Sermon for the 2 nd Sunday in Advent, December 6, 2009
“ Then was Jesus led up of the spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil. And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was afterward an hungred. And when the tempter came to him, he said, If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread. ”
WHAT doesn't kill you will make you strong. This unwelcome truth gives a cause for temptation, a positive reason we are put to the test. Resistance training: pulling, pushing, lifting weights builds muscles, strengthens bones, pumps blood and makes you healthier than simply doing the same motions without barbells. We must push against something that pushes back or we will just stand there. The temptation I speak of today is not a Motown group, a perfume scent, nor a line of fancy desserts.
Whoever serves God will be tested. Tests are challenging things, and we can hate them, avoid them, or we may face them with purpose—to win. When Jesus went out on the wilderness alone, fasting and praying, He was tested forty days. The temptations came through the devil, as we read, but it was the Spirit who led Him out there for that confrontation. Jesus didn't complain about it—rather, He must have told his disciples about that epic face off and how He responded to Satan.
There are good tests, hard tests, unfair tests and overwhelming defeats. I took all kinds of tests while in school: essays, true or false, multiple guess, and final projects. I remember one set of tests by my political science professor at Cal. He'd taught this class hundreds of times and now lectured in Wheeler Auditorium to 800 students at a time. He never spoke in person to any of us. His tests were multiple choice, five possible answers of which two were certainly wrong, one iffy, and two completely right. He was looking for the right right answer, and marked off double points every time you picked the wrong right answer. A lot of us had negative points on his exams. Tests like this aren't real tests of knowledge, but of style, or mind reading. At least it made me read the material very closely. Even unfair tests teach us something.
God never tempts you to sin, but He does put you into situations where temptation to sin exists, and this He refers to as testing. I think of it like being the on-point man in a patrol of soldiers. The point man was the one who walked out in front of the rest of his platoon. If an enemy were going to shoot, the point man was the target, alerting everyone else of the danger. God definitely uses this means of testing us, putting us in jeopardy where we face fear, opposition, betrayal, attack and battle. A good soldier counts himself dead before he goes to war, so he can face the trouble ahead fearlessly. God uses our natural and supernatural enemies to embolden, strengthen, and test us.
The book of Job illustrates how God even provoked Satan to attack Job, but set limits on the scope of the attack. It is most disquieting to think of God and Satan conversing over what the devil can do to you, but it's there in the Bible. God doesn't tempt, but He tests us and we suffer, strain and are ultimately strengthened. What doesn't kill you makes you strong. And sometimes, as in Job, the only person who understands what you're going through is God.
Temptations come in many forms, but they aren't really temptations unless they truly tempt us. Satan had to figure out what Jesus wanted, truly craved, in order to put something in front of Him that might move Him out of His divinely ordained path. Changing stones to bread was elementary, but a sound first move, trying to see if mere hunger could betray the God-man into obeying the devil. Christ's true role as Messiah, and finally the rightful ruler of the world the devil offered in his own diabolic way. You and I might not want to jump off the Temple tower or rule the world, but these were real issues for the One who could and should impress people with His divinity.
What tempts you? Oh, did I ask that in Church? A whole jar of red licorice sticks can't make me crave stealing even one. I hate ‘em. Maybe black licorice, but certainly dark chocolate covered truffles . Offer them to me and I might have three . Food, drink, sweets, gluttonous pleasures are so close to the body's sensual pay-offs that we may fall for over-eating or drinking without knowing we've been tested—and failed. Again . That's why it's one of the seven deadlies.
Pride, envy, anger, covetousness, gluttony, lust and sloth: my dear Father Harley Wright Smith's favorite sermon refrain. Dorothy L. Sayers and C. S. Lewis conclude that the last three of these, sins of the body, while the most obvious in their pursuit may be lesser in damage to the soul than the first four. Don't be relieved at that. Deadly is deadly , and many have fallen dead through substance abuse, alcoholism, cholesterol, and obesity leading to diabetes. Many.
Lust has gained so much headway that only gross perversion even moves some of us to revulsion anymore. Simple sexual enticement passes itself off as a clever ad campaign, décor, a celebration of the human form. We're much too easily entertained by young healthy bodies. Looking and yearning is as far as we often go—and tell ourselves that's okay. Jesus said that's enough to commit adultery in your heart. It's too easy. We often need to just close our eyes.
Sloth becomes obvious when the bills pile up and the indolent won't go out to find a job. It's more subtle when a loved one or poor person needs some loving care and we can't be bothered. The TV is sloth's best friend, and the remote control was invented in hell to make it so easy- click, click, click . But so is the modern computer and its information superhighway, click, click. This isn't bothering any of you, is it?
Those are the outward, sensual-serving sins. Temptations that are so easy to follow and justify get by our radar. But the more inward sins, temptations to pride, envy, anger and acquisition can be cast in dignified dress as positive attributes. We are tempted by the self-confidence and self-esteem mentors to have a better view of ourselves. Not a bad idea, if it's true. If we exaggerate our idea of ourselves, sin is crouching at the door. Pride has actually so many faces, costumes and modes of attitude it goes unnoticed for decades. It's almost identical with what we call the human condition, as we're born with this perspective inside our own skin, egocentric without trying. We could confess pride every moment of each day and be right. But when pride combines with other sins is when it's most lethal—for it makes virtue out of evil and justice out of any offence.
Pride added to envy, for instance, caused Lucifer to rebel in heaven and lead 1/3 of God's angels to fall, or so we interpret the scriptures. Envy hates whatever is higher, better off, has something we lack, is something we are not. That hatred leads possibly to harm, but already the sense of outrage and offence at the possessions of another hurts at least one soul: our own. Envy starts wars, maintains ghettoes, elects demagogues, and justifies every kind of interpersonal crime. Its only antidote is lots of love. If you envy, work on love: pray for it, express it in prayer, and live free.
Anger is a fire in the bones, and as an expression of pride and envy it can even kill. Jesus extended the ancient prohibition against murder by citing undue and unabated anger, speaking against others, cursing someone's life, and holding a grudge. These are all tickets punched for hell. We object that divine anger, moral outrage, Jesus with the moneychangers —are good, and we're right. Be God, then employ them fearlessly. If you're mortal , then beware. Anger may be a righteous tool, kept in check. Unchecked, and you eat yourself alive. If you get angry every time you listen to someone on the radio, stop listening. I mean it. It's not good for you.
American's have no problem with covetousness. This is because everything we desire we already bought, on credit. There is hardly an object of desire we deny ourselves. By giving into temptation, we have triumphed over temptation— but what good is that? Our possessions own us. Life is, or ought to be about getting rid of about 80% of what we have. Living simply, having things we really can use for good purpose, owning what we own without debt, and being satisfied with less: that's a diet we might all get on and never get off of. But the highways are lined with self-storage facilities bulging with the things that no longer fit in our garages, attics, and spare bedrooms. C'mon— how much of this do we really need? Not one scrap of it will fit into your coffin.
Temptation : it's the stuff with your address, profile, pedigree and prescription tailor-made for just you. Another man's temptation may appall you that someone could fall for such base sin. I thought it interesting how everyone was shocked at the disclosure of Tiger Woods' philandering, and yet the pictures galleries of the women he sinned with were constantly offered on the news for the world to gawk at. Be shocked, but look. That's the modern way of sin. Get angry, but tell everybody about it . Send the email around. Tell the off-colored joke. Temptation is easy when we just fall for it. But whatever kills you, makes you weak. We might adopt another strategy: St. James wrote: “My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing… Blessed is the man who endures temptation; for when he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him. Let no one say when he is tempted, ‘I am tempted by God'; for God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He Himself tempt anyone. But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed. Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death.” James 1:2-4; 12-15 The world desperately needs a Church that stops succumbing to its temptations. The world needs a positive Christians witness that sin is not inevitable, but that there is help in God, and forgiveness and new life in Jesus Christ.
Jesus taught us in His prayer, to ask the Father not to lead us into temptation, but rather deliver us from the evil one. God may put us out on point at times; even give us crosses to bear. But it's all for the working of our redemption, and the strengthening of our faith. “Rejoice to the extent that you partake of Christ's sufferings, that when His glory is revealed, you may also be glad with exceeding joy.” 1 Peter 4:13
PFH+