Amen
I'm not much of a fan of most of the video depictions of Jesus' life. The movies, the TV mini-series that try to tell the story of Jesus. I'm not against them for any ideological reason. Frankly I think it's a good way to hit a lot of people who have never heard the story of Jesus. I just don't watch them much. I guess it's the same as when you read a book and then go see the movie. You have already developed a picture in your mind and somehow the interpretation of the screenwriter and the director just don't jive with the picture in your mind.
All of this is a long way to get to saying that the depiction of our gospel lesson in one of these movies not long ago was very intriguing and made me take a different view of this temptation episode. I guess in my mind's eye the scene played out between Jesus and the devil is high drama. Jesus has just spent forty days fasting. He's tired, hungry almost delirious. The devil, a slimy seditious character entices Jesus with the things that would satisfy him most at this low point in his life. Jesus spits out his replies to the devil with an anguished face.
In the movie version the whole scene was played rather whimsically. Certainly Jesus is thin from hunger but he doesn't give the near death appearance of my mind's eye. Rather it is almost clear that his time alone in the wilderness has been spiritually strengthening. He almost appears to be expecting the devil. We never really get a good picture of this devil, he lurks just outside our view in the shadows, but he has kind of a nasally voice. Each of the three temptations is presented bullet fashion with Jesus first down on the plane, then suddenly on the mountain, and then just as quickly up on the parapet of the temple. To the devils taunts, "If you are the son of God" Jesus has no need to agonize over the answers. Clearly his remonstrance is on the tip of his tongue and the devil seems to be being bested at his own game. The scene almost makes you laugh. The devil has met his match and it's fun to see him being put in his place.
It was a great depiction and it made me rethink my vision of this story. After all we all like to see the sneaky villain getting a taste of his own medicine. It's like wily coyote having the acme anvil fall on him. It's snidely Whiplash's "foiled again."
What this depiction made me think about was not so much the battle Jesus was waging between good and evil but about the thrill of the win. Jesus won! Jesus put the devil in his place handily. Absolutely beat him at his own game. The devil quotes scripture and Jesus does it right back with bravado. The win is sweet. Besting temptation is, if not exactly fun, at least pleasurable. And that after all is the good news of the gospel. The good news is that we can face temptation, look it in the eye, recognize it for what it is and laugh in its face. Temptation can be beaten.
We face temptations every day, big ones little ones. I don't mean to trivialize the reality of those temptations or to diminish the agony of the struggle it sometimes causes us to come to terms with them but perhaps sometimes we need to be reminded that the battle can be won. Indeed the battle is being won every day. Sure the news is filled with stories of people who have taken bribes, illicit contributions, questionable revenues but seldom do we hear when things have been refused. Our attention is drawn to those special incidents of disloyalty, infidelity, but how often do we hear of those who have been loyal, honest and faithful? Sometimes after a particularly grueling week of news I begin to wonder if there are any good people left. But people are victorious against temptation every day. Yes we can be tired, worn hungry battered when they face the devil but good decisions are being made, honorable actions are being taken. Our lesson this morning assures us that the battle can be won and indeed is being won.
Three truths from this lesson:
The devil challenges Jesus identity. The devil comes at Jesus
repeatedly, "If you are the Son of God." Jesus however,
is sure and certain and clear about who he is. This particular
episode in Jesus' ministry comes directly on the heals of his
baptism in the river Jordan. If you will remember Jesus emerges
from the water dripping wet to see the heavens open and a voice
declare. "This is my beloved son with whom I am well pleased."
That's pretty impressive. So when the devil comes after him with
this taunting question, "If you are the Son of God"
Jesus can laugh in his face. Of course I am the Son of God.
Just so, we have an identity. We are children of God. By virtue of our baptism we have been chosen and claimed. That identity supercedes anything else. We are often tempted by challenges to our identity, "If you were a good teacher you would." If you were a good businessperson." Once when I was new pastor in my first call in the city I got a call from a con man. We get them a lot at the church, more than you might suspect. This guy had a hard luck story the length of your arm. Everything had happened to him and everyone had treated him wrong. He kept trying to get money from me and promises from me that I would take care of things for him. Finally he said to me "If you were a real Christian" That really shook me. Maybe I wasn't a real Christian by not doing for him what he wanted. After a while though I got angry. What do mean if I was a real Christian. I am a real Christian and I know that not by what your assessment of me is but by the fact that I have been bought and paid for by the blood of Jesus Christ. It's not what I do that makes me a Christian its's what has been done for me. My identity there is secure. Our identity as God's children is secure. We are Gods.
Lesson Two:
"Jesus comes into the wilderness full of the Holy Spirit,
was led by the spirit in the Wilderness and we are told in the
14th verse, not in our lesson that "he returned to Galilee
in the power of the Spirit." Never was Jesus alone to fight
his cunning adversary. Beginning, middle and end, the Holy Spirit
was there to strengthen, encourage and help Jesus.
Sometimes I think we could go through just about anything if we
truly believed we were not alone. To be alone, one against the
world, one against temptation is frightening. The wilderness is
a scary place but just as Jesus was not alone so we are never
alone. Sometimes our fears, our emotions, our doubts delude us
to believe God is absent but the Holy Spirit is with us especially
at those places of deepest wilderness.
Lesson Three:
This was Jesus. While we applaud his victory over the Devil, while
we revel in the one who is our hero we also realize that we are
not Jesus. We do not face any and all temptations and stare them
down with just the right Bible passage and the most forthright
affirmation. Sometimes we get pulled in, brought down, laid low.
Sometimes we are not proud of how we have faced off with temptation.
This was Jesus. Because he defeated the devil and
death we live in the promise of forgiveness and the assurance
of God's love.
And so the good news, the gospel is today that
the battle is being waged, in our homes, in our schools, in our
places of business, in our church in the community on the street.
The devil stalks. But the devil can be defeated because the battle
has been won once and for all in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Amen