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Temptation in the Desert - Part 1

25th February 2012

Immediately after describing the baptism of Jesus Christ, Matthew writes:

Matthew 4v1
Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the desert to be tempted by the devil.

Many Christians experience this. Having come to faith in Jesus, been born again and baptised in water and the Holy Spirit, many Christians encounter what's become known as a "desert experience" - a time of testing, when the Christian life seems so much harder than we expected it to be. Others may live as Christians for years without such a time of testing and then, usually without warning, find themselves in a spiritually and emotionally dry and barren place.

This can be a very lonely time and we can become unsure of what we believe. It's important then, to remember that Jesus Christ, our pioneer, also went through this sort of experience:

Hebrews 4v14-16
Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has gone through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathise with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are - yet was without sin. Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.

The same Greek word is translated into English as "testing" and as "tempting". When, from Satan' perspective, we're being tempted - encouraged to sin against God - at the same time, from God's perspective, we're being tested - to find out what we're really like and what we really care about, to increase our understanding and to strengthen our character. Thus, although this seems strange at first, temptation is both a attack from Satan and a gift from God. As Matthew 4v1 says, Jesus was led by the Spirit into the desert to be tempted by the devil. I'm sure He went into the time of testing with an understanding that it was for His good. And so can we.

Matthew 4v2
After fasting for forty days and forty nights, he was hungry.

Jesus fasted for forty days. Few Christians are called to fast for so long, although Moses did so twice (Exodus 34:28, Deuteronomy 9:9, 9:18) and 1 Kings 19:8 suggests that Elijah also did it. But God does call us to fast. It's an important Christian discipline. It's not surprising that our divine pioneer fasted for longer than we're usually called to fast, but it wasn't easy for Him, any more than it is for us. He was hungry.

Matthew 4v3
The tempter came to him and said, "If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread."

This may not be the first temptation Jesus experienced during His fast. If my experience is any guide, he would have been hungry a few hours after His fast began. But now, after 40 days, that desire to eat must have been acute.

Satan's words to Jesus were subtle, because there's nothing intrinsically wrong with making bread, and there's nothing intrinsically wrong with performing miracles. What would have been wrong was for Jesus to break His fast before God the Father wanted Him to. To understand this and accept it is a level of submission to God that few Christians even consider, let alone live out. We're called to do what God tells us to do (through the Bible and by the Holy Spirit) and to do so as much as God wants, for as long as God wants. The next time I fast, I should fast for as long as God wants. The next time I do anything it should be for as long as God wants, and done in the way God wants. We're called to live our lives entirely on God's terms, not our own. But few, if any, of us do this.

This temptation was to do what we think is best, to look after ourselves, rather than to simply obey God and trust God for the consequences. Jesus replied accordingly:

Matthew 4v4
Jesus answered, "It is written: 'Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.'"

Jesus would live by hearing God and obeying God. he is our pioneer, and we should follow His example. I'm not saying it's easy. I'm not saying that I do it. I am saying that that is real faith and real discipleship. It takes faith to choose only to do what we hear God telling us to do. It takes self discipline to refuse to make our own decisions. Especially when we're hungry.

And hunger is not only physical. We can be lonely. Or bored. Or hungry for physical, emotional or spiritual healing. We can be hungry for success, or popularity, or security.

I can't set anyone an example of self discipline under suffering. I am as weak, wilful and stupid as the average Christian. But - as an average Christian - I can see how our Lord chose to suffer rather than to give up a life of absolute obedience to our heavenly Father. And I can make some tentative steps towards following His path. And so can you. We have a long way to go, but we can believe that what God calls us to is good for us, because He loves us. And we can make a start.

Hebrews 12v1-4
Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.
Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.
In your struggle against sin, you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood.

If you have resisted to the point of shedding your blood then please accept my apologies. I haven't. And, to be honest, I hope I never have to.

My struggle is not because obedience to Christ will cause me to be persecuted. It's because, at least to some extent, I'm used to doing what I want, not what He wants.