Deuteronomy 26:1-11
Psalm 91:1-2, 9-16
Romans 10:8b-13
Luke 4:1-13
After Jesus was baptized in the river Jordan, he was led by the Holy Spirit into the wilderness to make some very important decisions before he began his ministry. His 40-day experience was, I suspect, similar to a 40-day Lenten journey we may take that is filled with prayer, reflection, discernment, and challenges.
Although Matthew and Luke report the sequence of the three temptations that Jesus faced in slightly different order, they both begin with the devil tempting Jesus to turn a stone into bread to satisfy Jesus' hunger. After all, he had been fasting for 40 days, and was hungry.
Temptations often come clothed in attractive garments. On the surface they seem to make a lot of sense, and may even appear to be a good thing to do. To tempt someone is offensive to God, as it potentially throws a stumbling block in his or her way. To be tempted is not a sin. It is quite natural to experience temptations. What we do with them is what counts.
Jesus was being encouraged by the devil to feed himself. So what's wrong with that? On the surface, nothing. Jesus has the power to turn stones into bread, and could have done so. But he recognized the danger of using this power to simply feed the hungry, create better living conditions, or end poverty without addressing the "higher good".
And what is the higher good? Certainly, bread of flour would satisfy basic physical needs, but it wouldn't address the needs of the whole person. Spiritual bread is also needed since we humans are spiritual creatures in a physical body. Therefore his response to the devil was, "One does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God." When we help others, we must remember that they are beings of flesh and spirit, and should be treated that way. (This doesn't mean we preach at them, but that we connect with them as a spiritual brother or sister at a heart-to-heart level.)
Then, as Luke reports, "the devil led Jesus up and showed him in an instant all the kingdoms of the world." He told Jesus that if Jesus would just worship him, all the kingdoms would belong to Jesus.
The people at the time were ready for a military messiah, one who could rally the people together to oust foreign intervention and reestablish a separate and sovereign people. It would have been easier to rise to power on a platform of revolution in response to this need than on a platform of building a world-wide community based on the love of God.
Is there really such a difference between the two systems? God inspired Isaiah to write on this, "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways my ways, says the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts." (Isaiah 55:8-9)
Man's natural tendency is to divide. He does so to understanding things, increase safety, and sometimes out of fear. He forms separate groups for identity and pride. "If my group is more powerful than your group," he reasons, "then we are safer, we are better, and you are not." Blind patriotism can be a dangerous thing.
God's natural tendency, however, is to unite. He does so out of love. If we realize that we are all members of the same family, all brothers and sisters, then fear is destroyed, and we can build systems to make sure everyone has enough food, clothing, shelter, medical care, healthy relationships, and other truly human aspects of life. We can help each other become who God made us to be, serving Him in this world in our own unique way based on the special gifts he has given to each one of us.
It is a classic choice we all face today - should we live according to God's rules, or our own? Jesus' knew that ultimately all the kingdoms would be his own anyway. So his response to the devil was, "Worship the Lord your God, and serve only him." Perhaps one day we will all become one family, one place where, as St. Paul writes, "If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored, all rejoice together." (1 Corinthians 12:26)
Then the devil took Jesus to Jerusalem, placing him high on the temple, saying to him, "If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down from here, for God will command His angels to protect you."
Jesus knew that just because one wishes to follow God's will, there was no guarantee that she or he would be kept from physical harm. The assumption often held is that if a person is good enough, that person will always have the protection of an angel at their side. But we all know that the world is a dangerous place.
The physical world is set up with a different set of rules than the spiritual world, even though both were made by the same Creator. There are natural forces at work that are part of the creation process. Sometimes we get hurt by these things (earthquakes, tornadoes, lightning, etc.). But when we think about it carefully, most of the world's problems (wars, famines, violence, stress, and many diseases) are actually caused by people making bad free-will decisions. And good people are often adversely impacted by the results.
The certainty in both worlds, however, is that God is ever-loving, and steadfast in His mercy, and that eventually, all will be made right. (Two major themes of Julian of Norwich.) St. Paul writes that the problems and tribulations we face in this physical world pale in comparison to the joy, benefits, and understanding we will have in the spiritual world.
While this offers some consolation, it doesn't take the full sting from what we sometimes experience. That's where the other benefits of having a relationship with God comes in – we have friends, counselors, therapists, pastors, prayer, meditation, love and hope – the knowledge that at some point in time, our loving Father will complete His creation and indeed, all will be well.
Reflection Questions
1. How do you consider both the body and soul of other people that you are helping without preaching or lecturing at them?
2. What is the best way you can serve your country? Really?
3. How do you deal with life's hurts and troubles? How do you help others deal with life's hurts and troubles?
4. Read through the scripture lessons for this Sunday again, and spend some time journaling your thoughts.
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