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temptation

Temptation and Rejection (Luke 4)

by TerryLema

After Jesus’ baptism (recorded in Luke 3), Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness “for 40 days to be tempted by the Devil.” [Luke 4:2 HCSB]

We know Jesus answered every temptation the Devil aimed against Him with the Word of God. When the Devil realized he was not going to win, he left, but as Luke reminds his readers, “he departed from Him [only] for a time.” [4:13 HCSB]

After Jesus victory over the Devil’s temptation, he returned to the region of Galilee and taught in the synagogues, eventually arriving at his hometown Nazareth. His hometown first spoke well of Him but also noted that He was not much more than Joseph the carpenter’s son. [vs 22]

It does not take very long, however, before his hometown is offended by His comments and turns on Him.  “They got up, drove Him out of town, and brought Him to the edge of the hill that their town was built on, intending to hurl Him over the cliff. But He passed right through the crowd and went on His way.” [4:29-30 HCSB]

Later in Luke’s Gospel, Jesus will inform His disciples that He has come for a specific purpose, and that purpose includes, suffering and rejection.  (“The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, chief priests, and scribes, be killed, and be raised the third day.” [9:22 HCSB])

Sadly, Jesus’ first rejection comes at the hands of the people in His hometown, people who knew His family, people who knew Him – perhaps even watched Him grow up among them. They are so enraged at His words that they would have killed Him, but it was not yet His time to die and neither was being hurled over a cliff the way He was to die.

There is a cross waiting for Him ahead and an even greater rejection when God will turn His back on His One and Only Son as He becomes the Sacrificial Lamb slain for the sins of the world.

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Away From Temptation & Evil

by TerryLema

We come to the end of The LORD’s Prayer today with the last request to our Father God. “And do not lead us into temptation but deliver us from the evil one.”

 I have often heard people debate about those words and whether God leads us “into” temptation. We do not need God to lead us to temptation, we can find that readily on our own. We need God to lead us away from temptation and that can be inferred from what Jesus told us to pray.

“Our Father … lead us away from temptation and deliver us from the evil one who enjoys tempting us!” [paraphrased]

James is quite clear when he describes the origin of temptation and the progression of sin and death in James 1:12-15: “Blessed is the man who endures temptation; for when he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him. Let no one say when he is tempted, ‘I am tempted by God’; for God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He Himself tempt anyone. But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed. Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death.” [NKJV]

Evil desires are endemic to fallen mankind. While I do not believe the enemy of our soul can read our minds, he can certainly throw disgusting thoughts toward them, and then he can judge by our response just how to tempt us next time. If we succumb to temptations that arouse anger, guess how we will be tempted going forward. If we display pride and arrogance, how many ways do you think the enemy will tempt us to do that again. If we fall into greed and covetousness, he will promote that.

The enemy of our soul will never waste an opportunity to draw us away to sin. We need to cover ourselves in prayer as we face each day.

Father, by the power of Your Holy Spirit, lead us away from temptation. Give us victory over all the attempts of the enemy to entice us. Keep us in Your loving care, close to Your heart, where no evil may befall us. Amen & Amen.

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Lead Us Not Into Temptation

by TerryLema

Have you ever noticed that David began Psalm 139 with the statement that the LORD had searched him (past tense) and knew him, then ended it with a request for God to search him again?

“O LORD, You have searched me and known me. You know my sitting down and my rising up; You understand my thought afar off. You comprehend my path and my lying down and are acquainted with all my ways.” [v1-3 NKJV]

“Search me, O God, and know my heart; Try me, and know my anxieties; And see if there is any wicked way in me and lead me in the way everlasting.” [v23-24 NKJV]

Did David think God forgot? Did he think God suddenly could not remember what David was like, his thoughts, his path and his ways? No, David knew God was well aware of his inner most being.

When David asked God to search him at the end of the psalm, He was asking God to reveal to David what was in his own heart. David asked God to show him those anxieties and doubts that plagued him, to reveal to him his sin. His cry was to know if there was anything in him that displeased his LORD, anything that would lead him away. Then once shown, David asked for God to lead him away from sin and in the path of righteousness.

Jesus said we are to pray daily, “lead us not into temptation ….” In other words, “Our Father, lead us away from anything in us that would take us away from You, any anxiety that would cause us to doubt Your loving kindness, any temptation of the world that would overwhelm our devotion to You. Amen”

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