Luke 4:1-11

Temptation often comes in the form of gifts.

            In the wilderness, Satan makes Jesus a number of tempting offers. Satan does not attack Jesus, assault him, or abuse him. Rather, he offers him gifts. Moreover, they are good gifts.  

A.    Tempting Gift #1: Bread 

            Jesus has been hungry for forty days, a very long time. What gift is more basic or necessary for life than bread? Most of us spend most of our day working for bread. Most of human creativity is tied to economic production. We have lived through an incredibly affluent time for many North Americans. There has been a lot of bread.

            What is Jesus' response to Satan's offer of bread? He refuses. 

B.     Tempting gift #2: Power 

            Satan is not offering Jesus lust, greed, or any bad thing. Satan is offering Jesus a good thing - power. Of course, power in Jesus' hands would surely be power to do good. Generally, people at least claim to want power for good things, like "economic development" or "national self-determination" or "power to the people" or "the liberation of women" or "the reform of the church" or some other noble objective.

            We certainly live in a culture that values power and people who can get things done. Most of us have bread enough to spare, so we spend much of our time trying to get more power. We want power to live our lives as we please. We admire people who have power and know how to use it. We have contempt for leaders who seem powerless. Satan offers Jesus all the power one could want - power over every kingdom in the world.

            Jesus refuses. Jesus says, "No!" 

C.     Tempting gift #3: Religion 

            Spiritual showbiz. Throw yourself down from the tower and there will be spectacular religious results. Angels will catch you.

            There is a great deal of interest in our day in such spectacular religion, religion that works. We spend so much of our time trying to secure health and happiness through bread or through political power, why not use religion in the same way? We have so many different paths to get what we want - hard work, therapy, the acquisition of stocks and bonds. What would happen if we tried religion? Is religion not a good thing? Would it not be a good thing to have so much faith that one could jump off a cliff, confident of divine protection?

            Yet, even when faced with Satan's offer for spiritual heroics, Jesus says, "No!"