to His disciples,
If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.  For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake will find it.  For what will it profit them if they gain the whole world but forfeit their life?  Or what will they give in return for their life?⁷

When it comes to serving Satan, things like grimoires and upside-down crosses and pentagrams are nothing but a bunch of creepy nonsense.  What is truly Satanic is doing whatever it takes to get what one wants, no matter how much one has to hurt other people in the process.

Christ came to give of Himself for the sake of others, but, in the wilderness, Satan tried to get Him to do the opposite.  Perhaps the season of Lent, when we follow Christ into the wilderness, is the perfect time for us to consider whose way we are following.  Are we following Christ's example and taking up our own crosses, or are we laying crosses on other people's shoulders?  Are we giving of ourselves to make the lives of other people better, or are we taking from other people to make our own lives better?

The way of Christ is the way of sacrificial love.  The way of Satan is a trail of corpses.


Notes:

1. Matthew 4:1-11; Mark 1:12-13; Luke 4:1-13
2. Matthew 4:8-9 (NRSV)
3. Brian Zahnd.  "The Third Temptation."  Word of Life Church, 02/26/2023.
4. IMDB: Devil in Ohio
5. Matthew 4:10 (NRSV)
6. Matthew 16:13-23 (NRSV)
7. Matthew 16:24-26 (NRSV)

The Temptation of Christ by the Devil was painted by Félix Joseph Barrias in 1860.

Lenten Perspective: Once More Unto the Wilderness

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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)

All of this, all of this can be yours
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

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:

1. Luke 3:21-22 (NRSV)
2. A majority of this perspective is based on Luke 4:1-13.  Quotations are taken from the New Revised Standard Version.
3. See Deuteronomy 8:3.
4. See Deuteronomy 6:13.
5. Psalm 91:11-12 (NRSV)
6. See Deuteronomy 6:16.
7. Henri Nouwen.  "Being the Beloved."
8. William Barclay.  The New Daily Study Bible: The Gospel of Luke.  2001, Saint Andrew Press.  pp. 52-53
9. N.T. Wright.  Luke for Everyone.  2004, Westminster John Knox Press.  p. 44
10. Hebrews 4:15 (NRSV)

Christ in the Wilderness was painted by Ivan Kramskoi in 1872.

Perspective: Satanic Thinking

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Comments are always welcomed.

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Satanic Thinking

Then Jesus told his disciples, "If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.  For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake will find it.  For what will it profit them if they gain the whole world but forfeit their life?  Or what will they give in return for their life?"

Matthew 16:24-26 (NRSV)

Don't you remember, Ma, when I went off to war
You thought it was the best thing I could do?
I was on the battleground, you were home acting proud
You wasn't there standing in my shoes

Oh, and I thought when I was there, God, what am I doing here?
I'm a-tryin' to kill somebody or die tryin'
But the thing that scared me most was when my enemy came close
And I saw that his face looked just like mine

From "John Brown" by Bob Dylan

One day, Jesus asks the Disciples who people are saying He is.  They throw out some of the things people have been saying about Him, mainly that He is a prophet who has returned from the dead.  Jesus then asks them, "But who do you say that I am?"¹

Simon, one of the Disciples, replies, "You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God."²  The title Messiah is derived from the Hebrew word mashiyach, which means "anointed one."³  The Greek equivalent is the word christos, from which we get the title Christ.⁴  Basically, Simon believes that Jesus is the long-awaited Savior who will liberate his people from their Roman oppressors and reign over them in an age of peace and prosperity.

Jesus commends Simon for his answer and gives him the name Peter, which means "rock," saying, "I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not prevail against it."⁵

Now that at least one of the Disciples has come to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, Jesus does two things.  First, He sternly orders the Disciples not to tell anyone that He is the Messiah.  Second, He begins warning them that He will have to suffer, die, and rise again.⁶

There is a reason that Jesus does not want people to think that He is the Messiah.

Before Jesus began His public ministry, He went to the Jordan River to be baptized.  As He emerged from the water, the heavens opened, and a voice from heaven said, "This is my Son, the Beloved, with whom I am well pleased."⁷

This statement from heaven echoes two passages from the Hebrew scriptures.⁸  The first passage is the Second Psalm, in which God says to the king of Israel, "You are my son; today I have begotten you."⁹  This Psalm was believed to be about the Messiah.  The second passage is the first in a series of songs in the Book of Isaiah, which begins, "Here is my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen, in whom my soul delights."¹⁰  The fourth and last of these "servant songs" describes the suffering this servant will have to endure,¹¹ so the servant described in these songs is known as the "Suffering Servant."  The voice from heaven basically identifies Jesus as both the Messiah and the Suffering Servant.

Jesus does not want people to think that He is Messiah because He has not come to do what people expect the Messiah to do.  The people expect the Messiah to be a conquering king and not a suffering servant.

Peter does not respond well to the revelation that Jesus will have to suffer and die.  Like many people, he is expecting his Messiah to be a conqueror, and he knows that only failed messiahs are executed.  Peter takes Jesus aside and says, "God forbid it, Lord!  This must never happen to you."¹²

Jesus says to Peter, "Get behind me, Satan!  You are a stumbling block to me; for you are setting your mind not on divine things but on human things."¹³  Typically we think of "Satan" as the arch-enemy of God and the source of all evil in the world.  The Hebrew word satan simply means "adversary."¹⁴  Jesus is telling Peter that his way of thinking, which is essentially the world's way of thinking, is adversarial to the ways of God.  The rock on which Jesus will build His church is acting more like a stone that would cause Him to stumble.

This is not the first time Jesus calls someone "Satan."

After Jesus was baptized, He was led into the wilderness, where He faced a number of temptations.  At one point, His tempter took Him to the summit of a high mountain, showed Him the kingdoms of the world, and said, "All these I will give you, if you will fall down and worship me."¹⁵

Jesus replied, "Away with you, Satan! for it is written, 'Worship the Lord your God, and serve only him.'"¹⁶  Jesus could have chosen to be a conquering king, but to do so would have effectively meant turning away from God and serving the enemy.

Jesus tells the Disciples that all who want to follow Him will have to take up a cross, that to fight for one's life is to lose it, that to lay down one's life is to save it, and that to conquer the whole world is meaningless if it costs a person his or her soul.¹⁷

The way of the world is to inflict suffering upon those who cause suffering.  This way creates a never-ending cycle of violence, because all sides think they're justified, regardless of who drew first blood.  The way of Christ is to endure suffering and then to rise above it.  As Jesus will say to the Roman governor, "My kingdom is not from this world."¹⁸  The Kingdom of God is not like the Roman Empire or any other empire, kingdom, or nation the world has ever known.  To follow the ways of the world is to conquer at the cost of one's very soul.  To follow the way of Jesus is to bear a cross.

When Jesus emerged from the wilderness He began proclaiming, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near."¹⁹  The Greek word translated into English as "repentance" is metanoia, which literally describes a change of mind.²⁰  Part of repenting in anticipation of the Kingdom of God is understanding that the ways of the Kingdom are not the ways of the world and realizing that some of the ways we think are actually satanic.

The Gospel is not a story in which the hero rides into town on a white horse, brandishing a sword or a rifle.  The Gospel is a story in which the Hero rides into town on a donkey and ends up bearing a cross.  Anyone who wants to join this Hero must likewise take up a cross.


Notes:

1. Matthew 16:13-15 (NRSV)
2. Matthew 16:16 (NRSV)
3. Blue Letter Bible: "mashiyach"
4. Blue Letter Bible: "christos"
5. Matthew 16:17-18 (NRSV)
6. Matthew 16:20-21
7. Matthew 3:13-17 (NRSV)
8. William Barclay.  The New Daily Study Bible: The Gospel of Matthew, Volume One.  2001, Saint Andrew Press.  pp. 69-70
9. Psalm 2:7 (NRSV)
10. Isaiah 42:1 (NRSV)
11. Isaiah 53
12. Matthew 16:22 (NRSV)
13. Matthew 16:23 (NRSV)
14. Blue Letter Bible: "satan"
15. Matthew 4:1-9 (NRSV)
16. Matthew 4:10 (NRSV)
17. Matthew 16:24-26
18. John 18:36 (NRSV)
19. Matthew 4:17 (NRSV)
20. Blue Letter Bible: "metanoeō"

The Temptation of Christ by the Devil was painted by Félix Joseph Barrias in 1860.

Lenten Perspective: The Wilderness and the River

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Comments are always welcomed.

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The Wilderness and the River

The Lord is my shepherd.

I lack nothing.

Psalm 23:1 (CEB)

All of You is more than enough for all of me

For every thirst and every need

You satisfy me with Your love

And all I have in You is more than enough

From "Enough" by Chris Tomlin

Today is the first Sunday in the season of Lent.  During this roughly forty-day period from Ash Wednesday to Holy Saturday, Christians around the world remember that Jesus once spent forty days in the wilderness, fasting and facing temptation.¹  We figuratively follow Him into the wilderness, through self-denial, introspection, and penitence.

In two of the Gospels, we read that, as Jesus grew hungry in the wilderness, He began to hear the voice of the tempter.  The tempter called His attention to a stone and said to Him, "If you are the Son of God, command this stone to become a loaf of bread."  Quoting the Book of Deuteronomy, Jesus replied, "It is written, 'One does not live by bread alone.'"²

The tempter then somehow showed Jesus all of the kingdoms of the world in an instant and said to Him, "To you I will give their glory and all this authority...  If you, then, will worship me, it will all be yours."  Jesus replied, again quoting Deuteronomy, "It is written, 'Worship the Lord your God, and serve only him.'"³

The tempter then whisked Jesus off to the roof of the temple in Jerusalem and said to Him, "If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down from here."  Quoting a Psalm, he continued, "For it is written, 'He will command his angels concerning you, to protect you,' and 'On their hands they will bear you up, so that you will not dash your foot against a stone.'"⁴  Jesus replied with yet another quote from Deuteronomy, saying, "It is said, 'Do not put the Lord your God to the test.'"⁵  At this point, the tempter decided to leave Jesus alone for the time being.

When preaching on the story of Jesus' facing temptation in the wilderness, pastors are quick to point out that Jesus countered each temptation with Scripture.  Many of us learned Scripture as children, yet, truth be told, our knowledge of Scripture is not always what guides our decisions.  The story of Jesus' temptation shows us that even the devil himself knows Scripture, yet it apparently hasn't made much of a difference for him.  The truth is that, despite our knowledge of Scripture, we struggle with temptation throughout our lives.  I believe that knowledge of Scripture is beneficial, but I think that maybe something else helped Jesus to withstand temptation.

I think that maybe Jesus realized that He did not need any of the things the tempter offered Him.

The temptations Jesus faced in the wilderness are universal.  According to Henri Nouwen, there are three lies we tend to believe about our identity: I am what I do, I am what I have, and I am what people say about me.  Each of these lies is connected to a temptation Jesus faced.⁶

The first temptation Jesus faced was to define Himself by what He did.  He could have established His identity as the one who provided for Himself and for others by miraculously producing bread.  The second temptation Jesus faced was to define Himself by what He had.  He could have amassed wealth, power, and glory for Himself by following Satan and conquering the world.  The third temptation Jesus faced was to define Himself by what people said about Him.  If He had jumped off the Temple and allowed angels to catch Him, the people who witnessed the spectacle would have no doubt that He was indeed sent by God.

Before Jesus forayed into the wilderness, He stopped at the river.

One day, while people were being baptized in the Jordan River as a symbol of their penitence, Jesus went to the river to be baptized as well.  After He emerged from the water, He stopped to pray, and, as He prayed, the heavens opened.  The Holy Spirit descended and, taking the form of a dove, landed on Jesus.  A voice from heaven then said, "You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased."⁷

I believe that, along with a knowledge of Scripture, Jesus took with Him into the wilderness what He received at the river, namely the power of the Spirit and the approval of the Father.  He did not need anything the tempter offered Him because He knew who He was.  He did not need to define Himself by what He did, what He had, or what others said about Him because he already knew that He was the beloved Son of God, with whom God was well pleased.  He knew that God claimed Him, loved Him, and delighted in Him, and that was enough for Him.

A knowledge of Scripture is an important and powerful tool, but we need to know who we are in God.  We need to know that each of us is a child of God, whom God loves, with whom God is well pleased.  We need to understand that we are enough.

I know that it can be difficult to say that God is well pleased with us or that we are enough, especially when we consider our faults and failures.  At the same time, I think that what causes us to go wrong is a failure to believe that, in God, we are enough and we have enough.

A story at the beginning of the Bible tells us that the first humans tended a garden planted by God.  We read that they were permitted to eat anything produced by the garden with the exception of the fruit of a single tree, specifically the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.  One day, the tempter appeared to the humans and told them that, if they ate the fruit of this tree, the knowledge they would receive would make them like God.  The humans gave into temptation, ate the fruit they were forbidden to eat, and faced great consequences for their transgression.⁸

The first humans gave into temptation because they did not believe that they had enough or that they were enough.  They were allowed to eat anything produced by the garden with the exception of the fruit of one tree, but what they had wasn't enough for them.  They had to have the one thing they were forbidden to have.  They had been created in the image of God and made the caretakers of what God created,⁹ but what they were wasn't enough.  They had to become even more like God.

On this first Sunday in Lent, I encourage you, the reader, to spend some time at the river before you foray into the wilderness.  In other words, consider spending some time at the beginning of your day contemplating who you are in God.  Know that you are a child of God whom God loves and with whom God is well pleased.  Know that God claims you, loves you, and delights in you.  Then take this knowledge with you as you go about your day.

The wilderness is where we have the opportunity to learn that God is enough for us, and the river is where we have the opportunity to learn that we are enough for God.  Before you journey into the wilderness that is your day-to-day life, consider spending some time wading in the river of God's love.


Notes:

1. Much of this perspective is based on Luke 4:1-13.  Quotations are taken from the New Revised Standard Version.
2. Deuteronomy 8:3
3. Deuteronomy 6:13
4. Psalm 91:11-12
5. Deuteronomy 6:16
6. Henri Nouwen.  "Being the Beloved."
7. Luke 3:21-22 (NRSV)
8. Genesis 2:4b-3:24
9. Genesis 1:26-28

Christ in the Wilderness was painted by Ivan Kramskoi in 1872.

Sermon: Into the Wilderness

Delivered at McBee Chapel United Methodist Church in Conestee, South Carolina on February 18, 2018, the first Sunday in Lent

I share these thoughts hoping they are of help to someone else.

Comments are always welcomed.

If you find these thoughts helpful, please share.

Into the Wilderness

Audio Version

In those days Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan.  And just as he was coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens torn apart and the Spirit descending like a dove on him.  And a voice came from heaven, “You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased.”

And the Spirit immediately drove him out into the wilderness.  He was in the wilderness forty days, tempted by Satan; and he was with the wild beasts; and the angels waited on him.

Now after John was arrested, Jesus came to Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God, and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has come near; repent, and believe in the good news.”

Mark 1:9-15 (NRSV)

One day you finally knew

what you had to do, and began,

though the voices around you

kept shouting

their bad advice

From “The Journey” by Mary Oliver

Have you ever felt that you were meant for more than the life you were living?  Have you ever felt that your nine-to-five job was not your calling, that what you did to pay the bills was not what you were put on this planet to do?  Have you ever sensed a purpose that was too far away to see clearly that still somehow tugged at your heart from a distance?  If you have ever felt that way, you are not alone.  I suspect that most, if not all, of us have longed to live for a higher purpose at some point in our lives.  Lately I've wondered if maybe Jesus felt this way in the first thirty years of His life, before He began His ministry.  I've wondered if He always knew who He was and what He was born to do or if maybe He had to discover these things, like the rest of us.

---

Biblical scholars generally agree that the Gospel of Mark was the earliest of the four Gospels, written sometime between AD 60 and AD 70, and that it served as the main source of material for the Gospels of Matthew and Luke.  Church tradition tells us that St. Mark, the author, was someone close to St. Peter, perhaps an interpreter.¹  Mark's Gospel is the shortest of the four.  It does not contain the lengthy discourses we read in Matthew's Gospel or the fleshed-out narratives we read in Luke's Gospel.  There is a recurring theme of secrecy throughout Mark's Gospel: Jesus constantly tells people not to tell anyone what He did for them or who they believe He is.  The Gospel of Mark is probably the most fast-paced of the four Gospels.  The word immediately occurs twenty-seven times in the New Revised Standard Version, and Jesus always seems to be on the move.  Consider how much action is packed into the passage we just heard, which consists of a mere seven verses.

At the beginning of the Gospel of Mark, we read about a prophet named John.  He was a rather eccentric man, to say the least: he lived in the Judean wilderness, away from civilization, foraging for food and making his own clothes.²  He challenged the people of Judea to repent of their sins and offered them the ritual of baptism as a means of expressing their repentance.  The people flocked to John in the wilderness to listen to his message, to confess their sins, and to be baptized by him in the Jordan River.  Mark describes John, using the words of an ancient prophet, as a messenger, “the voice of one crying out in the wilderness: 'Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.'”  John spoke of someone who would come after him, someone greater and more powerful, whose sandals he was not worthy to untie, someone who would baptize the people not with water but with the Holy Spirit.³

Meanwhile, Jesus had been working as a carpenter in the town of Nazareth.⁴  Justin Martyr, an early church historian, reported that Jesus constructed farm equipment like plows and yokes.⁵  Jesus realized that what He had been doing to make a living was not what He was born to do: He knew that He was meant for something more in life than building farm equipment.  Scholar William Barclay suggests that the emergence of John the Baptist and the Godward movement he represented was perhaps a signal to Jesus that the time had come for Him to do what He had been put on the earth to do.  It was the kind of movement with which He wanted to identify Himself.⁶

Jesus traveled from His hometown of Nazareth to the Judean wilderness to be baptized by John.  He had no sins of which He needed to repent, but His baptism was still for Him a turning point and a symbol of a new beginning.⁷  As Jesus descended into the water, His life as a carpenter came to an end, and, as He ascended from the water, His new life with His new calling began.

So what exactly was Jesus being called to do?

As Jesus ascended from the waters of baptism, He looked up and saw the heavens ripped open.  He saw the Spirit of God descend upon Him in the form of a dove.  What Jesus was being called to do would require power from Heaven.  Up to this point in the Biblical narrative, the Spirit of God was endowed to the leaders and prophets who had been entrusted by God with a special task.  The Spirit's descending upon Jesus meant that He was being equipped by God to do what He was called to do.⁸

Jesus then heard a Voice from Heaven call out to Him, “You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased.”  On the surface, the message from Heaven contained three affirmations that every child needs to hear from her parents.  Every child need to know that she is claimed by her parents, that her parents love her dearly, and that her parents are proud of her.  Jesus heard these three affirmations directly from God, but, as someone who was familiar with the Hebrew Scriptures, He would also have heard a couple of additional revelations.

The first part of the message from Heaven - “You are my Son, the Beloved” - calls to mind the second Psalm, in which God's anointed one hears from God, “You are my son; today I have begotten you.”⁹  This Psalm was thought to point to the Messiah, the long-awaited leader who would deliver the Jewish people from oppression and usher in an age of peace and prosperity.  The second part of the message - “With you I am well pleased” - calls to mind particular sections of the Book of Isaiah which describe a certain servant of God.¹⁰  The first of these “Servant Songs” begins, “Here is my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen, in whom my soul delights.”  This servant of God would be empowered by the Spirit to “bring forth justice to the nations” and to show mercy to the weak and the broken.¹¹  A subsequent Servant Song tells us that this servant of God will suffer greatly on behalf of his people.¹²

In short, Jesus was told by God that He was the Son of God, the Messiah, and the Suffering Servant.

Having received both the power of the Spirit and the approval of the Father,¹³ Jesus was immediately driven by the Spirit into the wilderness, where He remained for forty days.  Unlike Matthew and Luke, Mark leaves almost everything about Jesus' journey through the wilderness to the reader's imagination.  Given that Jesus had just heard that He was the beloved Son of God, the long-awaited Messiah, and the Suffering Servant of God, I think it is safe to say that He had a lot to process and ponder during those forty days.

The author does offer us a few details about Jesus' wilderness experience.  He writes that, in the wilderness, Jesus was “tempted by Satan.”  John Wesley writes in his notes on the Gospel of Mark that “in all the children of God, extraordinary manifestations of his favour are wont to be followed by extraordinary temptations.”¹⁴  The author does not tell us the specific nature of the temptations Jesus faced, but we can logically assume that they somehow concerned how He would carry out His mission as the Messiah and how He would use the power and authority He was given.  I suspect that remembering the voice of the Father helped Jesus to withstand the voices of temptation.

The wilderness, figuratively speaking, is a dry, desolate, difficult, lonely place in life, far from anything familiar.  We rarely go into the wilderness willingly; rather, we are driven into it, as Jesus was driven.¹⁵  The wilderness experience teaches us who we really are, for it strips us of everything we are not.  It is quite often where were are unknowingly prepared for whatever comes next in our lives.  The author tells us that, in the wilderness, Jesus “was with the wild beasts” and that “the angels waited on him” there.  The wilderness is a place of peril, symbolized by the wild beasts, but it is also a place of Providence, symbolized by the angels.  Jesus was never alone in the wilderness, for the same Spirit who drove Him into the wilderness remained with Him as He journeyed through it.¹⁶

By the time Jesus returned to civilization, John had caught the attention of the wrong people and had been arrested and thrown into prison.  It was now up to Jesus to come after John and to take up the task of calling people to repentance, or else the movement John represented would begin to lose momentum.  Unlike John, who taught the people who came to him in the wilderness, Jesus took His message directly to the people.¹⁷  He traveled throughout the region of Galilee, proclaiming, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has come near; repent, and believe in the good news.”  It was this very message and the urgency it warranted that kept Jesus constantly on the move throughout His ministry.

The word Jesus used to describe His message, which is translated into English as either “good news” or “gospel,” is the Greek word euangelion, from which we get the word evangelical.  The word was originally used to describe a proclamation from the Jewish people's Roman oppressors, perhaps news of some imperial victory.¹⁸  Jesus' royal proclamation was that God was doing something new in the world.  In the eloquent words of scholar N.T. Wright,
This was what all Israel had been waiting for.  It wasn't a new piece of good advice.  It wasn't a new political agenda.  It wasn't a new type of spirituality.  It might eventually lead to advice, agendas and certainly to prayer, but it was itself something more than all of these.  It was the good (and extremely dangerous) news that the living God was on the move, was indeed now coming into his kingdom.¹⁹

The Kingdom of God is what God had in mind for humanity since the very beginning.  It is, one might say, a Kingdom “not of this world,”²⁰ a Kingdom fundamentally different from any earthly kingdom that has ever existed.  It is a Kingdom different from the Roman Empire, which maintained peace by crucifying anyone perceived as a threat.  Everything Jesus went on to do throughout His ministry – teaching the crowds, healing the sick, giving sight to the blind, enabling the lame to walk, cleansing lepers, casting out demons, feeding multitudes, and calming storms – was a manifestation of the reign of God.²¹

Wright points out that Jesus' good news “demanded a definite response,”²² and this response, according to Jesus, was to repent and believe.  The Greek word translated into English as “repentance” is metanoia, which literally means a change of mind.  It is used to describe a change of mind and heart that works itself out as a change of conduct.²³  Jesus' royal proclamation demands a change of mind, for if God is indeed doing something new – something the world has never known – then we must be willing to reconsider everything we think we know.

---

A poem by Mary Oliver titled “The Journey” begins, “One day you finally knew / what you had to do, and began, / though the voices around you / kept shouting / their bad advice...”  After years of working as a carpenter, Jesus knew what He finally had to do, and He took the first steps of His journey when He stepped into the waters of baptism.  As He emerged from the water, He received the power of the Holy Spirit and the approval of the Father, both of which He would need on His journey ahead.  The Spirit then drove Jesus into the wilderness, where He faced voices of temptation that attempted to sway Him from doing what He had to do.  He did not heed the voices or their bad advice, for He had already heard the voice of the Father, the only voice He needed to hear.  In the end, the temptations He faced only strengthened His resolve, and, when He returned from the wilderness, He began to make His own voice heard.

Today is the first Sunday in Lent, the season on the Church calendar marked by self-denial, soul-searching, and repentance, during which we follow Jesus into the wilderness, figuratively speaking.  During Lent, many chose to give things up – especially those things they tend to use as a crutch – so that they can grow in their reliance on God as they fight temptation.  Some take up new spiritual practices so that they may grow closer to God as they become more disciplined.

I think that this wilderness season is a good time to ponder some of the questions that the story of Jesus' baptism, wilderness experience, and return to civilization might present to us.

What is God calling you to do right now?

What journey do you need to take?

What voices do you need to heed?

What voices do you need to tell to be quiet?

What new thing is God doing in your life or in the world around you?

What changes do you need to make in light of what God is doing?

Consider what you are learning as you journey through the wilderness and what you will do with it when you return.

All of us will journey into the wilderness at various times in our lives, whether it is the wilderness of Lent or a particularly dry and difficult season of life.  When you find yourself in the wilderness, may you listen to the voice telling you that you are a beloved child of God, and may you block out any voice telling you otherwise.  May you know that you are not alone in the wilderness, for God journeys with you.  May you emerge from the wilderness, strengthened in your faith, ready to serve God, as you are equipped by the Spirit.

Amen.


Notes:

1. Adam Hamilton.  Making Sense of the Bible: Rediscovering the Power of Scripture Today.  2014, Harper One.  pp. 97-99
2. Brian Zahnd.  “A Burning and Shining Lamp.”  Word of Life Church Podcast, 12/10/2017.
3. Mark 1:2-8 (NRSV)
4. Mark 6:3
5. Justin Martyr.  Dialogue with Trypho.  ch. 88
6. William Barclay.  The New Daily Study Bible: The Gospel of Mark.  2001, Saint Andrew Press.  p. 20
7. Barclay (Mark), p. 21
8. Barclay (Mark), p. 22
9. Psalm 2:7 (NRSV)
10. William Barclay.  The New Daily Study Bible: The Gospel of Luke.  2001, Saint Andrew Press.  p. 46
11. Isaiah 42:1-4 (NRSV)
12. Isaiah 53
13. Barclay (Mark), p. 22
14. http://wesley.nnu.edu/john-wesley/john-wesleys-notes-on-the-bible/notes-on-the-gospel-according-to-st-mark/
15. Shane Hipps.  “Driven into Wilderness.”  Trinity Mennonite Church, 03/05/2006.
16. ibid.
17. N.T Wright.  Mark for Everyone.  2004, Westminster John Knox Press.  p. 9
18. Rob Bell.  NOOMA You | 015.  2007, Zondervan/Flannel.
19. Wright, p. 8
20. John 18:36
21. Richard Byrd Wilke and Julia Kitchens Wilke.  Disciple Fast Track: New Testament Study Manual.  2016, Abingdon Press.  p. 19
22. Wright, p. 8
23. Wikipedia: “Metanoia (theology)”

Christ in the Wilderness was painted by Ivan Kramskoi in 1872.

Lenten Perspective: A Clean Heart

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A Clean Heart

Search me, O God, and know my heart;

test me and know my thoughts.

See if there is any wicked way in me,

and lead me in the way everlasting.

Psalm 139:23-24 (NRSV)

A court is in session

A verdict is in

No appeal on the docket today

Just my own sin

From "My Own Prison" by Creed

One night, at a time when King David should have been commanding his troops in battle, he sat on the rooftop of his palace, gazing out at the city below, and he caught a glimpse of a woman bathing.  He liked what he saw, so he sent his men out to bring her to back to the palace, and he had his way with her.¹  Weeks later, Bathsheba, the woman David raped, informed him that she was pregnant.  Because her husband Uriah had been off at war, there was zero possibility that the child could be his.  David, having failed all of his desperate attempts to cover up his wrongdoing, arranged to have Uriah killed in battle and then married Bathsheba himself.²

After these events unfolded, the prophet Nathan paid David a visit and told him a parable about two men.  One was very wealthy, and he owned an abundance of livestock.  The other was dirt poor, and he had only one little lamb that was really more of a family pet than livestock.  He would feed her from the table, let her sleep on the corner of the bed, and talk to her like she could understand what he was saying.  One day, the rich man had a guest staying overnight at his house, and, instead of killing one of his own animals, he slaughtered the poor man's pet lamb and served it for dinner.

David, who happened to be a shepherd in a past life, became furious that someone would so such a horrible thing.  He said, "That man deserves to die!"

Nathan replied, "You are that man."³

A younger David, who professed through his poetry his unwavering devotion to God and his passionate desire to follow in God's ways, might have heard Nathan's story and said, "That will never be me!"

I will bless the Lord at all times;

his praise shall continually be in my mouth.

My soul makes its boast in the Lord;

let the humble hear and be glad.

O magnify the Lord with me,

and let us exalt his name together.

Come, O children, listen to me;

I will teach you the fear of the Lord.

Which of you desires life,

and covets many days to enjoy good?

Keep your tongue from evil,

and your lips from speaking deceit.

Depart from evil, and do good;

seek peace, and pursue it.⁴

At that time he had not imagined that he would someday be at the wrong place at the wrong time, in a moment of weakness with a lot of power to abuse.

I suspect that David, once he was forced to confront the utterly cruel and despicable nature of his crimes, found himself shocked by his own actions.  Acting out of pure selfishness, he took the life of one of his most loyal soldiers and destroyed the life of another innocent person.  Not long afterward, David penned what is now known as the Fifty-first Psalm.  In this song of penitence, he confesses, "Indeed, I was born guilty, a sinner when my mother conceived me."⁵  David is not claiming that he literally emerged from his mother's womb evil - as the doctrine of original sin might suggest - but is rather acknowledging that his own sinfulness runs deep, perhaps deeper than he previously thought.⁶

So often, we think we're incapable of certain actions, but we really have no idea what we might do if our circumstances were radically different, for better or for worse.  When tempted to judge others for their mistakes, some people keep their pride in check by reminding themselves, "There but for the grace of God, go I."  Though I personally prefer not to attribute matters of circumstance or privilege to the grace of God, I do think they make a valid point: we must not confuse a lack of opportunity or a lack of desperation with virtue.  The potential for great evil lurks within each of us, whether or not we want to admit the fact, and we would all do well to be wary of our own darkness.

David, having gained a greater understanding of what was going on within himself, realized that he needed God to transform him from the inside out.  He writes, "You desire truth in the inward being; therefore teach me wisdom in my secret heart."⁷  Our circumstances in life may change, opening up new opportunities to do either good or evil, but what ultimately determines our actions is what is going on in our hearts and minds.  Our sin and brokenness are deeply rooted, so we need healing, cleansing, and transformation at our very deepest levels.

It is currently the beginning of Lent, a season marked by introspection and repentance.  Lent is an invitation to look deep inside ourselves and to reconsider anything and everything about our lives.  It is a good time to ask God to search our hearts and to bring to light the things deep within us that need to be redeemed.  God will give us healing and transformation if we only pray as David prayed, "Create in me a clean heart, O God, and put a new and right spirit within me."⁸


Notes:

1. A lot of people will say that David committed adultery with Bathsheba, but I don't think we can rightly say that she had any choice in the matter.  There was a reason why God didn't want Israel to have a king: kings always get what what they want from their subjects, or else.  See 1 Samuel 8:10-18.
2. 2 Samuel 11
3. 2 Samuel 12:1-7
4. Psalm 34:1-3,11-14 (NRSV)
5. Psalm 51:5 (NRSV)
6. See the notes on Psalm 51:5 in the Wesley Study Bible.  2009, Abingdon Press.
7. Psalm 51:6 (NRSV)
8. Psalm 51:10 (NRSV)

The photograph of the lamb was taken by Nevit Dilmen, and is used under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license.  The photographer is in no way affiliated with this blog.

Perspective: A Tempted Church

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I share these thoughts hoping they are of help to someone else.

Comments are always welcomed.

A Tempted Church

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.

Hebrews 4:15 (NRSV)

You were as I

Tempted and tried

Human

From "Lead Me to the Cross" by Brooke Frasier

Just before Jesus started His ministry as a traveling teacher and healer, He spent many days by himself, fasting in the wilderness.  The devil showed up and tried to bring Him down.  Three times Jesus was tempted, and three times Jesus fought back against temptation.¹  As I recently read this story, I noticed certain phrases in what the devil says to Jesus that highlight certain problems that plague the Church today.  The Church is called to carry on the ministry Jesus started two thousand years ago, so maybe the temptations Jesus faced are some of the same temptations the Church needs to beware.


Since you are...

Jesus has been fasting and wandering the wilderness for many days, so naturally He's very hungry.  The devil shows up and says to Him, "Since You are God’s Son, command this stone to become a loaf of bread."

Is there anything sinful about being hungry?  Of course not.  Is there anything sinful about a person preparing food for himself when he is hungry?  Again, no.  God created us to need food; God created food for us to eat; and God gave us the ability to prepare food for ourselves.  I don't think that this temptation actually has anything to do with food.

Notice that the devil starts his suggestion by saying, "Since You are God's Son..."  Jesus, because He is the Son of God, has a certain power and authority that the rest of us human beings don't have.  Apparently, He has an authority over matter that would allow Him to miraculously transform stone into bread.  The devil is basically saying, "Since You have this ability, why don't You use it to Your advantage?"  I think that this temptation is less about food and more about the misuse of one's position of power for personal gain.

Positions of church leadership, like all positions of authority, can be exploited for personal gain.  For example, according to recent news reports, certain megachurch pastors have used their churches' funds to push the books they authored onto bestseller lists.²  Though it's only logical that someone is more likely to read their books if they are on the New York Times Bestseller List, I cannot help but wonder if, beneath their desire to reach people, there might be a lust for fame.³

Jesus responds to the devil, saying, "It's written, People won't live only by bread."  Jesus is quoting from a part of the Hebrew Scriptures called the Book of Deuteronomy.  In this book, the ancient Israelites have come to the end of their long journey from Egypt and are heading into the land God promised their ancestors.  The Israelites are reminded of their call to be God's representatives in the world by following the Law that God gave them and are reminded of God's provision for them as they traveled through the wilderness.⁴

Jesus, during His own time in the wilderness, remembers that He "didn't come to be served but rather to serve."⁵  An early Christian hymn reminds us that Jesus "did not consider being equal with God something to exploit" but that "He emptied Himself by taking the form of a slave."⁶  If you read the Gospels, you will see that Jesus will indeed put His authority over matter to use.  He will even transform a sack lunch into a feast for thousands of people.  Jesus will perform a number of miracles throughout His ministry, but He will not perform miracles for His own benefit.  He will only perform miracles to serve other people, for He is ever mindful that He has been called to be a servant to the people He came to save.

Likewise, the Church must remember it's calling to serve the world by participating in God's redeeming work.


Worship me

The devil then tries to strike up a Faustian deal with Jesus.  He shows Jesus the kingdoms of the world and says, "I will give You this whole domain and the glory of all these kingdoms.  It's been entrusted to me and I can give it to anyone I want.  Therefore, if You will worship me, it will all be Yours."

The Church has been called to be a light to the world, but, unfortunately, the Church has a long history of getting distracted.  Sometimes Christians take their eyes off of the Triune God and seek after what I like to call "the unholy trinity," namely money, power, and fame.  Ironically, work in the church can actually be a means to obtain these things - just ask Steven Furtick, Mark Driscoll, Joel Osteen, or any other celebrity megachurch pastor.

Jesus responds with another quote from Deuteronomy, "It's written, You will worship the Lord your God and serve only Him."⁷  Though I call money, power, and fame "unholy," they are not actually unholy in and of themselves.  In fact, they can all be used to accomplish good things.  They become problematic when they cease to be mere tools and become gods.  Later on, Jesus will say, "No one can serve two masters.  Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be loyal to the one and have contempt for the other.  You cannot serve God and wealth."⁸  Though Jesus only mentions wealth here, I think His words apply to power, fame, or any other "idol" as well.

Evangelist and theologian John Wesley offered three rules for living, the third of which is to "[attend] upon all the ordinances of God."  Rueben Job rephrases this rule in an interesting way: "Stay in love with God."⁹  For two people to stay in love with each other, they must spend quality time together.  Likewise, to stay in love with God, people must spend quality time with God.  The "ordinances of God" are ways to spend time with God.  Some of these ordinances are worship, studying scripture, Holy Communion, prayer, and fasting.¹⁰

When presented with the ambitions of the world, Jesus keeps His focus on God.  The Church must do the same.


It's written...

The devil then whisks Jesus away to the highest point of the temple in Jerusalem.  He says, "Since You are God's Son, throw Yourself down from here; for it's written: He will command His angels concerning you, to protect you and they will take you up in their hands so that you won't hit your foot on a stone."  The temple is a busy place, so, if Jesus took the devil's advice and jumped off the roof of the temple, many people would see Him.  If angels caught Him, as the devil said they would, then there would be no question that Jesus was indeed on a mission from God.

There are a number of temptations at work here - the temptation to be reckless, the temptation to demand a sign from God, and the temptation to draw attention to oneself, to name a few.  I have no doubt that these temptations are at work in the Church today, but there is another issue I want to address.  The devil notices Jesus' high regard for Scripture, so he tries to trip Jesus up by misusing a passage of Scripture.¹¹

In the past, people have misused Scripture to maintain the status quo and to secure places of privilege in society for certain people.  Scripture has been used to defend slavery, racial segregation, gender inequality, and an unnecessary antagonism toward the scientific community.  Today, some segments of Christianity are trying to use Scripture to counteract society's advancements in gender equality and force women back into "their place."  Just imagine what other ungodly things people are trying to use Scripture to defend today!

The fact that the devil quotes a passage of Scripture proves that it is possible to be knowledgeable about the Bible yet miss the plot entirely.  It has been said that "a little knowledge is a dangerous thing."

Beware the word biblical.  The claim that someone offers a biblical perspective on something - biblical marriage, biblical gender roles, biblical economics, biblical politics, biblical anything - should be a red flag to you.   Often, when Christians offer a "biblical" perspective on a subject, they approach the subject with their own agendas, biases, and preconceived notions.  Consciously or unconsciously, they seek out Scripture passages that seem to support their own beliefs on the matter and use these "proof texts" to pass off their own points of view as God's point of view, ignoring or downplaying any parts of Scripture that might seem to contradict their position.¹²

The devil's suggestion was "biblical": he had Scripture to back it up.

Jesus responds a third time, saying, "It's been said, Don't test the Lord your God."  The devil uses a passage of Scripture out of context in an attempt to pursuade Jesus to do something foolish, and Jesus responds with a third quote from Deuteronomy¹³ which would have called to mind a story in which daring God to act is strongly discouraged.¹⁴

The misuse of Scripture is at work in the Church today, so, to combat this problem, the people of the Church must arm themselves with a thorough knowledge of the Bible coupled with critical thinking skills.  St. Paul writes, "Examine everything carefully and hang on to what is good."¹⁵  The study of Scripture is essential to the life of the Church; however, tradition, reason, and experience are vital tools for studying the Bible.¹⁶  It is also important that, when we study the Scriptures, we keep the bigger picture in mind: the Bible is a story of a loving God's work of redemption in the world.¹⁷  That said, if a passage of Scripture is used in a way that is not loving or in a way that is not redemptive, then that passage needs to be re-examined.

Not only does Jesus know Scripture, He also understands it.  The Church must also strive for knowledge and understanding, and the Church must use Scripture responsibly.

---

If you accused me of being critical of the Church, I would have to admit that you were right.  Please realize that, though I am critical of the Church, I am critical from the inside.  I love the Church, and I want to see the Church do amazing things in the world.  It has been said, "The Church is a whore, but she is our mother."¹⁸  As the Church, we miss the mark repeatedly.  We take our sight of off God and pursue "idols," and we misuse and abuse what God has entrusted to us.  Still, it is through the Church that we learn to love God and learn to love each other.  Though we stray repeatedly, God repeatedly calls us back so that we may be the light God has called us to be.


Notes:

1. In this perspective, I will examine the story of Jesus' temptation in the wilderness as told in Luke 4:1-13.  Quotations from this story are taken from the Common English Bible (CEB) unless otherwise noted.
2. Jeff Bercovici.  "Firm That Helps Authors Buy Their Way Onto Bestseller Lists Goes Into Stealth Mode."  Forbes, 04/18/2014.
3. Not that I would personally know anything about the desire for recognition or popularity.
4. See Deuteronomy 8:1-10.  Jesus quotes from Deuteronomy 8:3.
5. Mark 10:45 (CEB)
6. Philippians 2:6-7 (CEB)
7. Deuteronomy 6:13
8. Matthew 6:24 (CEB)
9. Rueben Job.  Three Simple Rules: A Wesleyan Way of Living.  2007, Abingdon Press. p. 51
10. Rueben Job, p. 53
11. The devil quotes Psalm 91:11-12.
12. Rachel Held Evans.  A Year of Biblical Womanhood.  2012, Thomas Nelson.  introduction
13. Deuteronomy 6:16
14. Exodus 17:1-7
15. 1 Thessalonians 5:21 (CEB)
16. Wikipedia: Wesleyan Quadrilateral
17. See the article "How Can the Bible Be Authoritative" by N.T. Wright.
18. This quote is often attributed to St. Augustine; however, this attribution is disputed.

The Temptation of Christ was painted by Simon Bening in the 16th century.