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The gospel reading for the first Sunday of Lent is the story of Jesus being led by the Holy Spirit into the wilderness for a period of forty days where he was tempted by the Devil. The scriptures tell us, “he ate nothing at all during those days, and when they were over, he was famished”.
Now the first temptation Jesus was tempted by the Devil was the very thing that Jesus had given up for the Lord. It was food! I can personally confirm to you from my own experience that whatever we decide to give up as a Lenten discipline is exactly what will be our Lenten temptation. Have you ever noticed that in your life? For example, give up chocolate and suddenly it is like there are radar detectors in one’s body seeking out chocolate in any form. Seems like nothing will satisfy the sweet tooth, but one little piece of chocolate. But it never stops with one, does it? After all, if you are going to break a fast, then break it big! Why settle for one piece when you can eat a whole boxful of chocolates? Repentance can come in the morning or the middle of the night when the stomach aches start.
Don’t get me wrong! I am not encouraging any of you to break your Lenten discipline. I am just trying to point out to you, how sin works. It starts off small, and then before we know it we have slid down the slippery slope into a big mess.
Much different from most of us, the scripture tells us that Jesus did not give up a certain food for forty days, but all food. Think about that one for a moment. How many here are giving up all food for Lent? Raise your hand so we can pray for you. This may sound humorous, but I can guarantee you that the greater the sacrifice, the greater the time needed to set aside for prayer. This is why Jesus is led by the Spirit into the wilderness.
Most of us, have been reading this story all wrong. We think of the wilderness as a place we do not want to go. After all, there were not many fun things to do in the wilderness in Jesus’ time. The wilderness was a desolate place with no food. There was lots of sand and rock, but very scarce on food supply for humans. Of course, a forty day fast could even make sand snakes look palatable. But in general, fasting in the wilderness was probably a more merciful place to go without food.
There were no local bakeries emitting their delectable smells or no neighborhood bar-b-ques wafting their appetizing scents over into one’s home. There were no parties going on to tempt one to enjoy an array of different foods. In fact, the wilderness is also a very quiet place to be, which can be a good thing if one is fasting. It is in quietness and solitude where we can commune with the Lord without the distractions of daily life. Psalm chapter 46, verse 10 states, “Be still, and know that I am God!”
This is why personal devotion time is so important to our spiritual health. If we want to know what the Lord’s desire for us is, then we have to set aside time to be still in order to listen to Him. It is about listening to God that is important!
The world offers countless voices, noises and distractions to take us away from hearing the most important voice in the Universe. It is the quiet still voice of the Living God that we need to be hearing.
In the wilderness, Jesus listens to the voice of His Father, the Creator of the Universe. All of the worldly distractions have been left behind in order to give Him this precious time with His Father. It is in the wilderness where His spirit can be nurtured.
There are some here who have been led into wilderness experiences, where it seemed as though you had been abandoned by God. The solitude of the wilderness, instead of bringing comfort brought an oppressing feeling of loneliness. Yet, it is in these times of our lives, when our worlds seem to have been turned upside down and we are faced with our greatest fears where we will find the deepest blessings. It is only when we have let go of all of our natural and self-made supports and look to the Lord to lead us through when we will come to know the deep intimacy of a personal relationship with the Lord.
Yes, there is great temptation in the wilderness. Jesus, Himself, was greatly tempted. The three things that Satan saw as Jesus’ weaknesses were placed before Him. First of all, Jesus being famished was offered food. Now Satan did not drive up with a food wagon and offer Him a gourmet meal. No, instead, Satan used Jesus’ physical hunger to tempt Him to use His divine power to create whatever food He wanted to eat. The gospel of Luke states, “The devil said to him, ‘If you are the Son of God, command this stone to become a loaf of bread.”
Secondly, Satan tempts Jesus with the gift of authority. Jesus does not have to go to the cross and suffer for us to become the King of Kings, because Satan will hand over his earthly authority for the mere price of Jesus to worship him. Thirdly, Satan tempts Jesus to prove His own divinity by risking His life in order for the angels to rescue Him. Yet, in all these temptations that hit at the heart of Jesus’ divinity, Jesus overcomes Satan by using the Word of God.
Why the Word of God? In the Letter to the Hebrews, chapter 4, verses 12 and 13 we read these words: “Indeed, the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing until it divides soul from spirit, joints from marrow; it is able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart. And before him no creature is hidden, but all are naked and laid bare to the eyes of the one to whom we must render an account.”
Even Jesus, the Son of God, was held accountable for His actions. Only by using the powerful Word of God, was Jesus able to overcome the temptations of the Evil One. How much more do we as mere mortals need to be filled with the Word of God? The Word of God destroys the workings of the Devil, because the Word of God is holy. The Word of God releases the power of the Living God. It is not something to be trifled. It is sacred.
In the Book of Isaiah, chapter 55, verses 10 and 11, we read these words as spoken by the Lord: “For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return there until they have watered the earth, making it bring forth and sprout, giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater, so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and succeed in the thing for which I sent it.”
As Christians, we need to understand that the Word of God has not changed over the years. Instead, the Word of God has remained the same. It is we who have changed over the centuries in our interpretation of the Word of God. Yet, the Word of God remains the same as when the Lord first spoke it. It is a powerful force that we cannot afford to trivialize or to shape into our own image or desires. The truth of the Word of God is revealed to each and every generation. It is this timeless truth of God’s power of goodness over evil that will never change.
The cry of the psalmist needs to become our own cry if we are serious about being obedient to the Lord. “Your word have I hid in my heart, that I might not sin against you.” As in secular law so even more so in the Law of God, ignorance is no excuse. We are all held accountable.
Knowing this, let us go forward into this Lent with the Word of God hid in our hearts to keep us safe from the temptations of the wilderness. May we use this time of Lent to listen to what the Lord is saying to us. The blessings promise to be greater the more we are willing to give up for Jesus’ sake.
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