Mark A. Schaefer
Kay Spiritual Life Center at American University
March 4, 2001

Deuteronomy 26 ¹ ¶ When you have come into the land that the LORD your God is giving you as an inheritance to possess, and you possess it, and settle in it, ² you shall take some of the first of all the fruit of the ground, which you harvest from the land that the LORD your God is giving you, and you shall put it in a basket and go to the place that the LORD your God will choose as a dwelling for his name. ³ You shall go to the priest who is in office at that time, and say to him, “Today I declare to the LORD your God that I have come into the land that the LORD swore to our ancestors to give us.” ⁴ When the priest takes the basket from your hand and sets it down before the altar of the LORD your God, ⁵ you shall make this response before the LORD your God: “A wandering Aramean was my ancestor; he went down into Egypt and lived there as an alien, few in number, and there he became a great nation, mighty and populous. ⁶ When the Egyptians treated us harshly and afflicted us, by imposing hard labor on us, ⁷ we cried to the LORD, the God of our ancestors; the LORD heard our voice and saw our affliction, our toil, and our oppression. ⁸ The LORD brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm, with a terrifying display of power, and with signs and wonders; ⁹ and he brought us into this place and gave us this land, a land flowing with milk and honey. ¹⁰ So now I bring the first of the fruit of the ground that you, O LORD, have given me.” You shall set it down before the LORD your God and bow down before the LORD your God. ¹¹ Then you, together with the Levites and the aliens who reside among you, shall celebrate with all the bounty that the LORD your God has given to you and to your house.

Luke 4 ¹ ¶ Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the wilderness, ² where for forty days he was tempted by the devil. He ate nothing at all during those days, and when they were over, he was famished.³ The devil said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command this stone to become a loaf of bread.” ⁴ Jesus answered him, “It is written, ‘One does not live by bread alone.’” ⁵ ¶ Then the devil led him up and showed him in an instant all the kingdoms of the world. ⁶ And the devil said to him, “To you I will give their glory and all this authority; for it has been given over to me, and I give it to anyone I please. ⁷ If you, then, will worship me, it will all be yours.” ⁸ Jesus answered him, “It is written, ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve only him.’” ⁹ ¶ Then the devil took him to Jerusalem, and placed him on the pinnacle of the temple, saying to him, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down from here, ¹⁰ for it is written, ‘He will command his angels concerning you, to protect you,’ ¹¹ and ‘On their hands they will bear you up, so that you will not dash your foot against a stone.’” ¹² Jesus answered him, “It is said, ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’” ¹³ When the devil had finished every test, he departed from him until an opportune time.

I. INTRODUCTION

The passage we heard from Luke earlier is a familiar one. The story of Jesus’ temptation in the wilderness by Satan prior to the inauguration of his ministry is one of the great dialogues in Scripture, like Moses’ conversations with God or Job’s with his friends and with God. It is not a text that stands alone. It does not exist in a vacuum, but rather points forward to the temptations and trial that Jesus would continue to undego and backward to the experiences and traditions of Israel. It is with that background that we start.

II. ISRAEL’S TESTING IN THE WILDERNESS

A. NT as Midrash

One of the things we need to bear in mind as we read the New Testament is that often the New Testament writers were creating what is called a midrash of the Old Testament. For example, in Jesus’ baptism there are a voice from heaven, a light, water, and a spirit hovering. Where else have we seen these things? In the creation narrative in Genesis 1. The Gospel writers would make literary and thematic connections between the events of Jesus’ life and the traditions of the Hebrew scriptures.

What did the evangelists look to when reporting Jesus’ temptation in the wilderness? In the earliest Gospel, Mark, there is very little detail. We are told simply: “He was in the wilderness forty days, tempted by Satan; and he was with the wild beasts; and the angels waited on him.” [Mark 1:13] No detail. When Matthew and Luke relay this story, there is much more detail, probably from another early source (scholars call it Q) which may have been relying on an old tradition among Christians of Jesus’ temptation that was based on the wilderness testing of Israel. Thus, in Christian understanding, Jesus’ time of preparation before ministry was akin to Israel’s period of preparation before entering the Promised Land.

B. Tests

So how do we understand the testing that Israel went through in the wilderness? To get at that, we take a look at the quotes from Deuteronomy that Jesus used in his 40 days in the wilderness.

The first of these comes from Deuteronomy 8:2-3. Listen to these words:

Deut. 8:2-3 Remember the long way that the LORD your God has led you these forty years in the wilderness, in order to humble you, testing you to know what was in your heart, whether or not you would keep his commandments. He humbled you by letting you hunger, then by feeding you with manna, with which neither you nor your ancestors were acquainted, in order to make you understand that one does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of the LORD.

The word “testing” in this translation is the word anot, which literally means, “afflictions” and is the same word that is used to describe the hardships imposed upon Israel by Pharaoh in Egypt. It was long understood in Jewish tradition that the afflictions endured by Israel in the desert were for Israel’s sake. So, what was the purpose that Israel was ‘afflicted’ in this particular way? The test here is whether Israel could accommodate itself to continued dependence on God. Later in that chapter we are told that the Israelites are entering into a land of wheat and barley, vines, figs, and pomegranates. olive trees and honey. A land of material plenty, in which all the food they will need will be there. Will they be able to continue to rely on God when surrounded by such plenty? The dependence of the Israelites on manna in the wilderness is to serve as an everlasting testimony of their dependence on God even when in a land of plenty.

Deuteronomy 6:13 “The Lord your God shall you fear; him you shall serve, and by his name alone shall you swear.”

In Hebrew, the word rendered “serve” is avad and can also mean “to worship.” (We ourselves often talk of “worship services”). This passage comes not long after the Shema, that commandment that Jesus identified as the first and greatest commandment: “Hear, O Israel, The Lord is our God, The Lord is One. You shall love The Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength…” It is followed by a recitation of great and mighty things God has done for the people Israel.

As they enter the Promised Land, they will encounter much opportunity to worship and serve other gods. They are not to forget that it is The Lord who is their God, whom alone they are to serve.

Deuteronomy 6:16 “Do not put the Lord your God to the test, as you tested him at Massah.”

When Moses spoke these words, he was recalling an earlier event, when having left Egypt, the Israelites grumbled and quarreled on account of thirst. They doubted whether God was still with them and demanded Moses to work a miracle on their behalf in producing water. Scripture even says that they asked, “Is the Lord with us or not?”

As Israel prepared to enter the Promised Land, they were reminded not to test God, but instead to trust God. Israel is admonished not to question God’s presence with or benevolent intentions toward Israel as they did at Massah.

C. Preparation & Definition

The 40 years in the wilderness served to prepare Israel for the entry into the Promised Land. In the course of the journey, they have come to understand themselves as a holy people wholly dependent on and trusting in God. The time of preparation helped them to develop disciplines to depend on God, to worship God, and to trust in God.

III. JESUS’ TEMPTATION IN THE WILDERNESS

The passage from Luke we heard earlier comes after the baptism of Jesus by John in the Jordan. It is at his baptism that the Holy Spirit descends upon him ‘like a dove’ and anoints him. Luke reports that Jesus was about 30 at this time–that is, at an age of full maturity. We are then given a genealogy tracing Jesus’ lineage back through David, through Judah, through Abraham, through Adam. Thus, Jesus’ divine and earthly credentials as anointed Son of God, King of Israel, are firmly established.

A. Tests

But what kind of reign would this king have? The Spirit leads him out to the wilderness to be tempted.

1. Bread

First, he is tempted with food. The satiation of his appetite. The scripture says that “for forty days he was tempted by the devil. He ate nothing at all during those days, and when they were over, he was famished…”

So, this first temptation comes at the end of the 40 days of fasting. Satan says, “Son of God, command this stone to become a loaf of bread.” This recalls the miraculous feeding of Israel in the wilderness with manna. Jesus is being tempted to replicate the miracle to feed himself. Now, Jesus is a Jew who knows his Torah. And in the best traditions of the rabbis quotes from it: “One does not live by bread alone.”

Jesus is tempted with food in the midst of hunger. But he remains faithful. The miraculous provision of manna in the wilderness was not just a neat way to get food to a hungry people. It was a manifestation of God’s grace toward his people and of their dependence on him. Jesus stays true to the purpose of the manna in the wilderness, a recognition that humanity’s sustenance comes from the word of God.

2. All the Kingdoms of the World

Jesus second temptation would be hard for anyone to resist. Who wouldn’t want to be king of the world? We play board games like Riskand computer games like Civilization in which we try to become just that. The price is acknowledging the authority and dominion of Satan. Another interpretation might be that Satan is tempting Jesus to avoid the cross and to skip right to dominion over the whole world.

But Jesus stays focused and is faithful. Jesus is true to the purposes of God and trusts in him. Jesus would not opt for political power and success, but rather the path of suffering, humiliation and death. Jesus chooses not the role of the powerful, but the role of the Suffering Servant. Jesus trusts in God to be God “Worship the Lord your God and serve only him.” It is a reminder that God’s way is often costly.

3. The Pinnacle of the Temple

The third temptation is challenge to Jesus’ faithfulness. The devil suggests that Scripture requires Jesus to believe in and insist on divine protection. Suffering and death would be a sign of weak faith. In effect, the devil is restating the Israelites’ complaint in the desert: where is God? Is the Lord among us or not? The devil is saying, surely if God is with you, no harm will come to you. This is especially powerful when we remember that Jesus’ life will end with suffering and death. Jesus remains faithful: “You will not put the Lord your God to the test.” That is, you are to trust that God is ever with you.” Jesus continues to trust in God, even when safety and protection may seem far away.

B. Preparation & Definition

Thus, Jesus’ wilderness experience prepared him for the work to come. Immediately following this text is the report of Jesus’ rejection at the synagogue in Nazareth. Immediately, Jesus finds himself challenged and threatened. On account of his testing, he knew that God was ever with him in spite of rejection. Jesus had defined himself and his reign in that wilderness experience in terms of faithful service to God and to God’s purposes, often in direct contrast to the expectations of the world. Jesus’ ministry and reign had been defined in that wilderness experience as one that would depend on God, worship God, and trust in God.

IV. OUR TESTING IN LENT

This past Wednesday, Ash Wednesday, was the beginning of our 40-day fast. Now, if you have done the math, you may have noticed that from Ash Wednesday to Easter is actually 46 days. That is because, in counting the 40 days, one does not count the Sundays. I remember when I found that out–I thought it was cheating. Since the times of the earliest Christians, Sunday was the most important holiday, a continuing weekly celebration of the Resurrection. (Those of you who are Russian speakers in this congregation—curiously, we have quite a few–know that the Russian word for Sunday is Voskresenye, “Resurrection.”) The Lord’s Day is always a feast day within the church, and so is not counted in adding up the days of Lent. Does this mean you can eat chocolates–or whatever you gave up–on Sunday? Why, actually, yes it does.

A. 40 Days

But remember, there is nothing mystical or magical about the number 40. You will notice that the number 40 appears a great deal in Scripture. During the Flood, it rained for 40 days and 40 nights. Moses was on the mountain for 40 days and 40 nights. In the Book of the Judges after a particular judge has delivered the Israelites from peril, we are told “The land had rest for 40 years.” David and Solomon reigned over Israel for 40 years a piece. We are told that Jesus was tempted by the devil for 40 days.

The number 40 is simply a number that signifies sufficiency–”more than enough.” “Enough already!” So whenever you read the number 40 in the Bible, what you are really reading is that it was an amount more than sufficient to the task. ‘How long did it rain, Noah?’ ‘It rainedenough already.’

So however long Lent lasts, whether it is 40 days or 46, we are aware that it is a sufficient time for preparation. It is enough.

B. Tests

The tests we endure in Lent are not temporary add-ons or deletions. They are disciplines meant to shape us for our continued walk with God, disciplines that are not merely passing fads, but which form us for a life of Christian discipleship.

1. Fasting

Lent is not about dieting. It is not about making the Temple of God’s presence better looking. It is not a time to erase the “freshman fifteen” we might have picked up in our first couple of semesters of eating late night pizzas and dorm food.

We live in a land of plenty. Most of us do not want for food or sustenance. When we fast, we change the focus from satisfying our physical appetites to feeding our spiritual appetites.

The Israelites were entering a land of plenty and were challenged by their wilderness experience to remain dependent on God. The purpose likewise of our 40-day fast is not in the abstinence from meat, or candy, or whatever, but rather in the spiritual discipline of turning to God for the source of our nourishment. Now, it is important to remember that Jesus did not say, “One does not live by bread” but “One does not live by bread alone.” The purpose of our Lenten fast is to remind us that there is a source of nourishment that provides for our spiritual and physical need–to develop the discipline of depending on God.

2. Alms

Another of the traditional disciplines of Lent has been in giving alms to the poor. Again this is not a temporary addition that makes us feel good while we are enduring the absence of chocolate in our lives, this is a discipline which reminds us to live out our faith in the world.

In this we do not put the Lord to the test. We do not look at the poor and say “Is the Lord with us or not?” Rather, confident of God’s grace, we are empowered to go out into the world in ministry. This is what Jesus meant when he said that the second great commandment was to “love your neighbor as yourself.” When we love and trust in God, we are empowered to love and minister to our neighbors. As we seek spiritual nourishment, we are called upon to provide physical nourishment to those who are in need.

More than simply giving alms, we are also challenged to support causes of justice that will benefit those in need. Take the time to think what you can do in our city, nation, and world, to support legislation and programs that help the disadvantaged. It is a discipline that helps us not to tempt God, but to trust in God.

3. Prayer

A third traditional Lenten discipline has been prayer and devotion. When we turn our hearts to God, it keeps us focused on the task of worshiping God and serving only him. In our worship, prayer, and devotion, our focus is not on picking up six-week habits that will be dropped come Easter Sunday. It is about transforming us into better disciples. When we pray intercessory prayers we are challenged to think of what we can do for the sick. When we pray and read scripture, we are challenged not only to talk, but to open our minds and our hearts to receive God’s word. Our Lenten prayer disciplines help to prepare us for the long journey ahead. We become disciplined toworship God.

Our Lenten preparation prepares us for a lifetime of depending on God, worshiping God, and trusting in God.

C. Preparation & Definition

But, what are we preparing for in our Lenten journey?

In the passage from Deuteronomy we heard earlier, we read the commandments concerning what the Israelites were required to do upon entering the Promised Land. The Israelites had wandered for 40 years in the wilderness before entering the Land. Upon entering, they were commanded to offer up the first fruits of their plenty. Now, what does this have to do with us? Well, sooner or later, we wind up turning to St. Paul. Hear these words from 1 Corinthians 15:

1Cor. 15:20-23 ¶ But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who have died. For since death came through a human being, the resurrection of the dead has also come through a human being; for as all die in Adam, so all will be made alive in Christ. But each in his own order: Christ the first fruits, then at his coming those who belong to Christ.

Jesus was tested in the desert for 40 days prior to entering his ministry, during which he offered himself up for us, after which God raised him up as the “first fruits” of the new creation. Our 40-day Lenten fast, then, becomes our wilderness experience before entering the Promised Land. A time of testing, a time of preparation before we can get to the fulfillment of the promise, a promise fulfilled in Christ’s Resurrection: the first fruits of the world to come. The Promised Land is Easter, the wonderful gift of God’s grace in Jesus Christ. That is the Land toward which we are moving, but we are not there yet. We first have to spend our time in the wilderness, ever mindful that the path we are taking to Canaan leads through the Cross.

IV. WILDERNESS EXPERIENCES

In our lives, we have all had wilderness experiences. We have all had times when we withdraw, retreat. When we regroup to prepare for the task ahead.

A. Times of Preparation & Definition

In such times, whether they are organized and planned, like a retreat, or whether they come upon us suddenly by circumstance, we are challenged to prepare and define ourselves. We take on new insight, new discipline, new understanding. We contemplate the road ahead.

B. Temporary Sojourns

For, we are not led into the wilderness to stay there. Israel was not led out of Egypt to permanently reside in the wilderness. Christ did not leave his baptism to reside in the desert. Both moved on toward the promised land. We will take much from our wildernesses. Our experiences help us to define who we are and what we are. But we are called to move onward, to live out the faith we cultivate in the wilderness.

V. CONCLUSION

Jesus’ temptation in the wilderness is an event that looks backwards and forwards. Backwards in looking to Israel’s testing in the Wilderness. Forwards in anticipation of our testing as disciples of Christ. So, too, does our time in the wilderness–our 40 days of Lent–point backwards and forwards. Backwards to the experiences of Jesus and of Israel. Forward to our entering into the Promise of God, eternal life as a gift of God’s grace through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

In a few moments we will come to the Lord’s table for communion. During this Lenten season, it is important that, like Lent, the Eucharist looks both backward and forward. Backward as a commemoration of the Last Supper, that last Passover meal shared between Jesus and his disciples prior to his crucifixion. And forward: to that time when, in the words of the communion liturgy, “Christ comes in final victory, and we feast at his heavenly banquet.” The Eucharist, like the Sundays in Lent, which are not of Lent, serve as the reminders of this future focus and future expectation.

We then, in this our 40-day wilderness of Lent keep one eye on the past as we commemorate the testing of our Master Jesus Christ and of our spiritual forebears in the wilderness. And we keep one eye on the future toward which we prepare ourselves: when through the Grace of God, the promises of God are finally fulfilled in the miracle of Easter. May we remember that the one who showed faithfulness in the face of temptation in the wilderness, stands with us to strengthen us in all our trials, as we begin our pilgrimage toward the promise of the life everlasting.

And may the Grace and Peace of the Lord our God be with you. Amen.