Devil's in the Details

Luke 4:1-13

Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the wilderness, 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. The devil said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command this stone to become a loaf of bread.” Jesus answered him, “It is written, ‘One does not live by bread alone.’” Then the devil led him up and showed him in an instant all the kingdoms of the world. 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. If you, then, will worship me, it will all be yours.” Jesus answered him, “It is written, ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve only him.’” 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, for it is written, ‘He will command his angels concerning you, to protect you,’ and ‘On their hands they will bear you up, so that you will not dash your foot against a stone.’” Jesus answered him, “It is said, ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’” When the devil had finished every test, he departed from him until an opportune time.

Last week we saw how Jesus handled his own perverse and faithless generation.  He took time away.  He came to a complete stop.  Then, finally, when he did go back down the mountain to face the world again, he didn’t worry or loose sleep over the enormity of the world’s brokenness, but instead, found the one person right in front of him who had a need that his particular gifts could meet, and he met that kid’s needs.  That’s how Jesus did it.   

The question that Transfiguration story left us with was this:  “If Jesus handled his perverse and faithless generation that way, then why do we so often act as if the Jesus Way of handling the world’s problems, is just not good enough for us?  This week’s Gospel gives the answer:  Because unlike Jesus, the Devil has had a lot more success convincing all of us that when WE were filled with the Holy Spirit in OUR Baptisms, just like Jesus was in His, God didn’t really give US enough.  We get “Filled” with the Holy Spirit but we see only about a quarter tank.  

In each of those tests, the Devil said to Jesus, “Oh, man, it’s too bad God didn’t give you enough for this.  Didn’t fill you all the way up… and you’re his son.  Ouch!  But hey.  You’re in luck!  I can hook you up with all the details.  Food, power, life… it looks to me like you don’t have enough of any of those.  Don’t worry, I can fill those in for you where God, it seems, has let you down.”

 

You and I face these same temptations.  The devil trying to sell us, and everyone else on earth, the same line of BS that he tried to sell Jesus!  “Oh, wow, it’s a shame God didn’t give you enough security.  You’ll be needing more guns.  Don’t worry, I know a guy.  God didn’t give you enough wealth.  Ouch!  And you’re a child of God.  Don’t worry I’ll show you how to keep more and give less.  God didn’t give you enough power, liberty, health, safety, secure enough borders, or enough people around you that look like you and think like you… WOW!  Just look at all the things God DIDN’T give you!  Look at how vulnerable God has left you!  You should really have more!  You really DESERVE more!  Man is it lucky I came along!  Because, even though it’s clear that God left you short in the tank, if stick with me kid, I’ll fill you right up the rest of the way.”

Unfortunately that lie doesn’t come from a red guy with horns and a pitchfork.  That would make seeing it easy!  Nope, that lie comes in the form of everyday life.  Oh, it’s too bad God didn’t make you beautiful enough, or you pits fresh enough, or your love life strong enough, or your car classy enough or your home safe enough or your borders secure enough or your power sure enough.  We all fall for it!  I’m furious that Putin fell for the lie and the devil gets a war as commission from that sale!  But I’m equally mad at myself when the Devil gets me every…single…time with SAME stupid lie that goes like this, “Oh, it’s a shame God didn’t give you enough to take GOOD care of your family.”  That one I go for hook, line and sinker!  How many times have I stared at the ceiling thinking, “You know, it has looked that way an awful lot of times over the years.  Maybe, maybe this guy really does a point.”  

You say, well, that’s not the same as invading a country!  And while the consequences from falling for the lie may be different, the lie that Putin fell for… that he didn’t have enough… is the exact same lie that I fall for over and over again.  We all have our own spot… the button we can’t stand to have pushed… the lie that in one way or another says that God has not given us EVERYTHING we need.  Only Jesus has ever faced that sales pitch flawlessly.

So what are we to do?  One thing would be to use Lent as the Spring Training season it was meant to be.  A time, originally only for people who were candidates for Baptism, but now for us all where we practice living as Jesus lived.  We practice those things in small ways, over and over in this season so we can get in shape and learn in that practice, that we really can trust that God has most certainly given us, not JUST enough, but evem MORE than we could ask or imagine! 

So practice fasting and caring for others.  Practice giving from the abundance we’ve been given.  Practice gathering together in community, showing up even when your “showing up muscles” are sore.  Practice praying with each other and listening deeply to one another.  And with every round of practice in these small ways, you will be better able to embrace the truth of God’s ENOUGH in the big ways. 

And remember, Lenten Spring Training isn’t supposed to break you.  It's supposed to build you up in simple, small, steps taken one at a time.  A little act of caring. A small try at giving, one Sunday in a row of church.  If those go well, then do some more.  One step at a time... supporting one another through the season and I promise you'll get better at this.  So welcome to Spring Training and may this season of Lent grow in you the trust, that in your Baptism, just as in Jesus’ Baptism, you really have been given enough.  Amen.