Something
For Nothing
The
Third Temptation
Psalm
27:1-4, 11-14, Matthew 4:1-11
Grace
Presbyterian Church
October
6, 2013
Rev.
Dr. Richard E. Miller
Recap This morning we visit Jesus in the
wilderness for the third time. He is alone, weakened from a forty day fast and
by two assaults from the Tempter. As you’ll recall, the first two times, Satan
baited Jesus by saying, “If thou be the
son of God, then change these stones into bread,” and “If thou be the son of God, jump from the high pinnacle of the Temple and
not be hurt.” Each time, Jesus quoted scripture and refused to do what the
Tempter asked. This third time the Tempter changes his strategy.
Offer of Power
He ups the stakes by taking Jesus to a very high mountain and shows him
all the kingdoms of the world. Then, as an experienced salesman, he makes an
offer he feels Jesus cannot refuse by saying, “All these kingdoms I will give you if you will fall down and worship me.”
[Matthew 4:9]
Imagine that! Instant power over all
the people on earth! He would be President, Prime Minister, Premier, Monarch,
Chancellor, King, and Ruler all rolled into one. He would have complete power
over everyone and every thing! And he wouldn’t have to spend a penny on his
campaign! When we consider the money and energy and time that is spent by
people trying to get elected into high office, you can imagine the elation they
would feel if they were offered the post of senator or representative or
president without having to spend money or campaign at all.
This had to be tempting for Jesus since
there were wars, disputes and conflicts taking place in every nation on earth
and sin was rampant. If he accepted Satan’s offer, he could force everyone live
in peace and harmony. All he had to do is simply bow down and worship Satan.
However, the response of Jesus to the
offer was quick, firm and decisive. Jesus calls upon scripture by saying, “Begone, Satan! For it is written, “You shall worship the
Lord your God, and him only shall you serve.” [Matthew 4:10, paraphrasing
Deuteronomy 6:13]
Jesus could never bow down to Satan and
compromise his principles, ethics or loyalty to God. He would only serve his
heavenly Father.
Also, something Satan did not realize
was that Christ’s kingdom was not to be the same as those of King David or King Solomon. As Jesus later
said to Pontius Pilate, “My kingship is
not of this world. If my kingship were of this world, my servants would fight
that I might not be handed over to the Jews. But my kingship is not from the
world.” [John 18:36] Therefore, the offer to rule earthly kingdoms did not
attract Jesus.
Overview
So ends the three wilderness contests between the Tempter and Jesus. Jesus won
each and every one of those battles simply because he would not use his powers
for his own comfort by turning stones into bread, or glorify himself by jumping
off the pinnacle of the temple, or for achieve political power and take control
over all the kingdoms of the world. As Hebrews 4:15 says, “Jesus was tempted in every way, just as we are, yet he was without sin.”
[Hebrews 4:15 NIV]
But it was not easy repelling the three
temptations thrown at him by the Tempter. In fact, he ended up hungry and
exhausted when it was over. And so the wilderness account ends with this
statement: “Then the devil left him, and
behold, angels came and ministered to him.” Some spiritual first-aid was in
order.
The Tempter Before we leave this account of the
Tempter, let’s take a moment and review what we know of him. Through the
centuries, the Tempter has gone by many names: Devil, Satan, Fallen Angel,
Anti-Christ, Adversary, Enemy, Foe,
Demon, Beelzebub, and Lucifer to name a few. How do you picture him in your
mind? In a red suit? With horns and a tail? If the tempter looked like that, no
one would ever sin since we’d be repelled by him rather than attracted to him.
However, the Tempter is a chameleon -
assuming whatever shape, sound, smell or thought that appeals to you
personally. Therefore, he is a power to be taken most seriously.
Freedom of Choice
The Tempter’s success depends on being created with the freedom of choice, and
of us choosing him instead of God. God created us with the freedom to choose
what we say and do in life because he wants us to to love him because we want
to, not because we have to. The only way that can happen is if we choose to
enter such a love relationship. If we had no choice but to follow, obey and
love God, we’d never sin. But love cannot be legislated. It cannot be mandated.
God wants us to love him because we want to, not because we have to.
But our freedom of choice opens the
door for the Tempter. The fact that we can choose not to love, not to follow,
and not to obey means that times of testing are constantly with us.
This morning I urge us to consider the
following:
1. Take sin more seriously than we ever
have before. Sin incites the wrath of God. Our sin caused Jesus to die on the
Cross of Calvary.
2. Next,
take the Tempter’s power to lead us into sin very, very seriously. Never assume
we are beyond his grasp.
3. Be
aware that Satan is persistent. He never takes “No” for an answer. As with
Jesus, he will try again and again.
This is illustrated by the story of the
lady who was looking at a very expensive dress. She knew she shouldn’t spend
the money. But then Satan said to her, “It
looks divine on you.” The lady replied, “Get behind me, Satan!” Then Satan said, “It looks great from back here as well.”
Screwtape Letters Many years ago (February 1942), C. S. Lewis
wrote a small book called “The Screwtape Letters.” It includes thirty-one
letters from a senior Demon named Screwtape, to his nephew Wormwood, a Junior
Tempter. Wormwood is enrolled at the Training College for Tempters and wants to
be a Certified Tempter for Satan. Uncle Screwtape briefs Wormwood in the fine
art of tempting his "Christian patient" away from God. Wormwood's
task is to undermine the Patient's faith as well as to tempt him to specific
sins. Unfortunately, his patient reaffirms his Christian faith and Wormwood is
given a severe reprimand and threatened with severe penalties at the House of
Correction for Incompetent Tempters. Screwtape then tells Wormwood that the
gentle, sliding slope of habitual small sins is more effective than any grand
sin in making the patient follow Satan instead of Christ.
The Tempter is the one who fills our
hearts and minds with what has been known as the seven deadly sins: pride,
covetousness, lust, anger, gluttony, envy, and laziness. Our freedom to choose obviously can be a
bane or a blessing. It becomes a blessing when we choose to replace the sin of
pride with humility, the sin of covetousness with generosity, the sin of lust
with restraint, the sin of anger with kindness, the sin of gluttony with
moderation, the sin of envy with charity, and the sin of laziness with
diligence.
The Lasting Effect of our Sins
We are mistaken if we think our small, habitual sins to be of no lasting
consequence. One person wrote, “If man
were aware of the significance of his actions and his speech he would weigh
each and every act before carrying it out, and would check and examine each and
every word before emitting it from his mouth. The actions of man have an
enormous impact on everything - on literally all of existence. Every word which
comes out of man's mouth has an effect; every act which man carries out makes an
impact.” [Rabbi
If we don’t take the choices we make in
life seriously, then we won’t take sin seriously, we won’t take God seriously,
and we won’t rejoice when forgiven.
Psalm 27 In our psalm for this morning, we read, “The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom
shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid.
Teach me your way, O Lord. Lead me in a straight path because of my oppressors.”
The Lord Jesus can and must be the stronghold of our lives. We must allow God
to teach us his way and then lead us in a straight path.
Avoid Being the Tempter to Others The flip side of being tempted is being the
Tempter and enticing someone else to sin. Jesus was strongly against us
Tempting others to sin. In Luke he said to his disciples, “Temptations to sin are sure to come; but woe to him by whom they come!
It would be better for him if a millstone were hung round his neck and he were
cast into the sea, than that he should cause one of these little ones to sin.”
The Church, the Communion of Saints, was called into being for many reasons,
but one of them is so that we might encourage one another and build one another
up.
We
will continue to Sin
In the weeks, months and years ahead, we’re going to be tested and
tempted. And sometimes when we’re tested, we’re going to flunk the test. We’re
going to miss the mark. Yes, we’re going to sin.
1.
Then it is that we must repent, turn back to God, and ask and receive his
forgiveness. And as James writes, “Submit
yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.”
[4:7]
2. Then
it is that we must rejoice that God forgives our sins and the times we gave in
to the enticements of the Tempter.
3. Then
it is that we walk confidently into the unknown future, knowing that God is our
refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.
Final
thoughts I leave you with this thought. Try to lead your life in
such a way that you wouldn’t be ashamed to sell the family parrot to the town
gossip. Amen.
Psalm 27:1-4, 11-14 NRSV
The
Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear?
The
Lord is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?
When
evildoers assail me to devour my flesh—my adversaries and foes—they shall
stumble and fall.
Though
an army encamp against me, my heart shall not fear; though war rise up
against me, yet I will be confident.
One
thing I asked of the Lord, that will I seek after: to live in the house of
the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the
Lord, and to inquire in his temple.
Teach
me your way, O Lord, and lead me on a level path because of my
enemies.
Do
not give me up to the will of my adversaries, for false witnesses
have risen against me, and they are breathing out violence.
I
believe that I shall see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the
living.
Wait
for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for
the Lord!
Matthew
4:1-11 NRSV
Then
Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil.
He fasted for forty days and forty nights, and afterwards he was famished. The
tempter came and said to him, ‘If you are the Son of God, command these stones
to become loaves of bread.’ But he answered, ‘It is written,
“One
does not live by bread alone,
but
by every word that comes from the mouth of God.” ’
Then
the devil took him to the holy city and placed him on the pinnacle of the
temple, saying to him, ‘If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down; for it
is written,
“He
will command his angels concerning you”,
and
“On their hands they will bear you up,
so
that you will not dash your foot against a stone.” ’
Jesus
said to him, ‘Again it is written, “Do not put the Lord your God to the test.”
’
Again,
the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of
the world and their splendor; and he said to him, ‘All these I will give you,
if you will fall down and worship me.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Away with you,
Satan! for it is written, “Worship the Lord your God, and serve only him.” ’
Then
the devil left him, and suddenly angels came and waited on him.
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