8/19/2019 2016-02-14_Lent1C_Luke4.1-13(1).doc

1/20

THE FIRST SUNDAYIN LENT

Year C

February 14, 2016

Volume 20, Number 1ISSN 10!1"##62

C$NTENTS%

   A T&ou'&( o) *rea+&)'  T(le  Sermo) ) a Se)(e)+e  S+r-(ure  .bl+al Comme)(ary  C&l/re) Sermo)  Sermo)  ore Sermo) o) (& Te3(  T&ou'&( *roo5er  Hym) Hym) S(ory  .blo'ra-&y

 A TH$U7HT $N *REACHIN7%  Why is only about ten percent of the Bible––theEpistles––written in a straight didactic form while all the rest uses the more indirect

forms of history, poetry, parable, and prophetic visions? Why are ninety percent of the

sermons in evangelical churches based on the didactic ten percent? (Philip Yancey

8/19/2019 2016-02-14_Lent1C_Luke4.1-13(1).doc

2/20

TITLE%  !eeping the "evil out of the "river#s $eat

SER$N IN A SENTENCE%  %he devil begins with temptations that are small and

seemingly insignificant, but if we succumb to those small temptations they put the devilin the driver#s seat&

SCRI*TURE%  'ue )*++-

.I.LICAL C$ENTARY% 

LUKE 4:1-13.  %.E %E/P%0%123 24 5E$6$

1n /atthew (-*+- )*++ and /ar (+*7+-, the temptation immediately follows 5esus# baptism& 'ue inserts a genealogy between the two stories, perhaps modeling his account

after E8odus 9, which inserts a genealogy between /oses# call and ministry (:raddoc,

 Preaching..., +-7& %he genealogy also helps to establish who 5esus is& .e is ;the son of

Enos, the son of $eth, the son of 0dam, the son of

8/19/2019 2016-02-14_Lent1C_Luke4.1-13(1).doc

3/20

 people& 5esus had ;been in all points tempted lie we are, yet without sin; (.ebrews

)*+C& 0s a result, ;he is able to help those who are tempted; (.ebrews >*+=&

%he three temptations correspond to temptations that 1srael e8perienced in the wilderness*

%he temptation to mae bread from a stone (vv& >b) is really a temptation not to trust

8/19/2019 2016-02-14_Lent1C_Luke4.1-13(1).doc

4/20

 3ote 5esus# treatment of the three temptations& .e uses two notsosecret secrets to parry

the devil#s thrusts*

%he first is the .oly $pirit& 5esus is ;full of the .oly $pirit,; ()*+ and the $pirit helps

him to survive temptation&

%he second is scripture& 5esus Fuotes scripture in response to each of the three

temptations& .e nows scripture––has studied it from his boyhood& 1n his hands,scripture becomes a ;sword of the $pirit; for his defense (Ephesians 9*+& .is intimacy

with scripture is so complete that he can, without hesitation, find the e8act verse with

which to counter the particular danger at hand&

We have the same notsosecret secrets at our disposal& We received the gift of the .oly

$pirit at our baptism& %he scriptures are readily available––translations and Bible

software abound& What we lac is Biblical literacy& %he Bible in our hands is lie a

toolbo8 in the hands of an unsilled person&

8/19/2019 2016-02-14_Lent1C_Luke4.1-13(1).doc

5/20

1n the synagogue in 3aDareth, the scriptures proclaim, ;%he $pirit of the 'ord is on me; 

()*+= and 5esus says, ;%oday, this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing; ()*>+&

0t Pentecost, the disciples ;were all filled with the .oly $pirit, and began to spea with

other languages, as the $pirit gave them the ability to spea; (0cts >*)& 5ust as the $piritaccompanies 5esus in his ministry, so the $pirit will also accompany the church in its

ministry&

"and $as led %y the !#t nto the $lde#ness" (v& +b& %his half of the verse touches

the ;$pirit; base one more time& 1n the first half of the verse, 'ue emphasiDed that 5esus

was full of the .oly $pirit& 3ow he says that 5esus ;was led by the $pirit into the

wilderness&;

:onsider the implications& 0s we will soon see, 5esus will be tempted by the devil in the

wilderness––tempted to do three different things that would be contrary to the 4ather#s

will& We might thin that a 4orty is a conventional term

meaning many& %he connection between forty and hunger  is a recurring theme in 1srael#s

salvation history*

C

8/19/2019 2016-02-14_Lent1C_Luke4.1-13(1).doc

6/20

/oses spent forty days and forty nights on /ount $inai without food or water (E8odus

-)*>=&

%he people of 1srael wandered for forty years in the wilderness, where they complained

that they were in danger of perishing from hunger (E8odus +9*>-&

Eliah ourneyed forty days without food (+ !ings +7*=&

%hus, the words, ;forty days,; connect 5esus with the most significant people and events

of 1srael#s history&

LUKE 4:2%-4.  %.E 41H$% %E/P%0%123

2b He ate nothing in those days. Afterward, when they were completed, he was hungry.3

The devil said to him, "f you are the Son of !od, command this stone to become bread." 4 Jesus answered him, saying, "t is written, #an shall not live by bread alone, but by

every word of !od." 

"He ate nothn& n those days. Afte#$a#d, $hen they $e#e (om!leted, he $as

huny" (v& >b& Ierse >a sounds as if 5esus is tempted for the entire forty day period, but verses >b- give the impression that the temptation comes after 5esus is wea from

forty days of fasting& /ar +*+- is brief and inconclusive on this point& /atthew )*>-

strengthens the idea that the tempter came after the forty days of fasting&

")f you a#e the on of God" (v& -b& 'ue ust reported 5esus# baptism with the voice

from heaven that said, ;You are my $on, the Beloved, with you 1 am well pleased; (-*>>&

 3ow the devil, lie a arate e8pert, sees to turn 5esus# strength against him––to use5esus# $onship to tempt him to turn his power to selfish purposes&

%hey say that you are the $on of -+ ($tein, +)9&

9

8/19/2019 2016-02-14_Lent1C_Luke4.1-13(1).doc

7/20

We can imagine the devil saying to us, 1f you are the bossK& 1f you are the one who is

supposed toK& 1f you are my friendK& 1f you are a good motherK& 1f you are a patriotK& 1f you are an e8pertK& 1f you are a teamplayerK& 1f you really believeK&

Even, 1f you love the 'ordK& 'isten carefully to what follows& 1f it is from the devil, it

will be wrapped in treachery& 3ote that each of these is a point of strength (i&e&, being the boss or a good mother, rather than a point of weaness& %he devil often attacs the high

wall that we thought it unnecessary to guard&

"(ommand ths stone to %e(ome %#ead" (v& -b& 'ue#s account differs from /atthew#s

in a small, but possibly significant detail*

1n /atthew, the tempter says, ;command that these stones (plural become bread;(plural perhaps suggesting that 5esus should mae bread, not only for himself, but also

for other hungry people&

1n 'ue, the devil says, ;command this stone (singular to become bread; (singular,suggesting that 5esus should relieve his own hunger&

%hese are very different temptations& 1n /atthew#s account, the appeal seems to be to

5esus# compassion for others& 1n 'ue#s account, the appeal is more basic––more

 personal& While the appeal to compassion is strong, the appeal to self is often stronger&People (and 5esus is human have a strong will to survive& 1t is possible to mae a good

case for personal survival& 4light attendants are taught to insure their personal survival in

a crash so that they will be alive to help surviving passengers& Parents need to survive to

care for their children& 5esus needed to survive so that he could carry out his ministry–– didn#t heG

 3ote that the first temptation is insignificant& What can be the harm of one loaf of bread?1t will strengthen 5esus for ministry& :ertainly nobody will miss one stone from the many

that carpet the desert floor& %he second and third temptations are dramatic, but the power

of the first temptation lies in its subtlety&

")t s $#tten, *+an shall not l'e %y %#ead alone*" (v& )& %he Fuotation is from

"euteronomy =*-, which reads in full* ;.e humbled you, and allowed you to be hungry,

and fed you with manna, which you didn#t now, neither did your fathers now@ that hemight mae you now that man does not live by bread only, but man lives by everything

that proceeds out of the mouth of Yahweh&;

 3ote the connection between manna (1srael#s bread in the wilderness and the bread with

which the devil tempts 5esus in the wilderness& ;1srael#s need for bread was secondary to

1srael#s need to understand that

8/19/2019 2016-02-14_Lent1C_Luke4.1-13(1).doc

8/20

5 The devil, leading him up on a high mountain, showed him all the $ingdoms of the world 

in a moment of time. 6 The devil said to him, " will give you all this authority, and their glory, for it has been delivered to me% and give it to whomever want. 7  f you therefore

will worship before me, it will all be yours." 8 Jesus answered him, "!et behind me Satan&

 'or it is written,

(ou shall worship the )ord your !od,

and you shall serve him only." 

%he second temptation tempts 5esus to worship the devil––a false >& 0lthough 'ue

usually uses #ingdom# with reference to #ingdom of

8/19/2019 2016-02-14_Lent1C_Luke4.1-13(1).doc

9/20

5esus will warn the crowd to fear, not the person who can ill the body, but the one with

authority to cast into hell (+>*C&

%he priests, scribes, and elders will demand to now by what authority 5esus acts (>A*>&

"0o# t s $#tten, *ou shall $o#sh! the Lo#d you# God, and you shall se#'e hmonly*" (v& =& %he Fuotation is from "euteronomy 9*+-&

LUKE 4:-12.  %.E %.1H" %E/P%0%123

9 He led him to Jerusalem, and set him on the pinnacle of the temple, and said to him, "f

 you are the Son of !od, cast yourself down from here, 10 for it is written,

He will put his angels in charge of you, to guard you%

11

and,

*n their hands they will bear you up,lest perhaps you dash your foot against a stone. "

12 Jesus answering, said to him, "t has been said, (ou shall not tempt the )ord your

!od."  

"He led hm to Je#usalem, and set hm on the !nna(le of the tem!le" (v& 7a& Wearen#t certain which pinnacle this might be, but the temple afforded any number of high

 points that would Fualify&

")f you a#e the on of God, (ast you#self do$n f#om he#e, fo# t s $#tten, *He $ll

!ut hs an&els n (ha#&e of you, to &ua#d you* and, *n the# hands they $ll %ea#

you u!, lest !e#ha!s you dash you# foot a&anst a stone* " (vv& 7b++& 5esus usedscripture to counter two temptations, so the devil couches the third temptation in Biblical

language, Fuoting from Psalm 7+*+++>& %his is not a /essianic psalm––a promise to

 protect the /essiah from harm––but is rather a hymn of praise for the protection that

8/19/2019 2016-02-14_Lent1C_Luke4.1-13(1).doc

10/20

1n 'ue#s mind, the challenge to ump from the pinnacle is the climactic temptation,

 because it tempts 5esus to let $atan save him from death––perhaps not ust now but alsoat the cross& ;But the divine purpose for 5esus&&& is that (he should be preserved through 

death, not from death; (3olland, +=+&

")t has %een sad, *ou shall not tem!t the Lo#d you# God*" (v& +>& %he Fuotation is

from "euteronomy 9*+9, and refers to an incident in which ;the 1sraelites Fuarreled and

tested the 'ord, saying, #1s Yahweh among us, or not?#; (E8odus +*&

LUKE 4:13.  63%1' 032%.EH %1/E13+hen the devil had completed every temptation, he departed from him until anothertime.

%he devil does not give up, but ust bides his time*

.e will inspire the scribes and Pharisees to attempt to ensnare 5esus&

.e will inspire others to demand a sign from 5esus (++*+9, >7->&

.e will surely be present with 5esus on the /ount of 2lives, hoping that 5esus can be

dissuaded at the last moment from his mission (>>*-7)9&

.e will wound 5esus with the betrayal, not only of 5udas, but also of Peter (>>*-, C)9>&

0t the cross, he will moc 5esus through the voices of the leaders, the soldiers, and thecriminal (>-*-C-7&

0nd yet, the devil will fail, because 5esus is full of the .oly $pirit and is led by the $pirit(v& +&

LUKE 4:4-1.  5E$6$ HE%6H3E" 13 %.E P2WEH 24 %.E $P1H1%

"Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit into !alilee, and news about him spread

through all the surrounding area. He taught in their synagogues, being glorified by all." 

%hese verses are not in the lectionary passage, but are a fitting ending to this passage& 1nverse +, 'ue said that 5esus was ;full of the .oly $pirit,; and in verse +), he tells us that

5esus ;returned in the power of the $pirit&; Ierse +) seems lie a recap of the verses that

 precede it&

+A

8/19/2019 2016-02-14_Lent1C_Luke4.1-13(1).doc

11/20

CHILDRENS SER$N%  4illed with

8/19/2019 2016-02-14_Lent1C_Luke4.1-13(1).doc

12/20

But we needed *+=&

%hereOs a sense in which 5esusO temptation is a foretaste of 5esusO cross& Both were morethan distasteful& 5esus must have been tempted to avoid the temptations at the beginning

of his ministry––and the cross at the end––but he had to go through those e8periences so

that he could save us& %hat was his mission––to save us&

5esus e8perienced three temptations& %he first was to mae bread from stone& .aving

 been in the wilderness for )A days, 5esus was undoubtedly famished& 0nd someone whohas had little or nothing to eat for )A days will tend to obsess over food& Everything they

see will loo lie food& %heir foremost thoughts will be of food& 3ever get between a

starving man and a loaf of bread&

%he second temptation was to fall down before $atan and worship him& $atan promised

that he would give 5esus all the ingdoms of the world if 5esus would ust bow down before him&

%he third temptation was for 5esus to ump from the pinnacle of the %emple so that people would say WowG 'oo at thatGQ 5esus would gain immediate credibility if he

could ump from one of those high pinnacles and survive& %he devil Fuoted $cripture to

reassure 5esus that he would not e8perience any harm& %he devil reminded 5esus that

8/19/2019 2016-02-14_Lent1C_Luke4.1-13(1).doc

13/20

stumbling blocs in our pathway& We need always to be prepared to meet $atan, because

he will be tempting us every day& We can count on it&

1 would lie to point out something that you might not have noticed& When 5esus

countered each of the three temptations, he countered each of them with a Fuotation from

the 2ld %estament& 5esus new his Bible lie the bac of his hand& %hat was true ofnearly every 5ew& %herefore, when challenged, 5esus needed only to search his memory

 bans and find the e8act right $cripture––and that#s what 5esus did&

1 said that nearly every 5ew understood the $criptures& Parents sent children to

synagogue school, where they studied the $criptures& %hey had prayers at their table, and

e8plained to the children the significance of the things they were doing––nearly all of

which had some religious foundation& 1 can only imagine how many 5ewish peoplecountered the "evilOs temptations by remembering their lessons and seeing to do

8/19/2019 2016-02-14_Lent1C_Luke4.1-13(1).doc

14/20

But if 5esus had done that, he would have been allowing the devil to set the agenda& 1t

would have been as if the devil had said to 5esus, ;.op inG 1#ll give you a liftG; %he problem with that is that the devil would be in the driver#s seat, and you never now

where he will tae you& You can only be sure that you will pay a price in the end––if the

devil is at the wheel&

1 came across a piece by Paul .arvey that he recorded CA years ago (0pril -, +79C& 1nthat piece, he thought about things that the devil might do to win people& But he was also

thining bigger& What strategy could the devil follow to destabiliDe nations? 4or

instance, what could the devil do to destroy 0merica? .arvey said that the devil would

start small& 5ust as he had whispered to Eve in the garden, the devil would whisper to our young people, ;"o as you please& "o what maes you feel good&;

%he devil would try to persuade people that the Bible is a myth& .e would tell them that

what is bad is good––what is good is ;sFuare&;

%he devil would try to persuade young people that wor is debasing, and that they shouldspend as much time as possible having fun&

Paul .arvey said that the devil would teach us to pray, ;2ur 4ather, which art inWashington&; $top and thin about that for a moment& 1s it our 4ather in heaven who

will save us––or our 4ather in Washington? 0s more and more people drift away from

our 4ather in heaven, they place more and more trust in their 4ather in Washington––in

spite of years of evidence that Washington politicians create as many problems as theysolve& 1 would go even further& %he old saying is, Power corrupts, and absolute power

corrupts absolutely&Q 1f you wonder who is in charge in Washington, it very well may be

the devil&

%he devil would teach authors to write se8y literature––and television producers to

 produce dirty movies& %hen, of course, he would have to persuade us read trashy boosand watch dirty movies& What a great way to corrupt our spiritsG

1 am always impressed with the way that many people try to improve their health by

avoiding certain inds of foods and emphasiDing others& We understand that what wetae into our bodies can affect our lives––and even our longevity& We need to learn that

the same is true spiritually& What we read and what we watch what we say and what we

do either strengthen us or weaen us for life#s ourney&

But let me continue with Paul .arvey#s piece& .e said that one of the things the devil

could do is to try to persuade people that they shouldn#t wor so hard––because idlehands are the devil#s worshop&

%he devil would peddle drugs––and alcohol&

+)

8/19/2019 2016-02-14_Lent1C_Luke4.1-13(1).doc

15/20

.e would run

8/19/2019 2016-02-14_Lent1C_Luke4.1-13(1).doc

16/20

wants for us,

 but that#s not true&

Every day 1 remind myself that what

8/19/2019 2016-02-14_Lent1C_Luke4.1-13(1).doc

17/20

%he .ymnal +7=> (%.

%he 3ew :entury .ymnal (%3:.

6nited /ethodist .ymnal (6/.Ioices 6nited (I6

With 2ne Ioice (W2I

Wonder 'ove and Praise (W'PWorship S Heoice (WH

7ATHERIN7%

:ome, %hou 4ount of Every Blessing (B. L+C, +=@ :. L+9@ :2 L))9@ :P L-C)@ E'W

L=A@ 'BW L)77@ '$B L9=9@ P. L-C9@ %. L9=9@ %3:. L)C7@ 6/. L)AA@ I6 LCC7@WH L9=

1 Want 5esus to Wal With /e (B. L)9C@ :. L9>@ :P LC+>@ E'W L->C@ P. L-9-@

%3:. L)7A@ 6/. LC>+@ W'P L=AC@ W2I L99A@ WH LCA9

$ing Praise to A@ :. L9@ :P L-+A@ 5$ L)C=@ P. L)=-@%. L)A=@ %3:. L9@ 6/. L+>9@ I6 L>+9@ WH LC9

*R$CLAIIN7%

0t the 3ame of 5esus (B. L+7=@ :2 LC-=@ :P L-C@ E'W L)+9@ 5$ L-+@ 'BW L+7@

'$B LC+>@ 'W L+=, P. L+)=@ %. L)-C@ 6/. L+9=@ I6 L--C@ WH L->+

4orty "ays and 4orty 3ights (:. L+7@ :2 L>)>@ :P L+C@ )+@ P. L@

%. L+CA@ %3:. L>AC@ I6 L++)

5esus Waled %his 'onesome Ialley (:.L >++@ ++>@ WH

L>C)

'ord, Who %hroughout %hese 4orty "ays (:. L+=A@ @ 5$ L>9A@ P. L=+@ %.

L+)>@ %3:. L>++@ 6/. L>97@ WH L>C>

2 'ove, .ow "eep, .ow Broad, .ow .igh (:P L9>=@ E'W L->>@ 'BW L==@ '$B LC))@

'W L>C@ P. L=-@ %. L))=, ))7@ %3:. L>A7@ 6/. L>9@ I6 L-)=

%he

8/19/2019 2016-02-14_Lent1C_Luke4.1-13(1).doc

18/20

  0lso nown as Precious 3ame

%ae %ime to be .oly (B. L))9@ :. LC>@ 6/. L-7C@ I6 L9>@ WH L)=-

HYN ST$RY%  2 'ove, .ow "eep, .ow Broad, .ow .igh

%his hymn loos with wonder on the love e8pressed through 5esus# life––how he camedown from heaven to live among us (v& +––how he bore temptations for us and was

 baptiDed for our sae (v& >––how he prayed for us and wored for us (v& - ––how he

died for us (v& )––and rose from death to return to his heavenly home (v& C& 1t calls us to

give glory to ;our 'ord and

8/19/2019 2016-02-14_Lent1C_Luke4.1-13(1).doc

19/20

:ousar, :harles B&@

+7

8/19/2019 2016-02-14_Lent1C_Luke4.1-13(1).doc

20/20

%annehill, Hobert :&, Abingdon 0ew Testament ommentaries1 )u$e (3ashville*

0bingdon, +779

www&sermonwriter&com

www&lectionary&org

We welcome your feedbacG dicVsermonwriter&com

:opyright >A+9, Hichard 3iell "onovan

>A

http://www.sermonwriter.com/http://www.lectionary.org/mailto:dick@sermonwriter.comhttp://www.sermonwriter.com/http://www.lectionary.org/mailto:dick@sermonwriter.com