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Lent 1 C (2013)
Luke 4:1-13
Have you ever noticed how sometimes the message which was intended by a sign isn't the one that comes across to the reader? It’s like the one in a Department Store which announced: “The Bargain Basement Is Located Upstairs”. My favorite is actually a mistranslation, or at least I hope so. I'm pretty sure they meant valuables, but a sign in a Paris hotel read: "Please leave your values at the front desk." That reminds me of a quip by President Reagan. He said that middle age is when you're faced with two temptations and you choose the one that gets you home by nine o'clock. Well, enough silliness.
A few days ago on Ash Wednesday we began our Lenten journey with Jesus. Scripture tells us that at his baptism in the River Jordan Jesus heard a voice from Heaven declare, “You are my beloved son; with you I am well pleased.” Immediately after that he was driven into the wilderness where he was tempted over and over again. A reading such as today’s Gospel can be a stumbling block for many modern Christians. We easily get bogged down with futile debates about whether or not there is some objective personification that we name Satan or the Devil. We can waste countless hours and energy on that one, but I hope you will agree that evil in this world is real and the temptation to do evil things is real. The fact that this aspect of Jesus’ life is described in such detail in three out of the four Gospels tells me the question of temptation was an important one for the early church. Indeed, it is quite likely that Jesus shared his struggle in the wilderness with the Disciples. He wanted both them and us to know that he faced the same temptations that we face every day.
One of those areas of temptation is in the integrity department. Being less than honest is a temptation we face all the time. Every day we are tempted to make little decisions about what is right and wrong. It may be nothing more than taking a dozen paperclips or a couple of pens from an office. It may be running a red light when there isn't anyone around or shaving a stroke off your golf game or taking advantage of the waiter's mistake when he or she gives you back too much change. It's not the big things that get us into trouble right away. It's all the little things, the little steps that lead us away from living our core values.
In his classic work on temptation, The Screwtape Letters, C. S. Lewis reminds us that the Devil never
plants in us temptations which are foreign. Satan would never tempt me to kill my enemy or sleep with my neighbor’s wife, because those temptations are so far removed from my own code of ethics I would reject them immediately. But the Devil might plant a judgmental thought about someone who wronged me in my mind, and then leave it up to me to take the next step. Or he might whisper a thought of doubt about my wife's devotion to me, and see where that leads me. Satan often gives us seemingly innocent suggestions, opening the door to further suggestions, which lead us down a path we would never have chosen from the start.I’m sure some of you golfers remember the movie The Legend of Bagger Vance which came out about a decade ago. It’s about a mythical golf match in the 1930's between golfing legends Bobby Jones, Walter Hagen and a hometown ace named Rannulph Junuh. As a teenager, Junuh had the skills of a young Tiger Woods and was clearly destined to become a legend himself. But after a tour of duty during World War I, he comes back a changed and haunted man. He tries to exorcise his demons through a reclusive life fueled by alcohol and gambling. His former girlfriend persuades him to join the match between the two golfing greats. While hitting practice balls one night, a mysterious caddy by the name of Bagger Vance enters Junuh's life, offers to help him get ready for the match, and in the process helps him rediscover his passion for the game. On the final hole of the match, Junuh hits his tee shot into the woods. He walks into the woods with Bagger and his ten-year-old junior caddy, Hardy. As he is examining the difficulty of his next shot, he accidently moves his ball which is an automatic one-stroke penalty. Junuh owns up to it right away. Hardy, the junior caddy, who is desperate for his hero to win, says, “No, don't do it. Only you and me seen it. No one will know." Junuh says, "I know Hardy and so do you." Hardy begs Baggar to try to persuade him, but Bagger says, "No. That's a choice for Mr. Junuh to make.” While Junuh ponders what to do, onlookers tempt him to lie. Even the referee tries to convince the young player that his guilt is misplaced. But Junuh confesses and continues his game with integrity. He then steps up and hits an incredible shot, out of the woods and onto the green just a few feet from the hole. You can almost hear Jesus in the background, confronting the Tempter, “We do not live by bread alone. Worship God and serve him only. Do not put God to the test.” Or maybe we hear the words of Jesus as stated in The Cotton Patch Bible when it was all over: “I passed the test.” Some of the greatest tests and temptations to our faith deal with integrity. Sometimes the temptation is to do the right thing, but for the wrong reason. There's a fictional story about Jesus and the disciples. It seems they were walking along a rocky road one day when Jesus asked each of them to pick up a stone and carry it for him. According to the story, John chose a large stone while Peter chose one that he could easily carry in his pocket. Jesus then led the disciples to the top of a mountain where he continued to teach them. He ignored the stones until, about midday, tired and hungry, one of the disciples asked if there was anything to eat. Jesus told them to pick up the stones they had been carrying for him. Then he commanded the stones to become bread. Each disciple was allowed to eat the bread he held in his hand. Much to his chagrin, Peter's portion of bread was barely a mouthful, so John shared some of his bread with Peter. Later that same day, as they were headed down the mountain along the same stony path, Jesus told the disciples to pick up and carry another stone for him. This time Peter picked up the largest stone he could find. He had trouble carrying it, it was so big. Jesus led the disciples to a river. There he taught them some more. Then Jesus told them to throw their stones into the water. Each did so, but nothing happened other than making a big splash. The disciples were bewildered. Then Jesus turned to them and asked a simple question, "For whom did you carry the stone?" Part of what we are about, as disciples on the journey of faith together, is carrying stones for Jesus. Sometimes those stones will be turned into bread to nourish and satisfy. Other times we will simply be called upon to be obedient, or faithful, and carry the stone because it is expected of us. One of the marks of our faithfulness will always be: “For whom do you carry the stone?” Is it for us, especially if we think we will get some reward out of it, or is it for Jesus, just because he asked us to do so. It's important that we do the right thing. But it is equally important to do the right thing for the right reason. Finally, I think the worst temptation of all is to forget. We're tempted to forget that Jesus faced everything we face but did not give in. Two key verses from the Letter to the Hebrews speak to this very point: Chapter 2, verse 18: “Because Jesus himself was tested by what he suffered, he is able to help those who are being tested.” And Hebrews Chapter 4, verses 15-16 “For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who in every respect has been tested as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore approach the throne of grace with boldness, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.”Those two verses speak to my heart and inform my own faith more so than almost any other piece of Scripture. Those verses tell me that Jesus understands; Jesus knows what it is like to be tempted; Jesus is on my side. He knows everything there is to know about me, but in spite of it all, he still loves me. Jesus came to help us become like Him. He came to help us be faithful and to succeed in overcoming the trials and tribulations of this often challenging life. In the midst of temptation, I can call out to Jesus and know that he understands. What a comfort! He understands. My friends, I urge you to do the same. No matter what your particular temptation involves, we're called to remember that we can “approach the throne of grace with boldness, in our time of need.” Why? Because Jesus “is able to help those who are being tested.” So, what is it that you are battling today? What temptation or challenge has your life and your faith in turmoil right now? Whatever it is, bring it with you when you come up for Communion, and then leave it at the altar. “Approach the throne of grace with boldness, in your time of need,” because Jesus “is able to help those who are being tested.” Come to the Lord's Table and walk away unburdened and refreshed. Harry Emerson Fosdick was one of the greatest American preachers of the 20th century. Few people knew, however, that as a seminarian he reached the breaking point while working in an inner city mission. He returned home and was overcome by deep depression. One day he stood in the bathroom with a straight razor to his throat, ready to take his own life. At that moment he heard his father in the next room calling his name, “Harry! Harry!” It brought him back from the edge. Fosdick said, it was like the voice of God calling him.
I want to remind you today that in those times when we are trying to find our way through the wilderness, and temptation comes and offers us the wrong choice, the wrong use of power, the wrong relationship, the wrong way of dealing with others, remember that God has called our name: “You are my child, in whom I am well pleased.” And because God has called us by name, he will see us through our time of testing.
