Emphasis Preaching Journal

If the Lenten season is a time of remembering the stories of our faith, surely Luke's story is worth telling. The Lord Jesus was tempted. The old temptation that he faced -- focusing on his own needs at the expense of everything else, is still with us. All of us have said that we have to look after our own -- failing to remember we can use these words to cover a basic selfishness. The old temptation of power, where Jesus was offered all the kingdoms of the world, sounds familiar. We are all impressed with power and its influence, forgetting how insidious it often becomes. The old temptation of throwing himself down from the highest point of the temple would certainly wow the crowds.

The church today struggles with the wow at every point. A sermon on the three modern- day temptations might be helpful. Those ominous words, "The devil left him for a season," might remind us not to be so naive about the force of evil in our lives which is unrelenting. It might be helpful to remind each other of that verse Paul gave to his Corinthian friends: "So if you think you are standing, watch out that you do not fall. No testing has overtaken you that is not common to everyone. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tested beyond your strength, but with the testing he will also provide the way out so that you may be able to endure it" (1 Corinthians 10:12-13).