Day 1: Tempting Jesus

Read Luke 4:1-13

The story of Jesus' temptation is a powerful reminder of the humaness of Jesus, and how easily we can be distracted from God's purpose for our life. Jesus was given a divine mission to share God's Word, bring healing and wholeness to the poor, oppressed, and broken hearted and to give himself on the cross for all of humanity. Jesus understood God's plan for his life and knew the sacrifice, focus, and dedication it would require. The temptation of Jesus was an attempt by Satan to distract, distort, and derail Jesus. Jesus' temptation was real and his success in overcoming temptation is inspiring.

At baptism, Jesus receives the power of the Holy Spirit. This power would enable him to do his earthly ministry and complete his mission on the cross.

"Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the wilderness, where for forty days he was tempted by the devil." Luke 4:1-2

Here we have Jesus filled and empowered by the Spirit, but also driven to the desert by the Spirit. It is almost as if the Spirit wants and needs Jesus to endure the temptation by Satan. At the same time, while Jesus is attacked by Satan's temptations, he also filled up with the Spirit. Perhaps Jesus needed to successfully go through temptation in the desert, so that he would be able to overcome the later temptation to abandon God' plan of pain and suffering to be endured on the cross.

The circumstances of Jesus' temptation are important to note. It is only after 40 days of living in the desert without food, that his temptation begins. Jesus was at his absolute weakest when he was tempted. He was physically weak and after so much time in the desert he must have been emotionally fragile as well. For many of us, our temptations come when we are at our weakest; when we are tired, emotionally and physically spent, or when we have lost a sense of who we are.

It is also important to see the kinds of temptations Jesus goes through. He is tempted with food, earthly power, and divinity. Satan tries to get Jesus to use his divine powers to help himself. If Jesus had done so he would have jeopardized God's mission. Jesus resists the temptations of Satan by drawing upon the strength of his faith by quoting the scriptures (Deuteronomy 8:3, 6:13, 6:16 respectively). In our lives, Satan will use whatever means necessary to lead us off track. Some of us are tempted by money and power, others pleasure, food, sex, popularity, affection, or acceptance. Whenever we act out against God and against who God created us to be, we are giving into temptation.

I am more and more convinced that the closer we get to fulfilling God's purpose for our life, the more temptations come our way. Think about it. If we start fulfilling God's purpose for our life and participating in God's mission in the world, Satan will lose! As we start being more and more faithful, temptations increase. The story of Jesus illustrates this increasing level of temptation (Jesus will continually be tempted to use his power and to reveal himself before the time is right, and he was most certainly tempted to avoid the pain and suffering of the cross). As we grow in our faith, deepen our committment to Christ, and become disciples we too can expect temptation to come our way. But like Jesus, we are filled with the power of the Holy Spirit, given the gift of God's Word, and the knowledge that with God on our side we can and will do amazing things.

Moral Evil: Temptation

"And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil" -The Lord's Prayer

Temptation is part of human existence that none of us is immune to; we all must deal with our temptations. In the gospel accounts, the temptation of Jesus plays a key role in the narrative of Jesus’ life and ministry. The temptation of Jesus raises important questions for us: what does it mean that Jesus was tempted by Satan? How close was Jesus to giving in to temptation? Because Jesus successfully resisted temptation, are we expected to be able to follow his example? How are the temptations we experience connected to Jesus temptation? These types of questions go to the heart of the Christian faith, and call each of us to provide an answer. Who was Jesus and what does it mean for my life?

As Christians, we confess that Jesus was both fully human and fully divine. Jesus was God incarnate, with all the divine attributes and powers, but also experienced the fullness of human existence. The temptation of Jesus tells us that Jesus indeed experienced real temptation, by being tested under the most extreme circumstances. For forty days in a wilderness desert, Jesus endured constant testing by Satan to utilize his divine power in order to alleviate his suffering, demonstrate his divinity, and achieve worldly power. (cf. Matthew 4:3-11) It was not part of God’s plan for Jesus to employ his divine power, rather Jesus was to willingly die on the cross for the sake of all humanity. People would come to believe in Jesus, not through a miraculous display of divine power, but through faith.

Jesus’ temptation resonates with me because it demonstrates that he understands what human life is all about. Because Jesus experienced real temptation, he understands how difficult it is to endure. When we struggle with temptation in our life, we have a God who has been there and understands; a God who has endured suffering and temptation. We can cry out to God in the midst of our pain, suffering, and temptation and God hears our cries and prayers as one who has been there. We share this direct and intimate connection to God through the incarnation of Jesus. Prayer does not always ensure that we will resist temptation, but it does help us re-center ourselves and point us in God’s direction.

Temptation can be understood as an example of moral evil or a sin of weakness. Moral evil are the actions or inactions of an individual or group that can be seen as evil. When the action of an individual leads to an evil result or when that action is done with evil intent, this is moral evil. Moral evil can either be done from a position of strength or weakness. Temptation is moral evil from a position of weakness. When I give in to my temptations and evil results, it is because I lack a foundational moral center. We may know what the right thing to do is in a particular situation, we may want to do the right thing, but for whatever reason we are unable. (cf. Romans 7:15 "I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate.") Sins of weakness take place when we lose our center or our “moral compass.” We can become distracted, stressed out, or inattentive to the things which keep our lives in balance. When we lose our center, we open ourselves up to things we would not normally do. We become susceptible to the temptations of Satan, and act out even when we know it is wrong. When our faith is strong and healthy temptation is less of an issue, but when we are low or disconnected from God and one another, Satan pounces.

As we examine the temptation accounts and consider temptation in our own lives, it is important to remember that none of us, no matter how faithful and devout, are exempt from Satan. Satan is subtle and will lure us into a false sense of security. Satan preys upon not only our deep fears and anxieties, but our strengths as well. I have learned through my experience in ministry, that the closer you get to doing God’s work the more aggressive and desperate the assaults of Satan become. Whatever are preconceived notions we may have about Satan, we cannot deny the strong tempting presence Satan plays in our lives. For many, any discussion of the reality of Satan seems nonsensical and irrational. In the extreme, people either visualize a physical entity with horns and a pitchfork, or assume that Satan is an excuse that people use to escape culpability for their own actions. Either of these positions is potentially dangerous because they trivialize the serious threat that temptation and sin play in our lives. I recall a quote from a favorite movie, The Usual Suspects: “the greatest trick the devil ever pulled was convincing the world he didn’t exist.” However we choose to discuss or understand Satan, we cannot deny that there is either something within us or outside of us that compels us to defy God. The real issue is how we deal with temptation or the tempter.

-What temptations do you struggle with and how do you deal with them?

-What do you think about the reality of Satan? Is Satan found outside of us or within?

-What tools or resources do we have to deal with temptation? What works for you?

-What does it mean for you that Jesus was tempted?