1st Sunday in Lent – Sermon 140

Prayer to start

May the words of my lips and the thoughts of our hearts be graciously received for the Glory and Honour of our Lord Jesus Christ

AMEN

Introduction

At first sight we might think that this morning’s readings are all about temptation –

Well – yes they are
But they’re about something else as well – true worship

Throughout His experience in the desert – Jesus saw His temptations as distractions – from worshipping and trusting in the one true God –

For Jesus – it wasn’t a question of taming or controlling the situation –
The real answer to temptation wasn’t – ‘God will be cross if I do that’

But – ‘if I do that – I will miss the best my Father has for me’

Lets see if our readings can help us understand this better 
 

First Point      

 

Jennifer went for a long walk in the woods –
It had been an exhausting campagn – all that handshaking – making speeches – late night sessions – but now the election was over – and she had won – by over 10,000 votes- they wanted her – they had chosen her – this was her day – and it was so sweet –

She knew she needed space to think – to reflect – to work it all through – she needed that long walk in the woods –

Her ideals were still there – the dreams of service – of changing the world – of making things better But she was shocked! – what were those other voices in her head?

We all get them – don’t we – those voices in our heads – raising doubts and fears – trying to get us to do something different – to what God wants us to do

Early Christian writers tell us that Jesus was tempted – like other human beings – in every way possible –

We shouldn’t be surprised then – to learn that after His great moment of vision – when Jesus sensed God’s love and calling at His baptism – that He too needed time to think – to plan ahead – to face those whispering voices in His head –

When the word temptation is used in the bible – it means ‘testing’

Temptations are not the same as sins –

Temptations are strong appeals to satisfy – perfectly legitimate desires –

God built those natural desires in us all – so its perfectly natural to want to satisfy them –

but not in the wrong circumstances – with the wrong means – or for the wrong motives

In the desert – Jesus was confronted with the same choices that Adam and Eve once faced – the same choices that the Israelites faced – in the wilderness on their journey to the promised land-

He could do God’s work – in God’s way – or His own way

The first temptation – played on the very strength He had just received – at His Baptism – ‘You are my Son, my beloved one’, God had said to Him – ‘very well’, whispers the voice – ‘if you really are God’s Son – surely He can’t want you to go hungry – when you have the power to get food for yourself’

After forty days – those large flat cream coloured stones of the desert must have looked like huge pieces of pitta bread – Adam and Eve had tasted the forbidden fruit – satan wanted Jesus to taste it as well –

But Jesus responds with a passage from Scripture and with God –

He quotes from the story of Israel in the wilderness – from a passage in Duteronomy (8:3) – ‘man is not to live on bread alone’

Bread sustains us – but doesn’t guarantee life – life is God’s gift – to those who live by His word follow His commands and trust in His promises
This was a fundamental truth – that the people of Israel learned during their time in the desert – when they were humbled and totally dependent on God –

What Jesus was saying to satan was that – In the end –those stones turned to bread – would be no compensation for the loss of that gift of life – from God-

 

 

Point 2      

 

So you say – said the voice – but hang on a minute – doesn’t God want you to become king of the world – (isn’t that what Angel Gabriel told your mother) – that’s no easy task – I should know – just look at it – but I can give it you – if you accept it on my terms-

Again Jesus responds with a passage from Deuteronony (6:13)

‘Scripture says -You shall do homage to the Lord your God and worship Him alone’

Jesus is committed to trusting God completely – to loving and serving God alone – the devil himself may offer undreamed of – power and popularity – but Israel’s loving God – the one who Jesus knew as Father – offers Him much more – the reality of what it means to be human – and to be the Messiah

Jesus had come to do His Fathers will – and His will alone –

The path of becoming the world’s true Lord – is not by seeking status and power – but through humble service – to God –

Which brings us to the third temptation:

OK – said the voice – if you don’t want to take my offer – fine – but if you want to be king – you’ll have to get yourself noticed – you’ll need to do something spectacular – something that will show people how important you are to God – what about jumping off the top of the Temple – His Angels will catch you – you know they will –

Jesus saw through the trap – He answers again with the bible – Dueteronomy (6:16) – and with God – Jesus is committed to living off God’s word – trusting God completely without setting up trick tests to put Him on the spot –

The power that Jesus has will not be used for cheap stunts – but to restore others to life – His status as God’s son commits Him – not to go for prestige – but to follow the path of humility – service and finally death – 

 

 

Point 3     

 

Throughout His temptations Jesus remained single-minded – in His devotion to God

He was tempted in the areas of humanities greatest needs – physical comforts – the need for security – the need to be accepted and to influence others-

The devil wanted Him to use His powers in a way that would compromise God’s plans for Him –

Why not satisfy yourself as well as helping others-

You don’t have to die on the cross to win the world – you can do it my way – its much easier

Getting people to change from the inside – is a slow way – do something sensational – and people will follow you

But for Jesus – worshipping the one He knew as the Father – was far larger and richer than all these-
That’s why the Israelites – entering the promised land were to worship God with their first fruits – they were not to take the land for granted – as an automatic right – their celebrations was to be a reminder – that the land – was theirs by God’s saving grace alone – and a sign that they too were channels for God’s grace as well as receivers –

Paul too tells us that Jesus – has indeed become Lord of the whole world – but not by the tempters route – but – Because of His faithfulness to His vocation of suffering and death – on the cross-

We must therefore – acknowledge ‘Jesus as Lord’ and our belief in His resurrection from the dead – we will be tempted – not only into wrong belief – but also into missing out on the best that God has to offer us

Jesus has come through the waters of baptism – like the Israelites crossing the red sea – He faced in forty days and nights in the desert – what the Israelites faced in forty years in the wilderness – but where Israel failed again and again – Jesus has succeeded – here at last is God’s true Son – who has come to do what God wanted Israel to do – to bring His true light into the world —

 

 

Ending

 

A little boy stood in a grocers shop – staring at an open box full of chocolate Easter Eggs –
Now then me Lad – said the grocer – What are you up to?
Nothing replied the Boy.
Nothing?
Well it looks to me as if you are trying to take a chocolate egg!
Your wrong mister’ said the boy, ‘I’m trying not to’

The temptations we face day by day – and at critical times – in our lives – may be very different to Jesus – but they have the same purpose

To entice us into committing sin and to detract us from the path of service and true worship –

The enemy will do everything he can to entice us away – But as God’s children we are entitled to use the same defences that Jesus used –

We too need to store up Scripture in our hearts – and know how to use it – to help to keep us on God’s chosen path –

We too need to keep our eyes on God and trust in Him for everything

We too need to remember our calling to bring God’s light into the world – and to say a firm ‘no’ to the voices that lure us back into the darkness –

As we set out on our wilderness journey in Lent – let us therefore – work on our defenses – and reflect on our need to maintain – true worship – and keep our eyes firmly fixed on the One who will lead us safely through   

 
Prayer to Finish

 In the name of the Father Son and Holy Spirit

AMEN