This is the manuscript from the sermon preached on the first Sunday of Lent. The sermon is based on Matthew 4:1-11.
Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. He fasted forty days and forty nights, and afterwards he was famished. 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,
'One does 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 placed him on the pinnacle of the temple, saying 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,
so that you will not dash your foot against a stone.'"
Jesus said to him, "Again it is written, 'Do 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 splendor; and he said to him, "All these I will give you, if you will fall down and worship me." Jesus said to him, "Away with you, Satan! for it is written,
'Worship the Lord your God,
and serve only him.'"
Then the devil left him, and suddenly angels came and waited on him.
On Being Tested by the Tosser - Jesus in the Wilderness
“This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.” This declaration from God serves as the finale of the baptism of Jesus in the river Jordan and the beginning of his trip into the wilderness. This is a hinge moment for Matthew’s story of Jesus. It is only after God names him as “beloved son” that Jesus is led into the wilderness to be tested. Right here in Matthew’s Gospel we know who Jesus is. We now follow the action to understand what this means for us and for the world.
Jesus is led by the spirit into the wilderness to be tested. No post baptism party for Jesus. The movement had to get started. And it begins in the wilderness. 40 days and 40 nights of fasting. The devil sitting shotgun. This may go down as the worst road trip ever.
The word that Matthew uses for the devil is the Greek diabolos. The English renders it quite literally. Clarence Jordan has an interesting take on the etymology of the word diabolos -
(Diabolos) comes from dia meaning “around, through," and bollo meaning “to throw.” Our English word ball comes from that. Diabolos means “one who throws things about” - one who stirs things up - gets them confused. The work of the devil is just to get us muddled.
With this understanding we can describe what the devil is trying do in the wilderness with Jesus. The devil is the "tosser." The devil is in this scene to toss things about, to muddle things up, to get Jesus confused over how he will live out his ministry. The devil is the one who will test Jesus about how he will live out being God’s “beloved son.”
The first testing involves something we all experience, hunger. Matthew tells us that Jesus is hungry, and who wouldn't be after forty days without food. It’s the basic and probably most pressing need that the devil goes after first. “If you are the Son of God,” the devil begins. But this is not a question of identity. Jesus knows exactly who he is. The devil knows exactly who Jesus is. We too have been told by Matthew just a few lines ago. No, this statement is more subtle. The devil is speaking in Greek syntax. The way to hear this statement is “since you are the Son of God.”
And here’s where the test comes in. And it’s a test of means. How will Jesus demonstrate the kingdom of heaven? Since Jesus is the Son of God, he has the power to react to his hunger. Surely he could have turned stones into bread. He could have satisfied his own needs. But that’s not what his ministry will look like. “Humanity shall not live by bread alone,” Jesus replies. Humanity shall not live alone with bread. Bread, representing the basic, stable food of the people’s diet, is meant to be shared. Community is born out of the sharing of bread. Twice in the Gospel we will witness Jesus’ ministry as the sharing of bread with the hungry masses in the wilderness. In the waning hours of his life Jesus will share bread with his disciples, including Judas, as a symbol of the new community created through the cross. Jesus will turn himself into bread for the world. The ministry of Jesus will be the sharing of bread with others, specifically those in need, and not Jesus himself with bread alone. The power of Jesus will be to build community and extend the kingdom of heaven into the world.
The second testing is about how Jesus will encounter the world. What will be the message of his life and ministry as the implementer of the kingdom of heaven? The scene moves the devil and Jesus to the pinnacle of the temple. Again the devil leads with “If you are the Son of God,” and again we should hear, “since you are the Son of God.” This time the devil quotes scripture to open the test, pulling a page out of Jesus’ play book. “Since you are the Son of God, throw yourself down, for it is written…” If you jump the angels will come, sweep you up in a blaze of glory, and all will see that you are truly God’s son. You’ll be famous. The phone will be ringing off the hook. You’ll need an agent to manage your gigs. They’ll want you for photo-ops and book signings. Perhaps even the Romans will take note and ask for advice. You will been seen as all powerful and the world will respond in awe.
Jesus again knows the test. He knows the world is fickle and is always on the look out for the next headline. The next front-page story. The message of the kingdom will not be a flash of power. Jesus points again to scripture, “you shall put the Lord your God to the test.” Jesus will not force God’s hand. Instead he chooses to display his power in a more subtle and radical way. The message of the kingdom of heaven will be one of humble service. Jesus opens his life to those in need. He heals the sick, dares to break social norms by hanging out with prostitutes and tax collectors, and voices critique of the religious leaders. His true power will be displayed on the cross, a foolish move according to the powers that be. By God brings life out of death. The resurrection of Jesus demonstrates God’s ultimate power, something the world cannot control. Jesus, in his ministry of humble service, demonstrates the to the world the message of God through acts of healing and mercy.
The final testing will engage the method of Jesus’ ministry. How will Jesus go about the work of bringing the kingdom of heaven into the world? This time the devil skips the pleasantries and gets straight to the point. From a high mountain the devil shows Jesus all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. “All these I will give you, if you will fall down and worship me.” The devil, the one who casts things about, assumes power over the whole world (maybe there’s some truth here), and would gift it all to Jesus for the simple act of worship. The devil knows the goals of the kingdom. He knows Matthew 28; “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations…” And here they are for the taking. All nations, lined-up and ready for Jesus. No sweat, no tears, no work, no blood, no cross, no death. With this act Jesus could take control of everything. With one fell swoop he could own it all. But there’s a catch.
At the heart of this is idolatry. And Jesus names it. “Worship the Lord your God, and serve only him.” Or perhaps more clearly, “trust the lord…trust God’s vision for the world.” We worship who we trust; God. The devil is asking for Jesus to trust him. But Jesus knows this is false. We are to trust, to serve, to worship God alone. And this is what will mark the life and ministry of Jesus. He will trust the the kingdom of heaven is God’s vision for the world. He will put in the sweat and the tears and the work. He will walk to the cross and to the tomb. He will trust God with his life and ministry.
With all accounts settled, Jesus dismissed the devil. The testing is over. Now the journey of his ministry will begin. Our Lenten journey marks the final leg of his journey. His life is set on Jerusalem and the trial that is to come. Jesus will remain faithful until the end, and through his sacrifice, the whole world will be set free. And we are invited to follow.
As we enter the season of Lent we acknowledge that we are sinful people. We name that we fall short, that we would probably fail every test the “tosser” would throw at us. But it’s important not to get stuck in this trap. The truth of Lent, with it’s movement towards the cross, is to remember that the words God spoke to Jesus, God also speaks to us. “You are my beloved son…you are my beloved daughter.” We have been set free and given new life through the resurrection. Jesus has already met all the tests of the “tosser” and dismissed them as false. We are God’s beloved children.
Today, and everyday, we are invited to be a part of the world that God is creating through Jesus. We are invited to be a part of the kingdom of heaven. And this life embodies the movement of Jesus’ own life and ministry. We are called to share bread with others. To tell people of God’s abundance and Jesus Christ who gave himself away as bread for the world. We are invited to live lives of humble service to our neighbors and strangers alike. We are called to trust in God’s vision for the world. And we have been set free to follow Jesus in this way of life.
Remember, you are beloved children of God. May God bless you on the journey.
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