Littlefork Lutheran Church 2-14-2016 Pastor Andy Berry 1
Subliminal Temptations
I bet we have all heard about subliminal messages or advertising. It’s a term we use to describe any message or image that is snuck into another ad, movie or picture. These subliminal messages can take the form of flashing a microsecond image of popcorn and pop at the movie theatre to make us hungry or hiding letters or images in logos. The internet abounds with scandalous claims of using hidden sexual images or messaging to sell pretty much magazine, commercial and movie.Even the most beloved and familiar Disney movies are sprinkled with hidden images and messages, not so much to sell something but because the animators got bored and want to see what they could get away with.
I bring up subliminal messagesbecause it reminds me of some of the sneaky tactics the Devil uses to tempt Jesus in our gospel this morning. Taken at face value, the three temptations that Jesus faces from the devil pretty simplistic. No one, especially Jesus, is going to bow down before Satan no matter what he promises us because it’s so obviously the wrong choice. Yet, there is a real, much more crafty temptation hidden beneath each of the three encounters Jesus has with the devil in our gospel today.
This morning I want to you grab your bible and follow along as we go through our gospel temptation by temptation exploring what Satan was really trying to lure Jesus to do.
A key to understanding the true nature of the devil’s approach to temptation comes in the first verse of our Gospel this morning; “Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned form the Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness.” Although this verse doesn’t just come out and say it clearly, the temptation comes directly on the heels of Jesus’ baptism. A central part of baptism is that through water and word God claims us and then sends us on a life’s mission of loving God and our neighbor. Jesus’ baptism is no different. The Spirit descends upon him like a dove as God speaks from heaven saying; “you are my Son, the beloved; with you and I am well pleased.” This experience and these words are still ringing in Jesus’ ears during the temptations and each of the temptations posed to Jesus are meant to call into question Jesus identity or sabotage his mission.
So our newly baptized, hungry and alone savior faces his first temptation in verse 3; "If you are the Son of God, command this stone to become a loaf of bread." This temptation seems harmless enough; I mean, turning a few stones into bread seems pretty far from anything prohibited in the Ten Commandments or any sins as we defined them Ash Wednesday as a break down between relationship between us and God or each other. What harm is there in turning a few stones into bread? Jesus’ answer in verse 4 hints that what is as stake is trust in God and misuse of his miraculous powers; "It is written, ‘One does not live by bread alone.'”This isn’t that last time that Jesus will be tempted to use his powers for his own gain; right after he feeds the 5000 we are told that a group of people seek make Jesus their king by force… presumably to make him their “Bread King” who would keep their bellies full forever, yet; Jesus mission is deeper and more involved than feeding people.
The second temptation begins in verse 5; “Then the devil led him up and showed him in an instant all the kingdoms of the world. 6 And the devil said to him, ‘To you I will give their glory and all this authority; for it has been given over to me, and I give it to anyone I please. 7 If you, then, will worship me, it will all be yours.’” At face value this temptation is absurd, there is no way Jesus is ever going to worship the devil! On top of that, all the kingdoms of the world are not the devil’s to give away… they are Jesus’… he is the true King of kings so they already belong to him. It must have been infinitely tempting to set right all the wrongs of the world then and there but that was not part of the plan. Yet, here in lies the brilliances of the devil’s temptation; Jesus’ task from God is not to take up his kingly positioneven if it would bring about peace and justice now. God’s plan is for Jesus to preach, teach and show us the true depth of God’s love for us by dying on the cross.
Then we get to the third and final temptation in verse 9 which I think is one of our greatest temptations toowhen; “the devil took (Jesus) him to Jerusalem, and placed him on the pinnacle of the temple, saying to him, ‘If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down from here, 10 for it is written, ‘He will command his angels concerning you, to protect you,' 11 and "On their hands they will bear you up, so that you will not dash your foot against a stone.'" It’s the temptation to throw faith out the window and put God to the test.
Faith is just shorthand for talking about our relationship with God and the foundation of all our relationships is trust. All relationships, especially God and ours, are tested by ups and downs of life; however, deliberately putting a relationship to a test in another thing entirely. Purposely testing a relationship will never strengthen, it will only tear it down because it calls us to act on our mistrust and cultivate our doubts about the other person. Think about it in terms of our earthly relationships; would it build up a marriage for a wife to hire a hooker to seduce her husband to see if he’s faithful or not? Or would it strengthen a friendship to air all your friends’ most deeply guarded secrets just to see if they will then do the same to you? Jesus throwing himself off the top of the temple so that God will command angels to rescue him as a proof of who he is and God’s love for him is not at all different. Nothing good can come out of any of these tests and the devil knows it and uses these tactics all the time.
Thankfully for us and our salvation, Jesus sees through all these subliminal temptations and remains faithful to God and our relationship. We might not always be as perceptive and God’s knows this offering us forgiveness and restoration of relationship at every turn. As we continue on our Lenten journey lean into God’s forgiveness and look to Jesus Christ to restore our faith. God has built an unshakable foundation of our relationship of faith through Jesus Christ so that even when we fall for temptations forgetting God’s love and mission for us we are always welcomed back into faith. Amen
Prayers of Intersession
Led by Christ in our journey of repentance and moved by his compassion, let us pray for the church, those in need, and all of God’s creation.
Silence
Always faithful God, you became Jesus Christ and walked among us as an example of perfect faith and love for us. No matter what temptations we cave to or poor choices we make you always call us back to faith fill relationship through your unconditional love and forgiveness. Lord, in your mercy…. Hear our prayer.
Creator of all that is seen and unseen, you created us from the dust of the earth and breathed into us your breath of life. Teach us to live our lives grateful for every breath and our mindfulness over the next forty days of lent. Lord, in your mercy…. Hear our prayer.
God our leader and guide, Inspire us to return to you in this season of Lent. Investing our time and energy in exploring the depths of your love and mercy for us and all people.Lord, in your mercy…. Hear our prayer.
Healer of our Souls, be with all who cry out to you. Especially we remember all on our prayer list; Rod, Marilyn, Lois, Gary, Brenda, LeRoy, Jordan, Harley and the family of Beryl Kirtland.Lord, in your mercy…. Hear our prayer.
Into your hands, gracious God, we commend all for whom we pray, trusting in your mercy; through Jesus Christ our Savior and Lord. Amen