A Long, Loving Look at Temptation - Luke 4:1-13

First Sunday in Lent - Feb. 21, 2010

Kay E. Huggins, New Life Presbyterian Church

The five Sundays in Lent always begin with the story of Jesus’ temptation. Each synoptic gospel, Matthew, Mark and Luke, contain an account. Each account differs slightly and each contains a provocative detail or unexpected thought. For those straining fact from fiction, these three accounts have more in common. The disparity is in the details; however, the obvious question, asked by thirteen year olds and seventy-three year old, is: “If Jesus was alone, how can we really know what happened?” And the obvious answers is “We can’t.” Like any experience in which we did not participate, we have to depend on some form of report.

With scripture, over the past one hundred and fifty years, the struggle has been to determine the words, deeds and wonders that represent the historical Jesus. Just as significantly, scholars sought to isolate the words of the early church as they told the story of Jesus. Such words tend to fill in theological character of Jesus, giving meaning to his title as the anointed one, the messiah or our more familiar, Christ. Thus, from scripture we receive the historical outline of Jesus’ life and we receive a faithful accountl of meaning from those who knew, trusted and followed him. While both sources are knowledge are helpful,neither really answers the obvious question: “If Jesus was alone throughout the temptation, how can we really know what happened?”

Is this history? Is this interpretation? Is this something else?

I vote for “something else” and I’d be among those who call it gospel, as in good news, as in an invitation to know God. Now some think that a temptation tale fits the category of a cautionary tale, however, such a programmatic approach to scripture holds little grace. God’s holy word in scripture is rarely a rule, a standard, an expected behavior. Scripture contains stories and wonders that beckon folks nearer and nearer to God. That’s why this morning I’m inviting you to take a long, loving look at temptation... I believe there’s gospel goodness hidden in this story.

The setting is northern Galilee. The disciples and Jesus were knee-deep in ministry and after a full day of teaching, praying, preaching, healing and counseling, the traveling band retreated from the seashore and found shelter near the cliffs. Someone made a fire. Another passed around bread and wine. There was dried fish and fresh fruit to eat. It was a quiet, end of the day, with Jesus.

The disciples loved this “down time” with Jesus. As they assisted with his ministry, they often found themselves doing crowd control or being faced with difficult theological questions. At times, the demands of this ministry exhausted them...but then came evening. A simple meal, a song or two, and Jesus talking, simply and calmly, about the day.

His language was so plain and his voice so sweet, the disciples sometimes fell asleep to the rhythm of his words. Still, they tried not to...for they knew every word Jesus spoke was rich with goodness, purpose and, lately they’d begun to believe, with God. This night, not surprisingly, it was Peter who got the conversation started, “What was it like, Jesus, before you called us? Did you do all this holy work on your own?”

Jesus probably smiled and said something like, “No Peter, my ministry has always included you...” But, then he began the tale of his baptism by his cousin John in the River Jordan. Carefully, he described the crowd and its composition, the way John waded out into the River, his own surprise at the coolness of the water as it poured over him and the circling dove that caught his eye as he emerged from the water. The bird was making wide circles that seemed to Jesus to be exactly around the spot were he stood. He kept himself very, very still as the dove descended with tighter and tighter circles, until the bird alighted on his shoulder. Then, while standing completely still, at attention!, so as not to disturb the dove, Jesus heard a melodious voice. Although he’d never heard God’s voice before, Jesus knew that voice...knew resonated at the deepest point in his soul...the place he frequently went in prayer. The divine voice enfolded him -- speaking above, around, through and in -- him the words: “You are my beloved child, my chosen one. With you I am well pleased.”

“Really?” said Peter. “Really,” confirmed Jesus.

“Then you called us and got started with your ministry?”

“Not just then...you see that dove took flight, I kept watching it. As I stepped from the river to dry off, the bird perched on a nearby shrub...as if waiting for me! I didn’t really know what came next. (Remember, I’d just heard God’s voice declaring love and purpose for me...I was a little distracted.) Well, that bird flew about ten feet, landed and looked back at me and I began following. I can’t really explain it, but I felt drawn along by that dove. I was so full of God’s voice and so happy about everything, well I just followed the dove. Before long, I was deep in the wilderness and then the dove was gone. Flown away. Not there. I was completely alone.”

Now with the mention of the word, wilderness, the disciples trembled slightly. They knew, from their dads, that the wilderness was a place of danger. The wilderness was where the wild things lived; to enter the wilderness alone was risky, indeed. But they also knew, from their Hebrew School teachers, that the wilderness was a place of intimacy with God. Their Jewish forebears who wandered in the wilderness between Egypt and Canaan, were guided by a pillar of fire, supplied with manna from heaven and blessing with the holy law. Even one of the prophets had said “Come to the wilderness, you will meet me there.” The wilderness was both a place of danger and of divine intimacy; the disciples’ ears were attentive now; now their eyes felt no droop of drowsiness.

Of course, Peter wanted the details, “How long were you there?”

Jesus’ response was vague, “Some days it seemed like forever, some days it seemed like a few hours. I didn’t keep track of the sun or the moon. I prayed; I hiked; I drank from a cool, cool spring; if I ate, I don’t remember what. But every moment was drenched in God. I was enfolded in God for what felt like years -- l felt I was shedding an old way of being and receiving a new cloak of being. I really don’t know how long I was there.”

Again, Peter asked, “So after, say forty days,”

Jesus shrugged and Peter continued, “...the dove came back and led you out of the wilderness...and you called us and we began the ministry?”

Jesus flashed that big, gracious smile at Peter, “No exactly, Peter. It wasn’t on that time table; still there was more to come. Just as I was beginning to long for something other than wilderness living, I came face to face with Satan.”

A gasp circled the fire. Every disciple knew something of Satan: author of evil, force of no-good, tempter of the righteous, spinner of lies, and webmaster of sin. Although they did not see, a diminutive man with red skin, pitchfork in hand, a smirking face, two pointy little horns and a dancing tail, they did understand spiritual danger. Again, Jesus had their full attention and the pull of this tale was stronger than their weariness.

Each man imagined what might come next. How would Jesus, the beloved child of God, defeat Satan? Throw him down, tromp on him, grind his smirking face into the sand. This was gonna be good....the disciples held their collective breath.

Aware of their thoughts, Jesus continued, gently, “You know, some people think of Satan as the personification of evil, as something horrible and wildly dangerous. But , I tell you, Satan’s not like that. (I’m telling you this because you need to know.) Satan’s more like a well dressed art dealer who sells counterfeit art, or a used car salesman shifty about full disclosure, or a neighbor who never invites you into their home. Satan’s rather ordinary, but subtle, very, very subtle. Satan always shows up just as you are longing for something else...something a little more, something a little sweeter, something a little easier, something a little better. And then, Satan offers something better.”

Jesus paused a while before continuing. He watched as his words circled around the fire. The scene was familiar to him: his beloved disciples trying to understand something new. Then, he continued, “There I was longing for something other than the wilderness and Satan stepped in front of me taunting...

Hungry? Turn this rock into bread; you can do it you’re God’s beloved.

Ready for power? I can give you all the kingdoms of this world.

Fearful? If you jump from the temple’s pinnacle, God will catch you.

It was everything I’d heard about the Messiah when I a boy in Hebrew School!”

“Remember? When the chosen one comes, he’ll be a miracle worker, a powerful king, a person of special protection and privilege. It’s how I imagined my old life made new as God’s chosen one. But it made no sense anymore. You see, I wasn’t bearing the old vision of God. My attention focused on a reality more immediate, more present, more tangible. You see, I was still drunk with those divine words, ‘You are my beloved child, my chosen one. With you I am well pleased.’ I was completely present to God, and in God’s presence all that once seemed logical and fitting (the better way!) felt like “Yesterday’s version of God’s will.” In an instant, I got it: that’s how Satan works: with Satan it’s always take something from the past, something you (be it a personal you or the collective crowd you) think is better and satisfy yourself. But, (and this is a big but,) but, when you accept Satan’s offer (this is your own version of gratification, usually immediate gratification), you miss the best that God intends.”

Peter, struggled knowing he wanted to remember this moment forever, interrupted again, “But, Jesus what, exactly, did you say to Satan?”

“Well, I kept one ear on the words I’d heard from God, “You are my beloved child, my chosen one. With you I am well pleased” and t the other ear I listened to the heartbeat of scripture. I refuted Satan once, twice, thrice, each time using scriptural text. Thus, by trusting my experience and testing my trust against scripture, I kept my full attention on God, knowing God’s will was the absolute best.

“The odd thing is, Peter, God never spoke a single new word while Satan tempted me. God just stayed with me -- a very present help in time a danger, a rock in a weary land -- pulsing with energy, delighting in purpose, content to bless and watch me turn, by my own heart’s choice, from Satan’s better to God’s best. How could I settle for less? Would you settle for less than God’s best?”

As Jesus allowed the question to hang in the air, the disciples knew the fireside chat was over. One by one they unrolled their cloaks and laid down to sleep. Stimulated and confused, weary and refreshed they drifted off to dream.

It was probably many years later that they compared their mental notes the story of Jesus and Satan. By then, they’d come to understand that Jesus never took the expected road, the well worn path or the packaged religious tour. With Jesus it was always dismiss the better and reach for God’s best. It was a journey of faith, wrapped in a divine voice, addressed to each believer: “You are my beloved child, my chosen one. With you I am well pleased.”

And that, dear friends, is the good news, God’s best, hidden in this tale of temptation. So be it. Amen.