TEMPTATION”
First Sunday in Lent
February 14, 2016
Bethel Evangelical Lutheran Church
Glenshaw, Pennsylvania
TEXT:
When the devil had ended every temptation, he departed from Him until
an opportune time.
Luke 4:13 (ESV)
Satan is probably one of the most enchanting characters in the Bible.
What I mean is that the average person seems to be more interested in
Satan and his works than in anything else. I think it’s safe to say
that a Bible class or a presentation on Satanism or demons would
easily outdraw one on forgiveness just about any time at just about
any place. It’s sad to say, but in our day there are even some
professing Christians who seem to be more interested in horoscopes,
psychics, and Ouija boards than they are in prayer and worship, and
they seem to put more credence in the antics of Satan than in the
miracles of God. It didn’t used to be that way. In years past the
greatest weapon that Satan had was that most people didn’t even
believe that he exists. But he will use whatever approach works on
any given person at any given time.
What this suggests is that no matter how varied they may be, the
temptations of the devil are real. They come upon us every day of our
lives. Satan isn’t picky--he’ll use whatever method works in any
particular situation. Getting us to sin isn’t his real goal--that’s a
piece of cake for him, especially since we’re so cooperative. No,
what Satan really wants to do is to separate you from the grace of God
in Jesus Christ. If he can get you to question God’s love for you, or
to doubt God’s willingness to forgive you, or to wonder whether your
sin is really all that serious, then he has reason to rejoice, because
then he has his foot in the door. He has gotten you to be uncertain
about the very basis of your faith. Don’t feel alone or overcome by
the reality of temptation. The devil often tempted Jesus too.
Today’s Gospel tells us about one of those occasions. By looking at
it very carefully we can learn from our Savior’s experience two
important facts about temptation: (1) that it is inevitable and (2)
that it can be (and has been) overcome.
Notice where Satan chose to tempt our Lord: in the wilderness--the
desert. That seems, to me at least, to be a rather unlikely place to
be tempted. You could easily understand someone being surrounded by
temptation in a place like Las Vegas or New York, but in the desert?
What is there in the desert that’s going to be tempting? Jesus may be
in the desert, but because He is truly human, He is subject to the
same human needs that we are subject to, and in this Gospel reading
Satan strikes at three of the strongest ones: the need for food, the
need for recognition, and the need for wealth and power. Satan tries
to get to Jesus by tempting Him with the things that seem to be the
most appropriate at the time. Jesus is hungry, so Satan offers food.
Jesus is alone, so Satan offers the recognition of God in the presence
of others. Jesus is without property or influence, so Satan offers
Him the kingdoms of the world.
Jesus’ experience in the wilderness teaches us that Satan tempts us
wherever we are with whatever happens to be on our mind at the time.
Don’t think for a minute that you can ever escape temptation. You
can’t. Ever since the Middle Ages, well-meaning Christians have
entered monasteries and convents, thinking that in that environment,
surrounded by the Word of God and like-minded people, they would be
protected from the temptations of the world. But they are still
human. Such people eventually learn, as Martin Luther did, that even
if you lock yourself up in a monastery, you take Satan right along
with you. As long as you live in this world and breathe its air and
interact with its people, you’re going to be tempted. Satan will use
whatever works. It might be a particular person who you love dearly.
Don’t be surprised if one day Satan puts you into the position of
having to choose between that person and your Savior. It may be a
particular tragedy that comes into your life without warning. Don’t
be surprised if Satan uses that to try to convince you that there is
no God, or that if there is, He certainly doesn’t care about you. You
may have a goal or dream for your future. Don’t be surprised if Satan
uses your pursuit of that dream to try to get you to forsake your
commitment to Christ and the teachings of His Word. It doesn’t matter
if you’re young or old, rich or poor, happy or sad, beautiful or ugly.
It doesn’t make any difference if you party every night or never leave
home. Satan will tempt you. He will tempt you where you are, and he
will use whatever you find it difficult to say “no” to.
Notice what Jesus does when faced with temptation. He turns first of
all to the Word of God. I don’t think that we fully appreciate the
strength of God’s Word in times of trial. Some thirty-six years ago,
when fifty-two Americans came home from Iran where they had been held
hostage for over a year, one of them (who just happened to be a
Lutheran) testified that during the ordeal she found strength in
calling to mind certain passages of the catechism that she had had to
memorize years earlier. The teachings of God’s Word, whether printed
in a book or etched in our memory, remind us daily that God is with
us, that He loves us, and that He has a vested interest in our lives.
Jesus’ commitment to His purpose of redeeming the world (to which the
Scriptures testify) enabled Him to shun temptation. Going one-on-one
with Satan in the desert, Jesus was able to do what you and I fail to
do again and again. He sought the strength of God’s Word and in that
Word He found the power to overcome temptation and to continue in His
mission.
Jesus shows us here that the temptations that the devil places before
us can be overcome. He has done it Himself. He has not only overcome
temptation; He has overcome Satan, the author of temptation. And He
has overcome sin and death, the end results of temptation. He did all
of this by suffering the death of the cross after leading a life of
perfect obedience to the Law of God, and because He did it for you and
me, we can live confidently in Him, knowing that we have His
power--the power of His Word--to fall back on. It is power that helps
us succeed in overcoming temptation and power that grants us
forgiveness when we fail. It is power that is available to us as
often as we need it and, believe me, we need it all the time.
The temptations that Jesus faced in the wilderness do not constitute
our Savior’s last encounter with the tempter. Note again the words of
our text: “When the devil had ended every temptation, he departed
from Him until an opportune time.” There were many other opportune
times when Satan tried to lure Jesus away from His mission. There was
the time when Jesus talked with His disciples about His approaching
suffering and death, and Peter tried to talk Him out of it. There was
the time in the garden, when He could have summoned twelve legions of
angels to defend Him, but He didn’t. There was the whole ordeal of
His trial and mistreatment, which He could have backed out of at any
time. And there was the time that He spent hanging on the cross,
listening to His tormentors say: “If You are the Son of God, come
down from the cross” (Matthew 27:40) and knowing that He could do it.
Our temptations go on too. We never reach a point in this life when
we are free of Satan’s influence. But this is the world that our Lord
has placed us in and this is the world in which He has called us to
serve. He knows better than anyone what temptation is like, and He’s
here with us through it all--to encourage and strengthen us with His
grace and power as we contend with the trials and temptations of life
on our way to His glory.
Amen.
May the One who loved us and washed us from our sins in His own blood,
making us kings and priests before His God and Father, lead you to a
life of repentance and trust. May He also be glorified in the lives
of you, His people. He who calls you is faithful, and He will do it.
Amen.