What Temptation Tries to Do to Us

Hi Everyone-

I hope you enjoyed the Super Bowl commercials ... and the close game too.  I also hope you're having a good day.  I know here in the Pacific Northwest it is absolutely gorgeous, praise God.  Sun, water, mountains, trees, blue sky ... wow.  I think this is what heaven looks like.

Something an author wrote about the temptation of Jesus has me thinking a bit about temptation in our lives.  David Ford writes that the temptations Satan used against Jesus were the opposites of his story's fulfillment, crucifixion and resurrection.  Here's what he says:

"[Jesus'] death can be seen as the fulfillment of a vocation diametrically opposed to the one set before him in his temptations: acute suffering instead of physical satisfaction; weakness and humiliation instead of power and authority; utter failure inflicted by political and religious authorities instead of spectacular success by miraculous means."

The three temptations at the beginning of Jesus' ministry were to turn stone to bread (he'd been fasting for 40 days and was probably pretty hungry), to rule the world politically, and to have angels miraculously save him after he launched himself off the Temple.  Ford is saying these were counter to Jesus fulfilling his mission, death and resurrection.  I think this makes a lot of sense...

Satan told Jesus to gratify his hungry belly by turning stone into bread, but Jesus rejected physical gratification.  Death on the cross was about the furthest one could get away from physical gratification.  It was purposefully one of the most painful ways to die ever invented.

The Devil then offered Jesus political rule over all the nations of the world, which Jesus also rejected.  Instead, he was eventually politically rejected himself by being crucified.  Crucifixion was a political punishment the Romans used for people they viewed as rebellious.

Finally, Satan tells Jesus to jump off the Temple, because after all angels will save him.  While he's dying on the cross people mock Jesus by effectively telling him to get angels to miraculously save him if he's really the Messiah.  Just like in the temptation, he could have called angels in order to "further" himself, but he didn't.

I think the symmetry to these two parts, beginning and end, of Jesus' ministry is pretty cool, but more importantly I think it has good applications to our lives.  I think it shows that the things we're tempted with are meant to lead us directly away from what we're meant to do.  Jesus was meant to die on the cross for us, so Satan tempted him with things that would have been the exact opposite of his purpose.  I'm guessing Satan would never have guessed the cross was Jesus' destination, but I'd think he did know Jesus' purposes included selflessness and sacrifice, so the Deceiver tried to tempt the Son away from these areas.

So, my questions are ... What did God make you to do?  What are you tempted with?  Do you see any connection, do your temptations threaten to lead you away from your purpose?

What do you think?

Grace and peace,
Lang

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