Subtle temptations hardest to resist
JOE MILLER JR.

Luke 4:1-13

Just how tempting was it really? The movies have dealt with the temptations of Christ in a variety of ways, but none of them really made it look very tempting. After all, if some sleazy looking dude with horns, pointed tail, bright green glowing eyes, fangs and shiny red skin approached you would you be tempted?

I would be tempted, tempted to run in the opposite direction as fast as I could. Yet, all of the art work through the middle ages until present has this type of depiction, of Jesus calmly arguing with this g rotesque character. The actual temptation had to be much more subtle to entice Jesus. He was truly tempted!

Since Jesus was fully human, the devil had to appeal to Jesus' human nature. What is re a l l y w rong about turning a stone into a loaf of bread?

Jesus had just been affirmed by God the Father and filled with the Holy Spirit at his baptism. There was a lot of work to do and not much time left. He would not be much good to the Father if he was emaciated, tired, worn down and weak from hunger. There was no sin in providing for his nourishment. God had fed the children of Israel in the wilderness with manna; why not feed Jesus in the wilderness?

He had the power to provide bread for himself. It would not be many days hence and he would provide bread for 5000 people. Why not get started early? Jesus was tempted but chose to use his Godly power to serve others and not himself. Read the rest of the gospel story. He never used his power for himself… it was always for others. Pretty incredible! God's only begotten son going hungry for our sake. Jesus knew what it was like to be truly hungry even before starting his ministry among God's hungry children.

The temptation to worship the devil was very subtle. Seeing the world and the horrible condition it was (and is) in, Jesus was tempted to take control of the world and straighten it out.

There was horrible brutality, crooked and corrupt governments, social and economic injustice galore . Why not fix everything?

This is what the people expected of a Messiah, and it is what we often expect. It must have occurred to Jesus. One way to capture instantaneous control was to jump from the temple to the ground some several h u n d red feet below and land unhurt in front of a large crowd of people who would have followed immediately.

Of course, we know the rest of the story. Jesus would eventually go to Jerusalem and the temple and gather large cro w d s , but they would come to see him crucified rather than perform some magic trick to impress them.

Yes, he was tempted to do things that went along with human expectations, but the cost was too high. That would have made him a lot like you and me; setting values and principles the same as the world's, and becoming part of the world.

Christians and the church face the temptation daily to become like the world; that is to honor human success, power, glory, peer praise, and material possession instead of trusting in God. Many times we choose wrongly, and the world contaminates and corrupts our best intentions to live as Christians who follow our Lord and Savior to the cross. He chose to serve rather than to be served, and he chose the cross rather than personal acclaim and power. How about us?

The best place to learn the way of Jesus of Christ is in church. If you have a c h u rch, worship passionately. If you do not have a church, find one. East Texas is full of good churc h e s . Email me at newtonumc@ valornet. com with your thoughts.

Joe Miller Jr. is pastor of First United Methodist Church in Newton.