Facing Temptation

March 9^th, 2014     “Facing Temptation”     Rev. Heather Jepsen

Matthew 4:1-11

          Today we begin our journey through Lent; a journey which will eventually lead us to Easter, but not until we go to the cross.  Lent is a time of self-reflection.  It is a time to face who we really are, deep in our hearts; and so it is fitting to begin this first Sunday with a discussion of temptation. 

          Our gospel reading is Matthew’s version of Jesus’ temptation.  Right after his baptism, Jesus is led by the Spirit out into the wilderness.  You or I might think of a time out in the wilderness as a time of rest and recreation, but in the scriptures, the wilderness is synonymous with suffering.  The wilderness is a place of wandering and loneliness; it is a place of doubts, questions, and struggles.

          After fasting for forty days and nights, much like Moses atop Mount Sinai, Jesus is visited by the devil who tests him with three temptations.  The first temptation is simple.  Jesus is hungry, famished as the text says, and the devil tempts him to change stones into bread.  The root of this temptation is the human desire for materialism.  Jesus is tempted to use his power for himself, rather than trusting in God to fulfill his needs.  But Jesus refuses to do so, pointing out that one lives not only by bread but by the word of God.  Jesus will trust in God to provide for him, rather than his own powers and abilities.

          The devil then takes Jesus to the pinnacle of the temple and tells him to throw himself down.  The devil quotes scripture to make his point; surely God will not let his son perish.  The temptation here is for security.  Jesus is tempted to use his power to make himself secure, rather than to trust in God to keep him safe.  Jesus replies to the devil that one mustn’t put God to the test.

          For the third temptation, the devil shows Jesus the kingdoms of the world, offering them to Jesus if he will but bow his knee.  The temptation here is for prestige and power.  But once again Jesus will not use his own powers to make himself powerful in humanity’s eyes, or to earn himself esteem.  Instead he sends the devil away declaring that one should worship God alone.

          At first glance the temptations of Christ seem very foreign to our experience.  But when we examine them closely we find that they actually hit pretty close to home.  Who among us is not tempted by materialism, security, and prestige at some time in our lives?  These concerns surround us everyday.

          I need hardly tell you about our culture’s drive toward materialism.  The answer to every problem in our society is to just buy something.  Feeling bad about yourself?  Buy some new clothes.  Hungry for more than just food?  Spend your money on toys.  Life got you down?  Time for a tropical vacation.  There is no problem in our world that cannot be solved somehow by spending money.  We spend tons of money trying to make ourselves feel good.  And we end up amassing giant piles of stuff, from our big kid toys, to more food than we can eat; we surround ourselves with more than we need.  This little temptation, to spend our money, seems innocent on the surface.  But deep at its core, we find that this materialism is about a lack of trust.  We don’t really trust in God to provide for us, and so we use our own power and money to provide for ourselves the things we think we need.

          The second temptation, for security, is at play in all of our lives as well.  Humans are vulnerable creatures.  In our hearts we all want to feel safe and secure, be it in our physical state or in our emotional state.  And so we build bigger houses because they make us feel good and safe.  We long to have our own space, where we control everything.  In our homes we are gods of our own little worlds.  This is my kingdom and I am the king we think. 

Emotionally, we hide ourselves from each other.  We don’t like to reveal our true feelings about things because we don’t want to get hurt.  And so we shy away from direct conversations and deep relationships.  It’s too much trouble to talk to the person I’m really mad at, so I’ll complain to someone else instead.  Throughout the day we are tempted by little things that turn our focus onto ourselves instead of God.  We want to secure things by our own power, rather than trusting in God to keep us secure.

          The third temptation, for power and prestige, is everywhere.  Our whole society feeds on who is in the spotlight for the moment.  All we talk about is who said what at the Oscars, or what famous person is now in rehab.  All it takes to be esteemed in our culture is to be famous.  And so we strive after this goal.  From “American Idol” to “Survivor” people from all walks of life are trying to get into the spotlight.  We are not immune to this even in Warrensburg.  We have our own little circles and we know who is in and who is out.  And deep in our hearts, don’t we all want to be popular?  We are tempted everyday to use our own power to push ourselves into circles of prestige, rather than relying on God to place us there, if it be God’s will.

          The reason that Matthew tells us this story of the temptation of Christ is to show us what kind of person Jesus is.  It is through his experience of temptation that we learn more about the Son of God.  Jesus is not going to take things into his own hands and use his power for himself.  Rather, he is going to trust in God to guide him through life.  When the temptations are over, Jesus is still hungry, still vulnerable, and still without recognition, but what he does have is a certainty about his ability to trust in God alone.

          When we face temptation in our own lives, is when we too find out about who we are.  It is how we recognize and respond to temptation that will define us.  The moment of temptation is our opportunity to define ourselves.  Are we the type of person who will use whatever means available to get what we want, or will we trust in God to provide for us.

          In the wonderful commentary Feasting on the Word, teacher and writer Maryetta Anschutz reminds us of how prevalent temptation is. 

“Temptation comes to us in moments when we look at others and feel insecure about not having enough.  Temptation comes in judgments we make about strangers or friends who make choices we do not understand.  Temptation rules us, making us able to turn away from those in need and to live our lives unaffected by poverty, hunger, and disease.  Temptation rages in moments when we allow our temper to define our lives or when addiction to wealth, power, influence over others, vanity, or an inordinate need to control defines who we are.  Temptation wins when we engage in the justification of little lies, small sins: a racist joke, a questionable business practice for the greater good, a criticism of spouse or partner when he or she is not around.  Temptation wins when we get so caught up in the trappings of life that we lose sight of life itself.  These are the faceless moments of evil that, while mundane, lurk in the recesses of our lives and souls.” 

Now I don’t know about you, but I see myself in more than one place on that list!

          As I said earlier, Lent is a time to examine ourselves.  As we prepare to journey with Christ to the cross, we need to be honest with ourselves about the temptations we face in our life.  We need to look into our hearts, to be honest about what we find there, and to ask God for forgiveness.  That is what coming to the communion table is all about.  It is at the table that we are reminded not only of the suffering of Christ but of the great depth of God’s love and grace.  Of course, we must do the hard work of admitting our failures, before we can receive the forgiveness that God offers.

          This morning, as we examine the temptation of Christ, we are reminded that he really was fully human, just as we are.  The temptations the devil placed before him were very real, and very tempting, just as the temptations that we face each day are.  Matthew tells us this story, so that we will know who our Savior is.  One who faced temptation, and did not give in.  This will give us strength, as we face temptations of our own.  As people of faith, we are called to put our trust in God and Christ.  My prayer for us this day is that we will be honest about the temptations we face, and willing to ask for forgiveness, for only then can we move through this season of Lent, and join our resurrected Lord on Easter morning.  Amen.