This story is also one of the main ways that Jesus becomes a figure which is foreign to us, separate from us, and unsympathetic. The scriptures tell us that Jesus was human and was tempted yet never gave into that temptation. How then is Jesus a living example for us to follow? Are we expected to never give into the temptations that we experience? Not once? The fact that Jesus was able to do this seems to make him an unattainable figure right from the start.
I think that this problem comes from what is really an assumption, and an incorrect assumption. In the modern world we have a very specific idea of temptation. At least we do in the spiritual realm. We see temptation as something imposed on us. Temptation is something that is brought to us outside of our will and choice. Temptation is a burden placed on us that we need to bear. This is the lie. I believe that the reality of temptation is quite the opposite.
Temptation comes from within. It's not a condition, it's a habit.
James 1:14 "But each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and entice."
Temptation is a condition from within. It is when a desire builds up within our hearts and we feed it and give it strength. Temptation is something that feels good. It feels good, right, to want something.
When the snake famously spoke to Adam and Eve it didn't 'trick' the couple into eating the fruit. The snake didn't paint the fruit another color and hang it under another tree to trick them. The snake didn't push it down their throats when they were sleeping. He simply gave them a justification. "You will be like God" the snake said. This justified the eating of the fruit for Adam and Eve. They wanted that fruit. Genesis says "When they saw that the fruit was good for food, pleasing to the eye, and desirable for gaining wisdom," they took some and ate it.
Adam and eve weren't tempted by some external force. They wanted the fruit, all the snake did was give them a justification. But 'he lied' some may say. The snake lied to them. This is true, but all justification of evil is based on a lie. And we justify things to ourselves all the time in order to give into temptations, or more importantly, and to continue building those temptations in our hearts. Because temptation comes from within, it is a habit.
The story of Job tells us of a man who struggled with the temptation of loosing everything he had. His flocks, his fields, his children, his homes, everything Job had was taken from him in what is one of the most devastating stories ever recorded. Job is left with nothing but a body covered in sores, with no possessions, lying in the dust yet refusing to curse the name of God.
The temptation that Job struggled with was the temptation to curse God because of the terrible things happening to him. Satan, in the story, does not push this onto his heart. All Satan can do is change Job's circumstances in the hope that Job will curse God as a result. Again we see that temptation is an internal thing, that Job was able to control by refusing to build it up in his heart, and to instead praise God as a counter to choosing cursing.
Back to Jesus:
When looking at the temptations of Jesus there is something quite interesting when you accept this idea. All of the temptations were something specifically applicable to Jesus. "Turn the stones to bread." "Cast yourself off the temple to be saved by angels." "Worship me and take all the kingdoms of the world." These are all temptations that were specifically, and even uniquely applicable to Jesus. And they were true from within himself. He could use his divine power to care for himself. He could prove his worth and person-hood to the world. He could rule the world into a great new age. All of these things Jesus could have done, uniquely. These would have been temptations in his own heart (he was tempted after all). The difference was that Jesus, in each case, refused for these temptations to take hold of his own heart. He had defenses ready for all of them, and an answer first in his mind.
It's interesting to note that in the temptations of Jesus the devil never once lied, and Jesus never refuted any of the devils claims. The devil quoted scripture at Jesus to justify what was there in his heart. So if we believe that knowing the truth, and leaning on scripture is enough for us to defeat temptation in our lives then we may simply be trapping ourselves.
Solution:
The last line in the Lord's prayer goes "Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one." There are a lot of issues and intricacies in the language and theology of this line. But instead of looking at all that I want to remind you of a simple truth. This is a prayer. I know that this seems a little too simple, but I believe that we sometimes approach these things without remembering that this is a prayer. It's not a systematic theology, or a story, or a parable. This line is a prayer, which gives it a special purpose.
The temptation line of the Lord's prayer reminds us to invite God into our temptations. We are to pray for God not to intercede, or miraculously take a temptation away. The purpose isn't for strength for us to defeat it ourselves. The purpose is for God to take the place that these temptations are filling in our hearts. The act of praying with God about our temptations is about praying to God about those things we fill our hearts with on a regular basis. The things we feed into our own spirit. The things that we want to be there, the things that give us joy to look at or long after.
Sitting in prayer with God over these things reminds us to fill our hearts with something else. To have a defense to avoid filling our hearts with it. That is the issue.
Discussion:
1) As a church, a culture, or even as a world the masses like to feel better about themselves by pointing to people who are guilty of "greater sin than us." What is that greater sin? What is the worst temptation? (Don't pretend like you don't think that way).
2) Romans 2 says "you are guilty because you who judge do the same things." Is this teaching that we are all equally guilty? How do you view yourself in comparison with others in this way?
3) When we think about the struggles we have with sin, it is easier to think that these desires come from another place, another entity that's forcing it on us. How do you honestly feel about the idea that we are responsible for filling our own hearts with temptation?
4) What are some ways that we can create natural defenses against feeding our 'habit temptations.'
No comments:
Post a Comment