March 9 | Lent 1, Year C
Deuteronomy 26:1-11
Psalm 91:1-2, 9-16
Romans 10:8b-13
Luke 4:1-13
Whether crafting a piece of furniture, working out a mathematical calculation, or making a point in a discussion, it is a universal truth that haste makes waste. Measure too quickly and the pieces of the dresser do not fit together properly. A careless mistake in addition causes the account not to balance and can result in hours of searching for the problem. Rushing to the conclusion before our conversation partner fully understands can result in hard feelings that could take months, if not years, to reconcile. In each case, the problem must be tracked down and corrected. Often that means that we have to go back to the beginning and virtually start over.
Such is our situation in our relationship with God. Through Adam and Eve, we were tempted to procure what we wanted when we wanted it, rather than trust God to give it to us at the proper time. Temptation has plagued humankind since the encounter of Adam and Eve with the serpent in the Garden. Therefore, it is fitting that Jesus would begin his ministry by identifying with us in our plight.
The genealogy of Jesus as reported by St. Luke takes us back to Adam, and the account of the temptation in the wilderness brings us back full circle to the temptation to break from God to which our first parents succumbed. Jesus is the full undoing of our disobedience in that his threefold temptation covers the basis for all our temptations. First, he is tempted to satisfy his desires on his own instead of relying on God. In short, he is tempted to fill himself with the bread that God is not asking him to eat. We too often seek material rather than spiritual goals for our fulfillment.
Second, Jesus is tempted to grab for power that is not yet his to exercise. In our spiritual brokenness we crave to exercise authority over others and have the power to accomplish our desires. Like Adam and Eve, we are tempted by the false promise that we can be like God. Third, Jesus is tempted to force God to do his will. How many of our prayers are motivated by our desire for God to do what we want him to do? The true test of our motives is our reaction when our prayers are not answered, or in a manner we did not choose. Take a moment to ask yourself how many times we have “put the Lord God to the test.”
The temptations in the wilderness not only point out our common failing, but also give us the antidote to our disease. All three types of temptation can be answered with God’s Word. But to do so, we need to know God’s Word — not just as isolated proverbs, but in proper context. In this life there is no substitute for consistent and systematic immersion in Scripture. It is beyond merely reading the Bible, but searching the Bible for God’s truth through prayer and the Holy Spirit. We must rely on God to feed us what we need and depend upon Jesus, the incarnate Word of God, and as our great high priest, to intercede on our behalf.
A good start on the path to resisting temptation is to remember what God has done for us. The words of Moses in Deuteronomy 26:5-9 were prescribed to the Israelites when they entered the Promised Land and would face the temptation to congratulate themselves on obtaining a land for themselves. Moses told them to always remember who they were and that God made them who they now are.
Look It Up: Romans 10:8b-13
Think About It: How do confession and belief direct our lives in the world today?
The Rev. Dr. Chuck Alley, former rector of St. Matthew’s Church in Richmond, Virginia, teaches anatomy at Virginia Commonwealth University Medical School.
