Sermon Index
The First Sunday in Lent, March 1, 2020,
GOSPEL LESSON: Matthew 4:1–11 [Temptation of Christ in the desert.]Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. And after fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. And the tempter came and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread.” But he answered, “It is written, “‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’”
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, for it is written, “‘He will command his angels concerning you,’ and “‘On their hands they will bear you up, lest you strike your foot against a stone.’” Jesus said to him, “Again it is written, ‘You shall not put the Lord your God to the test.’”
Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. And he said to him, “All these I will give you, if you will fall down and worship me.” Then Jesus said to him, “Be gone, Satan! For it is written, “‘You shall worship the Lord your God and him only shall you serve.’”
Then the devil left him, and behold, angels came and were ministering to him.
Did the devil really want Jesus to make bread out of the stones? I do not think so. I think he wanted Jesus to die of starvation in the wilderness. Then Jesus could not die on the cross for our salvation. But Jesus trusted in God His Father.
Did the devil really want Jesus to jump off the pinnacle of the temple? I think he did. Then Jesus would have hit the pavement and died. Then Jesus could not die on the cross for our salvation. But Jesus trusted in God His Father. Jesus answered the first temptation with a quote from Scripture, “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.” And so for the next temptation, the devil quoted from Psalm 91:11-12, but the devil did not believe those words. He devil did not think that God would send his angels to save Jesus. He was mocking the Psalm. He was mocking the faith of Jesus.
He is mocking our faith, too. “On their hands they [the angles] will bear you up, lest you strike your foot against a stone.” But we know that we have stubbed our toes, and we have stumbled and fallen without the angels catching us. We know that God Almighty could do a miracle, but usually he lets the laws of the physical universe take their course. People die. And people are saved through medicine and the help of others.
Our faith is being tested this morning. We are concerned about the New Corona Virus. Should we go to church or stay at home? Will God protect us since we are in His church? Is wearing a mask a sign of unfaith? No, it is not. Wearing a mask is a sign of love. If we are sick we do not want to infect others. If we are well, we do not want to get sick and infect others. And of course, whether we go to church or stay home, we pray.
The devil wants us to test our faith. We all have times when we wonder about the love and protection of God. We wonder about the existence of God. We want to see a sign. Sometimes we actually are given a sign, or see something that bolsters our faith. Of course the sign could also tell us that we are foolish sinners who are risking our lives rather than trusting God.
“Jump off the pinnacle of the temple!” “Jump off from the cross!” Jesus was tested. Jesus trusted God. In the Garden of Gethsemane he felt the temptation and testing of not drinking the bitter cup of suffering and death. He prayed, “Not my will, but Yours be done.” Trusting his Father, he carried out the plan of salvation. He died on the cross and on the third day he arose again. And so we can trust that our sin is forgiven, even the sin of wanting to test God.
We are going to be tested. We will be tempted to test God. Will God save me if I jump off the cliff? If God wants me to stand at the bottom of the cliff, he will give me a parachute or a hang glider, or show me the stairway down or the elevator. Or maybe God wants us to be at the top of the cliff, from which we can see the glory of the Lord.
When tested, let’s trust the Lord.
Amen.
Michael Nearhood, Pastor
Okinawa Lutheran Church