March 9, 2025 First Sunday in Lent The text is Luke 4:1-13.
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1Jesus, 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.
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May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable to You, El Adonai, my rock and my Redeemer.
Grace, mercy, and peace are yours from God the Father and our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.
It’s the Sunday after Ash Wednesday and that means we are starting the forty days that comprise Lent. We are invited into a time of self-reflection, penitence, and an intentional journey to discern who and whose we are. And this morning we begin this endeavor as we encounter Jesus in the wilderness, undergoing his own struggle with temptation and self-awareness. This event happens immediately after John the Baptist baptizes Jesus in the Jordan River. As he comes up from the water, the Holy Spirit alights on Jesus in the form of a dove.
The voice of God proclaims; “you are my Son, with whom I am well pleased”. Jesus’ baptism marks the beginning of his mission and we would think that it would be right after the Holy Spirit ascending upon him that he would at that point, Spirit-filled and with the Father’s proclamation that he is God’s Son, and that he would start his ministry. But it seems that this same Spirit has other plans; this same Holy Spirit leads Jesus into the wilderness, where he is to spend forty days before he begins his mission in earnest. It is at the end of these forty days that a famished Jesus is tempted by the devil, and we read that Jesus resisted all the enticements offered to him. It seems that once this testing was over, it was then that Jesus was fully prepared to enter into his ministry.
Before we examine this testing of Jesus, we might want to look at the timing and place the 40 days in he spent in the desert, in perspective. The bible tells us that Moses spent 40 days writing the covenant that God made with the people of Israel. The Israelites spent forty years wandering in the desert before they came into the promised land. Jesus spent 40 days in the wilderness during his temptation. Christians participate in Lent, which lasts 40 days. In a moment we shall revisit this timing and attempt to coordinate our Lenten journey with the time Jesus spent being tested.
In the meantime, perhaps we should consider what Jesus was experiencing during his time in the wilderness. Luke writes that the devil was testing Jesus, promising him authority, and coaxing him to put God to the test. In our gospel reading this morning the devil in Greek is named as “diabolou”, and this is the root of the English word, diabolical, and has become to mean something or someone, demonic. The challenge however comes when we examine the way the devil was viewed by our Jewish ancestors in Jesus’ time. The Greek word that was used by Luke to represent the devil was translated from the original Aramaic or Hebrew that Jesus and his contemporaries spoke. That Hebrew term is “yetzer hara”. And our Jewish ancestors understood this to refer, not to a specific being, as the devil is thought of today, but as the internal sinful nature that exists within all people. Also, called “Sataan”, the ancient Jews termed this concept as tempter, tester, adversary, opposer, hinderer, slanderer, and other terms that described the ways that humans internally question and perhaps oppose their own intentions.
Now, we can’t be certain that Luke viewed the devil as being the internal doubts and conflict that humans experience within themselves, or as the corporal expression of the fallen angel that Satan is said to be by many in modern times. The fact is, the nature of the devil as a demonic entity only came into being a few centuries after the start of Christianity. The concept of the devil in the time of Jesus’ Jewish religion and culture remained as the evil thoughts that exist within people themselves. But it is possible that, since the Holy Spirit had just a short time earlier alighted upon Jesus and we read that this same Spirit drove him into the wilderness to be tested, perhaps this was a God-directed event, designed to allow Jesus the time to confirm his readiness for his mission doubt-free.
On the other hand, if Jesus was, in fact tempted by an external adversary, it doesn’t change the outcome of his ordeal. When the 40 days had ended, Jesus emerged from the wilderness, Spirit-filled and fully prepared to engage in the mission and ministry that God the Father had sent him to accomplish. Whatever testing he had undergone in his humanness, he overcame because of his divine nature. This duality of identity that Jesus possesses, him being fully human and at the same time, fully divine; only Jesus exhibits this nature. Not so the rest of us, for we are merely human, and our battles with our demons, whether against outside forces or those we wage within ourselves, are resolved solely by our own devices. But the good news is that while we do not share Jesus’ divinity, we are nonetheless blessed with the ability to call upon the same Holy Spirit for help and guidance as we face our struggles in the wilderness that often seeps into our lives.
Let’s take a moment to consider how our Lenten journey mirrors in many ways the testing of Jesus in the wilderness. Lent is the perfect time to reflect on the manner in which we resist or succumb to what tests us, whether from without or within. And, as we noted we humans are not imbued with the strength of character that the divine Jesus possesses; but we do have the ability to choose how we respond to the trials which test us. And because of our human frailty we are often unable to reach conclusions that are in our own best interest; or for the matter, yield positive results for those around us. Thus, we must depend on God to guide us in the choices we make. And as we journey through Lent, we are called to a time of self-reflection and prayer, in order that we might be blessed with Spirit-led lives.
For our God is always eager to hear us when we reach out in humble prayer. When we approach our Father with willing hearts and a sincere desire to repent of that which we know diminishes us, God is ready to engage with us. And when we face those wilderness trials that test us, the Spirit of God remains available to provide comfort and encouragement just as was provided to Christ. The Holy Spirit that was present at our baptism remains with us always, confirming that we are God’s children; accepted, forgiven, and promised salvation; in spite of the tests we face and often fail.
So, as we journey toward the darkness of Good Friday and ultimately the joy of Easter, let us do so with intention and purpose. As baptized members of God’s family and followers of Jesus Christ, facing our own trials, Lent affords us the opportunity to travel alongside Jesus as he treks toward Jerusalem. Our experience along the way will be more impactful, more meaningful if we acknowledge that which tests us, proclaim our need for repentance, and remain in prayerful relationship with God. Like all tests this might be more challenging than we may anticipate, but it will be worth it. For every minute we spend walking with Jesus is rewarded by gaining a deeper knowledge of our place alongside him, a better understanding of ourselves, and a reminder of our identity as members of the family of God. We may struggle with whatever devil tests us, but we don’t battle our demons alone. Call on the Holy Spirit to lead us safely through our wilderness places and times.
Will you pray with me? Good, and gracious, and Holy God, remind us that as we are baptized into Jesus’ baptism, we are also baptized into his death and resurrection. Be with us as we journey this Lent alongside Jesus and strengthen our resolve to walk his path with him. And we pray these things in the name of Jesus Christ, the One whose Spirit-led life we strive to emulate. Amen.
God is Good, all the time. All the time, God is Good. Amen.