Lent 1A 2008 Matthew 4:1-11

A story about temptation: A salesman had finally got his chance to make the Really Big Sale. He was going into the final interview on the biggest contract he had ever written. As he was ushered into the office of the executive buyer, the atmosphere was cordial, and he knew he was giving his best presentation ever.

Then the assistant tapped on the door, re-entered the office and spoke briefly with the executive, who stood and said, "I apologize, but I have to tend to a matter. I'll just be a minute or two." And she left the room.

The sales representative looked around the beautifully appointed office and noticed a contract on her desk. It was a bid from a competitor. But the numbers were obscured by a diet soda can.

He was tempted to move the can and see the bottom line of his competitor's bid. What harm possibly could there be? After all, it was out in plain sight -- almost. After resisting a while, he finally decided to look.

When he lifted the soda can, he discovered that the can was a bottomless can filled with 1,000 BBs which gushed out, and ran all over the desk and onto the carpet.

Not every temptation is so obvious. Not every failure is so embarrassing. But every temptation is a challenge. Not even Jesus was spared the choosing. (1)

For Jesus, temptation meant flirting with more than the illusions of grandeur of the really big sale. The problem was humble service, not awesome political dominance.

While in the Judean wilderness with little to do and nothing to eat, the devil tempted him: You can make food for yourself, you can command the angels to save you, you can control everything – just obey me and you can have it all.
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Jesus could have out-trumped The Donald, out-monopolized Bill Gates, crushed the power of the world’s most sophisticated armies, richest treasuries and smartest think tanks. But instead, “Worship the Lord your God and serve only him.”

Jesus’ experience in the wilderness reminds us of the importance of being tethered to God - the one who ultimately feeds us, protects us, owns us. The one in whose service is perfect freedom.

For Jesus, temptation meant one thing: not to deny his baptism. And never to forget that he was a child of God. “Remember that we love you,” said the parents to their college freshman. “And remember that you are baptized.”

Almost 20 years ago, Martin Scorsese directed a film entitled “The Last Temptation of Christ”. It caused a great stir in parts of the Christian community. The film depicted the tempter as appearing to be a guardian angel who was with Jesus every day of his life from the wilderness to the Cross – and who tempted him on the Cross to leave it.

Perhaps our temptation is to fill every minute for fear that empty moments will find us to face something we’d rather not. Or to stay busy every waking moment for fear of suffering a little boredom. Perhaps our temptation is, or has been, to work night and day to prove we are worth having around, terrified that somebody will not value us if we stop even for a moment.

There’s a Zen story about a martial arts student went to his teacher and said earnestly, “I am devoted to studying your martial system. How long will it take me to master it?”

The teacher’s reply was casual, “Ten years.” Impatiently, the student answered, “But I want to master it faster than that. I will work very hard. I will practice every day, 10 or more hours a day if I have to. How long will it take then?”

The teacher thought for a moment, “Twenty years.”

Perhaps our temptation involves clinging to keep control of every detail of our lives and of the lives of others. And perhaps we succumb to the temptation of allowing the technology that keeps us in touch with each other winding up controlling us and keeping us out of touch with what and --especially who -- is really important.

AMEN

1. Mickey Anders, Six Flags over Jesus, eSermons Illustrations for Lent 1A 2008