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Good Shepherd Lutheran Church Today's Frontline Devotion February 13, 2005 Temptation |
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FRONTLINE DEVOTION FOR SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 13, 2005 by Fritz
Foltz
Matthew
4: 1-11
Here at the beginning of Lent we remember Jesus was tempted just as we are. He
has been fasting 40 days and nights. The pain of the stomach interferes
with the sharpness of the mind. "If you are the Son of God, then you
can stop. Enough is enough. Command these stones to become loaves of
bread." Jesus still is not sure what God wants him to do, so he
refuses. "One does not live by bread alone, but by every last word
from the mouth of God."
The first temptation is simple, to put our own wants ahead of God's will, to
satisfy our own desire before we satisfy God's. We do it all the time. I
need more food before I share with the hungry. I need more a nicer house
before I help the homeless. I need more time to myself before I give time to
God. I need to love myself more before I can get to loving God or other
people. The Dalai Lama claims Americans are always $10 away from happiness.
They always believe they could be content, if they only had $10 more. And
so they never get to the important things of life. Where is line between
need and greed, between enough and too much, between mine and yours, mine and
gods? I am not sure where that line is, but I know I crossed it long ago.
Jesus never crossed it.
Satan goes on, "If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down from a high
place so angels catch you. God loves you so much he does not even want you
to stub your toe. God wants you to be successful." Jesus
replies, "Do not put God to the test. Do not make yourself the focus of
God's concern." The second temptation is about prestige, about being
religious to impress other people, or perhaps even to impress yourself. A
lot of religion is doing the right thing for wrong reason, which might not be
bad except it leads to dividing the world into we and they. We are close
to God. They are not. We are good. They are evil. We are so focused on
ourselves that we never get to carrying God's mission to other people.
Religion becomes how we save ourselves rather than saving the world. Where
is the line between glorifying God and glorifying self, between having a good
reputation and taking advantage of other people, between sharing your talents
and bragging about them? I am not sure I know where that line is, but I
know I crossed it a long time ago. Jesus never did.
Then comes the classic deal. “If you will this for me, I will do that for
you”. Satan takes Jesus to a mountain where he can sees it all. He
offers him rule over it all. Isn't that what it is all about, Jesus as the
benevolent dictator of the world? The only catch is Jesus must worship
him. Jesus responds, "You are to worship God alone". The third
temptation is power. We all want more power. We all claim we shall
use more power to do good. If God allows us to win the lottery, we shall
share with the Church. If we can take time from our family duties to get
more education, we shall use it to serve society. We need a strong
military so we can make world safe. We need to use negative ads to be
elected, but afterwards we shall heal all wounds and use our power to make a
better world. We continually fool ourselves into thinking we can use evil means
to obtain good ends. But evil means damage people who can never recover.
Evil means damage us, and we cannot change. We have sold our souls. Where
is the line between discipline and abuse, between compromise and surrender,
between helping and harming? I am not sure where that line is, but I know
I crossed it a long time ago, and I know Jesus never did.
And because Jesus never crossed that line, he can help us.
Let us pray: Share our darkest moments, Loving Father, that we succumb not to
the temptations that steal our souls. Grant us faith in your promises that we
remain true to your mission. We pray in Jesus’ name. Amen.
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