The Great Temptation: Part Dos

Matthew 4:5-7
5 Then the devil took him to the holy city, Jerusalem, to the highest point of the Temple, 6 and said, “If you are the Son of God, jump off! For the Scriptures say,
‘He will order his angels to protect you.

And they will hold you up with their hands

    so you won’t even hurt your foot on a stone.’”
7 Jesus responded, “The Scriptures also say, ‘You must not test the Lord your God.’”

We talked about desire vs. need in the last devotional, in the first temptation that Jesus faced in the wilderness.  Today, let’s talk about Fear vs. Faith.  In the second temptation, the devil takes Jesus up to the highest point, presumably of the temple in Jerusalem and dares him to jump off to find out if God would send his angels to cushion his fall, to see if God really cares.  This is not a simple game of dares.  This is a test of the very core of his being.  The devil starts off saying ‘IF you are the Son of God…’ doing his best to put the seed of doubt not just in his mind, more importantly, in his heart.  This doubt is not the intellectual kind but the essential kind, of Identity.  With the identity as the Son of God comes the authority and power of a king or a prince.  Subjects serve kings and princes loyally because their identity is known.  If that identity is shaken or in doubt, their authority and power are stripped and… off with their heads!!  The devil was simply trying to create doubt in Jesus’ mind to keep him from exercising his authority and power, to do and accomplish what he was supposed to do.  Doubt leads to stress and anxiety, which can lead to indecision, which can lead to paralysis, and eventually death.  And at the heart of this doubt is fear, in this case, the fear of isolation.

Jesus repeatedly said things like “I and the Father are one,” reinforcing his identity as the Son of God.  Putting doubt in his mind by making him question his oneness with God would make his authority and power null, and for all intents and purposes his ministry, void.

This is what happens to us on a daily basis.  We are ‘tempted’ to question our oneness with God, therefore compromise the power and freedom bestowed upon us to live fully. We’re also tempted in many other ways that allows fear to become dominant in our lives.

Fear works because it focuses our attention on our deficiencies.  Fear keys into on what think we lack of ourselves and as compared to others.  Fear of being alone, of not having enough; time, talent or treasures, not smart enough, not strong enough, not beautiful enough, not worthy enough, not loved enough, just plain not being enough. Rarely does anyone fear having too much talent, or wealth or any of the things mentioned above.  As I said, fear creates doubt, stress, anxiety, paralysis, and then eventually death.  If you have many fears and are wondering why the quality of your life is so bad, it’s because there is no life in fear, only death; you cannot live in fear.  The only way to overcome Fear is by Faith as trust.

Notice what Jesus says in response to the challenge, ‘you must not test the Lord your God.’  Again, this is not an intellectual challenge we’re talking about here.  We’re talking about relationships not religion.  Intellectually, we are free to doubt or question anything and everything, traditions, doctrine, dogma, and law.  We don’t question them because we’re afraid, but because we disagree.  Our relationship with God is about trust, believing in God’s promises to help us overcome our fears, believing and trusting when he says that we don’t have to be what others want us to be.  We just have to accept that we are loved for who we are.

The believing and trust happens in this manner.  There is no way for anyone, not even God, to prove this love, just like there’s no way to convince someone that they are beautiful, or worthy intelligent, or talented, or strong, or simply, enough, when they don’t already believe it of themselves.  At the end of the day they just have to believe it and trust.  This kind of faith, as trust, cancels out fear.  That’s what Jesus was doing.  He knew that the act of testing God would be futile.  At the end of the day all he could do was trust in God’s presence for peace.  What the devil was trying to do was throw a wrench into that trust, to introduce fear for a snowball effect.

It’s funny that I just preached on this very topic yesterday (7/29/12).  I’ll see if I can post the audio for you soon.

The Great Temptation: Part Uno.

Matthew 4:1-11

Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted there by the devil. 2 For forty days and forty nights he fasted and became very hungry.
3 During that time the devil came and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become loaves of bread.”
4 But Jesus told him, “No! The Scriptures say,
‘People do not live by bread alone,

    but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’”

5 Then the devil took him to the holy city, Jerusalem, to the highest point of the Temple, 6 and said, “If you are the Son of God, jump off! For the Scriptures say,
‘He will order his angels to protect you.

And they will hold you up with their hands

    so you won’t even hurt your foot on a stone.’”
7 Jesus responded, “The Scriptures also say, ‘You must not test the Lord your God.’”

8 Next the devil took him to the peak of a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. 9 “I will give it all to you,” he said, “if you will kneel down and worship me.”
10 “Get out of here, Satan,” Jesus told him. “For the Scriptures say,
‘You must worship the Lord your God

    and serve only him.’”
11 Then the devil went away, and angels came and took care of Jesus.

This little ‘battle of the minds’ is a significant event in the life and ministry of Jesus.  Jesus goes off into the wilderness to do a little soul searching and get his mind right before he begins his campaign.  One would expect this from a teacher who is serious about his calling.  That Jesus would do this is not extraordinary in any way.  The fact that he did it for forty days and nights seems quite the feat.  Over the years, I’ve had many people ask me, ‘did he really fast for forty days and nights?’  It’s not unreasonable to think that he did, but I believe the point here is that he was out there for however long it took to get his heart and mind ready for what laid ahead.  No one was keeping track of his comings and goings making sure he really did it for that long.  Consequently, forty days and nights is a marker for a period of preparation or fulfillment in the Bible.  It shows up all over the place. (The rains (in Noah’s day) fell for 40 days and nights, Israel wandered in the wilderness for 40 years, Moses was with God in the mount for 40 days and nights, David reigned over Israel for 40 years, Elijah had one meal that gave him strength for 40 days, God gave Nineveh 40 days to repent (Story of Jonah & the whale), Jesus fasted 40 days and nights, Jesus remained on earth 40 days after resurrection.) Obviously it doesn’t matter how long Jesus fasted, whether it was forty or sixty or whatever days.  What’s important is what happened while he was out there.

Moving on, this narrative is important because it shows us the frailty and humanity of the man Matthew wants to portray as more than human.  In this narrative we are confronted with three elements that pose the greatest threat to the peace and joy God wants for us: desire, fear, and pride.  Their antitheses are: need, faith, and humility.  Jesus is confronted with the things that we are confronted with on a daily basis.  The Jesus we see mostly in the gospels is a man who is virtually unfettered and unaffected by what most of us struggle with everyday.  This narrative shows us that Jesus was susceptible to everything we struggle with, but that he overcomes them and gains peace.

We all have needs.  Getting what we need, ‘our daily bread,’ is not a problem for most of us in this society.  In truth, we have more than we need don’t we?  Then, why the struggle?  We struggle because our desires overshadow our needs.  The devil ‘tempts’ Jesus with what we would identify as a need but for Jesus, although he was extremely hungry, what he needed at the moment was deeper understanding.  Food was not a priority.  He forsook his desires for what he needed.  The concept of seeking what we need and not what we want is alien to us so we work tirelessly to fulfill our desires more and more.  But what we need is deeper understanding of who we are, what we’re doing and why we’re doing it; the same questions I’m certain Jesus was wrestling with in that desert.  He was trying to discern God’s calling for him, God’s word for him, understanding that was more important and necessary than filling his belly.  No matter who you are, a belly full of food will be empty again in a matter of hours, but a heart and mind full of understanding lasts forever.

We have developed such a low tolerance for pain, discomfort, and conflict that when we don’t get what we want we are so easily threatened, therefore distracted from thinking about what we need.  Ultimately, so many of us, in the relentless pursuit of things that are truly unnecessary, things that cause harm, abandon peace for desires, in life and relationships.  Something to think about no?  Good time to pause for thought here.  We’ll tackle the fear and pride in the following devotionals.

The Beginning of the Story: Part 2

Matthew 3:13-17

13 Then Jesus went from Galilee to the Jordan River to be baptized by John. 14 But John tried to talk him out of it. “I am the one who needs to be baptized by you,” he said, “so why are you coming to me?”

15 But Jesus said, “It should be done, for we must carry out all that God requires.” So John agreed to baptize him.

16 After his baptism, as Jesus came up out of the water, the heavens were opened and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and settling on him. 17 And a voice from heaven said, “This is my dearly loved Son, who brings me great joy.” 

This scene on the banks of the Jordan reveals to us something about the importance of baptism.  Baptism is not unique to Christianity.  Sorry folks, but John didn’t own the patent to this ancient ritual.  It was practiced by many ancient cultures as a ritual of cleansing and renewal for obvious reasons.  John merely took what was familiar to many and used it to enhance his message of repentance and renewal.  Once a person was washed in the waters of renewal she was never to be the same again.  Going back to the earlier verses of this chapter, baptism and repentance implied a decision and intention to never return to the state of separation from God.

This scene also marks the ‘passing of the torch’ from John to Jesus.  John plainly tells people that he was just the precursor to the one who is coming, the One whose sandals he is ‘not worthy to carry.’  This baptism signals the beginning of Jesus’ ministry as it does the end of John’s.  As far as we know Jesus himself never baptized anyone but like bookends, Jesus uses baptism as an event and an idea to mark his own ministry.  Fast forward to Matthew’s account of the ascension, Jesus tells his disciples to go and baptize the nations in the name of God, son and Holy Spirit.  At certain points in his ministry Jesus uses the baptism motif to speak about his suffering and death.  In Mark 10 for example, Jesus refers to his suffering to come as a form of baptism.  The point about baptism we’re supposed to get from the gospels is this; the sacrament of baptism is pretty dang important in Christianity.  The question is, is it important to you?

Many people get baptized or get their babies baptized to fill some need for keeping with tradition.  Heed John’s warning to the teachers of religious, those whom he calls ‘brood of snakes’; tradition will not save you.  It will not help you renew your dying marriage, or help you make sense of your life.  It will not comfort you in times of trouble with the assurance of God’s presence, nor will it ever be a companion in times of loneliness.  Traditions are supposed to do just one thing; help us remember.  But what is it that we remember?  Do we remember the ritual itself or its meaning?  That’s where I think people have lost their way.  Without the meaning, it does not matter if you were baptized once or a thousand times, baptized one or a thousand babies.  Also, the meaning absent of the intent of remembering it in our lives is useless.

Baptism renews us.  It brings new life.  And each time we determine to change and become the person that God wants us to be, we are baptized anew.  Not by water, but by Spirit.  Each time we forgive, love, show compassion, mercy, understanding and patience, each time we are out of character with our old selves and intend to adopt the character or Christ, we are baptized.  Baptism renews us so that we may go and baptize others in the same spirit of renewal not tradition.  It is the core of the Christian faith.  Remember your baptism and be thankful.

The Beginning of the Story: Part 1

Matthew 3

In those days John the Baptist came to the Judean wilderness and began preaching. His message was, 2 “Repent of your sins and turn to God, for the Kingdom of Heaven is near.” 3 The prophet Isaiah was speaking about John when he said,

“He is a voice shouting in the wilderness,
‘Prepare the way for the Lord’s coming!
  Clear the road for him!’”

4 John’s clothes were woven from coarse camel hair, and he wore a leather belt around his waist. For food he ate locusts and wild honey. 5 People from Jerusalem and from all of Judea and all over the Jordan Valley went out to see and hear John. 6 And when they confessed their sins, he baptized them in the Jordan River.

7 But when he saw many Pharisees and Sadducees coming to watch him baptize, he denounced them. “You brood of snakes!” he exclaimed. “Who warned you to flee God’s coming wrath? 8 Prove by the way you live that you have repented of your sins and turned to God. 9 Don’t just say to each other, ‘We’re safe, for we are descendants of Abraham.’ That means nothing, for I tell you, God can create children of Abraham from these very stones. 10 Even now the ax of God’s judgment is poised, ready to sever the roots of the trees. Yes, every tree that does not produce good fruit will be chopped down and thrown into the fire.

11 “I baptize with water those who repent of their sins and turn to God. But someone is coming soon who is greater than I am—so much greater that I’m not worthy even to be his slave and carry his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire. 12 He is ready to separate the chaff from the wheat with his winnowing fork. Then he will clean up the threshing area, gathering the wheat into his barn but burning the chaff with never-ending fire.”

The Gospel of Matthew is attributed to Matthew, the hated tax collector.  He was hated because he was a Jew who worked to exploit his own people for the Romans.  He collected much more than was necessary, gave unto Caesar what belonged to Caesar then kept the rest for himself.  Nice guy right?  Being a Jew, he wrote form the Jewish perspective for the conversion of the Jewish people, the Chosen nation.  In Matthew, we see elements not found in the other gospels for that specific reason.  The genealogy of Jesus, the Virgin birth and pursuant narrative are important religious elements for the Jews of Matthew’s time.  This gospel was probably written sometime in the second half of the first century probably around 85 – 105 A.D. (or C.E. ‘Common Era’)

We begin the study of Matthew in chapter 3.  Jesus’ genealogy of Jesus, the story of the virgin birth and the family’s exile to Egypt are stories that are not shared with the other gospels, not because they aren’t true necessarily, but because they do not focus on Jesus’ ministry.  I encourage you to read it on your own for your edification.  We will begin here in chapter three because this chapter marks the beginning of his ministry; the acceptance of his calling.  But before we get to Jesus, we have to talk about John the Baptist.

He was a fiery character who didn’t have a single funny bone in his body.  He was all business all the time, not the kind of guy you want to go to a movie with on a Friday night, unless you like the impatient fidgety type.  To each his own.  John was a man with a mission who wanted to get the message out to his contemporaries, ‘Repent! For the kingdom of Heaven is near!’  Just the other day my 11 year old asked me what ‘repent’ meant.  I told him ‘Repenting means saying sorry to God for doing what God doesn’t want us to do.’  I’ll take that another step and add, ‘and NEVER doing that thing again.’  It seems we’ve reduced the idea of repenting down to a feeling of remorse and regret but not much else.  But what we don’t get in that is the determination to never return to that state of rebellion.  What good is it to go to church week in and week out crying our eyes out for what we gone and done, feeling sorry for it, without the intention to change, returning to the same state immediately after?  That obviously isn’t repentance.  That’s just feeling bad for a little while.  Jesus, as you will see, is forgiving of people who were caught in the act.  He forgave them but also admonished them by saying ‘go and sin no more.’  The writer of Proverbs would characterize such a person as a dog that returns to its vomit (yeah, I know you needed that image in the morning… you’re welcome.  Haha!).  That’s why he was, as was Jesus, so brutal when dealing with the Pharisees and teachers of religious law (not to mention the fact that Matthew wanted to lure Jewish converts by discrediting the religious institution, Jewish traditions, and lineage, see bold italics in scripture) and that’s what got him beheaded not long after Jesus appears.

The message was clear to everyone.  There’s a new sheriff in town and things are gonna get cleaned up right quick.  The Kingdom of Heaven motif (‘Kingdom of God’ in the other gospels) runs through out Matthew’s gospel signaling the emergence of a new King and with him, new laws.

A Bad Boy I’ll Always Be…

I know, I know… I’ve been bad.  My last post was June 20.  But I’ll have you know that since then I’ve been busy.  Honest!  I’ve moved from Vernon to Neptune, packed, unpacked, ran like a deranged fool around the house in my boxers screaming ‘I gotta meet the deadline!!  I gotta meet the deadline!!’ until I woke up in front of the refrigerator, a kosher pickle in one hand and a handful of mayonnaise in the other. I hate when that happens… My apologies about the visual, I know you didn’t need that so early in the morning (or any other time of day).  That’s just my way of saying that I hate moving.

Let me update you on what’s up with the Blog.  I haven’t heard from anyone about what book we should do next.  Nope, not a soul.  But I know what everyone was thinking… ‘Revelation!!’  We’ve been over this already haven’t we?  Well, since I’ve pretty much mauled down the apostle known as Paul, I thought we should return to our roots and study the gospels.  What do you think?  I think a good expose on what Jesus taught his disciples to guide us along would be a great thing.  I know you agree…  lol.

So, starting next week, I will begin with the Gospel of Matthew on Monday.  Oh, that’s the thing I mentioned in the last post.  Morning Devotions will be on Mondays and Thursdays going forward.  By the way, I thought you would like to know that we have readers of the blog from England, Canada, South America and Africa!!  Isn’t technology something else??  Welcome to our readers from around the globe.  I hope you didn’t find that pickle and mayonnaise things too weird or creepy for a ‘spiritual’ blog.  Haha!!

Hope you are all well!!  Leave a comment!

Peace…