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Sunday, March 1, 2020

Resisting Temptation

The message given in the United Methodist churches of the Wheatland Parish on Sunday morning, March 1, 2020.  The Bible verses used are Matthew 4:1-11.


            We pray the Lord’s Prayer every Sunday.  I’m sure most of us can recite it from memory.  Now, the Lord’s Prayer is a wonderful prayer, and I’m certainly not going to suggest we stop using it.  But at the same time, because we say it every week, because we’re so familiar with it, I suspect there are times when, during the Lord’s Prayer, our minds wander a little bit.  We start to think about other things.  We’re still saying the words, but we’re not really thinking about what we’re saying.  
            Now, please don’t hear that as a criticism.  Or, if it is, it’s as much a criticism of myself as it is of anyone else, because I’ve done that, too.  It’s just human nature, really.  It’s the same thing when we recite the Pledge of Allegiance or anything else that we’ve said that many times.  We just do it without thinking about it anymore.
            I bring this up because there are ten words from the Lord’s Prayer that fit in well with our reading for today.  We don’t always think of them as being connected, but they are.  “Lead us not into temptation”, and “but deliver us from evil.”
            Those are really important words.  “Lead us not into temptation.”  Why is that so important?  Because temptation is really hard to resist, right?  If it was not, it would not be temptation.  We cannot be tempted to do something that we don’t want to do, at least on some level.  I cannot be tempted to eat spinach, because I don’t want to eat spinach.  I don’t like spinach.  I can be tempted to eat ice cream, because I really want to eat ice cream.  
            And in this context, temptation is something that we really want to do but we know we should not do.  That’s the other reason we cannot be tempted to eat spinach--eating spinach is a good thing to do.  We can be tempted to eat ice cream, because eating ice cream is not a good thing to do.  Don’t get me wrong--I’m not saying eating ice cream is sinful or anything.  But I think we all recognize that it’s not the healthiest thing in the world to eat.
            But it sure tastes good.  And that’s the other thing about temptation.  The thing we’re tempted to do will be really enjoyable--in the short term.  I would really enjoy that ice cream.  I would enjoy getting it in the spoon.  I would enjoy putting it in my mouth.  I would enjoy it as I swallowed it.  I would enjoy it as it went into my stomach.  In the short term, I would love that ice cream.  It’s only in the long term, when I saw my weight going up, when my clothes did not fit right anymore, that I would realize the price I was paying for giving in to that temptation.
            And so, we look at the ways Jesus was tempted.  He had fasted for forty days and forty nights.  And the devil tells him, hey, you know, you don’t have to be hungry.  You’re Jesus.  You’re the divine Son of God.  Why not just turn those stones into bread?
            Was that something Jesus wanted to do, at least on some level?  Probably--he was hungry.  Was it something he knew he should not do?  Yes--he knew the time had not yet come for him to do things like that, and he also knew that he was not supposed to use his divine power just to serve himself.  But would it have been enjoyable, in the short term?  You bet.  After forty days with nothing to eat, bread probably sounded like the best thing in the world to Jesus.
            He did not give in, of course, and we’ll come back to that.  But then the devil took Jesus to the highest spot on the temple.  He says, hey, throw yourself down from here.  You’re Jesus.  You’re the divine Son of God.  The angels will catch you.  Go for it!
            Did Jesus want to do that, at least on some level?  Probably.  It sure would’ve been a good way to get everyone to believe.  People seeing him survive jumping off the temple, and in fact not just survive but bounce right up without a scratch on him.  Only the Messiah could do that, right?  Word would’ve spread all over.  Was it something he knew he should not do?  Yes--as Jesus says, we are not supposed to test God.  But would it have been enjoyable, in the short term?  Sure it would.  Think of how that would feel, to be able to do something like that!
            Jesus did not do it, of course.  So the devil takes Jesus to a high mountain.  He shows Jesus all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor.  And he says to Jesus, “I’ll give you all this if you’ll worship me.”
            Now, I’m not suggesting that Jesus wanted to bow down and worship Satan.  But the offer of the kingdoms of the world--well, did Jesus want to rule all those kingdoms, at least on some level?  Maybe.  After all, think of all the good he could’ve done.  He could’ve ended poverty, oppression, injustice, all kinds of things.  He could’ve made the world as it should be.  But was it something he knew he should not do?  Yes.  The day will come when Jesus comes again and establishes the kingdom, but the time for it was not then.  But would it have been enjoyable, at least in the short term?  Yes.  To be able to do all that would’ve been awesome.
            But again, Jesus resisted.  And that brings us to the other words of the Lord’s Prayer that we’re looking at:  “but deliver us from evil”.
            We recognize that the things Jesus was tempted to do were evil because they came from the devil.  Anything the devil tempts us to do is pretty much evil by definition.  But, is evil really involved in everything we’re tempted to do?  You might say no--but think about it.  We’ve already said that the things we’re tempted to do are things we should not do.  That means they’re not good things.  Well, if something is not good, what is it?  It’s evil, right?  What other choice is there?
            Maybe you say, well, but some things are not really good or evil.  They’re just neutral.  Well, maybe.  But if we’re doing things that we would call neutral, by definition that takes our time, our effort, our focus away from doing things that are good.  And that’s one of the ways that evil attacks us.  Evil does not always attack us by trying to get us to do things that are clearly wrong, like murder or stealing or things like that.  If it did, it would be a lot easier to resist--most of us are not killers or thieves and don’t have any desire to be.  Evil attacks us by telling us, “Oh, go ahead.  It won’t hurt anyone.  Nobody’ll know the difference anyway.  Besides, it’s not really wrong.  Just do it.”  We pray for God to deliver us from evil because evil can be really persuasive.  
            But here’s the thing:  God may not lead us to temptation, but quite often we lead ourselves there, because the thing we’re tempted to do will be so enjoyable in the short term.  And God may want to deliver us from evil, but quite often we refuse to be delivered, because we really want to do the thing we know we should not do.  So what do we do?
            Well, what did Jesus do?  Each time Jesus was tempted by the devil, Jesus quoted scripture.  Jesus said to the devil, you’re not going to get me to do something I know I should not do, because I know the will of God the Father.  I know what God wants me to do, and it’s not what you’re trying to get me to do.  So I’m not going to do it.
            Now, does that mean we should all go home and memorize scripture so we can resist temptation?  Well, it would not hurt anything.  There are certainly worse ways you could spend the afternoon.  But no, I don’t think it means that.  Here’s what I do think it means, though.
            It means, for one thing, that we need to be prepared.  We need to be prepared to fight temptation and be delivered from evil.  Jesus was able to resist the temptations of the devil because he was ready for them.  Jesus was not taken by surprise by anything the devil did or said.  You and I need to be ready, too.  We need to know what we’re going to say or do when we’re tempted, so we don’t stumble simply because we’re caught by surprise.
            And it also means we need to stay close to God.  Jesus was not just pulling random scripture quotes out of the air.  Jesus was quoting the right scriptures at the right time.  He was able to do that because he knew God’s will.  And he did not just know God’s will in a general sense.  He knew God’s will for him, personally.  He knew why he was here and what he was supposed to do.  He knew that because he was close to God.
            Do you know God’s will?  Do you know God’s will for you, personally?  Do you know why you’re here and what you’re supposed to do?
            If not, again, don’t take that as a criticism.  It’s not always an easy thing to know.  Some people go their whole lives not knowing it.  But we should try.  And the only way I know to do that is through prayer.
            Jesus spent a lot of time in prayer.  You and I probably need to spend more time in prayer, too.  I say “probably” because I don’t know how much time you spend in prayer.  I don’t doubt there are people here who spend more time in prayer than I do.  But I’d encourage us all to try to spend more.  And when we do, ask God about this.  Ask God what God’s will is for you, personally.  Ask God why you’re here and what you’re supposed to do.
            And then try to hear God’s response.  It may or may not come in words.  But if we pray this, and if we pray it sincerely and consistently, and if we keep our eyes and our ears and our hearts open, I’m pretty sure God will give us a response.  And once we have that response, we’ll be much better able to resist temptation and to stay away from evil.
            “Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil”.  That’s not just words we say.  It’s a lifestyle we need to acquire.  And if we spend time with God, we’ll be able to acquire it.  We will stay away from temptation and have more time to do good.  We’ll be following the example of Jesus Christ.  And there’s no better example we can follow than that.

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