29^th March 2011

Rev Dr Max Champion at St John's UCA Mt Waverley Sunday 13 March 2011

Lessons -- Genesis 2:15-17, 3:1-7; Matthew 4: 1-11

Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by
the devil. (Matthew 4:1)

Talk of 'temptation' seems out of place in a secular age. It is
unsettling, negative and dangerous to our sense of well-being. It is also
at odds with the widespread conviction that, if 'religion' is to be
relevant then it should deliver spiritual bliss. The idea of wrestling
with God is alien in our society and the Church! Indeed, for most of us
mention of Satan is a sign of a primitive, frightening faith.

Still, temptation fascinates us. Novels, films, programs, news and
advertising appeal to our fascination with what John Dickson, in Life of
Jesus, calls 'the dark side'. We are attracted to people, products and
programs claiming to enlighten us but, actually, exploiting our desire for
sexual intimacy, economic security, political power and spiritual faith.

The Christian community is not immune from temptations from the 'dark
side'. Far from being a foreign element in the life of faith, temptation
is an ever present reality. It is part and parcel of the lives of those
whom God calls into the service of Christ. That is why each Sunday we
pray, 'Do not lead us into temptation (do not bring us to a severe trial
of our faith), but deliver us from evil.' The faithful, as the Lord's
Prayer makes plain, are no match for temptation!

We seriously underestimate the attraction of temptation if we think it
thrives only by exposing our flaws. Jesus' temptations were tempting
precisely because he was asked to do things which were good and
attractive. They attack him, not at points of weakness but of greatest
strength: his compassion, his faith, his commitment to humanity. Evil
usually masquerades as goodness.

The devil, the personification of all that opposes God's will, puts three
options to Jesus: he can perform an economic miracle, prove his faith in
his Father or become a benevolent dictator. All these could be achieved to
the great benefit of God and humanity if he were to relinquish his
'Sonship'. A nod and a wink in the direction of the 'dark side' will bring
light into the world. Very attractive indeed!

(1) Economics: Jesus is urged to let what is 'good' take the place of what
is 'best'. 'If you are the Son of God, turn this stone into bread.' (v3)
It is good to eat and necessary to feed the hungry. In Matthew 25:31ff
Jesus is scathing of religious people who ignore the hungry, the thirsty,
the sick, the stranger, the naked and the imprisoned. They will be
severely judged. Jesus is not indifferent to our need for sustenance and
friendship. He feeds the starving crowds with real bread (Matthew 15:32ff)
and his disciples are taught to pray for 'daily bread'.

In refusing to turn stones to bread, Jesus is not being callous to those
in desperate need of sustenance. He resists the temptation to think that
he can meet our deepest need by economic means: to bring healing and hope
by providing us with money, property, shares and assets. Survival,
material well- being, financial security and commitment to the 'poor' are
very important, but they are not the ultimate purpose of life.

If Jesus had given in to this temptation, he would have proved his
compassion, but at the cost of his mission. He came to reconcile sinners
to God in a life of complete sacrificial love. Economic solutions can and
should alleviate material hardship, but they cannot overcome evil through
forgiveness or create a community which acknowledges the grace and
goodness of God.

(2) Religion: Jesus is tempted to force God's hand by an unambiguous
display of power to convince folk of his unity with God. He is urged to
ensure the success of the mission. The devil, like the serpent in the
garden (Genesis 3: 1ff) becomes 'very religious'. 'If you are the Son of
God, throw yourself down from the top of the temple and people will
believe by your incredible faith and God's astonishing power.' (v6)

Jesus resists the temptation to display his faith in this way in order to
bolster his public image and convince the crowd of God's power. If he had
performed such an extraordinary feat, he would not have demonstrated the
real miracle of God's presence in him. The real miracle is seen in
Christ's costly, self-giving love for sinners as displayed supremely in
the whole of his life, death and resurrection.

(3) Politics: Here, Jesus is urged to 'let the end justify the means'.
What an opportunity to exercise power for good in a disordered world where
untold millions have been tortured, killed, abused and demeaned by
political leaders. It must have been very tempting for Jesus to establish
a 'new world order' committed to peace and justice.

The cost of attaining such power, however, is too high. 'If you will
worship me, the whole inhabited world will be yours.' (v7) Political
compromise is important to make policies that benefit the people. But
capitulation to evil -- even in the service of a just cause -- is
unconscionable! It has no place in the mission of Christ whose reconciling
peace for all humanity is embodied in God's triumphant, suffering love in
the crucifixion and resurrection.

Today this word needs to be heard because many people do not think twice
about 'telling lies for justice'. Since the French Revolution, atrocities
have been committed by numerous tyrants who have appealed to 'freedom,
equality and brotherhood'. Many a social justice advocate has made such a
compromise!

Jesus does not 'sell his soul' so that he can exert global influence for
good. Nothing is more important than to worship God! We must abandon the
political illusion that achieving political power is the ultimate goal of
Christian social action. A commitment to 'social justice' (important as it
is to uphold human dignity) is not a substitute for the Kingdom of God.
Jesus' power is exercised in the weakness of the Cross.

In the three temptations Jesus' strengths are attacked: his compassion for
the needy, his faith in God and his commitment to the world. He refuses to
'make a bargain with the devil'. He resists these pressures, thus showing
that the ultimate purpose of life is not the pursuit of economic security,
political power or religious miracles. God's goodness and grace is
displayed in the power of costly, self-giving love that does not shrink
from evil and refuses to play by its rules.

Jesus' self-giving love for flawed human beings and the strife-torn world
is the 'best thing' to have happened in history! It mustn't be confused
with the many 'good things' that we must do to strengthen political and
economic institutions and meet the needs of those who are hungry,
oppressed or seeking spiritual fulfilment.

Christ's victory over temptation is also a source of hope for us. His
temptations in the wilderness are far more severe than any we experience.
We are not tested as was the One who has come to reconcile humanity to God
-- even though we, too, experience the 'dark side'.

Nevertheless, we share his triumph over temptation in two ways: * He is
the model for our struggles. We must be wary of political, economic and
religious causes that assume too much. They distract us from being, first
and foremost, servants of the crucified and risen Christ. * No temptation
of ours is so great that it has not already been experienced and defeated
by Christ. We are not alone even in our most severe temptations. Jesus
sympathises with us in our temptations (Hebrews 2:14ff, 4:14ff).

It is extremely hard to resist temptation today in a society which
encourages us to find 'ultimate solutions' to life's problems in economic,
political or religious programs. We are rightly horrified by widespread
hunger, deprivation, injustice and tyranny. We want to make a difference!
We are also painfully aware of the declining public influence of the
Church and desperately want others to be attracted to the Gospel.

But we ought not to let ourselves be duped by false hopes! We are to
rejoice in the redeeming love of God who 'in Christ crucified and risen'
bears our weaknesses, shares our temptations and forgives our sins. In
this event is the sign of hope for all nations.

This is a message that still needs to be heard -- not least so that our
robust participation in public life is free from pride and despair. The
question is whether it can be heard at a time when, in the community and
the church, Christianity is widely regarded either as a genial or foolish
set of beliefs and practices which do not unsettle anybody.

When Christianity Lite holds sway, it is hard to understand temptation.
Perhaps we will experience it again only when we see how good, attractive
things in our society -- like economics, politics and religion -- have
weakened our resolve to love God and our neighbour above all else. Perhaps
then as we are taught in the Lord's Prayer, we shall learn to pray
urgently for courage to withstand the many beguiling threats to our faith
-- challenges that can easily lead us into 'evil' and for which (in our
own strength) we are no match.

If so, then we shall be able to rejoice that the crucified and risen
Christ has borne our temptations, sympathised with our weaknesses and
defeated the power of evil for us.

________________________________

Prayers of Intercession for 13 March 2011 -- The Temptations of Jesus
(Matthew 4:1ff)

Almighty God, Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, Your only Son and our
Brother: hear the prayers of your flawed people for our strife-torn world.

We pray for leaders and their followers who are tempted by the lure of
power and fame which leads them to control, manipulate or abuse those whom
they are called to lead. May they be dissuaded from their schemes and the
people saved from tyranny. We pray for Libya.

We pray for our own political leaders, that they may resist the lure of
popularity and enact laws that are good and humane. We pray for Julia
Gillard, Tony Abbott and Bob Brown.

We pray for business and union leaders, administrators and members of the
community, that they may not be lured by the pursuit of wealth and
consumer goods. May we be open to the needs of our brothers and sisters
for food, drink and friendship without neglecting to invite them to the
festivities of the kingdom. We pray for hope to the despairing and for
dignity to those whose humanity is demeaned.

We pray for those who are lured to forms of religion and spirituality that
promise success, prosperity and popularity. May they know the faith,
courage and the joy that comes from following Jesus.

We pray for those who lured by the hedonistic quest for pleasure,
particularly praying for sport's stars and those who follow them, that
they may not be blinded by fame or tempted by drugs, sex and alcohol. May
those who have given in to temptation be healed and made whole.

We pray for the Church, that, in word and deed, we may faithfully declare
that your kingdom has come in Christ. May we not be lured by the prospect
of popularity in the quest for justice but be ever-mindful of your saving
and transforming grace in him. We pray for leaders in the UCA and our
ecumenical partners.

We give thanks for the presence of your spirit in the Church, here at St
John's and throughout the world. We pray that we shall be delivered from
the temptation to seek our own welfare and establish our own good name.
May we delight to affirm the splendour of your mercy and goodness
displayed in Christ. Be with those who are tempted to despair because they
suffer affliction, tragedy or abuse -- within the congregation or beyond
in NZ and Japan. May they be full of hope and courage even in the midst of
terrible suffering.

These things we pray, not in our own strength, but in the power of the
Holy Spirit and through Jesus Christ who sympathises with us in our
weakness and assures us that, whatever befalls us, nothing ultimately can
separate us from your eternal love.

In this confidence and hope we praise your name, now and always. Amen

-----------------

Rev Dr Max Champion is minister in the St John's Uniting Church, Mt
Waverley, Victoria, Australia. Dr Champion is Chair of the Assembly of
Confessing Congregations within the UCA.