The gospel for the first Sunday in Lent is the temptation of Jesus. Temptation is a concept that we use a lot. We identify many other normal impulses as being temptation. For example, we see a gooey dessert and we call it temptation instead of hunger or craving.
We weaken the idea of temptation by using the word until it is worn out, devoid of its original meaning. We use it to name perfumes and chocolates and board games.
The second aspect of temptation today is that giving in to temptation is really no big deal. Temptation is viewed as a normal and acceptable everyday occurrence.
Temptation is at the root of advertising, we see and hear it constantly, on billboards, in magazines and newspapers, on television and radio. Advertising now even comes to us on clothing. You can wear Nike advertising on your sweatpants and Coca Cola sneakers and Ronald McDonald children’s wear. Advertising is based on the idea of tempting us to buy, of making a product appear to be desirable and irresistible. It is not seen as a problem. It is certainly not viewed as a sin.
In fact, temptation has joined coveting in the “so what” category of sins—gone the way of the dinosaurs in the view of our society. Perhaps the expression that best typifies this is “I can resist anything except temptation.” That expression underlines an important differentiation, namely that we need to remember that being tempted is not the problem.
Even Jesus was tempted. Being tempted is a normal part of the human condition. It is giving in to temptation that is the problem. When evil looks so good, and so harmless, and when it seems to be so pervasive, sometimes it is hard not to give in.
At the very root of temptation is the issue of trust and obedience. It is the central issue as Jesus is confronted by Satan in the wilderness. Who are you going to trust? And who are you going to obey? And whether bread or power is used as the bait, the devil tries to drive a wedge between us and God. Tries to get us to forsake our trust in and obedience to God. Tries to make us shift our alliance and allegiance.
Let’s face it, trust and obedience are things that we have problems with. There is not the blind trust that we used to experience in institutions be it government, judicial or church—and sometimes with a good reason. We have become sceptics and cynics, and when we hear someone say “trust me” our first and second and third reactions are those of doubt and suspicion.
In the era of looking out for number one, of freedom and individuality at all costs, obedience has also gone out the window. Talk to parents, to teachers. I heard a very young granddaughter saying to her grandmother the other day—who made you the boss of me? But it is not only youth. Most people have a problem with authority, and so obedience too seems to be a thing of the past. And so perhaps now more than ever it is easy for us to let that wedge slip in between us and God.
The story of Jesus’ temptation in the wilderness is there to remind us again of our call to trust and obey God. Jesus models for us a very early version of “just say no.” Jesus reminds us that we are to trust in God whose word alone is to be trusted. Jesus reminds us again of our calling to live in God’s world on God’s terms.
The reality of our lives is that although we will try, try to be faithful, try to follow the way of our Lord, try to walk in Jesus’ footsteps, try to resist temptation, we will sometimes fail. Temptation is subtle, it’s tricky. And we are still too often inclined to unholy independence rather than holy reliance upon our God.
But that is what this season of Lent is for. It is a time to take stock, to re-evaluate how we are doing in living out our baptismal lives. It is a chance to confess where we have fallen short and begin again with new resolve our day to day walk with our God. It is a time to again draw courage and strength from the example of Jesus.
It is a time that we can reject the temptation of stones that cannot feed us and come forward to receive instead the true bread and drink that our Lord offers to us at his holy table. My prayer for you and for me, as well, is that this season of Lent, this Lenten journey, will help us to deepen our relationship with our God and our daily walk with Jesus.
Rev. Susan Johnson
ELCIC National Bishop
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