The Temptation to Win
And the King and Kingdom that refuses to do so.
Blessed second Sunday in Lent to you and yours. I pray you are able to gather with some element of Christ’s Church today.
We’re reading Luke’s version of Jesus’ time in the wilderness today. The season of Lent always uses this story to set the stage for the forty days of Lent (on the first Sunday). You likely remember that 40 is a time period often used in scripture - days of rain upon the earth during the flood, days in the wilderness for Elijah, years of waiting in the wilderness for Israel, and of course, Jesus’ time in the wilderness.
Job’s suffering is untimed. Isn’t that interesting? For Job, his suffering feels indefinite.
But back to Jesus in the wilderness. He chose to follow the Spirit’s leading into the wilderness. And during Lent, we do, too.
The world is always in a moment, but we’re in a particular moment right now, aren’t we? There are scandals and war, with a significant void of moral leadership to look toward.
The temptation for Christians continues to be a deep desire to place a Jesus sticker on the closest thing to something that looks like him. But what if there’s nothing that looks like him?
A passage like today’s - Jesus’ time in the wilderness - serves as a stark contrast between the world as it is and the Kingdom Jesus embodies. Like Job’s friends, we all want quick and easy answers and solutions to the problem at hand. That is not what Jesus offers. He offers an alternative Kingdom within the world. Sometimes that might look like inaction.
Jesus’ responses to each of the temptations of the devil are so powerful and deeply formational. No, I will not use power to gain power.
Let us resist the temptation to slap a Jesus sticker on human actions of power and violence. It will not win us wars. But it will keep us faithful to the crucified one.
(Wait until you see his actual political platform in tomorrow’s passage.)
Luke 4:1-15
Jesus returned from the Jordan River full of the Holy Spirit, and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness. There he was tempted for forty days by the devil. He ate nothing during those days and afterward Jesus was starving. The devil said to him, “Since you are God’s Son, command this stone to become a loaf of bread.”
Jesus replied, “It’s written, People won’t live only by bread.”
Next the devil led him to a high place and showed him in a single instant all the kingdoms of the world. The devil said, “I will give you this whole domain and the glory of all these kingdoms. It’s been entrusted to me and I can give it to anyone I want. Therefore, if you will worship me, it will all be yours.”
Jesus answered, “It’s written, You will worship the Lord your God and serve only him.”
The devil brought him into Jerusalem and stood him at the highest point of the temple. He said to him, “Since you are God’s Son, throw yourself down from here; for it’s written: He will command his angels concerning you, to protect you and they will take you up in their hands so that you won’t hit your foot on a stone.”
Jesus answered, “It’s been said, Don’t test the Lord your God.” After finishing every temptation, the devil departed from him until the next opportunity.
Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit to Galilee, and news about him spread throughout the whole countryside. He taught in their synagogues and was praised by everyone.
Prayer
God,
I just want to pray for your Church today. As your people gather in hundreds of thousands of buildings, liturgies, and contexts today…God, help us. You’ve given us your Word, both written and in Christ. You’ve already spoken. But sweep your Spirit through us such that we hear it all rightly.
Break through our songs, smash our idols, sweep away all the distractions we’ve created for ourselves so we can just see and hear and then embody your Way.
Holy Father of all Creation, we see your loving justice in Jesus of Nazareth. By your Spirit, make us more like him.
Amen.