Tempted

Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted[a] by the devil.

Matthew 4:1-11

When I was young my family would regularly gather around the T.V. on Sunday afternoons to watch the great epics that used to so regularly air. At this time of year, it was "The Greatest Story Ever Told." A Cecil B. Demille masterpiece with a “cast of thousands” and stars like Charleton Heston, Carroll Baker, Max von Sydow, Pat Boone, Angela Lansbury and so many others.

I can clearly recall the “led into the desert” scene and the solitary wandering over sand and stone until the appearance of Satan. Here, the camera zoomed in on a hungry, pasty-faced Jesus as he rounded the corner of a rock cliff, only to be confronted by a content and over-satisfied Lucifer gorging himself on meat and bread. It is in that context, looking first from the food to Lucifer, that Jesus hears the tempting words, “Here, you look hungry. Change these rocks to bread so you too can be full.”

Again, a bit later on, Jesus is again confronted by a reclining and comfortable Lucifer, who tempts Jesus to manipulate God into proving his power and love. Lastly, as Jesus reaches the summit of his climb, he finds Satan there, eager to give him the whole world; all Jesus has to do is a bit of worship.

Looking back, I know that much of my initial understanding of the Christian story came from this movie and others like it. This was the intention of the movies—beyond pure entertainment, they were a witness. I had other instructors in my faith, my Mom and Dad, Sunday School, and the worship service, but there was a power in those images that excited and humbled the heart. It took me years and quite a bit of study to realize that, despite the great acting, I had misunderstood the temptation event.

Food or personal comfort, self-importance or vanity, and easy results with minimum effort to achieve power—those were the temptations that Lucifer offered. Why would Lucifer do such a thing? He had to know what the outcome would be, or would he? What Lucifer did know was that they had worked in the past, and Jesus was in every way human as we are, so it was worth a try.

Every day, we are tempted in some way or another. Sometimes the temptation is easy to identify. Finding some money on the floor, do we turn it in or pocket it? But other times, the temptation can be much subtler, preying on our weaknesses or our best intentions. Often, temptation is not about what is what is right or what is wrong, but about what is harder or easier.          

This seems to be the one we struggle with the most, and it has perhaps the most long-lasting and far-reaching repercussions. We say with disdain in the vernacular, "he took the easy way out." We read in church news, "rather than face the difficult task of telling everyone, they sought to hide the truth." We hear in the world press—“the building was constructed with substandard materials; it simply couldn't withstand the tremor." Or how about in our own lives? When was the last time you heard yourself say this one: "I didn't want to hurt his feelings, so I didn't say anything"?

Lucifer knew Jesus would be king, but he also knew the pain and difficulty of the task ahead. Lucifer offered a much easier road. Jesus would still be king, sort of, and able to avoid all those pesky trials. Lucifer did not count on Jesus’ devotion to the Father’s will. In reality, doing the right thing often means doing the harder thing; therefore, the temptation will always contain the easy way out.

As we began our Lenten journey, our lectionary presented us with the Transfiguration. Jesus was Transfigured to reflect the will of the Father and the obedience of the Son. Now it’s our turn. Lent is the period the church has set aside to help us with our transfiguration.

This is the heart of Lent, when we look inside ourselves and see who we truly are, recognize our true nature, and face the temptations we overcome and the ones we give into.
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Jesus went into the desert for forty days, a spiritual desert as well as a physical one, to strip away the distractions of life. Lent for us must be a spiritual desert. A time when we focus and draw close to God. This is a time when we face the Devil and, relying on the Holy Spirit, change our lives in thought and word and deed. In turning, growing, and knowing, we are spiritually transfigured into the likeness of love and devotion for Jesus.
 
Tempted,
 
Fr. Bill+