LUKE 4:1-13
Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit,
returned from the Jordan
and was led by the Spirit in the wilderness,
where for forty days he was tempted by the devil.
He ate nothing at all during those days, and when they were over, he was famished.
The devil said to him,
"If you are the Son of God,
command this stone to become a loaf of bread."
Jesus answered him,
"It is written, 'One does not live by bread alone.'"
Then the devil led him up and showed him in an instant all the kingdoms of the world.
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.
If you, then, will worship me, it will all be yours."
Jesus answered him,
"It is written, 'Worship the Lord your God, and serve only God.'"
Then the devil took 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,
for it is written, 'He will command his angels concerning you, to protect you,'
and 'On their hands they will bear you up, so that you will not dash your foot against a stone.'"
Jesus answered him,
"It is said, 'Do not put the Lord your God to the test.'"
When the devil had finished every test, he departed from him until an opportune time.
They say the devil wears a disguise. Maybe that disguise is made to look like what we
want. Maybe that disguise is made to look like what even Jesus wants. Maybe the devil’s
disguise is made to look good, to look righteous, and even holy. For isn’t it good, isn’t it
righteous, isn’t holy, isn’t Christ-like to feed the hungry?
Jesus is hungry, forty days worth of hungry, and the devil reminds Jesus, “Since you are
the Son of God, command this stone to become a loaf bread,” and what’s so wrong with that?
What is wrong with the devil beckoning Jesus to eat, beckoning Jesus to use his power to feed
himself. Later in Luke, there will be 5,000 people who come to hear Jesus, and they are hungry,
standing all day listening to lectures in the hot sun without having eaten hungry. All that is there
to feed these 5,000 bellies is five loaves and two fish. The disciples want to send the people on to
eat and to rest, and yet Jesus has the power to feed them. And he feeds them, with five loaves and
two fish. Is anything wrong with that? Is anything ever wrong when we feed the hungry? Isn’t
feeding the hungry intrinsically good, by its nature righteous, and by Christ’s example holy? Isn’t
it? The devil is asking Jesus to do no more for himself, than Jesus will do for thousands upon
thousands of others.
And perhaps this is why Jesus refrains. Because Jesus did not come for his own power, he
came to show the glory of God to the people. I imagine even in hunger, out in the middle of the
desert, alone with the devil, Jesus knew if commanded the stone to become bread, there would
not be 5,000 people to witness it, and to become full from its bounty. There would not be 5,000
people to watch him lift the bread toward heaven, bless them, and break it, giving it for their
hunger in belly and Spirit. Jesus did not go out into the desert to test his power for himself. He
was led by and filled with the Holy Spirit that he might prepare to show the glory of God to the
people.
So, is anything ever wrong when we feed the hungry? Isn’t feeding the hungry
intrinsically good, by its nature righteous, and by Christ’s example holy? Perhaps so, but I
believe we are not filling backpacks and breakfast bellies merely for the sake of relieving hunger,
perhaps there is a higher calling, to be full of the Holy Spirit, to be led by the Spirit, and to show
the glory of God to the people. "It is written, 'One does not live by bread alone.'"
They say the devil wears a disguise. Maybe that disguise is made to look like what we
want. Maybe that disguise is made to look like what even Jesus wants. Maybe the devil’s
disguise is made to look good, to look righteous, and even holy. For isn’t it good, isn’t it
righteous, isn’t holy, isn’t Christ-like to want Jesus to be in power over all the world? From the
desert place, the devil led Jesus up and showed him in an instant all the kingdoms of the world.
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. If you, then, will worship me, it will all be
yours."
I imagine Jesus looking down over the kingdoms of the world. I imagine him seeing in
Rome alone thousands of political prisoners; I imagine him wanting to set the captives free. I
imagine him seeing slaves in the fields, and women treated and chattel; I imagine Jesus wanting
to bring good news to the oppressed. I imagine Jesus seeing those cast out because of illness; I
imagine Jesus wanting to heal the sick. I imagine Jesus seeing great wealth and great poverty all
at once; I imagine him wanting to show love to all. And what’s so wrong with that? If Jesus was
given the authority of all the kingdoms of the world at that one moment wouldn’t life be good,
righteous, and even holy. Wouldn’t it? What’s so wrong with that? The devil is asking Jesus to do
no more for himself, than Jesus will do for thousands upon thousands of others.
And perhaps this is why Jesus refrains. Because Jesus did not come for his own power, he
came to show the glory of God to the people. If he took the devil’s authority over all the
kingdoms of the world, there would be no story of the woman at the well, but there might be a
story of someone throwing the first stone. There would be not parable of the good Samaritan, and
the prodigal son might not have been welcomed home. The blind man would remain blind as
well as blamed for his blindness, and the lepers would have never been greeted by the Son of
God. A rich man would attempt to get into heaven and a camel likewise through the eye of a
needle. The money changers tables in the temple would never have been turned over and the
Pharisees never questioned. Jesus would have never preached the year of jubilee to his
hometown. And that young man from Nazareth would never come riding into town on a donkey,
the people would never wave palms, and lay down their coats, because Jesus would have already
been king. The devil would be worshiped. Jesus did not go out into the desert to test his power
for himself. He was led by and filled with the Holy Spirit that he might prepare to show the glory
of God to the people.
So, is anything ever wrong when we seek power for good? Isn’t freeing the captives,
bringing good news to the oppressed, showing love to both the rich and the poor, and healing the
sick intrinsically good, by its nature righteous, and by Christ’s example holy? Perhaps so, but I
believe we do not gather as a church simply to be powerful enough to send cards and meals to
the sick and grieving, simply to be powerful enough to welcome the lonely into our fellowship
hall, simply to be powerful enough to teach our children right from wrong. Perhaps there is a
higher calling, to be full of the Holy Spirit, to be led by the Spirit, and to show the glory of God
to the people. "It is written, 'Worship the Lord your God, and serve only God.'"
They say the devil wears a disguise. Maybe that disguise is made to look like what we
want. Maybe that disguise is made to look like what even Jesus wants. Maybe the devil’s
disguise is made to look good, to look righteous, and even holy. For isn’t it good, isn’t it
righteous, isn’t holy, isn’t Christ’s call to overcome death? “The devil took 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, for it is written, 'He will command his angels concerning you, to
protect you,' and 'On their hands they will bear you up, so that you will not dash your foot
against a stone.'"
What is so wrong with the devil asking Jesus to overcome death? Is this not what our
entire scripture is based on? Do we not hear stories of the stone rolled away, of Jesus rising from
the dead, of Jesus appearing to Mary, and then to the disciples? Do we not fill this church on
Easter? Do we not know the story of Lazarus who had been dead in the tomb four days and Jesus
shouting “Lazarus, come out?” The dead man came out, his hands and feet were wrapped with
strips of linen, and a cloth around his face.” Do we not know the story of Tabitha who was dead
in the upper room, and Peter saying, “Tabitha, get up?” And she awoke, and seeing Peter sat up.”
Do we not know the story of Jesus, on the night before his death, at the Mount of Olives, Jesus
praying in earnest, “Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me.” Jesus asking the Lord, to
save him from his impending death. The devil is asking Jesus to do no more for himself, than
Jesus will ask God to do for Jesus. The devil is asking no more of Jesus, than we ask of Jesus.
And perhaps this is why Jesus refrains. Because Jesus did not come for his own power, he
came to show the glory of God to the people. When Jesus had rolled the stone away from where
Lazarus lay dead, Jesus looked up and said, “Father, I thank you that you have heard me. I knew
that you always hear me, but I said this for the benefit of the people standing here, that they may
believe that you sent me.” Likewise when Peter, a disciple of Jesus, came to Tabitha in the upper
room, the first thing he did was he knelt down and prayed. And when Jesus was alone the night
before his death, praying in earnest on the Mount of Olives, “Father, if you are willing, take this
cup from me,” he ends his prayer, “yet not my will, but yours be done.” Jesus knows he neither
went into the desert, nor into Jerusalem, nor to the cross, to test his power for himself. He was
led by, and filled with, the Holy Spirit that he might show the glory of God to the people.
So, is anything ever wrong when we seek to overcome death? Isn’t life eternal
intrinsically good, by its nature righteous, and by Christ’s example holy? Yes, but I believe we do
not gather as a church simply to wait in faith for the afterlife. We are an Easter people, but we are
not only an Easter people. We are people of Pentecost - the Holy Spirit leading the church into
the world, we are a people of Epiphany - the wonder and rejoicing at the birth of Christ, we are a
people of Lent - the waiting as Jesus prepares to be crucified, we are a people of Advent - the
waiting for Jesus to be born again and again, and Christmas the celebration of that birth, and
even of the season of Ordinary Time where we follow the life of Jesus in the world. We are
Christians and there is a higher calling, to be full of the Holy Spirit, to be led by the Spirit, and to
show the glory of God to the people. Jesus answered the devil, "It is said, 'Do not put the Lord
your God to the test.'"
They say the devil wears a disguise. Maybe that disguise is made to look like what we
want. Maybe that disguise is made to look like what even Jesus wants. Maybe the devil’s
disguise is made to look good, to look righteous, and even Christlike, but the truth is we do not
live to feed the hungry, to have authority over all the kingdoms, or even to overcome death. We
live not for own power, but to be led by the Holy Spirit, and to be filled with the Holy Sprit, to
show the glory of God to the people.
