Deuteronomy 26:1-11; Romans 10:8b-13; Luke 4:1-13
After Jesus was baptized by John in the Jordan River, the Holy Spirit moved Him to go out into the wilderness to face temptation. It seems like an odd thing to do as the first step of His public ministry, but today’s Old Testament lesson gives us a context for what was going on. Just as God had once chosen the people of Israel to be His “son” and tested them in the wilderness, Jesus had just been proclaimed “My beloved Son whom I love” and was retracing the steps of God’s people. Over forty days, He faced the same temptations and hardships that the people of Israel had faced during their forty years of wandering. But, unlike them, He did not give into temptation.
Why was Jesus able to withstand temptation but the people of Israel were not (or for that matter, why can’t we?) It’s not because He could only withstand the temptations that faced Him by being true God. Such a position would make His temptation in the wilderness a sham. Keeping in mind that Jesus chose to set aside His divine powers in order to experience the hardships, sufferings, and temptations that we experience, we can see that Jesus faced and dealt with temptation according to His humanity not His divinity. He faced real temptations and the real possibility that He could give into them and sin. But He didn't The reason is that He didn't find temptation tempting.
We know that temptation can be tempting, but sometimes we forget that it doesn't have to be. It’s only tempting when it entices us with something that we desire. If, like Jesus, we desire only those things that are pleasing to our Heavenly Father then temptation is not tempting. So, the problem that we have with temptation (and caving into it) starts with what we desire. By changing our desires, we can keep temptation from being tempting. But how do we change our desires? Today’s Epistle lesson shows us a clear and effective way to align the desires of our hearts with the will of God: “The Word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart.” When God’s Word fills our hearts and minds — when we take it in to such a degree that it starts coming back out in our words — the things of this world take on their proper perspective. Then we see things for what they truly are and our desire for them gives place to a desire for the things of God. And while temptation can be tempting, it’s not for us.
Audio file of the sermon "Temptation Can Be Tempting."
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