In two weeks I will be preaching my "senior sermon" in chapel. I have chosen the Luke text which accounts the "temptation" in the desert.
Here are my initial thoughts...
Luke 4:1-13 illustrates three patterns of temptation which constantly threaten to corrupt the Christian life: self-dependence (a failure to trust in God’s provision), misplaced loyalty (the idolatry of putting sacred trust in false gods), and short-sighted faith (remaining true to the letter of God’s word while failing to embrace the spirit in which it is revealed, written, and proclaimed). In this pericope (Selected text), Jesus thwarts the devil’s endeavors to corrupt his faith, obedience, and authority by recalling scripture rooted in Israel’s wilderness journey. Consequently, he reveals what healthy faith is capable of and how we may appropriately respond to God’s grace.
Sermon Outline:
I. Introduction
What do we know about temptation? We often refer to temptation when we speak of that decadent dessert after dinner, the forbidden fruit in the Garden of Eden, or some other guilty pleasure. In doing so, we try to put a great deal of distance between ourselves and those things that tempt us. If we have learned anything from Adam and Eve, it is that temptations open the door to sin. Temptations are not the same thing as sins—just the possibility—just the crack in the door. (Include an example here.)
II. Temptations
A. Making the connection between the text and real life.
Here in Luke we read of Jesus being tempted in the desert. The temptations are real, they are attractive, and they carry seemingly desirable outcomes. What makes them so relevant to us today is that they are common temptations to every man, woman, and child that walks the earth.
I know you are probably thinking “Not me; I haven’t been in the desert. I haven’t run into the devil.” That is what is so deceptive about these temptations—in looking at how Jesus experienced them, we often fail to see their universality.
B. Examining the deeper meanings. (3 parts)
The first one isn’t about turning rocks into bread. Let that sink in. This first temptation is not about using special power over nature in order to have something to eat for lunch. The temptation here is in being too self-dependant. The temptation is about relying so much on human ability, reason, talent—whatever, that we forget our dependence on God. Why were Adam and Eve exiled to the wilderness, except to re-consider their fallen nature and their dependence on God. Why did Moses lead God’s people in the desert for 40 years, except to ensure that there were generations who understood their ultimate dependence in God’s grace and provision. So, when Jesus quotes Deuteronomy, saying “One does not live by bread alone”, he is acknowledging that lesson that took 40 years of wandering the desert, eating the manna that God provided.
Likewise, the second temptation is not just about bowing down before the devil. This temptation also strikes much closer to home than it appears at first glance. It is about worshiping false gods, idolatry, and misplacing priorities. The temptation is so real to Jesus because it consists of all those things a messiah is supposed to have (power, prestige, the nations of the world handed over on a silver platter—only, the ends do not justify the means. Jesus again quotes Deuteronomy—“You shall worship the Lord your God, and him only shall you serve.” Idolatry comes in all shapes and sizes. We teach it to our children, we share it as a culture, we have replaced “house idols” of the past with other possessions—possessions we must be careful not to become enslaved to: a house in the “right” neighborhood, the “right” car, membership to the “right” club, whatever. American Idolatry runs rampant; we too often bow down to whatever neon god is the newest. In refusing the devil’s offer, Jesus gives us hope—and reminds us that we are not to replace our dependence on God with dependence in someone else. As Christians, it is God who defines us—not the things of the world.
Finally, a closer look into the third temptation helps us to understand, in greater detail, the appropriate response to God’s word to us. In this temptation, the devil tries to entice Jesus to test out his status as God’s son. The devil even uses scripture to make his argument. Jesus responds by saying, “Do not put the Lord your God to the test.” Again, this is a quote from Deuteronomy. Jesus recalls that dependence on God is not something that is conditional, it is not a relationship based on bargains, and it does not rely on proofs or signs. Such a temptation addresses the human tendency to have short-sighted faith. When we can not see where God is leading us, we begin to question God’s guidance. At times, we become self destructive because we do not know how the situation will play out. For some, this turns into myopic inspection of God’s word—like scribes that miss the “spirit if the law” in their study of the “letter of the law.” Again, Jesus guides us through this difficult passage by reminding us that God makes the first move and reaches out to save us where we are. To test that grace by trial denies the faith founded in following God’s lead.
III. Jesus Christ as the unfailing example.
A. Strength in vulnerability.
Throughout all of these temptations, we have an example to follow in Jesus. In the end, it is the same solution for all three scenarios—it is our relationship with God (our total dependence in God’s grace) that strengthens us to be the people God intends us to be. Acknowledging our total and utter dependence on God strengthens us to remain true to God’s laws, commandments, and wishes. Here, what the world would call a failure is transformed into a strength. Power is made perfect in weakness.
B. Call to discipleship.
As disciples of Jesus Christ, we are called to remember those Old Testament lessons as well as the new covenant in his name. While none of us have been tempted by the devil in the desert, it is pretty safe to say that all of us have fallen short, at some time, in our attempt to give God our highest priority. Even in our failure, we have been lifted up with Christ—to revel in that relationship with God that is unblemished by such sins. That is the good news for us today. Jesus Christ, aware of the sorted history of God’s people, stood up to the worldly lures that were unfounded in God’s providence—and set the record straight. The repercussion of such an event shakes the “rule of the devil” as far back as the Garden of Eden—as it shakes our world today.
C. Our response to God’s grace.
What is our response to be? We are to follow in his footsteps—as best we can. We are to acknowledge that we can do nothing apart from the will of God. We are to ask ourselves (personally and as a community) where our priorities lie; in love of God and neighbor or in modern idols? And, we are to put our hope, dependence, direction, and faith in God’s hands—unconditionally. By following Jesus in these ways, we too make our way through the desert, guided by the Holy Spirit. We retrace the steps of God’s people, knowing that when we fall, God is always there to catch us in those trials and tribulations that are real and relevant to our everyday lives.
IV. Conclusion
The Christian life is not without challenge; it is most fully realized by living in response to God.
I preached my "Senior sermon" on Monday. It went well, but looking at the video makes me realize that I still have a long way to go. This process, sermon writing, reminds me of the time in my life when I relied on a bicycle as my main means of transportation (during college) and was hired to teach swim lessons at an athletic club that was 6 miles away from my apartment. The first time I made that ride...I thought I was going to die. The next week I thought I was going to puke up a lung. Over the next few weeks, I thought I would never be able to walk normal again, my legs were so sore.
