“The Test”
Luke 4:1-13
Heart of the Rockies Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)
David A. Shirey
This past Wednesday – Ash Wednesday – began the 40-day season of the church year known as Lent. Lent from the Old English word lencten – lengthen – season of lengthening days: springtime. Likewise, Lent is to be a season of lengthening, stretching, growing our souls.
At least, it should be. You can just go along with life as usual – give nothing up, take nothing up, give neither the time nor energy to soul-stretching exercises – and mosey all the way to an Easter morning handful of jelly beans and chocolate. Whoopee. But souls cannot live by sugar alone, but by “every word that comes from the mouth of God” (Deuteronomy 8:3). So, we’re going to heed the voice that said to Peter, James, and John after Jesus’ transfiguration, “This is my Son, my Chosen. Listen to him” (Luke 9:35). And this morning we’re going to listen to Jesus as he jousts with temptation and the Tempter throughout forty days in the wilderness.
The Greek word translated tempted can also be translated tested. How do you feel about taking tests? You and I may not like taking tests, whether for fourth grade spelling, high school algebra, or down at the DMV for a driver’s license, but we have to admit that were it not for tests now and then most of us wouldn’t be motivated to study. Tests prompt and measure growth and just as our brains benefit from periodic testing, so do our souls benefit from some testing to spur our growing stronger in our faith.
In that light, let’s call this morning’s passage “The Test.” What’s on the test? There are three questions. Jesus took the Test before he began his public ministry. We can learn the answers to the Test from Jesus if we listen to him.
The first question on the test is: Are you able to distinguish between wants and needs? “The devil said to Jesus, ‘If you are the Son of God, command this stone to become a loaf of bread.’” Jesus had fasted for forty days and was hungry. He wanted bread and could have turned those stones into bread (He turned water into wine and multiplied loaves and fishes), but instead Jesus chose not to, saying, “One does not live by bread alone.” Why did Jesus say that instead of eating to his heart’s content? Because he knew there isn’t enough of anything that’s able to make our hearts content except living life feeding on the Bread that is God’s Word, will, and way. Proverbs says, “Happy are those who find (God’s) wisdom … nothing you desire can compare with her” (3:13,15). Better’n jelly beans and chocolate.
There’s a lesson here in distinguishing between temporary wants and eternal needs. The root cause of much trouble is the pervasive sense of entitlement that whispers, If you want something, you ought to have it. Want it? Get it. Get all you want. Want it? Buy it. Buy all you want. Want to? Do it. Do it all you want. We’ve convinced ourselves that if we want it, whatever it might be, we ought to have it and the end result is a society awash in addictions, debt, and discarded relationships, not to mention the booming industry of off-site storage facilities to store all the stuff we wanted at one point but now have no use or no room for. As I heard it put once: our ‘wanters’ are broken. Jesus, meanwhile, though he wanted bread, knew he needed something more filling and fulfilling. I don’t know about you, but I’ve made the worst decisions of my life using as my criteria: “Because I want to.” “Because I don’t want to do.” I’ve made the best decisions of my life based on the criteria: “Because I need to do what is good, right and true.” Question one on the Test is Are you able to distinguish between mere wants and real needs? “One does not live by bread alone.”
The second question on the Test is: Are you able to discern between the right and wrong use of the Bible? This story warns us the devil can quote Scripture. The devil perches Jesus on the pinnacle of the Temple and says, “If you jump, God’ll catch you, and quotes Psalm 91 from memory to prove it: “He will command his angels concerning you, to protect you, and they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.” Impressed? Don’t be! It’s all too easy to be taken in by someone who quotes liberally from the Bible (or conservatively, whichever the case may be). The Good Book in the wrong hands is a bad thing. There is a right use and wrong use of Scripture. Jesus, rightly using Scripture, quotes Deuteronomy 6:16, “Do not put the LORD your God to the test.”
Are we able to pass the Test when it comes to discerning whether someone is using the Bible rightly or wrongly? It’s hard to tell sometimes. Someone warned me once, “A text without a context is a pretext.” Richard Donovan lists several rules of thumb to help us discern whether someone quoting Scripture is doing so in a right Spirit or wrong one. He says, ask yourself:
Am I listening to an advisor or a tempter – a builder or a destroyer?
Does the person quoting the Scripture have a hidden agenda – an ax to grind?
Is the person an encourager or a discourager – a lover or a hater?
Does this person who is trying to teach me about how to manage my life by quoting from the Bible manage his or her own life well?
Does the person quoting Scripture exhibit in their life the fruit of the Spirit? Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control?[1]
Question two on the Test has to do with whether we’re able to interpret and apply God’s Word rightly.
Which brings us to Question Three on the Test: How will you use your power? We all have circles of influence in which we have power to influence certain others by what we say and do or don’t say and don’t do. How do you use your power? The devil stands beside Jesus, sweeps his hand across the horizon and says, “It’s all yours… if you’ll be mine.” It’s true. It’s possible to climb pretty high if you’re willing to use others’ backs as stepping stones. It’s possible to get your way if you’re willing to do whatever it takes to get rid of everyone in your way. The world’s your oyster if you’re willing to crush the shell and trash the living creature within in order to grab the pearl.
Says Satan to Jesus, “It’s all yours if you’ll be mine.”
To which Jesus responds, “It is written, ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve only him.” How did Jesus use his power? To worship God and serve others, of course. Let’s see if I can quote Scripture rightly: Jesus came “not to be served, but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many” (Mt 20:28) Jesus “counted equality with God a thing not to be grasped, but emptied himself, taking the form of a servant And being found in human form, he humbled himself and became obedient to the point of death—even death on a cross” (Phil 2). How will you use your power?
Speaking of the cross, Luke tells us “When the devil had finished every test, he departed from him until an opportune time” (Luke 4:13). I do Bible study every Wednesday morning at 7:30 am via Zoom with a dozen colleagues back in Lexington, KY. Women and men, black and white, younger and older, from several different denominations. My friend and colleague Robert, an AME pastor (African Methodist Episcopal church), said, “The ‘opportune time’ for us to succumb to temptation is when we’re weak. When we’re weak, we’re vulnerable.” Do you know when you’re most weak and vulnerable? An acronym I learned years ago from Twelve Step circles serves as helpful red flag warning. The acronym is HALT. H – hungry. A – angry. L – lonely. T – tired. When you’re hungry, angry, lonely, or tired – halt! Watch out. Look out. Kneel down. Look up.
And stick together with others of like mind and heart, of righteous intent. We pray, “Lead us not into temptation.” Who’s us? Us is two or more people who know there is strength found in numbers to resist temptation, a strength that none of us have if left to fend for ourselves. There’s an old saying that says, “It’s the lone sheep that falls prey to the wolf.” I find it noteworthy that the strongest geometric shape is a triangle, a shape that is formed whenever two people lean on each other for mutual support, encouragement, and strength and those two stand together upon the Rock that cannot be moved: Jesus Christ.
Jesus passed the test. We can, too, if we stick together, together with God.
Question 1: Are you able to distinguish between temporary wants and eternal needs? To prepare for this part of the test Christians across the ages have given up something they may want … but don’t need.
Question 2: Are you able to discern between the right and wrong use of the Bible? To prepare for this part of the test Christians across the ages have taken up with renewed vigor the reading of Scripture.
Question 3: Will you use your power to serve or be served? To prepare for this part of the Test, Christians across the ages have lifted up God in worship and lifted up others in concrete acts of selfless service.
Those are the three questions. Jesus, our teacher, says, “You have forty days to complete the test. When you’re finished, please place your answers at the foot of the cross.”
[1] https://sermonwriter.com/biblical-commentary-old/matthew-41-11/ Richard Niell Donovan
