Temptation in the Wilderness

Following Christ to the Cross: First Sunday of Lent

Luke 4:1-13

Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the wilderness, 2where 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. 3The devil said to him, "If you are the Son of God, command this stone to become a loaf of bread." 4Jesus answered him, "It is written, 'One does not live by bread alone.'"

5Then the devil led him up and showed him in an instant all the kingdoms of the world. 6And 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. 7If you, then, will worship me, it will all be yours." 8Jesus answered him, "It is written, 'Worship the Lord your God, and serve only him.'"

9Then 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, 10for it is written, 'He will command his angels concerning you, to protect you,' 11and 'On their hands they will bear you up, so that you will not dash your foot against a stone.'" 12Jesus answered him, "It is said, 'Do not put the Lord your God to the test.'" 13When the devil had finished every test, he departed from him until an opportune time.

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

As we embark on our Lenten journey, we are invited to reflect deeply on the powerful story of Jesus's temptation in the wilderness. Luke 4:1-13 recounts the intense struggle between Jesus and Satan, offering invaluable lessons about our own spiritual battles. In this narrative, we observe the multifaceted nature of temptation and the profound strength that steadfast faith can provide.

Jesus, filled with the Holy Spirit, is led by the Spirit into the vast, desolate wilderness. There, He engages in a prolonged fast for forty days—a period that symbolizes a significant, transformative duration of time. Regardless of whether you think this is an idiom or a literal interpretation, the significance of this pivotal event remains unchanged.

After those grueling days, Jesus was famished. The devil confronts Him with three distinct temptations, each designed to exploit a different vulnerability. First, he challenges Jesus to turn stones into bread, appealing to His hunger and the very human desire for physical nourishment. At first glance, none of the devil’s temptations seem ominous or menacing. Transforming stones into bread could be used for good, to feed the hungry. In response, Jesus firmly rebuffs this temptation, reminding us all that "Man shall not live by bread alone," grounding His stance in the truth of Scripture and His steadfast reliance on God’s provision.

Next, the devil presents a second temptation, lifting Jesus to a high place and offering Him authority over all the kingdoms of the world. This temptation is rooted in the allure of power and domination. But let’s be honest: if Jesus used His authority over the kingdoms of the world, it would sound like a shortcut to justice, and some might say it would be righteous justice. Yet Jesus counters with unwavering resolve, declaring, "Worship the Lord your God and serve Him only.”

Jesus understood that using a shortcut to justice is problematic for several reasons. It undermines the process of genuine transformation and growth, which is what he came to accomplish. True justice requires patience, perseverance, and adherence to moral and ethical principles. Shortcuts often involve compromising these principles, leading to superficial or temporary solutions rather than lasting change. Shortcuts to justice can also lead to unintended consequences. When we bypass the necessary steps and processes, we risk creating new problems or exacerbating existing ones, and it does not address the root causes of injustice. Such scenarios play out in novels and movies, and if one pays attention, in real life, too. The underlying lesson of such stories is that power achieved through manipulation or coercion undermines the very values it seeks to uphold.

One poignant example from the last decade is the Volkswagen emissions scandal. In 2015, Volkswagen, one of the world's largest car manufacturers, known for fuel-efficient compact cars, was found to have installed software in their diesel vehicles that could detect when the cars were being tested for emissions. This software, known as a "defeat device," would reduce the emissions during testing to meet regulatory standards. However, under normal driving conditions, the vehicles emitted pollutants far above the legal limits.

Initially, this shortcut allowed Volkswagen to market their diesel cars as environmentally friendly and compliant with more stringent emissions standards in Europe, boosting sales and profits. However, the truth eventually came to light, leading to severe consequences. There were legal penalties, executives resigned, and there were financial losses. Still, the worst part is that they intentionally contributed to environmental pollution, and it severely damaged their reputation, leading to a significant loss in consumer trust and brand value. In the pursuit of anything just, it is essential to maintain a commitment to honesty, transparency, and fairness. Someone, or several someones, gave in to the temptation, and it cost them dearly.

In the context of Jesus's temptation, His refusal to take the shortcut to justice emphasizes His integrity, loyalty, and devotion to God above all worldly gains. By rejecting the devil's offer, Jesus demonstrates that true justice is rooted in faithfulness to God's will and the principles of righteousness.

The final and most fantastic temptation, the devil attempts to provoke Jesus into what seems to be a test of God's promises by urging Him to throw Himself down from the pinnacle of the temple, citing Scripture to suggest that angels would protect Him. You and I, as the reader, know this is precisely what would happen. Jesus knows this would happen, and every angel in heaven knows this would happen. This is not so much a temptation of God’s promise as it is once again a temptation to show the world who and what Jesus really is. Why else would the devil take Him to the pinnacle of the Temple in downtown Jerusalem if not for all the nation to see Jesus do this?

In this moment, Jesus rebukes the devil once more, reminding us that we should never put God to the test, as the devil is framing it. But it also reiterates the integrity of the first two temptations that the devil presented. Through these encounters, Jesus models for us how to confront temptation with scriptural truth, unwavering conviction, and, most importantly, a heart anchored in faith. This model that Jesus shows is the foundation of our moral character and spiritual stability. This is what it means to follow Christ; we are to emulate His faith and dependence on God the Father.

But we can’t do this alone. Jesus, therefore, left us with God the Spirit. (Luke 24:44-49) The Holy Spirit is our strength when we have none, our confessor when we need to unburden ourselves, our spiritual sustenance when we are hungry, and our compass when we lose our way.

The temptations that Jesus faced, as Luke describes them, serve as a powerful reminder to us of the way the devil tempts us all because it is the simplicity of these temptations that entices us to follow through on them. If you're hungry and you have the power to make food appear, eat. If you are powerful and you can make the world follow your will, exercise your will over the weak. If you can show a grand exhibit, even if it’s just a show, that will sway people to love you, let it roll. The temptations are real, and they are here, even today.

Jesus reminds us that we can draw principled, ethical, and moral strength from Scripture, which is why he rebukes the devil with Scripture. But things are never black and white, are they? There is always a shade of grey in there somewhere. Let us ponder the question: Can profit, power, and prestige be good if God's heart is at the center of our own?

The concepts of profit, power, and prestige are not inherently negative; instead, they can serve as valuable instruments for fulfilling God's purpose when guided by His intentions and not ours. They can be life-affirming when God’s love is at their core. For instance, Jesus' deliberate choice to refrain from transforming stones into bread illustrates His understanding of the importance of spiritual sustenance over mere physical needs. Additionally, His refusal to prostrate Himself before the devil in exchange for worldly authority underscores the notion that true power should never be separated from righteousness. When He declined to test God by leaping from the temple, He reinforced the idea that faith should not be used as a bargaining chip for personal gain. These actions collectively emphasize that the methods we employ to achieve our goals are just as significant as the goals themselves.

Only when we seek God’s will and align our aspirations and motivations with God's will do we ensure that any success we achieve in areas like wealth or influence ultimately contributes to advancing His kingdom rather than merely serving our own selfish desires. In this way, we can transform potential pitfalls of ambition into opportunities for grace and service, building the kingdom of God. But the seeking of God’s will must be intentional and ongoing. I am sure that no one at Volkswagen set out to on day one of their career to defraud their investors and those who purchased their product. As the old saying goes, “The road to hell is paved with good intentions.” (The road to... 2025)

Think about your personal wilderness. Where is the devil enticing you? Each of us faces our own wilderness experiences, where we encounter trials and temptations. Reflect on a moment in your past where you felt distant from God, where the allure of shortcuts or self-gratification tempted you. What was your initial goal or purpose for being on that path? What was your response? Did you follow the temptation or, like Jesus, did you draw on Scripture, prayer, and the Holy Spirit to resist the temptation and remain faithful to your calling?

Finally, what forces do you see represented by the devil? Can you see them pulling our collective motives and loyalties away from God’s heart? In our homes, communities, and institutions, do you see forces such as materialism, pride, and fear divert our collective focus from God's heart? The devil's temptations given to Jesus symbolize these forces. They seek to undermine our unity and purpose. By recognizing these influences, we can collectively, as the Body of Christ, and as individual Christians in our personal lives, recommit to following Jesus' example of humility, service, and trust in God's provision.

Are you following Christ to the Cross? It isn’t easy to take up your cross and follow Christ. The road to righteousness is a difficult one because it requires us to discern the way forward and to seek that single individual pair of footsteps ahead of us that lead to the cross. Luke ends this lesson with the words, “When the devil had finished every test, he departed from him until an opportune time” (v.13). This is why our discernment must be continuous. The devil never stops; the temptations are always there. Alone, we are not strong enough to fight back. We must seek the Holy Spirit, study the Word, pray, and fellowship with believers in the Spirit to dissuade the temptations. We must be present, not passive; we must be in Christ, always. Are you discerning? Are you looking for the path of righteousness? Are you following Christ to the cross?

In the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. AMEN.

Bibliography

In Merriam-Webster's unabridged dictionary. March 3, 2024. https://unabridged.merriam-webster.com/unabridged/.

Meeks, Wayne A., Ph.D., Jouette M. Bassler, Th.D., Werner E. Lemke, Ph.D., James Luther Mays, Ph.D., Susan Niditch, and Ph.D., Eileen M. Schuller, . The Harper Collins Study Bible, New Revised Standard Version with the Apocryphal and Deuterocanonical Books. New York: Harper Collins Publishers, 1993.

Russell Hotten. Volkswagen: The scandal explained. December 10, 2015. https://www.bbc.com/news/business-34324772 (accessed March 3, 2025).

The road to... March 8, 2025. https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_road_to_hell_is_paved_with_good_intentions.