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In the narrative of the temptations, Jesus is seen in the wilderness, where he attempts to answer difficult questions regarding the shape and substance of his future ministry. The temptations of Jesus occurred in the wilderness following his baptism. Is that not true to all human experience? In our best moments evil stalks our trail. He was alone. Is that not true to experience, too? People face many of life’s experiences with others, but temptations are faced largely alone.


Why did Jesus go into the wilderness? He went in order to decide what type of Messiah he intended to be, to find himself. It would seem on the surface that the wilderness is a place to get lost, not found. Yet, at the outset of his public ministry, Jesus went into the wilderness to answer for himself at least the question, 'What kind of a person shall I be?'


Occasionally moderns do well to go into the wilderness to ask themselves that question. A stress in each person is to be found between the gutter and the mountain top. Which to choose? What kind of person to be? In the wilderness that question arises. It is important to stay in the wilderness long enough for an adequate answer to be found. Another insight of the temptation narrative is that humanity does not stay in the wilderness alone, for as the author of the first gospel put it, 'And the tempter came.'


'If,' said he, 'You are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread.' The most disturbing word in that suggestion is the word 'If.' In the high moment of religious ecstasy following his baptism, doubt began to infect the life of Jesus regarding his mission. To prove to himself that his mission was genuine, he was tempted to use his messianic powers to satisfy an immediate need.


So evil speaks today. In subtle ways through pages of magazines, on television commercials, through shop talk with friends, it whispers, 'Man lives by bread alone.' Sometimes we are so snared by this whisper that our lives become feverish attempts to insure that we and ours have enough of this bread. Many are tempted to compromise decency and a concern for the welfare of their neighbors to insure that they themselves get their daily bread.


Jesus had no quarrel with the statement, 'Man shall live by bread.' He was close enough to poverty to know the importance of bread, but he was close enough to the important aspects of life to know that 'Man shall not live by bread alone.'


'Then the devil took him to the holy city, and set him on the pinnacle of the temple, and said to him, ‘If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down.’ ' So unbelief tempts modern people. In our moments of most serious temptation stalks as lack of faith in the ultimate victory of right, unbelief in the justice, power and love of God. Modern people, like the Christ, need to reply to this temptation, 'You shall not tempt the Lord your God.'


'Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain, and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and the glory of them; and he said to him, ‘All these I will give you if you will fall down and worship me.’ ' What a temptation this must have been. Being a Jew in the First Century, under the yoke of Roman enslavement, he was aware that if he were willing to take the chances he might lead a successful revolt against the Romans.


What a personal temptation. Being human, the appeal of wealth, power and glory must have been strong. Surely he could do more good as the ruler of all the kingdoms of the world than by fiddling around with some fishermen and getting himself nailed to a cross.


But he could not forget the condition. 'All these things I will give you if you will fall down and worship me.' There lies the lion in the cream puff, and even a cross is preferable to that.


How often this temptation comes to people today. We are tempted to do almost anything for success. We are tempted to turn our eyes away from injustice, to lie to ourselves, to crush beneath our heels anyone who stands in our way of achieving our kingdom in this world.


Here it is that the words of Jesus speak existentially to us today: 'You shall worship the Lord your God and Him only shall you serve.'


Jesus came out of the wilderness a better person for having gone in, for in the wilderness the steel of his life had been tested and found adequate. Temptations came again and again for him to be an economic crusader, a popular hero, a political king. Tests came at Gethsemane and Calvary. Each time his answer was the same, 'Not my will, but Thine.' He understood his mission to be that of a servant.


Jesus found himself in the wilderness. So can people today. Forty days will not change the world, but even in one minute sometimes decisions are made which have life-long importance.


In the wilderness we do well to ask ourselves these questions: Am I living by bread alone? By my attitudes and actions do I put my God to a test? Am I worshiping the Lord and serving only him?


The story of the temptations of Jesus ends thus: 'Then the devil left him, and behold, angels came and ministered to him.'


We are assured that no matter how severe temptations may be, when human resources are exhausted, divine aid is available. This power of God expresses itself in greater confidence for living as well as in increased understanding of tempted people.


During the forty days of Lent, when humankind is reminded again of the suffering and glory of the Christ, may the prayer of us all be that we may find ourselves in the wilderness.

Prayer


Eternal Spirit, who during the temptations of the Christ prepared him for nobler service, we are grateful for our periods of testing.


For those occasions that have forced us to make decisions regarding our ultimate concern we are grateful. For discipline and failures, as well as for ease and success, we are appreciative.


We confess the sins that have restrained us from fuller personality growth. Grant to all of us during this season the ability to grow more deeply in our friendships with one another. For all people who suffer, grant the assurance of Your strength, as the Christ was strengthened following his period of temptation. During this season, help us to surrender our wills to Yours that Your will may be done in us; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen