Enticing, isn't it?

 

Matthew 4:1-11  Lent I

 The Chapter before this shares the account of Jesus’ baptism, at which God’s voice is heard giving pleasure to God’s beloved.

Now, The Spirit leads Jesus into the wilderness specifically that He might be tempted by the Devil.

Jesus is included and now He is tested.  Isn’t that just the way, though?  We proclaim our faith in God and then it is put up or shut up time, because all of life is a test. 

Primarily, this is a test of Jesus’ loyalty.  Will it be to God and God’s Kingdom and its mission in the world, or will it be to the powers and principalities that are in the world which oppose God’s Kingdom mission?  Will Jesus be loyal to God’s Will or His own, or to whatever power opposes God and give Him what He wants?

Jesus was tempted as we are tempted, with the same enticements.

 After 40 days and nights of fasting in the desert Jesus is famished physically, but He is presumably spiritually strong.  Make no mistake, however, the temptation is at the heart of His spiritual self – His relationship of agaph for God and Neighbor.  We are all spiritually tempted by worldly enticements.

 The image of Jesus in the Wilderness conjures up thoughts of the Exodus.  Moses spent 40 years in the desert after fleeing Egypt, 40 days and nights up on Sinai getting the Torah, and a good portion of 40 years wandering there again with God’s people.  Jesus was tempted to turn stones into bread.  He was hungry, after all.  And if He is the Son of God He certainly has the power and the right to use His power to give himself satisfaction.  But would Jesus remain loyal to God’s Will or the Devil’s whims?  He gave the answer that God gave Moses (Deuteronomy 8:3) here in Matthew’s Gospel, to teach us once again that we do not just live by bread of our hands, but by the Word of God, which is life to us.  We are in a relationship of love with God, and our loyalty to that relationship in covenant is worth more to us than momentary satisfaction.  Bread is not life.  The Bread of Life is life.  We are connected in love to the one who IS LIFE, and our loyalty to God’s Kingdom mission, God’s Will is of much more value to us than morsels of earthly satisfaction.

 The Holy City was the seat of power – political, religious, economic and social.  It was Holy because it was “set apart” for God’s use, but the seats of power were particularly corrupt in Jesus’ time.  It all hinged on the evils of empire which occupied God’s Holy space with the unholy – another desolating sacrilege.  The pinnacle of the Temple was at the heart of the life of Israel, but was now corrupted by empire’s evil.  Jesus was tempted to throw Himself down to test God, and see if He had Status enough to be supernaturally saved.  After all, God would do so for someone so beloved as the Son of God, surely?  If Jesus did not have Status enough to warrant such supernatural interventions by God, who did?  God, how much do you love me?  Are you watching, God?  If you are, surely you will…  Would Jesus be obedient to God or to the powers of evil that had corrupted God’s world?  Jesus quoted again of the exodus story, this time regarding the water of Massah (Deuteronomy  6:16), about not putting God to the test for proof, when we are to trust God.  Our relationship with God is based on love and trust.  Testing God is not helpful or faithful.  Striving to be more blessed and highly favored with Status above others is neither helpful nor faithful.  They are not acts of agaph for God or Neighbor.

 The last location, the Mountain is majestic, mystical and historically where God meets humanity.  Abraham was tested on the mountain.  Moses was called and received the Torah on mountains.  Elijah encountered God on a mountain.  Now the evil powers and principalities would claim some right to the mountain.  Jesus was tempted to have all the Wealth and Power of all the kingdoms of the world for Himself.  He was the beloved Son, after all, and heir.  All Jesus had to do was give His devotion to the evil before Him.  The presumption here is that earthly empire belongs to the Devil.  Empire is OF THE DEVIL.  Empire goes against God’s purposes and will, against God’s Kingdom.  Would Jesus divert His loyalty from God to evil in order to have all that empire promises?  Would we? Will we? Do we?  Ultimately, our devotion to empire is a betrayal of our relationship with God and Neighbor.  Here, Jesus calls this imperial evil “Satan,” meaning Accuser or Adversary.  This evil is in direct opposition to God.  Again quoting Deuteronomy (6:13), Jesus finally puts the evil away, choosing to Worship and serve only God, being in alignment in His life and mission with God’s purposes and mission, God’s will. 

 Then, like Elijah, the angels came and fed, cared for Jesus as they had for Elijah the prophet (I Kings 19).

 Jesus was tempted as we are tempted, to give our loyalty and devotion to the powers and principalities that promise us the world through empire in Wealth and Power for ourselves over others, instead of to the Kingdom of God and its values and principles.  Jesus was tempted as we are tempted, to test God to see if we have special Status with God, above others.  Jesus chose faithfulness to God, God’s Kingdom mission and purposes and will. 

 We have entered our 40 days and nights in the wilderness, and we WILL be tempted now, as we are always tempted with empire all around us.  What do we choose?