Desert Thoughts 3

(Continued from yesterday;  read Matthew 4:1-11.)

Satan finally tested Jesus’s sense of significance and value.  Look at all the kingdoms of the world.  Are you really “all that” Jesus?  Any insecurities in there, Jesus?  Will the world really fall to you?  Can you really pull this off, Jesus?  I don’t think you can make it…  It’s going to be really hard, Jesus.  I can help you out…  With another indirect shot at the Father, Jesus is given an easy way out.  Bypass all the struggle, all the suffering, and skip all the rejection.  I can make you big NOW and ensure that everyone will follow You…  This could be a considerable test for Jesus.  While not walking in His former omniscience at the moment, I’m sure Jesus had a pretty good idea at that point what was ahead for Him.  The coming mission was not going to be all Renn and Stimpy (y’know, “Happy happy! Joy, joy!”).  He felt tired… hungry… thirsty… weak…  No.  Jesus knew, and acted on the truth, that the kingdoms of the world and their splendor would be given to Him, but not because He did things the easy way; not because he went the quick-success/not too much suffering way.  Not because He went Satan’s way.  Jesus knew that His significance, His value, His importance, and His success was all because He trusted His Father and obeyed.  Only the Father is worthy of being worshipped and obeyed, regardless of the personal consequences.  Period!

And so Satan left the Son of God alone, because there was no more to be tested.  Jesus had trusted His Father in His weakness and affirmed that all of Who He was and all that He needed was in the Father.  So let it be for us!!

Desert Thoughts 2

(This is part two of a series started yesterday; more desert thoughts from Matthew 4:) 

Satan also tested Jesus’s sense of provision and protection.  He challenged Jesus to turn stones to bread when He was so hungry, and to demand protection in a place of danger (i.e. on top of the temple).

                                                           

This test was also a veiled accusation and test of Jesus’s Father, trying to lead Jesus to consider questions like “Why am I here, so hot and so hungry?  Why won’t God feed me here?”… And questions like “Will God really protect me if I go there?  Will Father really come through?”  Jesus rightly responded with scriptures that affirmed His Father’s faithfulness and that kept things in the right perspective:  First, Father always provides (Look at the context of Deuteronomy 8 from which Jesus quotes!), and I need Him more than food anyway!  Second,  I do trust my Father, so quit putting my Father to a stupid test!

Post completed tomorrow….

Desert Thoughts 1

As I sit here in my proverbial desert, some meditations from Matthew, chapter 4: 

Jesus was affirmed in His identity and calling by the Father at His baptism (Matthew 3:16-17).  He heard the voice and the blessing of His Father, He was empowered by the Holy Spirit, and then He was led and driven by the Spirit into the desert.

Jesus was fasting, and waiting on His Father in the desert. In his moments of weakness, Satan came to test Him in the very things that had just been affirmed.

Satan tested Jesus’s sense of identity.  He attacked His Sonship, His personhood.  He repeatedly challenged Jesus with the words “If you are the Son of God…”  The implication, the accusation, is “I don’t think you really are the Son of God, like the Father just said.  Prove it.”  Perhaps the first hurdle for Jesus was the temptation to prove it to Himself, to seek some kind of validation when it’s hot and dry and His belly was empty and He was tired.  The second hurdle was the need to prove to another, in this case, an accuser.  He had to get past any concern for what any other person thinks, for how another person defines Him– whether the others’ definitions would be correct or incorrect.  His identity was not there.  How many times was Jesus to face accusation?  How many times was Jesus to be challenged on the truth of His identity?  Quite a lot!

Post continues tomorrow….

Thoughts on Lent

Pope Benedict reminded us on Sunday that part of the spirit and season of Lent is to confront evil in the world (see here). We must not only deal with the evil in our own hearts, but also deal with the influence and causes of evil around us. Benedict said this is part of uniting with Christ’s ministry in the world. I think he’s right… we must start in our own souls but not stop there.

Some worship songs that may be good for Lent (including what I mentioned yesterday):

• Take My Life (Scott Underwood)
• Give Us Clean Hands (Charlie Hall)
• Refiners Fire (Brian Doerkson)
• Change My Heart, O God (Eddie Espinoza)
• All I Have is You (Charlie Hines)
• Nothing But the Blood (Matt Redman)
• The Wonderful Cross (Matt Redman/Chris Tomlin)
• Mighty is the Power of the Cross (Chris Tomlin)

Some great scripture readings for Lent:

• Psalm 24
• Psalm 51
• 1 John 1:5-2:2
• Psalm 32

All these have special meaning to me; I hope they will for you too!