MATTHEW 4:1-11
IN THE FIRST READING WE HEARD THAT
ANCIENT STORY OF WHEN OUR FIRST PARENTS WERE TEMPTED. WHAT WAS THEIR
TEMPTATION? TO BE LIKE GOD. THOSE WERE THE WORDS OF THE SERPENT –
IF YOU EAT OF THE FRUIT OF THAT TREE, YOU WILL BE LIKE GOD – THAT'S
WHAT GOD IS AFRAID OF. AND WE KNOW THE REST – BEFORE THEY ATE THE
FRUIT, IT SAYS THEY WERE NAKED AND NOT ASHAMED; BUT AFTERWARD, THEY
COULDN'T WAIT TO COVER THEMSELVES UP. THAT IS ONE OF THE THINGS
ORIGINAL SIN DOES TO US; IT CLOSES US OFF FROM EACH OTHER; EVEN FOR A
HUSBAND AND WIFE IT IS NEARLY IMPOSSIBLE TO BE FULLY OPEN TO EACH
OTHER. IN THE GOSPEL, PERHAPS THE TEMPTATION IS THE OPPOSITE. AT
HIS BAPTISM AND PROBABLY LONG BEFORE, JESUS KNEW HE WAS THE SON OF
GOD. AND NOW THE DEVIL COMES ALONG AND TEMPTS HIM; CAN YOU REALLY
BE FULLY HUMAN? BECAUSE ONLY IF YOU ARE FULLY HUMAN AND SUFFER AND
DIE CAN YOU MAKE A DIFFERENCE FOR ALL THESE PEOPLE WHO STILL SUFFER
FROM THE SIN OF THE FIRST PARENTS.
SOMETIMES WE HAVE A HARD TIME
BELIEVING THAT JESUS COULD EVER BE TEMPTED. AFTER ALL, HE IS GOD.
BUT HE WAS HUMAN AS WELL, AND TO BE HUMAN MEANS THAT WE CAN BE
TEMPTED. IT IS ROOTED IN HUMAN NATURE; BEING MADE OF FLESH AND
BLOOD, WE ARE ALWAYS INCOMPLETE IN THIS LIFE; THERE ARE ALWAYS THINGS
WE DESIRE, NO MATTER HOW MUCH WE ALREADY HAVE. IT MAY NOT BE
MATERIAL THINGS; IT MIGHT BE POWER OR KNOWLEDGE OR LOVE; SOME OF US
WOULD LIKE TO HAVE OUR YOUTH BACK; OTHERS WOULD ASK FOR GOOD HEALTH.
BUT BEING HUMAN MEANS WE ARE NEVER QUITE WHERE WE WANT TO BE, AND IT
IS IN THIS TENSION THAT TEMPTATION COMES.
40 DAYS BEFORE THIS GOSPEL PASSAGE,
JESUS HAD BEEN BAPTIZED AND HAD HEARD THE FATHER'S VOICE, PROCLAIMING
THAT HE WAS BELOVED. NOW, AT THE END OF HIS FAST, HE IS IN THE
DESERT, HUNGRY AND TIRED; HE IS ABOUT TO BEGIN HIS MISSION. AND ITS
INTERESTING THAT THE TEMPTATIONS OF SATAN ARE TO DO THINGS WHICH ARE
VERY SIMILAR TO WHAT JESUS WOULD DO DURING HIS PUBLIC MINISTRY. CAN
HE TURN STONES INTO BREAD, AS SATAN TELLS HIM TO? WELL, HE
MULTIPLIED BREAD, NOT TOO DIFFERENT. CAN HE LEAP OFF A TOWER AND LET
GOD RESCUE HIM FROM CERTAIN DEATH? CAN HE DEMONSTRATE HIS DIVINITY
BY DOING SPECTACULAR ACTS OF POWER? WELL, HE STILLED THE SEA, CURSED
THE FIG TREE, RAISED DEAD PEOPLE – A LOT OF PUBLIC DEEDS WHICH
CONVINCED PEOPLE WHO SAW THEM. AND HE NOT ONLY DEFIED DEATH, HE
CONQUERED IT ON THE CROSS. AND WHAT ABOUT HAVING ALL THE NATIONS OF
THE EARTH SUBJECTED TO HIM? THAT PROCESS IS STILL GOING ON, BUT
CERTAINLY THE REACH OF CHRISTIANITY IS WORLD – WIDE AND HAS GIVEN
RISE NOT ONLY TO WESTERN CIVILIZATION BUT HAS AFFECTED MOST OTHER
CIVILIZATIONS AS WELL.
SO IF JESUS EVENTUALLY DOES ALL THE
THINGS HE WAS TEMPTED TO DO – EVEN MORE – WHAT WERE THE
TEMPTATIONS? AND HOW DOES IT RELATE TO YOU AND I.
MOST OF US HAVE HAD MOMENTS WHEN WE
REALLY, REALLY WANTED GOD TO DO SOMETHING FOR US. SOMETHING WAS
GOING TO HAPPEN THAT WAS TOTALLY OUT OF OUR CONTROL. SURELY, IF WE
ARE “BELOVED” GOD WILL ANSWER OUR PRAYER. BUT JESUS WAS BELOVED,
AND COULD HAVE CALLED ON HIS FATHER AT ANY TIME TO EASE HIS HUNGER.
IT WOULD HAVE BEEN OVER IN A SECOND, AND CERTAINLY TO TURN STONES
INTO BREAD AND THEN FINALLY EAT WOULDN'T EVEN HAVE BEEN SINFUL. BUT
JESUS KNOWS THAT THE PURPOSE OF PRAYER IS NOT TO GET WHAT YOU WANT,
BUT FIRST OF ALL, TO DEVELOP YOUR RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD. FOR HIM,
AND IT SHOULD BE FOR US, THERE ARE MORE IMPORTANT REASONS TO
COMMUNICATE WITH GOD THAN ASKING HIM FOR STUFF. OUR PRAYER SHOULD
ALWAYS TAKE INTO ACCOUNT JESUS' OWN WORDS: SEEK FIRST THE KINGDOM OF
HEAVEN AND ALL THE REST WILL BE GIVEN TO YOU.
AND I THINK WE'VE ALL HAD MOMENTS WHEN
WE HAD A DIFFICULT TASK AHEAD, AND WOULD HAVE LIKED A SHORT CUT TO
GET IT DONE. WE ALL HAVE THOSE MOMENTS WHEN WE DREAM OF BEING
SUPERMAN OR WONDER WOMAN, WHERE WE OVERCOME THE LIMITATIONS OF OUR
BODIES AND MINDS. I HAVE INTERESTING FANTASIES WHENEVER WE HAVE A
MASSIVE SNOW STORM. MAYBE I SHOULD PUT HEATING COILS IN THE
DRIVEWAY. MAYBE I SHOULD GO OUT AND BUY ONE OF THOSE HUGE
SNOWBLOWERS THAT CAN THROW THE SNOW SO FAR THAT IT NEVER FALLS BACK
ON THE DRIVEWAY. MAYBE MY GRANDCHILDREN WILL COME OVER AND DO THE
WORK FOR ME; AFTER ALL, THEY ARE YOUNG AND HEALTHY AND I AM OLD. BUT
SOMEHOW I ALWAYS END UP OUT THERE CLEARING MY DRIVEWAY WITH MY SHOVEL
AND BUDGET SNOW BLOWER. IF JESUS HAD JUMPED OFF THE TEMPLE AND BEEN
CAUGHT BY ANGELS, ESPECIALLY RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF THE BUSY DAY, HE
WOULD NEVER HAVE TO ROUND UP TWELVE PEASANTS FROM GALILEE WHO NEVER
QUITE SEEMED TO UNDERSTAND HIS MESSAGE. IF THE CITIZENS OF
JERUSALEM HAD WATCHED THAT KIND OF MIRACLE, HE'D HAVE A TREMENDOUS
JUMP START ON CONVERTING THE WORLD. BUT HE TEACHES US THAT THE ONLY
WAY TO GO ABOUT CHANGING THE WORLD SO THAT GOD'S REIGN COMES IS BY
WORKING WITH ONE PERSON AT A TIME.
HAVE YOU EVER BEEN DRIVING DOWN
LONGMEADOW STREET DURING RUSH HOUR, CREEPING ALONG AT TWO OR THREE
MILES AN HOUR? DON'T YOU WISH THERE WAS SOME LAW THAT KEPT OTHER
PEOPLE OFF THE STREETS WHEN YOU WERE IN A HURRY? I'VE WISHED THAT.
OR DON'T YOU SOMETIMES WISH YOU COULD BE IN CHARGE OF THIS COUNTRY OR
OUR CHURCH FOR A WHILE, JUST YOU, SO THAT YOU COULD APPLY COMMON
SENSE TO OUR PROBLEMS AND GET THEM ALL FIXED? I KNOW A LOT OF PEOPLE
THAT MUST FEEL THAT WAY BECAUSE THEY ARE ALWAYS TELLING ME WHAT
SHOULD BE DONE. IF ONLY THEY COULD TELL THE PRESIDENT OR THE BISHOP
THEIR IDEAS …
BUT JESUS DOESN'T GO FOR THAT SHORT CUT
EITHER. THE KINGDOM OF GOD HAS TO COME ON ITS' OWN TERMS AND IN ITS'
OWN TIME. AND WE KNOW THE WAY IT HAS TO COME; EACH OF US HAS TO MAKE
SURE THAT THE KINGDOM IS REALIZED IN OURSELVES AND IN WHAT WE CAN
CONTROL, WHICH IS VERY LITTLE. REMEMBER THE MAN WHO WENT AWAY
SADDENED BECAUSE HE WAS VERY RICH AND HAD MANY POSSESSIONS? THAT WAS
JESUS' CHALLENGE TO HIM – IF YOU'VE REALLY KEPT THE COMMANDMENTS,
THEN YOU ARE IN THE KINGDOM, AND SHOULD HAVE NO PROBLEM CHOOSING
BETWEEN JESUS AND YOUR POSSESSIONS.
JESUS PROVES BY HIS RESPONSES TO SATAN
AND BY HIS REFUSAL TO TAKE SHORT CUTS THAT HE IS FULLY HUMAN; NOT
JUST A GOD WEARING A MEAT COSTUME. AND HE PROVES THAT HE CAN
OVERCOME TEMPTATION, THAT HE CAN WIN HIS STRUGGLES WITH EVIL. AND IF
HE CAN DO IT, SO CAN WE.
