Lead Us Not into Temptation

 Jesu Juva

St. Luke 4:1-13                                                  

March 9, 2025

Lent 1C                                 

 Dear saints of our Savior~

        We seek to avoid temptation.  We seek to be delivered from temptation.  We pray:  Lead us not into temptation.  But Jesus?  When it comes to temptation Jesus just jumps right in.

        Jesus was still dripping wet with the water of His baptism when the Spirit led Him into the wilderness for forty days.  “Forty days” is where we get the forty days of Lent.  You might also recall how Israel wandered in the wilderness for forty years, or how Moses hung around on Mount Sinai for forty days, or how Elijah spent forty days in the desert.  Jesus embodies all of that.  Jesus is a One-Man-Israel.  But unlike disobedient Israel, Jesus gets it right.

        After forty foodless days in the desert, it seems a little unnecessary for St. Luke to report that Jesus was hungry.  Who wouldn’t be?  It’s in that moment of delirious hunger that the devil comes calling.  Give the devil his due; he’s got a shrewd sense of timing.  He knows precisely when Jesus will be most vulnerable; and he knows the same thing about you.  Timing is everything when it comes to temptation.

        In the book of Hebrews we’re told that Jesus was tempted in every way just as we are, yet without sin.  Tempted but did not sin.  Can you imagine that?  Not giving into temptation even once?  And remember temptation comes in far more than 31 flavors.  It’s the allure to operate by my own rules instead of God’s—to run the show my way—to be the center of the universe—to bring others under my control and use them for my own purposes and pleasure.

        The temptation to turn stones to bread is the temptation of appetite.  We’ve all got appetites—God-given appetites—appetites for food, for fun, for knowledge, and for pleasure.  These appetites inspire us and motivate us.  They give us a reason to get out of bed in the morning.  But even healthy appetites can also turn into controlling addictions—idols that demand everything from us while giving back less and less:  the thrill of placing a bet, the glimpse of porn, the high of a drug, the buzz of alcohol, the flirtatious emotional affair with the possibility for more.

        But Jesus has an appetite for something far different.  Jesus hungered only to do His Father’s will.  Jesus thirsted for your salvation.  He would not be deterred:  Man shall not live by bread alone.  With those words, Jesus was quoting the Old Testament.  Even Jesus draws upon the power of the Word.  It’s the same Word you and I have at our disposal.  You don’t need superpowers to resist temptation.  You just need the Word of God to go toe-to-toe with the devil.  One little Word can fell him.

        Next, the devil shows Jesus all the kingdoms of this world.  It’s all yours, Jesus.  All this authority and all this glory can be yours.  Here’s the deal; just worship me.  Imagine the riches and power.  Think of all the blood and treasure spilled over just tiny slices of real estate.  The whole enchilada could be yours.  You could bring about world peace and solve world hunger, and do it all on a Tuesday afternoon.  Who needs Good Friday and the cross—why shed a single drop of divine blood—when you’ve got all the kingdoms in all the world?

        You don’t have all those kingdoms dangling in front of you, but it doesn’t take nearly that much to get us to the bargaining table, does it?  George Washington once said, “Few men have the virtue to withstand the highest bidder.”  In other words, everyone has his price.  The man who says, “I would never be tempted to cheat on my wife,” hasn’t met the right woman.  The person who says, “I would never be tempted to take a bribe,” hasn’t seen a big enough bribe.

        But Jesus refuses the deal for your sake.  Again, drawing deeply from the Word:  Worship the Lord your God, and Him only shall you serve.  There is only one route by which Jesus will receive all authority—only one way for Jesus to take His seat on the throne as King of Kings and Lord of Lords—and that is to be lifted up and enthroned as a corpse on a cross.  Only by dying and rising.  Only by death and resurrection will every knee bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord.

        Religion comes in the next temptation.  And what could be more religious than the temple in Jerusalem?  And what could be more pious than to quote the Bible?  That’s exactly what the devil does!  Maybe you weren’t aware that the devil is a great student of the Bible.  He knows the contents well—much better than you or me.  And he uses the Scriptures to suit his purposes:  You are the Son of God, aren’t you?  Well, then you know that the inspired, inerrant, infallible Word of God says in Psalm 91 that God’s angels are watching you like a hawk.  If you slip, they’ll catch you.  You won’t even stub your pinky toe.  What-say we put the Word of God to the test?  Why don’t you take a flying leap from the top of the temple, and let’s see what happens?

        We’ve been tempted to do that—to put God’s Word to the test—to challenge it—to splice it and dice it so that we can make it say what we want it to say—so that we can justify ourselves and our sin.  I’m reminded of a kid I knew back in junior high.  He had a real problem with cursing and swearing.  But he justified it because some of his “favorite” cuss words could be found in the Bible.  So he wasn’t cussing—just quoting Scripture.  (I’m guessing that kid grew up to become a preacher or else he’s in jail—or both.)

        But hear how Jesus responds to the Bible-quoting devil:  You shall not put the Lord your God to the test.  To test God at His Word is always a refusal to trust Him—a refusal to believe Him—an act of faithlessness.  Jesus will have none of it.  God gives us His Word because He loves us—for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness so that we may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.  So let’s take God at His Word instead of testing Him.

        Beloved in the Lord, temptation is a depressing topic.  It’s not enjoyable.  Because we’ve all been on the receiving end.  We’ve battled against the devil and the world and our own sinful nature; and we haven’t always come out on top.  In fact, we’ve frequently folded like a cheap suit; and sometimes we’ve surrendered without even offering up token resistance.         

        But no matter how often temptation has gotten the best of you, there’s good news running through today’s Holy Gospel from beginning to end.  If all you see here is a string of personal achievements for Jesus, you’re missing the good news.  Jesus’ victory is your victory.  He’s your stand-in substitute.  His perfect record becomes the perfect record for all who trust in Him. 

        Through faith in Jesus, you don’t have a checkered past, stained and littered with lost battles against temptation.  You have a string of victories won for you by Jesus Christ.  You are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.  His honor, His merit, His bravery, His valor—it has all been awarded to you.  His record is your record.  His death and resurrection define you as one redeemed and forgiven.  Your baptism empowers you for your own daily battles against temptation and sin.  And when you are tempted, He always provides a way out so that you can stand against the devil’s schemes.  The Lord Jesus is in your corner.  His powerful Word is at your disposal.  His grace has you covered.  And in Him eternal victory is yours. 

        In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.  Amen.