The story is about the end of Jesus’ forty days in the wilderness. We are beginning the forty days of Lent. It can hardly seem like a time of fasting when family spring vacations are being planned. And when all sorts of goodies are on the shelves in the stores. If you like celebrating St. Patrick’s Day…well that’s always in Lent.
We must make certain exceptions given how the employment and school times work together and against each other. A former Dean of Duke Divinity School reminded pastors, “You call it Lent while everyone else calls it “March Madness.” Here is what must be remembered at the beginning of the forty day journey of Lent
Beginning By Remembering
The Devil is a liar. We can’t trust anything he says is true even from his own point of view. In other words, he never makes the mistake of thinking something is true when it isn’t. The ultimate liar says it anyway.
There is a mental exercise which is a dilemma. You are placed in a room with doors on opposite walls. One door leads to certain death. The other is the way to escape. There are also two people in the room. One person always tells the truth. The other person always lies. But you do not know which is which. Each person knows the other one. You get one question. What is it? It is simple. “Which door will the other one say is the escape door?” The one who always lies will point at the one leading to death. The one who tells the truth will know the other one will lie and point at the one leading to death. They both point the same way. So, you then go out the other one.
The Illusion
The Devil prompts Jesus to turn a stone into a loaf of bread to satisfy his hunger. Jesus refuses. The reader may wonder what the big deal is. When Jesus replies, “One does not live on bread alone.” Luke ends the statement there. Why?
Esau sold his birthright to Jacob because he was hungry. He had gone hunting but found nothing. The text says by doing this Esau despised his birthright. He gave up his future inheritance for something that was important but still momentary. There is an illusion involved in this temptation. Jesus is not starving because of circumstances. He is fasting for the sake of the Kingdom of God. Luke says Jesus “was led by the spirit into the wilderness.” There is a greater purpose to his efforts. Esau failed to kill any game. The frustration allowed him to only think of the moment he was in at the time. Jesus knew his birthright as the Son of God was more important than the loaf of bread.
Chaim Potok understood that was what had always been behind the Kosher laws regarding food. His character, Gershon Loran, in the novel The Book of Lights becomes an Army Chaplain stationed in Korea. He does not make a fuss that the only meat available is ham. He doesn’t eat it. The doctor is concerned for his health and asks, “Can’t you say a blessing over it and make it chicken?” Gershon replies, “If I could do that, I would make it steak.” There is a greater purpose to abstaining. And no illusion should cause us to ignore it.
Beginning By Proving It?
The Devil tries to convince Jesus that he must prove he is the Son of God. This is not what is supposed to happen. Upon his baptism the voice from heaven declaring Jesus as the divine Son was heard. Jesus goes into the wilderness after that event and now the devil puts temptations before him to prove what the voice said. But every temptation involves a lie.
The Devil claims all kingdoms of the earth are his to give away. The devil claims that scripture proves the righteous are always protected. And they are all lies even if he claims scripture makes it true. What sane person seriously tests the Lord’s faithfulness and protection?
Psalm 78:18 and 1 Corinthians 10:9 give warnings from the experiences of other people about this. “They tested God in their heart by demanding the food they craved.” “We must not put Christ to the test as some did and were destroyed by serpents.” What amazes me, is that the devil is doing what he tries to get Jesus to do.
Tradition has it that James the brother of the Lord, also called James the Just, was thrown off this very spot on the Temple. No one caught him. He died. He did not prove there was anything special about Jesus’ family or bloodlines. But something happens with Jesus that did not happen with anyone else.
Jesus’ Accomplishment
Jesus did what we could not do. He withstood the temptations that so many of us cannot. How often do we fail and give in to our bad moments as if the whole of life were ending then? That feeling that we must solve our problem right now keeps us from understanding the problem. It is why we often make situations worse. What would we think if Jesus gave in and cracked his teeth on a rock? We often make snap decisions that are just as foolish.
Have you ever been challenged to prove you are a true Christian? Most likely it came after you did something someone else did not like. They follow up with, “I don’t see how any Christian could…” We are tempted to throw that person’s faults back in their face. Don’t do that. I reply, “you cannot shame me that way.”
The devil is a liar. Truth is found in the Way of Christ who overcame temptation. The problem is a liar is ready to tell you what to do. Christ intends for us to continue seeking the truth.
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